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EMERGENCY
STABILIZATION
As described in the Project Description, the emergency stabilization portion of the project seeks to stabilize particular tombs, in hopes of defraying further deterioration. Thirty-five tombs have been chosen for the stabilization process, based on the results of the March 2001 survey conducted by the University of Pennsylvania Department of Historic Preservation. Although all the tombs fall into the category of needing emergency stabilization, the range of work varies broadly. A few tombs require the replacement of few bricks here and there to seal up openings, while others require rebuilding of complete steps and roofs.
Archdiocese mason Royal Osborne is conducting the stabilization work with conservation assistants Laura Ewen, Lindsay Hannah, and Heather Knight. Royal has extensive experience in the field of tomb rebuilding, since he has been working for the Archdiocese for over 25 years. Not only has he built new tombs, but he has also repaired old ones, including several at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1.
A typical example of most of the stabilization work taking place is Tomb #396. The tomb had lost most of its roof stucco, exposing bricks and mortar to the elements; the remaining bricks were there only out of habit. The loose bricks were taken down, and the old mortar removed. A few of the bricks had to be cut, to match the angles of those already in place. Royal re-laid the bricks of the tomb using the same construction pattern that had been previously used, following the existing bricks as a guide. Tomb #329 required more extensive rebuilding. While #396 just required about 3 dozen bricks to be re-laid, #329 had experienced more substantial deterioration. Through careful examination, Laura determined that the tomb originally had a stepped
roof. The bricks had been laid in such a way that they projected out over one another, forming a stepped arch over the burial vault. Unfortunately, this method of construction eventually resulted in the failure of the roof, and the materials subsequently caved in to the vault space. In order to prevent that same mistake, the vault space was lined with geotextile, then filled with a mixture of pea gravel and sand in order to provide a bed to set the brick on.
Program Intro | Site History | Emergency Stabilization | Lacombe Tomb | Malard Tomb |
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