Restoration experts use stippling method to match original terra cotta appearance
Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church in Little Rock, AR was designed in 1921 by prominent architectural firm Thompson and Harding. Built in stages from 1921 to 1926, the 44,000-square-foot, Gothic Revival-style church features a red brick and terra cotta façade. Recently, the historic restoration experts at Western Specialty Contractors – Little Rock, AR branch were challenged with repairing the church’s bell tower which was showing signs of instability and wear-and-tear.
Western’s experts consulted with WER Architects to determine a plan of action for repairing the damaged bell tower. The tower’s interior brick wall was bulging out of the outside wall and required stabilization. Western was able to stabilize the tower’s brick wall by installing dry fix helical anchors and Heli Bar stitching rods at locations determined by the architect. Once the tower was stabilized, Western tuckpointed the masonry joints with matching mortar.