Our Latest Project 

The County of Lehigh has awarded a contract to S. Harris & Co. for the purpose of coming to solutions for long-standing water intrusion issues and masonry deterioration.  As this is what we do, it will be especially rewarding to work through the issues and options at such a delicious site.  The surviving elements are but a fraction of the overall complex which was begun in 1868 in Alburtis, Lehigh County, and operated by the Thomas Iron Co.  At its height, the Thomas Iron Co. operated ten furnaces in and around our site.  This remnant is what remains of Furnace Seven and its immediately adjoining sheds and feeder mills.  Operations ended in 1921 and the property passed through several hands until it finally settled with the Commissioners of Lehigh County.  Restoration efforts began in 1974; however, water has recurrently found its way into and through the massive masonry walls. This project is going to follow an interesting path of technical analysis and options development.

Landmarks Abounding

We are extremely proud that among our current projects are three

National Historic Landmarks:

At St. Peter's Church, located at Third and Pine Streets in Philadelphia, we completed the restoration of the bell tower and steeple. The Committee for the Preservation of Historic St. Peter's Church, Chaired by Gail Hauptfuher, is the immediate client of the project. The project manager for the Church is Joe Fanelli, also a member of the Committee. Masonry Preservation Group completed the masonry work, which included the insertion of tie rods at two separate levels of the tower, plus a considerable amount repointing. The windows and frames were restored by Dick Caswell and his crew, and as a result many of the windows are operating for the first time in several decades. The exterior was stripped and repainted by the Kinney Brothers, who have a long association with this particular steeple. 

Eastern State Penitentiary is about to go out to bid for the re-roofing of five complete cell blocks plus a portion of Cell Block Three. Once completed, the majority of the site will be under durable roofing. There is more roofing work to be done, but for the first time since Sam started working on the site in 1988, we are definitely gaining ground. It has been, and remains, a tough site for the staff and Board to manage, but the success of the site is established as a historic attraction in the City. Sally Elk, the Executive Director of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, is a graduate of the Penn Preservation program and was a student in Sam's Diagnostics and Pathology course in the 1980's. Sally and Sean Kelly rightly deserve immense credit in marshalling this massive aging pile.

The Pine Building at Pennsylvania Hospital is America's first fixed medical facility and has been in continuous operation since its construction. In 2006, we were able to work with the Hospital to develop an assessment of the Pine Building. The assessment was a significant element in the successful application for a Save America's Treasures grant. The Hospital solicited proposals for the development of Phase One as identified in the assessment, and S. Harris & Co. were the fortunate recipients of the contract, which includes the restoration of the roof, eaves, drainage components and the exterior woodwork. Negotiations with the National Park Service over the conditions of the grant delayed work until this fall, but Jessica Senker and Diedra Whittenburg are working diligently and closely with Jim Kelly, the Director of Engineering Services, as well as an exceptional Advisory Committee which includes Hy Meyers and Al Holm, among others. The operating theater, library, and entry are essentially as they have been for two hundred years and are well worth the time to go to for a visit. The Pine Building is indeed one of America's real gems.

Greetings from Asbury Park

Last April, Sam received a call from a restoration contractor who was, at that time working on the exteriors of the Convention Hall and the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park, NJ. He was referred to us by our good friend and colleague, Michael Henry, as the situation seemed to be structurally related. One thing led to another to another and to another such that, at the beginning of November, we were asked to assume the role of Architect of Record on all the buildings along the historic Asbury Park Boardwalk. Two of the larger buildings included in the project are the Paramount Theatre and Convention Hall structures at the north end of the Boardwalk. While each is a distinct structure, they are joined by a covered arcade which spans the Boardwalk and links the buildings.  Together, the Convention hall and Theater are on the National Register of Historic Places. On the south end of the Boardwalk, balancing the Convention Hall and Theater, are the Casino and Carousel House structures.  Also included are the five existing Boardwalk pavilions, located along the Boardwalk, and the original Power House. The client, Madison Asbury Retail, LLC, has plans to redevelop the Asbury Park oceanfront properties for retail and entertainment while preserving the integrity of one of the nation's most historic beachfront communities.

In the role of Architect of Record, we are able to enlist the consulting help of many of our favorite associates and colleagues. Watson & Henry are helping with the nomination to the Register of the Casino and Carousel House as well as with preparation of the Part One for Historic Tax Credits for the Convention Hall and Theater.  Regan Young England Butera from Mount Holly are joining with Cate Comerford from Ocean Grove to work on Pavilion Three and the Sunset Pavilion.  Schade and Bolender from Philadelphia are teamed with Passman Ercolino from Ocean, NJ, to work on Pavilions One and Five. And Walter Sedovic Architects from Irvington, NY, are tackling the Casino and Carousel House, as well as the Power House.  Walter will be supported by Edward Stanley Engineers for structural engineering, while everyone involved is supported by DLB Associates for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing.

The most recent addition to the ever growing ranks is Tom Barton of Barton Partners in Norristown, PA, who will be consulting on some of the extensive redevelopment planned for the areas across from the Boardwalk.

Even Paradise can leak from time to time.... 

This past November Sam and Celine left the APT conference in San Juan and, at the invitation of Marcia Myers, the President of the Nevis Historical Society, flew to the Caribbean island of Nevis to conduct an assessment of the Alexander Hamilton House, an early 19th Century structure in Charlestown.  This is the second such project for the firm in Nevis. Six years ago, Sam conducted a similar assessment of the Bath Hotel, also in Charlestown.  Although the building is somewhat newer than the associated event, namely the birth of Alexander Hamilton, the building bears Hamilton's name because he was, indeed, born within the confines of the property. The Historical Society has the opportunity of moving their headquarters into the Hamilton House and asked Sam to assess exactly what they were getting into. The assessment concluded that the structure suffers from termite damage and rot, neither of which are unexpected, nor foreign, to island structures. 

...and that's not all folks

S. Harris & Co. is involved in the West Orange Redevelopment Project as a consultant to Barton Partners. Last year, we performed a Conditions Assessment of the Edison Battery Storage Building and produced a report for the client. More recently, the team is focusing on facade and window renovations for the planned condominium conversion of the site.  Over the summer and into the fall, we worked with Barton Partners and, specifically, Ed Mitrovich, in the design details for the concrete repairs and the replacement windows, of which there are, literally, thousands.  The process has very much been guided by the West Orange Historic Preservation Commission, with whom it has been a professional pleasure to work.

The Delaware Inn in Trenton is, or rather was, a Colonial era tavern located a "stone's throw" from the Delaware River.  Unraveling its construction history was one of the more physical activities we have "enjoyed" in quite some time.  As there is no electricity on the site, we are now the possessors of a 3KW generator and lights to match, along with a saws-all and pry bars.  After much excising of latter day fabric, the old inn began to explain herself and her history.  Buried under layers of "improvements" we found an early example of a timber girder, trussed with iron rods in the same plane as the girder itself, probably dating to the early 1800s... extremely clever.  From the girder, a reasonable chronology suggests the Inn began as little more than the room on the ground level and to the right (as you view the photograph) of the current, nicely centered, front door.  From that corner, the building spread to the rear of the property and then to the left in the photograph. 

The Inn is owned by The City of Trenton, and the project is being managed by Jerry Harcar, with whom Sam worked years ago on the Roebling Wire Works in The 'Burg.  One of the really good things about swimming in such a small pond is the pleasure of re-meeting past clients and acquaintances, such as Jerry.

The National Products building, in Philadelphia, on 2nd Street, just north of Arch Street, simply defies a neat architectural box. Purists may (rightly) say that is not historic while aesthetes may (rightly) say that it is not an artistic accomplishment, just a long wall of orange glazed tile and aluminum signage, garish, unsubtle, even tacky. The facade is protected under the City's Preservation Ordinance, but it is deteriorating at a rate that threatens even its short-term survival.  We have worked closely with the staff of the Philadelphia Historic Preservation Commission; the developer, Steve Patron, of Paradigm Realty Alliance; and several local resident and business associations to develop a reconstruction scheme so that several more generations can debate whether we were simply being nostalgic or prescient.

The David Sheppard House in Bridgeton, New Jersey, comes to us through our colleagues and friends at Watson & Henry Architects.  The relationship between Michael and Sam goes back more years than either cares to admit, but is more than a matter of duration.  Michael and Sam have for years taught classes and seminars together at NCPTT in Natchinatchoes, Louisiana, APT in Portland, ME, and Preservation Colorado in February of 2007.  It has been a very friendly "competition" since we set up S. Harris & Co. in late 1999, as we have occasionally pursued similar work.  Beginning in 2007, however, it has become much more a cooperative relationship than a competitive one. We have had the pleasure of consulting to Watson & Henry on several projects including the Sheppard House, and recently we were able to reciprocate with Watson & Henry working with us in Asbury Park. 

..."Barns R Us"...

2007 was our Year of the Barn or, more accurately, barns.  We have attracted barns in the past: Staats Barn in 2001, English Barn in 2003, and Mensch Barn in 2004; but beginning a bit over a year ago we have been awash in barns.  The barn at Pennypacker Mills is coming to completion.  The barn dates to the early 1800s and is in the process of having its structure reinforced and having its roof replaced.  Montgomery County, the owner, has appropriated funds to replace the siding in fiscal year 2009.  The project comes to us in no small part through the advocacy of the site manager, Ella Adderman, who is also administering the contract. 

Supawna Meadows Barn is not your average old barn.  It looks like an old barn; creaks and leaks like an old barn; but it is, in fact, a wild life sanctuary.  The wild life includes a nesting pair of barn owls... fancy that... and thousands and thousands of bats... that's right... bats.  Fortunately for us, the bats and owls migrate south in the winter, so we have to hurry up and reinforce the place before the warm weather returns, or it will have to wait until next year because we ain't goin' in there.

   Masker's Barn

.... plus one that just wants to be a Big Red Barn...

      Big Red Barn at Cornell University

Updated: 31 March 2008