Burrell Memorial Observatory
Baldwin-Wallace College
Berea, Ohio
For American International, the restoration of a structure with the character and charm of the Burrell Memorial Observatory became more than just another building to repair, it transformed into a labor of love for all who helped to restore it.
The observatory was designed in 1931 by then Cleveland Architect Wilbur A. Watson and was eventually constructed in 1940. This unique structure was the class of its era boasting a 13-1/2″ telescope to the stars, laboratory, classrooms, an exterior catwalk around the dome turret and much more. Mrs. Katherine Ward Burrell donated $75,000.00 to the College in honor of her late husband, which made the construction of this structure possible. Dr. Burrell was the director of engineering for the Warner and Swassey Company and was considered one of the nation’s greatest telescope builders. Dr. Burrell is credited with designing an 82″ reflector telescope for the McDonald Observatory in Texas.
Nestled on E. Fifth Street, Burrell Observatory is a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered for those who by chance travel down this quiet residential campus street. At first glimpse the building is a work of art and one that American International proudly adds to
its list of restored gems. Tucked away behind trees and the hustle and bustle of campus, the building exemplifies an architectural classic, then considered to be “inventive modernism” of the 1920’s and 30’s.The wear and tear of mother-nature eventually took its toll on the Burrell Observatory as its masonry facade blackened with age and its mortar joints broke. Steel turned to rust and weather and water turned the copper dome a beautiful patina green. Both beaten and beautified with age, Burrell was in desperate need of care.
In 2003 Baldwin-Wallace College chose American International to take on the daunting responsibility of restoring Burrell to its original glory. Months of careful craftsmanship and attention to detail lead to the completion of an aged but well polished building facade.
Our sincere thanks go out to Mr. William Kerbusch, Director of Buildings and Grounds, and to the many people at Baldwin-Wallace College for their commitment to the restoration of Burrell Memorial Observatory, and for the faith entrusted in American International to restore this timeless architectural statement.
Masonry Restoration & Tuck Pointing
Much of the masonry exterior required tuck pointing and although previous attempts had been made by other contractors to correct these conditions, some mortar joint repairs stood out even more. Our job consisted of first stripping and cleaning the brick facade to determine the original color of the masonry and mortar joints. Then we physically ground out all cracked or failed mortar joints, re-cleaned the wall surfaces of dust and debris and then tuck pointed the joints with new mortar. Painstaking efforts were made to match the existing mortar joint style, color and texture.
Stone Restoration
Burrell is adorned with Berea Quarry Sandstone at the base of the dome turret, building perimeter, the front entrance tower as well as at the coping caps. Years of water infiltration within the stone substrate caused spalling in areas which required patching. Stone patching is an art that requires attention to preparation and color matching. American International incorporated the latest technological advances with respect to natural material mortars which were used to match color and stone consistency.
Restoration of Steel Components
Burrell Observatory has a myriad of interesting architectural steel features that ad to the character of the building. As with most exterior building components the steel is subjected to weathering and will rust. A circular segmented catwalk which surrounds the dome turret is perhaps the most unique steel component on the building. All steel components were completely disassembled, shipped out for sandblast preparation, primed and then coated with state of the art industrial coatings. All prepared steel segments were then welded where necessary and reinstalled to fit the original openings. In some cases the degradation of the steel was so severe that new components were traced and re-fabricated with new steel.
Facade Cleaning & Waterproofing
Perhaps the most stunning change in the outward appearance of Burrell Observatory was in the color of the masonry facade. Blackened with years of carbon and atmospheric pollutants, the entire masonry facade was first chemically stripped of all existing water repellent sealants to get to the surface of the brick. Then the entire masonry facade was repeatedly chemically cleaned until all remnants of carbon were removed. The exterior stone and brick surfaces were then sealed with clear water repellent to prevent further moisture intrusion.
Copper Dome Modifications
The unique beauty of a building component such as the copper dome on Burrell Observatory provides the visitor with aesthetic imagery and yet was a source of problems for Baldwin-Wallace. Leaks had occurred in the dome that required attention in order to protect the integrity of the telescope and interior building components. American International provided soldering of copper seams on the exterior dome as well as engineered a watertight gasket system for the rotating telescope dome opening.