Boston, Massachusetts (1899)
The Building: St. Leonard’s Church is a Roman Catholic church located at the corner of Hanover and Prince Streets in the north end of Boston. Founded in 1873 and completed in 1899, it is one of the oldest churches built by Italian immigrants in the United States. Construction of the current building, designed in the Romanesque style by architect William Holmes, did not begin until 1885. The church basement opened to the public in 1891, with an estimated 20,000 parishioners. The upper church and the friary on Bennet Street were completed in 1899. The interior, with its ornate Italian style and color scheme, was created by immigrant craftsmen who were also parishioners. The church is a pending Boston landmark building.
Project Synopsis:
With no access to the attic or behind the walls, approximately 3000 square feet of deteriorated plaster on wood lath on the dome and walls were consolidated from blind locations using the HPCS Remote Consolidant Applicator. The work was successfully performed by Historic Plaster Solutions, an affiliate of Historic Plaster Conservation Services USA (HPCS).
