Monroe County Courthouse Exterior Restoration

The courthouse is one of several in Iowa built with sandstone exterior cladding. According to records, the building was sandblasted in the 1970s and likely had an exterior sealer applied. Small areas on repointing had taken place over the years with improper material leading to significant degradation and spalling of surface stone. In addition, many areas of the dentil detailing was degraded and failing.

The project utilized Secretary of the Interiors guidelines for historic preservation to gently clean the entire exterior of the building. Select areas of the dentil moulding were replaced with new stone from the original quarry in Ohio. All masonry joints were struck of mortar and repointed with appropriate lime mortar. Each stone was individually dressed to remove surface spalling and consolidant treatment was applied to slow further deterioration. Select areas of detailing received patching and reconstruction. The decision was made to not seal the building due to the potential for more long term damage should moisture be trapped within stone and multi-wythe brick walls. To ensure full reestablishment of the bulk water drain plane, all exterior window and door frame to stone joints received new sealant joints. A leaky roof that was likely the culprit for water infiltration had been replaced as part of a previous project. This project was completed in 2019.

Consultants – David Arbogast, Architectural Conservator

Contractor – TNT Tuckpointing