Location: Broadway at 10th Street, Greenwich Village, New York, NY
Landmark Status: NYC Individual Landmark; National Register of Historic Places
Original Architect: James Renwick, Jr.
Date of Construction: 1843-1846
Date of Restoration: 1993-2015
Scope of Work: Stone Repair Replacement and Carving, Liquid-Applied Roofing, Sheet Metal Roofing, Stained Glass Window Restoration, Protective Glazing, Painted Plaster Restoration, Mechanical Upgrades, Cast Iron Fence Restoration
Award: Award of Merit (The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America)
Grace Church in New York was designed in 1843 by architect James Renwick, Jr. In 1993, Walter B. Melvin Architects, LLC began the exterior and interior restoration of the church with a comprehensive investigation of the white marble, Gothic Revival style building documenting problematic conditions, assessing their likely causes, performing archival research, and recommending appropriate repairs.
In the years that followed, WBMA specified and oversaw a number of significant restoration projects at the church. The restoration team reconstructed the top 25 feet of the stone spire, which leaned several inches out of plumb, by carefully disassembling the stonework, replacing rusted steel reinforcement with a newly designed stainless steel system, and re-installing existing stones along with new stones carved in-situ. They rebuilt original Tuckahoe marble window tracery, restored historic stained glass windows, and installed new vented protective glazing. They re-carved severely deteriorated or missing decorative stone elements based on archival research. They installed new liquid-applied roofing at the side aisles, and restored the decorative stone, plaster, and painted finishes of several interior spaces. In preparation for the new Bicentennial Organ, the team restored the Chancel interior and altar screen, rebuilt the magnificent Te Deum stained glass window, redesigned the lighting, and made structural modifications to the Undercroft.
In addition to these major projects, WBMA was involved in the restoration of the facades, roofs, sidewalks, vaults, and cast-iron fencing of the church’s ancillary spaces.
Principal Martin has worked in the architecture and construction industry for over 30 years, including 26 years at WBMA specializing in the assessment and repair of exterior envelopes. He has overseen several award-winning restoration projects including St. Paul’s Chapel – Columbia University, 451 Broome Street, Liberty Tower and Alwyn Court, as well as restoration projects at Louis Sullivan’s Bayard-Condict Building, the Cosmopolitan Club, several City parks and residential cooperatives. Martin is well versed in the myriad building materials that have been used in the northeast and has extensive experience assessing and restoring a variety of masonry and roofing systems. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California and is a Registered Architect in New York State.
Education
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Bachelor of Architecture
Professional Registration
Registered Architect in the State of New York
Principal Martin has worked in the architecture and construction industry for over 30 years, including 26 years at WBMA specializing in the assessment and repair of exterior envelopes. He has overseen several award-winning restoration projects including St. Paul’s Chapel – Columbia University, 451 Broome Street, Liberty Tower and Alwyn Court, as well as restoration projects at Louis Sullivan’s Bayard-Condict Building, the Cosmopolitan Club, several City parks and residential cooperatives. Martin is well versed in the myriad building materials that have been used in the northeast and has extensive experience assessing and restoring a variety of masonry and roofing systems. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California and is a Registered Architect in New York State.
Education
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Bachelor of Architecture
Professional Registration
Registered Architect in the State of New York
With over 19 years of experience in the field, Sergio has been instrumental in the successful restoration, repair, and continued maintenance of numerous historic structures in New York City and beyond. 13 of those years have been at WBMA, where he has taken a detailed and methodical approach to his projects. Some of his noteworthy ongoing projects include Casa Italiana, Columbia University; The Osborne; 100 Hudson Street; 525 Park Avenue; 130 East End Avenue; and 300 West 108th Street. Previous award-winning projects include 131 Duane Steet – the Hope Building, 451 Broome Street, Donald Judd Home & Studio, and Marymount School of New York. He is a Registered Architect in the States of New York and New Jersey. Originally from Puerto Rico, Sergio received his Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania and Bachelor of Architecture with a Minor in Architectural History from Carnegie Mellon University.
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Master of Science in Historic Preservation
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Bachelor of Architecture
Minor in Architectural History
Registered Architect in the States of New York and New Jersey
Principal Martin has worked in the architecture and construction industry for over 30 years, including 26 years at WBMA specializing in the assessment and repair of exterior envelopes. He has overseen several award-winning restoration projects including St. Paul’s Chapel – Columbia University, 451 Broome Street, Liberty Tower and Alwyn Court, as well as restoration projects at Louis Sullivan’s Bayard-Condict Building, the Cosmopolitan Club, several City parks and residential cooperatives. Martin is well versed in the myriad building materials that have been used in the northeast and has extensive experience assessing and restoring a variety of masonry and roofing systems. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California and is a Registered Architect in New York State.
Education
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Bachelor of Architecture
Professional Registration
Registered Architect in the State of New York
With 35 years of professional experience at WBMA, Robert has overseen restoration projects at many of New York City’s premier institutions, including The Met Cloisters, Donald Judd Home and Studio, Green-Wood Cemetery and Riverside Church, as well as McKim Mead and White’s 998 Fifth Avenue and William Tuthill’s Schinasi Mansion at 351 Riverside Drive. A graduate of Lehigh University, Robert is a Registered Architect in the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, as well as a member of the American Institute of Architects. He has a strong understanding of traditional building materials and has developed many new restoration techniques over the years. Robert has published articles on waterproofing of historic masonry walls, restoration of cast iron, and roofing replacement.
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
Bachelor of Art in Architecture
Registered Architect in the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut