Gilding the Dome and Weathervane

The Old State House dome is getting a bright new gold finish. The process on the dome began last week and will be finished today. The weathervane was finished yesterday when the team from Evergreene Painting Studios held a public demonstration of the gilding process in Representatives Hall. The weathervane had been moved to the gallery for the demonstration and it will continue to be on display until June 21.

The process of gilding involves four steps. First, the surface is stripped. Second, the surface is primed; in our case a lead-based primer was used. Third, the surface is coated with a clear, sticky product called sizing. The final step is laying the gold leaf, which has to be done before the sizing dries out.

Upclose with the Lion

The masonry work on the southeast parapet is taking place right near the large lion on the east end of the building. These pictures highlight a few aspects of the lion that are difficult to see from the ground.

Masonry Restoration Begins

The crew from Haven Restoration Co. is now on-site for the masonry work that needs to be done with this project. The work begins with repointing and sealing of the exterior brick at the southeast parapet (near the Lion). The masons also will be working all week to repoint and repair the bricks in a few spots on the south side of the building. For those familiar with the Old State House, the same technique was used on a larger scale to restore the masonry at the northeast corner in 2006.

The pictures show the crew clearing out the old mortar in preparation for repointing.