The Restoration of a 265 Year Old Fort
One of the more rewarding aspects of manufacturing Jahn Restoration Mortars is that we get to be involved with some truly inspiring historical restorations — and sometimes these projects are right in our backyard.
Fort Frederick, Big Pool, Maryland
Big Pool, Maryland is about 80 miles from our Hanover, Maryland headquarters. It’s a nice drive through the Appalachian Mountains, out west to what we refer to as: “the pretty part of the state.” At one particular bend in the Potomac River (Maryland on one side, West Virginia on the other) stands Fort Frederick.
Fort Frederick was built in 1756 -- in direct response to the the start of the French and Indian War. The fort was used as a prison camp during the Revolutionary War and saw brief action during the Civil War.
In terms of size, the stone walls are 18 feet high and extend over 2200 linear feet.
The fort underwent a significant restoration in the 1930’s, but the lime-rich mortar used in the original construction and the restoration has been eaten away by time and salts -- resulting in the walls losing stones, cracking, and generally becoming less stable.
Somewhere down the line, a rubber sheet and concrete were installed along the cap to try and quell the flow of water into the wall, but that repair is also failing.
The fort falls under the jurisdiction of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Department of General Services. Project Manager, Jaleel Syed, with EBA Engineering, did the planning and materials specifications. Dennis Rude, Cathedral Stone Products' owner, worked closely with Jaleel to identify and ensure that appropriate materials were selected for the fort's substrate, and that proper restoration methods and techniques were employed by the masons on the project.
Our Jahn M40 Injection Grout and M110 Pointing Mortar were specified for the mortar restoration, and our Jahn M90 Concrete Mortar and R-97 Water Repellent were selected to replace the cement/rubber wall cap system.
With the first phase of the restoration completed, we feel confident that the products selected will perform well in the fort's salt rich and rain prone environment -- which will ultimately help preserve the original stone. Cathedral Stone’s restoration products have a lot of laboratory engineering behind them, but, at the foundation, it’s always been about one simple philosophy: do no harm to the original masonry.
We see it as an honor to play a role in the preservation of a hometown, historic landmark that will continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.
