sweet auburn | 2019 volume ii
Planning for Washington Tower Preservation
By Jenny Gilbert Director of Institutional Advancement
hanks to the support of generous grants and individual gifts , we have completed a preservation
T assessment of Washington Tower , engaging McGinley Kalsow & Associates as project architects , and Structures North Consulting Engineers as consulting structural engineers .
The Tower ’ s masonry needs major work . Though its Quincy granite blocks remain sound , water has penetrated through upward facing joints , causing the blocks to shift and admit more water . To stop this cycle of deterioration , we must dismantle the top quarter of the Tower and rebuild it using the existing granite . The wood tracery windows will be repaired or reconstructed , new lighting installed , and improvements made to the stair rail for safety . Finally , we plan to increase the site ’ s accessibility with a graded path and handicap parking along the road . We are now planning when to launch this major preservation initiative .
Correction : The Fall 2020 issue of Sweet Auburn magazine acknowledged the Landy Family Foundation for their support of the Washington Tower Assessment . It is the Landry Family Foundation .
21