Charlie Kramer Leads Tour of Historic Gould Memorial Library for OHNY
Gould Memorial Library was one of three sets of buildings visitors toured at Bronx Community College on Saturday October 17th during Open House New York (OHNY) weekend. BBB’s Charlie Kramer served as a guide during the OHNY tours. Designed in 1893 by McKim Mead & White, the landmarked library is considered architect Stanford White’s (1853-1906) crowning achievement.
BBB is completing exterior restoration work on the Library, including the dome’s cupola which features exterior copper shingles and Guastavino tiles. The project will prevent water infiltration, which has long-threatened the building’s historic fabric and the 70-foot diameter dome’s structural stability.
As part of the project, BBB has conducted detailed investigations and probing of the copper-clad Guastavino tiled dome and masonry drum, including the three steel tension rings. New copper replica shingles will be installed to replace the worn material and address two original cladding design defects — lack of expansion joints and inadequate head lap. Original decorative copper work, including 476 antefixae, will be restored and reinstalled.
As part of the cupola work, a replica of the missing 24-foot diameter Tiffany stained glass lay-light will be designed and installed in the dome’s oculus.
The OHNY tour also included the Hall of Fame for Famous Americans.
Both designed by Stanford White, the Library and the Hall of Fame were originally part of the undergraduate campus of New York University from 1900-1973. The site is now the campus for Bronx Community College.
If you missed out on other sites this past weekend, click here to see the coverage!
