Wriston Quad, Brown University
Location: Providence, Rhode Island
Noteworthy: Extensive repairs and in-kind replacement of Colonial Revival porticos, cornices, and mansard roof dormer windows
Historic Designation: Part of the College Hill National Historic District
M&A’s Scope: restoration and replacement of window surrounds, dormers, mansards, portico columns, cornices and cupola
Owner: Brown University
Architect: Lerner Ladds Bartels
General Contractor: Lee Kennedy Co.
Brown University’s Wriston Quadrangle is comprised of nine residential buildings built in the mid-20th century, between 1950 and 1952, with the unique purpose of housing fraternities on the ends of the buildings and individual students in the rooms at the core of the buildings. Built in the Colonial Revivial style to add architectural cohesion to Brown’s campus, the architectural firm of Perry, Shaw, and Hepburn oversaw the design of all nine buildings, which include Buxton, Chapin, Diman, Goddard, Harkness, Marcy, Olney, Sears, and Wayland.
In the summer of 2015, M&A returned to Brown to complete restoration work both at the Wriston Quad as well as the Front Green. At Wriston Quad, M&A’s work included:
- Extensive work at entry porticos at Buxton, Sears, Harkness, and Chapin, including epoxy consolidation and full replacement of bases, plinth blocks, columns or pilasters, and capitals as well as more intricate repairs such as epoxy restoration to dentils in the entry entablature at Chapin
- Epoxy repairs and replacement in-kind of rotting and decayed wood cornice, fascia boards, and cheek walls at mansard roof dormer windows
- Building cornice epoxy restoration and full wood replacement at areas of extensive deterioration
- Wood Dutchman repairs, front of sill replacement, and full wood sill replacement at basement windows
- Replacement of deteriorated wood at the base of the cupola wainscot at Wayland House