Recitation Hall

Project History

West Chester architect T. Roney Williamson specified local materials when he designed Recitation Hall. It was constructed in 1892 of distinctive Serpentine stone; a rare commodity in other parts of the country, but plentiful in West Chester. The town was literally surrounded by three Serpentine quarries. The building, part of West Chester University’s historic Quadrangle, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Serpentine stone is soft and easily damaged. By 2011, the facade was noticeably delaminated. While the stone was quarried extensively during the 1800s, modern restoration would require careful recreation of the existing green and yellow hues.
Conproco was quickly able to provide Caretti with MIMIC repair mortar in a handful of matching shades. Caretti then began the process of patching individual stones. They achieved subtle color variations by blending custom colors in some areas. In other areas, they recreated existing oxidized stone by patching with a contrasting shade. The result was a very true restoration of the historic building’s native character.