Preserving the Heurich House: Ironwork
Preservation projects at the Heurich House aren’t limited to just the house itself.
We’re fortunate that Amelia Mueller Schnell, Christian Heurich’s first wife, bought a whole parcel of land back in 1879, which now includes the house, carriage house, and a private garden. Along the exterior of the garden is an iron fence, installed when the house was built in 1894. The fence at the front of the garden, closer to New Hampshire Avenue, is also original. Look closely at both sections and you’ll see peeling paint, rust spots, and other evidence of age. Some parts have completely rusted away. Compare that fence to the iron staircase in front of the Conservatory and you’ll really notice how worn the fence is, as the stairs and attached porch were restored in 2023. Learn more about that project here.
One of our upcoming preservation projects focuses on restoring the main iron fence surrounding the property. In 2021, we worked with a team of architects to develop a conservation plan, which includes a list of priority projects. Next on that list is the iron fence. During restoration, the entire fence will be removed and then sandblasted to remove rust. Any damaged sections will be repaired. In the last step, the whole structure will receive three new coats of black paint. After that, it will look just as new as the iron stairs, ready for another 100+ years of use!
Another example of Heurich house ironwork are the window bars, which will require a similar restoration project to the fence. Check out our June preservation blog post for more information about the windows.
Based on historical records, we know that the Heurichs commissioned Jorss Ironworks to complete the garden gate with its decorative ironwork. The two families (Heurich and Jorss) were actually distant cousins! We also know that the iron staircase was made in the DC foundry of Fred J White, as it is written on the bottom stair. Beyond these names, we have not yet been able to determine who sourced, built, or designed the rest of the ironwork at the Heurich House.
Leave a comment