Lancaster City Hall Restoration

The architectural history of the United States is not just relegated to the large metropolis of major cities and economic hubs. Often times, some of the most intriguing examples of our nation’s foundations can be found in the small towns that make up the building blocks of our country. One such example is the City Hall building of Lancaster, OH. Originally built in 1897 as an excellent example of the Richardsonian-Romanesque style, Lancaster City Hall was a prime example of history worth saving. And that was the goal as we put together a worker access solution with our partners at The Tradesmen Group (TTG) and Universal Manufacturing.

With the primary focus of the work being restoration of the original Allegheny sandstone, a fairly standard 36’-tall modular access scaffold was needed on all four sides of the 3-story building, stretching to 62’-tall to reach the dormers and up to 104’ at the bell tower. The project location was complicated because it is situated in the heart of downtown Lancaster, and the project site needed to share space with a main pedestrian thoroughfare. To maintain access to the public, the entire scaffold was installed on and incorporated into the heavy-duty work deck and overhead pedestrian canopy. Designed to meet IBC requirements, not only did this allow pedestrians to pass unhindered underneath while work continued above, but this provided TTG valuable additional workspace when moving section of stone.

While beautiful and the main purpose of the preservation, the sandstone was also the cause of the most challenging part of the design. With over 100’ vertical feet of scaffold enclosed with netting, lateral stability was critical. In a typical installation, securing to the existing structure with concrete anchors or wood screws would be a run-of-the-mill practice. Tying into 150-year old stone and mortar was a completely different matter. Working closely with the construction team in the field, DHC designed a custom tie design that minimized impact on the structure. Since we were not anchoring into a common, known material, there was no anchorage strength material to reference. Therefore, we also put together a pull-test prescription to ensure the ties achieved the necessary strength to ensure a safe and stable work platform.

Maintaining an appreciation and connection with the past as we continue to push into the future has always been strong tenet of the DHC ethos, and it was great to work on a project that personified that view