Preservation Brief 27: The Maintenance and Repair of Architectural Cast Iron
Waite JG and New York Landmarks Conservancy. 1991. Preservation Brief 27: The Maintenance and Repair of Architectural Cast Iron. Cultural Landscape Guidance Documents. ISSN: 0885-7016. NPS Preservation Assistance Division. Washington, D.C.
The preservation of cast-iron architectural elements, including entire facades, has gained increasing attention in recent years as commercial districts are recognized for their historic significance and revitalized. This Brief provides general guidance on approaches to the preservation and restoration of historic cast iron. Cast iron played a pre-eminent role in the industrial development of the nation that occurred during the 19th century. Cast iron machinery was the foundation of American factories and made the growth of railroad transportation possible. Cast iron was also used extensively in expanding water systems and street lighting of cities. Architecturally, it allowed for bold advances in architectural design and building technology, coupled with a richness of ornamentation. Cast iron became the metal of choice through the second half of the 19th century. It was fire-resistant, strong, and affordable. By the 1890s, it began to be replaced by the use of steel, which was more structurally versitle and cost-competitive. The period left us with a legacy of cast-iron architecture, worthy of appreciation and the appropriate preservation and restoration treatments.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Waite, John; New York Landmarks Conservancy
- Date of Issue
- 1991
- Publisher
- NPS Preservation Assistance Division
- Units
- CRPS
- Keywords
- alloy, Casting, CRSS, facade, galvanic corrosion, graphitization, historic building materials, industrial development, Iron shutters, ironfront, Ironwork, James Bogardus, ornamental architecture, Oxidation, Paint removal