Moravian Preservation Master Plan.indb - Society for College and ...

Moravian College • Preservation Master Plan
House. A third-floor organ room in the south ell
is open to the attic level and preserves historic
interior rafters and other details. The attic is not
in active use due to lack of a second exit. It has a
longitudinal corridor with doors leading into small
plastered rooms on either side.
against it. This too should be a preservation priority.
Documentation of the graffiti and the exposed wall
would be a worthwhile addition to the history of
the school buildings.
Current Use
West Hall is now part of the Moravian College
Center for Art and Music, and is used for music
education. The first floor contains a lounge, locker
room, and several small practice rooms. The second
floor has practice rooms and a piano instruction
room. On the third floor are an organ studio, more
practice rooms, and an open administrative area
where several original room partitions have been
removed.
Figure 8-39. West Hall, attic corner showing student graffiti on
walls (JMA 2008).
Figure 8-38. West Hall, typical conditions, harpsichord
instruction room (JMA 2008).
Treatment
It is recommended that most of West Hall receive
a Rehabilitation treatment. Remaining historic
fabric, such as the windows, staircase balustrades,
and woodwork, should be preserved during future
renovations.
The attic level of West Hall should receive a
Preservation treatment. This space retains an
extremely high level of integrity, and was also
historically an important space for students, who
evidently had a longtime tradition of writing
signatures and messages on the attic walls. This
graffiti is still present and is a significant historic
feature which should be retained. Another critical
attic element is the exposed west wall of the Single
Brethren’s House, showing the exterior condition
of the building as of 1859 when West Hall was built
Specific maintenance issues noted include:
• Wood elements throughout the exterior,
including windows and doors but excepting
the cornice, generally need repainting.
• Many of the historic windows need
reglazing.
• Better protection is needed at the northwest
corner of the building where car strikes
have damaged the wall. A compatible steel
bollard between the corner and the street
would add needed protection without
detrimental visual effects. The College
should work with the City to determine a
good solution for this problem.
• An improved drainage system is needed
along the Church Street side of the building
to prevent rising damp. Again, the College
and City should cooperate to resolve
this issue, which also affects the Single
Brethren’s House to a lesser degree.
• Drainage should be addressed in
deteriorating foundation areas around the
ell and south side.
• Future brick repairs should be sensitive
to the historic materials, and repointing
should be done with mortar and jointing
techniques that are compatible with the
historic mortar.
John Milner Associates • October 2009 • Chapter 8 • Historic Buildings • 186