Seaboard caps off restoration of historic synagogue.Accompanied by the sound of applause, a boom lift gently placed the new central ornamental finial fin·i·al n. 1. Architecture A sculptured ornament, often in the shape of a leaf or flower, at the top of a gable, pinnacle, or similar structure. 2. An ornamental terminating part, as on a post or piece of furniture. onto the roof of the Eldridge Street Synagogue The Eldridge Street Synagogue is one of the oldest synagogues in the United States, and was the first one built in the United States by Eastern European Jews, who now make up the vast majority of American Jews. It opened at 12 Eldridge Street in New York's Lower East Side in 1887. , marking the end of one phase of a 20-year, $12 million restoration project. Seaboard Weatherproofing & Restoration Company completed the second phase of the project with its work on the exterior and facade of the synagogue. The Eldridge Street Synagogue was built in 1887, the first grand house of worship Noun 1. house of worship - any building where congregations gather for prayer house of God, house of prayer, place of worship bethel - a house of worship (especially one for sailors) built in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of by Jews from Eastern Europe Eastern Europe The countries of eastern Europe, especially those that were allied with the USSR in the Warsaw Pact, which was established in 1955 and dissolved in 1991. . The ornate building melded Gothic, Romanesque, and Moorish styling into an imposing structure. The building suffered the ravages rav·age v. rav·aged, rav·ag·ing, rav·ages v.tr. 1. To bring heavy destruction on; devastate: A tornado ravaged the town. 2. of time and had deteriorated substantially prior to the start of restoration in 2005 under the auspices of the not-for-profit Eldridge Street Project. The original seven finials were removed in 1960. As the lead contractors for the facade work, Seaboard cleaned the beige brick facade, repointed the masonry, repaired the wooded window surrounds, and restored the synagogue's large terra-cotta center window. The finials were made up of a stainless steel stainless steel: see steel. stainless steel Any of a family of alloy steels usually containing 10–30% chromium. The presence of chromium, together with low carbon content, gives remarkable resistance to corrosion and heat. framework surrounded by a decorative fiberglass shell. They were each topped with a cast aluminum Star of David. Glenridge Fabricators of Queens fabricated the stainless steel armatures. These armatures were then transported to Architectural Fiberglass of Long Island where the decorative fiberglass surrounds were created and installed around the stainless steel frame. The cast aluminum stars were fabricated by Gratz Industries of Queens. The design by Walter Sedovic Architects is based by upon rough historic sketches of the original finials as these originals were removed from the building many years ago. "The installation of the finial marks the end of one phase of this phenomenal community effort," said Seaboard Project Manager Jeff Smith. "It was an honor to help bring this landmark back to its former glory." The elaborate facade features a large rose window, elaborate cornices, molded brick work, and Central Gable, along with keyhole-shaped windows that accommodate stained glass stained glass, in general, windows made of colored glass. To a large extent, the name is a misnomer, for staining is only one of the methods of coloring employed, and the best medieval glass made little use of it. . Moorish touches include rounded arches, bell-shaped pinnacles, and intricately carved columns. All were restored by Seaboard. The synagogue is the latest building in Manhattan that Seaboard has worked on. The company is currently working on the Woolworth Building and recently completed the restoration of 90 West Street, a Cass Gilbert masterpiece that The New York Times called the "miracle survivor of 9-11." Based in Port Chester, NY, Seaboard Weatherproofing and Restoration Company is one of the leading restoration and alteration construction firms in the New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. metropolitan area. The company has received several accolades for its work on high-profile projects, including The Elephant House at the Bronx Zoo, The Cloisters museum, and 90 West Street, originally constructed in 1907 and designed by noted architect Cass Gilbert, which experienced extensive damage during the 9-11 attack. |
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