The city of Elmira, New York, tapped a local union contractor, Charles F. Evans Company, Inc., to refurbish the infamous Elmira Clock Tower. This historic clock tower, located at 317 East Church Street, was built in 1895 by local architect firm Pierce and Bickford.
According to Elmira city officials, there were many issues facing the clock tower restoration project. The structural integrity of the roof itself was a critical concern, as were falling mortar, weed and water intrusion, and other safety hazards, making the area unsafe for people in and around the building. The clock itself had stopped working back in 2017.
The First Steps in the Process
Work began on the $3.7 million project at historic Elmira City Hall in late 2023. First, the clock tower had to be covered with protective sheathing and scaffolding was erected.
During the project scope, crews discovered an air raid siren that was installed in the tower after Elmira became a target for bombing during World War II. During the war, Horseheads, an adjacent town to Elmira, had a 700-acre plot called “The Holding Point” that became a staging area for military equipment and supplies, before they were shipped overseas to support our troops.
“It was one of just a handful of designated sites throughout the United States where military materials would be stored and then shipped to various places so that it could go overseas,” notes Rachel Dworkin, an archivist at the Chemung County Historical Society.
The siren was donated to the Chemung County Historical Society, and Dworkin was excited the siren could be saved. “I’m not sure when it will be on display,” she says. “It is incredibly heavy, like 600 pounds heavy.”
Lupini Construction, of Utica, New York, was hired as the general contractor to head up this challenge. Shortly thereafter Charles F. Evans Company, Inc. was notified they were awarded the roofing, sheet metal and waterproofing for this project.
So, with contract in hand, Charles F. Evans Company, Inc. was ready for this challenge. The company had to wait until the scaffolding was erected in order to not only access to the work areas but to stage tools, equipment and materials for the project. “There was limited space available, and we had to use what we could to maneuver our people while keeping materials close at bay,” says Kent Duane, project manager for the roofing and coating portion of the project.
Restoring the Site
In late 2023, workers removed and stored of all the Spanish tiles that surrounded the tower perimeter base. The clock tower’s ornamental stones were then dismantled and brickwork was completed.
Charles F. Evans Company, Inc. returned to the site in April 2024. After all the masonry work had been removed, dressed up, and restored, new balconies rebuilt with new corrugated steel deck pans and poured with new concrete decks. Crews from Charles F. Evans Co., Inc. then laid up the all-new tower masonry base with the Sikalastic waterproofing system, consisting of the EP Primer, 11FC Sealant, SA Tape, Reematt Premium and 641 Low VOC Low Odor Resin. Once the Sikalastic waterproofing product was applied, the general contractor installed a drainage protection mat layer between the waterproofing, the new brick and ornamental stone.
The next phase of work consisted of repairing the masonry flashings at various levels of the clock tower. Replicas of original ornamental balusters, railings were fabricated and installed, as well as a new finial. Most of the original masonry and metal were deteriorated so badly that Charles F. Evans Company, Inc. had to use old photos and postcards to facilitate the new fabrication. The finial was especially challenging, as it had been removed years ago and no existing pieces were available to scale or utilize for the design.
Evans applied an acid wash to the new Revere Ultrapan sheet copper to give it an aged look. “This was a very challenging project for our company,” says Tracey Dunn, project manager for the sheet metal portion of this project. “We have very talented mechanics in our company that can do this type of work, bringing back this old clock tower to life.”
The project was completed in August 2024 despite some difficult challenges. Crews discovered some deteriorated decking on the Spanish Tile main roof. They also noted exterior gutter damage, which was visible from the scaffolding platform. Additional sheet metal work on the ledge was needed due to deteriorated and missing wood.
Charles F. Evans Company, Inc. also fabricated a time capsule to be placed under one of the corner statues; the time capsule included information about the company and the project, as well as other items from Lupini Construction and the city.
“Overall the project was completed on time, and the City of Elmira received back their beautiful clock tower, which stands as a symbol of history in a time where war shadowed the community,” says Brian Babcock, vice president of Charles F. Evans Company, Inc. “The Charles F. Evans Company, Inc. was extremely proud to be part of this historical restoration. This clock tower is another testimonial to the craftsmanship of the employees at Charles F. Evans Company, Inc.”
For their contributions and photographs for this article, Charles F. Evans Company, Inc. offered a special thank you to WETM and Jeff Smith from the Elmira Star Gazette.
Charles F. Evans Company, Inc.
Key Personnel on the Project
Project Managers: Kent Duane (Roofing/Coating), Tracy Dunn (Sheet Metal)
Roofing Foremen: Brett Sewalt (Field Superintendent), Brian Sewalt (Foreman), Justin Beard (Foreman)
Roofing: Riley Babcock (Apprentice) , Nicole Matkosky (Apprentice), Corey Wilber (Journeyman), Rich Klein (Journeyman), Matt Whittle (Journeyman), Mark Barber (Journeyman), Adam Beard (Journeyman),
Sheet Metal: Jerry Campbell, Devin Spencer and Ryan Beard (Sheet Metal Installers);
Brent Spencer (Sheet Metal Fabrication)
TEAM
General Contractor: Lupini Construction, Utica, New York, lupiniconstruction.com
Roofing, Sheet Metal and Waterproofing Contractor: Charles F. Evans Company, Inc., Elmira, New York, evansroofingcompany.com
MATERIALS
Waterproofing System: Sikalastic, Sika USA, usa.sika.com
Be the first to comment on "Like Clockwork: Historic Restoration Project Involves a Lot of Moving Parts"