Department of Justice Building, Washington, District of Columbia

The US Department of Justice building was built between 1933 and 1935 as part of the Federal Triangle development known as the McMillan Plan.  The Beaux Arts building covers the block between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues and 9th and 10th streets.  It is richly decorated in a variety of media including decorative metals, painting, and stone.  One of the foremost expressions of this artistic vision is the Great Hall, the grand double-height formal entrance to the building.

In addition to terra cotta floor tiles and mural wall painting, the focal point of the space is a ceremonial staircase.  The grand, twin staircase is constructed of Missouri limestone step treads and landings, with Mankato stone accents including stringer molding, knee walls and window sills.  After decades of use, select stone elements had been damaged by extensive water leaking from nearby steam pipes.

Conservation Solutions, Inc. (CSI) was contracted in 2004 to repair the damaged stone in the Great Hall.  In consultation with the owner’s representative, several large, significant elements were identified for dutchman repair or unit replacement.  New Mankato and Missouri limestone were sourced for the respective repairs to match the historic stone.  Deteriorated stone was carefully cut out, and new stone cut to precisely fit the voids.  Dutchman slugs were carefully tooled onsite and monitored with profile gauges to ensure consistency with the surrounding stone.  A complex run of bead and thimble molding was carved off-site, based on rubber molds and careful measurements taken of the existing detail.  Fine-detail patching and grout injection were performed locally after the major repairs were complete.

CSI collaborated with GSA staff to visually integrate new repairs through an acceptable degree of careful toning.  A temporary enclosure was built to limit dust, and work was performed off-hours to minimize disturbance to the building occupants.

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