Restorations have started on three historical buildings in the state capital: the New Hampshire State House, Legislative Office Building, and Tax Revenue Building. Meridian Construction will be focusing on repointing the exterior masonry of the three buildings, doing some minor wood restorations to the State House portico, repainting and recaulking the windows at the Legislative Office Building, and minor window and repair work on the north face of the Tax Revenue Building. The project will be similar to work currently being performed by Meridian down the street at the NH State Library.
Since the restorations include dealing with a variety of compositional elements from three unique buildings, the job will require knowing their architectural differences. The State House, which was originally built back in the early 19th century, is composed of native New Hampshire granite, and will require a mortar mix comprised of lime and sand. The Legislative Office Building, which had previously been used as a post office and courthouse from 1889 to 1967, will require a different kind of approach because its primary building material is slate stone. The Tax Revenue Building, an old brick structure with cast stone cornices, will require a separate repointing schedule as well.
Meridian Construction will use special equipment for the job, in order to capture over 95% of the dust generated during the process. In addition, with the task of washing the State House, they're using only environmentally friendly products. They will be working closely with the Department of Administrative Services, project managers, and the Bureau of Public Works, to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible. With the health and safety of all pedestrians and building occupants being one of the highest priorities, precautionary measures are being taken to create as little disruption as possible during the length of the restorations. Extra attention is also being given to protecting the immaculate landscaping around the State House.
The project is expected to be completed around mid-October.