Davenport Central High School & Davenport City Hall
Facade Restoration Preserves Cultural Heritage at Two Landmarks
Davenport, Iowa
Decades of weathering had deteriorated the sandstone facades of Davenport Central High School (built 1904) and Davenport City Hall (built 1895), both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The high school damage ranged from column bases to decorative stonework. Half a mile away, the Davenport city hall suffered from faulty mortar repairs 20 years ago — stone had cracked and exposed steel anchors had rusted, causing water penetration.
Legat’s Special Projects Team designed a historic restoration at both facilities. Repairs at the high school occurred over four years (one side per year). Contractors patched damaged areas and rebuilt broken corners. The design team ensured historic accuracy by tasking a local sculptor with restoring the balcony’s ornamental stonework. Additionally, tuckpointers hand-mixed six mortar colors to match the sandstone.
Similarly, craftsmen tuckpointed, repaired, and cleaned the city hall façade. A softer mortar closer to the original not only better matches the sandstone but also allows more movement, so it is less likely to crack.
Legat Architects significantly impacted roof projects and tuckpointing projects by offering expert judgement and guidance. Their contributions included thorough assessments, strategic planning, and precise execution, resulting in enhanced structural integrity, prolonged durability, and cost-effective solutions. Moreover, Legat’s initiative in developing a districtwide building envelope plan fostered comprehensive maintenance strategies, ensuring long-term sustainability and optimized performance across multiple facilities.
Joseph Reagan, Construction Manager, Davenport City Schools
Before and After
Davenport High School
Before Broken off masonry at column base near entry of Davenport High School
After Repaired columns
Before A long crack in the decorative stonework beneath the high school balcony
After Repaired decorative stonework
After Davenport High School after repair
Davenport City Hall
Before Sandstone that had fallen off Davenport City Hall facade
Before Damaged masonry at city hall
After Repaired city hall masonry
Before Exposure to the elements had faded the city hall clock and worn the masonry around it
After Repaired city hall clock tower
After Davenport City Hall after repair
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