Denis Semprebon of Beacon Hill Restorations presented the work he performed on restoring the carving in the frieze at Milton Academy and the mouldings at Mayflower Society House.
Denis explained that the frieze at Milton Academy was constructed in 3 layers of wood, commonly Eastern White Pine, and then hand carved by artisans, usually of Italian descent.
Over the years many layers of lead-based paint hid the cracks in the frieze and filled in the fine details in the carving.
Work had to be completed while the school was closed for summer recess. Missing pieces were replaced with new wood or special fillers and then hand carved to match the original carving.
(photo courtesy of Denis Semprebon)
The Mayflower House was constructed in 1754. In 1898 the house was expanded on the North and east sides. The ornate pediments over the entrances had deteriorated over the years due to water infiltration and squirrel activity.
Again using Eastern White Pine, many pieces were hand made to exacting detail and put in place.
The tops of the pediments were covered with sheets of lead. The pint used on both projects included an oil-based primer made especially for these projects and cover with latex finish paint.
(photo courtesy of Denis Seprebon)
Denis expects both works to look good for 200 years.
