Conservation Program

Conservation Program

Services

Case Studies

Awards

In 1997, in response to requests from stewards of the historic properties, the Trust created the Conservation Program. The Conservation Program employs architectural conservators who provide a wide range of services to the stewards of the historic properties in Fairmount Park. At the request of the stewarding organizations, Trust conservators assess the conservation, maintenance, and repair needs of the historic properties. They then design appropriate treatments, to be implemented by either the Trust conservation staff or by contractors pre-qualified to work on the historic properties of the Park. These treatments range in scope from writing a specification for refinishing an historic floor, to determining the appropriate paint scheme for a room in preparation for restoration, to stabilizing a plaster ceiling that is threatening to fall, to advising an architect on the appropriate type of baluster for a replacement balustrade. This program has flourished and continuously expands to meet the growing needs of the aging properties. Its clients include not only the stewarding organizations of individual historic properties, but also the building maintenance division of the Fairmount Park Commission, the City of Philadelphia's Public Art Office, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and other non-profit museums and historic sites within the City. A staff of professional architectural conservators, conservation technicians, and interns meet the needs of these organizations.