PAFA Begins Restoration of Historic Landmark Building 

Summer-long project includes cleaning and repairs to 139-year-old building's exterior;
museum will remain open while work is underway

PHILADELPHIA (May 18, 2015) -- The end of the academic year at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) marks the beginning of a summer-long cleaning and restoration of the 139-year-old Historic Landmark Building's slate and glass roof and its ornate stone and brick exterior.

Installation of scaffolding will begin May 18, just three days after graduation ceremonies, and take 7 to 10 days to complete. For the rest of the summer, work will include stone cleaning, mortar repair, new slate on the center roof, new gutter work, resetting and sealing skylights, and heat tracers in the building's rain gutters to prevent formation of icicles on the edge of the facade.

The work being undertaken is in keeping with the gentle and environmentally safe cleaning procedures recommended for historic masonry and stonework.

The Historic Landmark Building, at 118 North Broad Street in Philadelphia, will remain open to the public during regular museum hours for the duration of the restoration project. A covered walkway will extend along the front of the building for museum visitors and pedestrians.

The spectacular structure, which opened in April 1876, is considered one of the finest surviving examples of Victorian Gothic architecture in America. Designed by the Philadelphia firm of Frank Furness and George Hewitt, it provides a magnificent setting for the museum's permanent collection and special exhibitions.

The project kicks off the most recent phase of PAFA's ongoing efforts to preserve and protect the Historic Landmark Building. The building underwent an extensive interior restoration for its centenary in 1976; most recently in 2010, the building trusses were cleaned and coated, downspouts were replaced and the elegant wooden entrance doors were restored to their former glory.

Also at PAFA this summer, the interior of the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building, 128 North Broad Street, is undergoing construction in preparation for the school's new Fine Arts Illustration program and the Low-Residency Master of Fine Arts degree. Construction will add new classrooms and studios, a new library, digital arts and computer facilities and a facility for archives and works-on-paper conservation.