On April 28, the Marblehead Museum will host their annual meeting and next spring lecture at Abbot Hall. Following the meeting, John Wathne of Structures North Consulting Engineers, Inc. and Wendall Kalsow of McGinley Kalsow and Associates will be speaking about the 2014 restoration of the Abbot Hall clock tower.
Built in 1877, and named after Benjamin Abbot, Abbot Hall is not only historically significant, but is one of Marblehead’s most recognizable buildings. It is also still in use, not only as a museum, but as the home to many town offices. This important restoration project was necessary to repair the damage caused by years of harsh weather. Water damage had caused interior beams to rust and the brickwork needed to be reset. A tension frame also needed to be added to the belfry to prevent additional cracking in the brickwork. The four clock faces would also be removed and restored. Wathne and Kalsow will talk about the fascinating process of this restoration.
