Western Specialty Contractors honored for salvaged bricks project

St. Louis-based Western Specialty Contractors has received an award from a Houston building preservation organization for a project in which it used some 10,000 salvaged bricks.

Western received two Good Brick Awards from the Preservation Houston group for a pair of historic restoration projects it undertook in Houston.

“We are so honored to have received a pair of Good Brick awards from Preservation Houston for our efforts to restore these historic and important structures of the community," Western’s Houston Branch Manager Brian Dolezal says. "It’s nice to be recognized for our historic restoration skills and expertise.”

One of the projects involved restoring the city of Houston Fire Station No. 7 to upgrade its appearance it its current role as the Houston Fire Museum.

Western was tasked with restoring the exterior of downtown Houston’s Romanesque-style Fire Station No. 7, which opened in 1899. The station remained active until 1969 when a replacement was built. It eventually was tabbed to play its current museum role.

Western's work on the project included the demolition and removal of exterior stucco to expose the original brick façade. Some 10,000 broken bricks were then replaced with salvaged bricks from the early 1900s.

The brickwork was far from the only task taken on by Western. The contracting firm also engaged in: tuckpointing all exterior brick joints at exterior masonry; rebuilding brick window heads and installing stainless steel rods for strength; installing 4,000 stainless steel helical rods to strengthen the brick parapet wall; and cleaning the exterior brick with low pressure water and mild detergents.

Western’s other Good Brick Award was received for its work on restoring St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Houston, which was built in 1940.

That project involved exterior cleaning, repair and tuckpointing work, plus rebuilding two limestone columns and the sanctuary entrance.

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“Historic structures are being demolished every day across the country to make way for modern, new developments and buildings," the company says. "While often a challenging endeavor, sometimes all it takes is a good brick, an experienced specialty contractor and a dedicated preservationist to save these important relics from the bulldozer.”