Lincoln Birthplace Memorial

The historic bronze night doors located at the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Birthplace, Hodgenville, KY were assessed and treated by us in 2010. The massive bronze doors, with bosses and lion’s head knockers, provide access to the Beaux Arts temple that houses a log cabin said to be the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. They were designed by John Russell Pope and strongly show the effects of his recently completed fellowship at the American Academy in Rome, the first architect to receive this honor.

Each door was assessed, drawn, documented and a restoration plan developed to treat the observed conditions. These included rebuilding and reinforcing the hinges, adding catches and hold-backs, and restoring the locks and handles. The client approved the recommendations and we then implemented the work. New hardware was machined, cast and fabricated, the originals were removed, lubricated and reconstructed and operation was re-established for all working components. Surfaces were retouched although the client chose not to restore the patina. Work was completed on time and on budget.