Almost one year after a seven-alarm fire nearly destroyed the Maryland Club, the Mount Vernon landmark will reopen tomorrow bearing few signs of damage.
Carpenters, plasterers and other artisans have been rushing for months to restore the 1891 building at Charles and Eager streets to its original appearance, working to finish before the busy fall social season.
"The place looks beautiful," said club president Richard C. Riggs Jr. "I think everybody will be enormously proud of the way it turned out.
"We were incredibly fortunate that no one was hurt," Riggs added. "We owe a lot to the city for helping us and especially to Ilex" Construction and Development, general contractor for the $8 million restoration.
The fire that nearly destroyed the private club began in a light fixture above the squash courts late Aug. 19, a Saturday.
No one was in the building at the time, and the fire raced through much of the east wing before firefighters brought it under control. Investigators determined it was an electrical accident, and the club was able to rebuild because it was fully insured.
Although rooms on the east side of the four-level building received the most damage, practically every room sustained some degree of damage from smoke and water. Exterior walls remained intact, although some sections were charred.
"After the fire, there were three inches of water on the floor, and a cascading waterfall down the central stairway," Riggs said.
As part of the restoration, the building had to be cleared and dried out, then reconstructed. Furniture was reupholstered. Paintings were restored. Windows were releaded. Even the moose head above the front hall fireplace had to be cleaned.
Detail work
Walter Schamu, a club member and head of SMDA Architects, was the architect for the restoration. His attention to detail, along with the contractor's restoration skills, were critical to preserving the building's 19th-century ambience, Riggs said.
Plasterers from Hayles and Howe replicated intricate ceiling moldings, and glass restorers from Artisan Glass Works re-created lead glass windows. Portions of the roof were repaired. Floors were sanded to eliminate the cupping of boards soaked with water. Wood panels were stripped and refinished.
One of the most difficult jobs involved the fabrication of a 13-foot by 15-foot stained glass skylight for the ceiling of the first floor cafe. Featuring the same motif as the fire-damaged original, with a black-eyed Susan in the center, it will be installed later this summer.
