Muscatine County Courthouse
Muscatine, IowaCompleted in 1909, this three-story stone and concrete structure features a central portico with Corinthian columns, a pediment with a round window, and two-stage clocked and bell tower capped with a dome. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Renaissance Historic Exteriors restored the Courthouse, including the built-in gutters, cornice ledges, steep slate slopes, low-slope roof and copper clock tower.
Work Included
- Restoration of the built-in gutters and cornice ledges with new 20 oz. copper gutter liners and copper standing seam ledge panels
- Restoration of the steep-slope slate roof with Vermont non-fading gray/green slate, “saddle” style hip and ridge slates, and 20 oz. copper flashings
- Replacement of the low-slope roof with an 80 mil hot-air welded PVC membrane system
- Restoration of the clock tower roof with Spanish profile copper shingles and custom copper cladding for the cupola
- Structural carpentry repairs to the gutter framing, cornice ledges, rafter tails and roof decking
- Removal the abandoned flagpole and roof hatch
THE CHALLENGE
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Water getting in through the courthouse’s aging built-in gutters and cornice ledges had damaged the structure underneath. Once the old liners and roofing came off, crews found a cracked, split concrete gutter substrate, rotted planking and decking, and damaged rafter tails along the outer ledge. The gable gutters needed framing repairs too. On the clock tower, the cupola’s metal framing had openings and voids, so there was no solid base for new copper. The County kept the courthouse open throughout the project. Public access had to be kept safe, and the work could not disrupt day-to-day operations. |
THE RENAISSANCE SOLUTION
Renaissance put up scaffolding around the whole building perimeter and up the clock tower, with debris netting to protect the public. Where the gutters were concrete, crews installed pressure-treated plywood sheathing and reshaped the gutter profile. Tapered wood systems now slope the cornice ledges to their eaves. Together these gave a smooth, nailable base for the ice and water shield and the soldered copper. Damaged rafter tails were sistered, rotted planking and decking were replaced, and the gable gutter framing was rebuilt.
On the main roof, the composite slate came off and was replaced with Vermont non-fading gray/green slate, which matches the original slate pieces found at the gables. Crews also added 400 corrosion-resistant anchors to the lower 8 feet of the batten system. At the clock tower, they framed and sheathed the cupola and installed a pressure-treated batten system anchored into the concrete deck. They then installed copper shingles and cupola cladding, cataloging and copying every original component.
THE RESULTS
The roof now has real slate again, along with copper detailing and a watertight drainage system that should protect the courthouse for generations. The building stayed open throughout the project.
