Hand Carved Letters on The Gloversville Library Require Boston Valley’s Expert Precision

The renovation of the Gloversville Public Library has made some headway since our last blog post on the project. Early in the design process, Boston Valley Terra Cotta visited the library for site surveys and used digital reproduction techniques in the factory as a part of the Pre-Design Service. With the state of the art technology at Boston Valley, replicas of original pieces are fabricated with precision. Masonry units were created with molds through the slip casting and hand press forming methods.

After coming out of the molds, the terra cotta units were brought to the finishing department for the letters to be carved by hand into the clay. This process requires close attention to detail since the letterforms are rendered in their original style. Once the pieces are fired, they are then carefully laid out in a dry-fit mock-up. Our QA/QC procedures help to ensure proper alignment and perfectly spaced text before it is shipped onsite so that the words are legible in the arched entranceway of the library.  A certain level of exactness is required, to not only match the original style but to accommodate for shrinking during the firing process all the while maintaining the dimension of space between units.

The terra cotta on the Beaux-Arts style exterior façade has been successfully installed as construction continues on the rest of the building. Once completed, the historic 1904 library will have more room for their various programs and services and will allow full accessibility throughout the entire facility.

The Gloversville Public Library is expected to re-open in early November 2018.