Marble blocks sawed with iron-blade saws and wet sand.  Columns fluted and rubbed.  Ashlar siding rubbed (1962 HSR). “Rubbed” refers to honing the stone to a smooth surface with either an abrasive block made of sandstone or a hard rock with wet sand (McKee, 1973).

1840

Removal of marble retaining wall and erection of flight of stairs along Chestnut Street.

1844

Strickland called in to renovate building. Floors white washed, fireplaces removed, roof repaired, interior marble columns and architraves scrubbed with pumice stone (Letter from William Strickland to Collector Judge Blythe, 9 December 1844, INHP archives). Architect proposed that the building by cleaned by one or two permanent laborers, but no evidence was found that the advice was carried out. Strickland mentioned that several laborers periodically cleaned the building while it was being used as a bank (Letter from William Strickland to Collector Judge Blythe, 13 December 1844, INHP Archives).

1850

Two windows on first floor of north portico substituted for the marble slabs of sham doors that were part of the original design. Brick foundation for marble steps on the north portico was reset. The flagstones of terrace were reset and repointed.

1860

Terrace removed.

1864

Three south windows on the second floor of both the east and west sides were enlarged and extended into the architrave by inserting an additional sash above the normal window level. Small windows added to the second floor of the central projection of east and west exterior walls.

1864-1872

Extensive alteration carried out on the interior under the supervision of John McArthur, Jr.

1865

One financial record gave an exacting accounting of recent outlays for materials and services rendered. Among those outlays, one was paid out 1 March 1865 to Edwin A. Smith for supplying ‘lime cement’ at a cost of $516.45 (Letter from Superintendent John Reir to Acting Assistant Architect B. Bertly, INHP Archives).

1868

Removal of brick partitions from underneath the north portico and installation of iron door at entrance.

1873

Carved interior marble was rubbed clean (Letter from the Superintendent of Public Buildings John McArthur to Supervising Architect for the Treasury Department A.B. Mullett, 7 January 1873, INHP Archives).

1922

Loose stone removed from columns prior to 1 September 1922. The Obelisk Waterproofing Company of New York and the Arvon Company of Philadelphia called in to give estimates for waterproofing the entire exterior of the Second Bank. The surviving correspondence shows only the estimate from the Obelisk Company (Correspondence between the consulting architect, the Supervising Architect, and Obelisk, 11 August 1922, AIA Archives and Library, Washington, DC). A 1940 photograph shows the building heavily and uniformly soiled, which may be explained by the hot wax treatment that the Obelisk Company advocated (Old Philadelphia Custom House, 1947, INHP Archives).

1923

Recommendations made to clean and repoint the building with soap and water and “a good stiff brush.”  Several pieces of marble fell off “from disintegration,” especially on the columns. Also endorsed was the idea of using “a waterproofing compound.  This could do no harm and might prove a real preservative.” (Letter from architect Edward Crane to Supervising Architect James A. Wetmore, 6 February 1923, AIA Archives and Library, Washington, DC).

1940-1941

Works Progress Administration, under the guidance of the National Park Service, spent nearly $125,000 on restoration of the building. Replacement of exterior millwork and interior floor. Removal of stairway and restoration of the Chestnut Street entrance. Refinishing of interior walls, ceiling and millwork. Cleaning and waterproofing exterior walls and steps (products used not specified). Roof repaired.

1942

Exterior marble cleaned and waterproofed (No methodology given, Old Philadelphia Custom House, 1947, INHP Archives). Photographs show that the columns and the ashlar of the south façade were cleaned from the bottom up. The northern elevation was cleaned in a pattern similar to the southern façade around the same time. The eastern and western sides were cleaned in sections starting at the northern and southern ends and working towards the middle (Photograph, May 1942, Photographic Archives, INHP).

1961

Recommendations to clean marble with water and brushes. More difficult areas to be steam cleaned (not more than 100 psi). The most difficult areas cleaned with hand brushes, 100 psi steam, and sand abrasive. On an annual basis, exterior was to be cleaned with water and fiber brushes (Grant Simon, Report on the Preservation of the Exterior Masonry of the Buildings, INHP Archives).

Marble repair recommendations. Removal of defective pointing and repointing. Loose or soft marble removed and replaced with “colloidal material.”  Incipient seams found with light tapping from mallet, cleaned and sealed with colloidal materials. Spalled ashlar replaced by either marble inserts or colloidal material. Today, yellow patches on columns suggest that some repair recommendations followed (Grant Simon, Ibid.).

1963

“P-56 Brick and Stone Cleaner” was used on old city hall in experiment; active ingredient was ammonium fluoride (Gary Dysert, A Report on the Use of Fluoride Brick and Stone Cleaners, INHP Archives). The test was conducted on 17.3 square feet of dressed stone at Independence Hall. Two coats applied, dwell time ½ hour, and rinsed off with water and scrubbed with a stiff bristle brush. Microscopic examination detected a “white haze” residue, which was successfully neutralized using a solution of sodium bicarbonate.

1964-1972

Replaced marble sham doors and windows that were removed in 1850.  Replaced iron doors to vaulting areas with wooden doors, as heavy corrosion had taken place. Replaced marble removed in 1864 from three south windows on the second floor of both east and west side were enlarged and extended into the architrave by inserting an additional sash above the normal window level. Replaced marble removed in 1864 when small windows were added to the second floor of the central projection of east and west exterior walls. Replaced fill in front south windows. Cleaning of marble exterior with fluoride solutions and clear water. Due to the severe exfoliation of the exterior columns, temporary clamps were installed until a decision was made whether to replace columns or repair condition.

1964

Piece of marble fell from top of column on east and north façade, (Photograph, 21 January 1964, Photographic Archives, INHP).

Architect reported that Second Bank was being cleaned with “Fluoride solutions and clear water.” The steps on the northern and southern facades were replaced with marble (Joe Petrak, July 1964, Historic Structure Report). Penny Batchelor reported that fluoride solutions were used with soft bristle brushes and rinsed with clear water (P. Batchelor, “Census of Treated Historic Masonry Buildings,” Bill Brookover’s Files, 1982).

North façade cleaning: first scaffolding erected on the eastern side of the portico. Started at apex of raking cornice and proceeded down to columns and ashlar stones.

South façade cleaning: scaffolding first set up on the west side of the façade, and then pediment was cleaned from top to bottom before moving on to clean the columns and ashlar from top to bottom. No photographs were found depicting any cleaning on the east and west facades beyond the sides of the porticoes (Photographs, July-August 1964, Photographic Archives, INHP).

Large detached portion of shaft of northwest column of north façade clamped in place before being repaired. “Extensive repairing or partial replacement will be required” (Joe Petrak, July 1964, Historic Structure Report, INHP Architectural Library). Today, yellow patches indicate repair, possibly epoxy.

1965

Reconstruction of missing panels and terraces using new marble. “Some spalling at new marble work due to hard mortar used” (P. Batchelor, Census of Treated Historic Masonry Buildings, 1982, Bill Brookover’s Personal Files). The 1964 specifications of the Second Bank did not mention which type of mortar should be used (“Specifications: Rehabilitation and Restoration Second Bank of the United States,” INHP, Philadelphia).

1966

“Clear-stone” silicone applied on entire masonry as water repellant, made by Hydrozo Corp. (P. Batchelor, Census of Treated Historic Masonry Buildings, 1982, Bill Brookover’s Personal Files).

1969

Joe Petrak reported that the siliconate Hydrozo ‘Clearstone’ was used for waterproofing. The marble was cleaned before application (Weekly Report, INHP Archives). Penny Batchelor reported that the Clearstone contains 2 ¼% siliconate solids as produced by General Electric Co., Silicones Division (First Bank of the United States, HSR).

1970s

Second Bank adapted for National Portrait Gallery. Museum quality HVAC system and other new internal systems installed.

1971

Photograph shows a workman using an artist’s paint brush to removed spray paint vandalism on north façade. No information on what cleaning agent was used (Photograph, June 1971, Photographic Archives, INHP).

1972

Contract and construction negotiations. Where necessary, exterior marble sills to be built up with concrete patches to original profiles so that water runs off sills. Concrete to be used: weld-crete from Larson Products Corp., Rockville, Maryland. Used in “fortified topping process, which allows feather edging.  Mix one part weld-crete to three parts water. Use in place of water as an admix to the cement mix. The final product is to match the original stone sills in color and texture.  Surface preparation: dress the original sills down to the firm stone.” (Contract, Graig Norrison Notes, Meeting with Mike Callaghan at Callaghan Marble Shop, 1908 Parish Street, Historic Architect Files, INHP). Today, there are remains of what appear to be concrete patches on the lowest south portico windows.

1973

Revised specifications for the Adaptive Restoration of the Second Bank.  Marble to have tooled weathered surface or rubbed sand surface. Repairs would have deteriorated sections carefully cut and replacement dutchmen epoxied tightly in place. Marble to be set with plaster of Paris mortar backed with cement plaster and metal lath. Pointing to be lime mortar (with one part lime putty, three parts clean white fine sand) for new fireplace work. Specifications are for work intended rather than actual work. (Specifications for Second Bank, 1 February 1973, Historic Architects File, INHP Archives).

12 December: “Cleaning Interior polished marble in Main Banking Room.  Marble cornice stone to be cleaned with FINOLA Abrasive Scouring Powder made by Masury Columbia Co., Melrose Park, Ill. Mixed with water and scrubbed with steel wool. Marble columns and capitols did not clean well with the above cleaner. Instead, this stone was cleaned with Wyandotte Detergent Powdered Abrasive Cleaner. Manufacturer not mentioned.  Add this powder to a 5 to 1 mix of water and Clorox – adding until a cement paste is made. Trowel onto the stone, and let mixture sit for 24 hours or more. It will absorb and draw out the penetrated dist. Wash off with clean water and a bristle brush” (P. Batchelor, Notes from Historic Architect Files, INHP).

1974

Photograph showing “original column capitol after marble had been cleaned with a poultice” (Photographic Archives, INHP). 

1975

Photograph documents yellow patches suggesting epoxy repairs on a north portico column. (Historic Architect’s Files, INHP).

P. H. Batchelor noticed that a “rather sizable” piece of marble was on the verge of spalling off from the column next to the west on the north façade. “The piece is below waist level facing northwest.” She suggested that the piece could be secured “with an epoxy glue used for stone repairs” on the First Bank at the west door enframement (Memorandum from P.H. Batchelor HPT, to the Superintendent, INHP, 10 November 1975, Historic Architect Files, INHP). A note adjacent to this memorandum mentioned both clearstone contgy (?) and Akemi as an adhesive for stone repairs that could be mixed with marble dust. Also jotted down were: spezial fabrik, erich, and chem-techn (Historic Architect’s Files, INHP).

1982

Recommendations were made by Seymour Lewin to arrest further deterioration of columns by working a thick, slaked lime-cement slurry into areas of severe material loss. Lewin specified that the “proportion of slaked lime to cement must be adjusted so that the coefficient of thermal expansion of the mixture, after curing, must be low, so that any – even small – mismatch in the thermal coefficient will not result in the patch enlarging the defect it was intended to heal.” Whether this treatment was carried out by Lewin or not is not recorded in the NPS record, although Park Service officials deny that any of the recommendations proposed by Lewin were actually carried out. Officials believe that the patches in the north and south façade columns were made along with other 1960s repairs, and that they are of incompatible cementitious nature.

1983

Photograph showing staining by both pigeon debris (guano) and pigeon control substance, “Roost-No-More” (Bill Brookover, Personal Files). 

1985

Bill Brookover inspected the scratched graffiti with the words “George W. 1776” carved into a column in the north portico. The lightly scratched marble surface was considered easily removed with soft bristle brushes and water (Memorandum from Bill Brookover to File, Personal Files). Today, some random scratches are visible.

1986

8 May: “Small piece of marble has been epoxied into position.  Strap holds piece in position while epoxy sets.  South portico.”  (Description of photograph, Bill Brookover, Photographic Archives, INHP). Type of epoxy neither documented nor clearly remembered.  May be a common brand name with a set time of 5 or more minutes. No injecting of drilling. Several fallen pieces of stone were epoxied back in place from 1983 to the present without documentation. Patches currently done with Dugan limestone patches with a polymer bonding agent. To prepare patch, the shallow areas of the damaged stone cut away with a four inch diamond blade to insure a good key (Frank Doyle, stone mason).

13 August: Recent maintenance procedures. Pigeon debris “cleaned” with city water on north and south portico paving. The dirty rinse water washed down the steps and over the west edge of the portico. As a result, the debris deposited on the stair risers, the west wall of the portico, and the terrace paving and wall (Memorandum from Bill Brookover, Historical Architect, to Ross Flanagan, general Foreman on 8/13/86, Bill’s Files). Today, dark deposits near the bottom of the north and south portico ashlar indicate that dirty water also splashed against the portico walls and columns.

7 October: John Kornich found a piece of marble from the Second Bank on the west end of the north portico. Believed to be part of the cornice (Report to Historic Architects, INHP).

1989

28 April: Two pieces of marble found at south façade in alley way and on porch near south portico column. Believed to have fallen from base of the column (Historic Architects report, INHP).

1992

30 January: Calcium chloride used as de-icing salts on steps and walkways at Second Bank (Memorandum from District Ranger to Safety Office, Brookover Personal Files). Rising damp noted in 1995 inspection.

1994

Bird netting installed.  Pigeon debris reduced. (Conversation with Bill Brookover, 30 August 1985).