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V STAFF REPORT CONCERNING APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS Date: 05/10/04 Application Number: 2004-0507 Property Location: 312 Donmoyer, South Bend, Monroe School Property Owner: South Bend School Corporation Landmark or District Designation: Local Landmark Rating: , Significant STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE/HISTORIC CONTEXT James Monroe School opened its doors in 1931-32. The schools stands on property once owned by early pioneer families of Saint Joseph County, including the Farnemans, the Tashers, and the Jenn'ingses, and the Wagner apple orchard. In 1928, the School Corporation acquired the property and George Freyermuth designed the building. The original portion of the building was constructed in the Collegiate Gothic style with 17 classrooms, an auditorium, a gymnasium, a kindergarten, a science room, basement furnace room, and chimney. This portion of the building retains its original masonry walls and limestone window and door surrounds (now painted white), original metal casement windows, copper gutters, and slate roof. The slate roof employs a design feature often found on Scottish and English Gothic roofs. The slates decrease in size as the height of the roof increases. This creates the illusion of a steeper roof. Much detail and care was applied to the design of this building! In 1952 and 1959, brick additions much more plain and functional in design extend the building to the south and accommodate more students APPLICATION ITEMS: Masonry cleaning and repointing the rear section of the original school and the 1952 and 1959 additions Repair and/or replacement of spalled and cracked bricks and/or limestone Removal of flaking coating and recoating of limestone RECOMMENDATION Many quick -fix maintenance treatments were applied to the masonry and stonework of this building several years before its landmark designation, including the application of a coating to the mortar joints on the rear of the original school and the 1952 addition, coating of the limestone window and door surrounds, and less than satisfactory repointing jobs, which have caused some bricks to crack and spall. Other treatments have occurred more recently. The chimney also required lowering, removal of brick, and repointing.. Its condition continues to concern the School Corporation's maintenance department. It is hoped that repointing the masonry joints, cleaning the masonry, sealing the masonry, the replacement of damaged brick, especially in the chimney, and cleaning and recoating the limestone will better preserve the building from water infiltration and deterioration. If the proper techniques and materials are used, these treatments will help preserve the building; however, improper repointing and cleaning techniques and cleaners, sealers, and mortar could facilitate deterioration of the building's protective layer. The National Parks Service and the U.S. General Services Administration have published extensively on masonry repointing and cleaning, and limestone cleaning and repair. NPS recommends against cleaning masonrysurfaces with commercial cleaners (acidic) as these products can contain acids that leach into the