Grey Towers | Black Locust Allée
Black Locust Allée
Milford, PA
Owner
Grey Towers National Historic Site
Milford, PA
Design Professional
USDA Forest Service
Denver, CO
PROJECT
The team from L.R. Costanzo Co., Inc. was called upon to restore the entrance way to the Grey Towers mansion to its original stateliness. This 800 foot entrance way was created by Corneila Pinchot (wife of twice Governor of Pennsylvania Gifford Pinchot) in 1915 and was intended to create an entrance to their summer home that better suited their active lifestyle and prodigious entertaining.
CHALLENGES
- Demolishing the paved road and recreating the natural-looking entrance by using a stabilized aggregate.
- Seamlessly blending new granite cobbles and bluestone to match existing.
- Identifying and locating historic herbaceous plant material, shrubbery, and trees.
- Maintaining pedestrian safety while the site was open for public visitation.
SOLUTIONS
- Care was taken during road demolition so as not to disrupt the natural surroundings. L.R. Costanzo team members worked to perfect the right aggregate mixture.
- The team discovered sections of the original cobbles and bluestone while removing paving. They worked diligently with specialty stone suppliers to ensure the materials matched.
- A consultation with a horticulturist and a review of historic documents helped determine the type of original species or modern-day equivalents.
- Temporary walkways were installed, pedestrians were re-routed, and temporary fencing was erected.
CONSTRUCTION DETAILS
- Meticulously assembled cobblestone gutters to replicate the original storm water conveyance system. Granite headwalls and cobble aprons were created as outlet structures for this system.
- Planted 76 new 20 foot high black locust trees along the entrance way.
- Over the past decade, L.R. Costanzo has performed numerous renovations and restorations at Grey Towers, including the main house, service wing, farm house, letterbox, and historic gardens.