James M. “Pat” Patrick

Mr. Patrick believes strongly in the preservation of America’s national heritage manifest in historic and antique homes and buildings. He founded OldTownRepair in 2003, based upon twenty-five years of wooden door and window restoration as an avocation.  Mr. Patrick brings together a previous technical career including construction expertise, and applies these to the study and practice of restoration methods. In restoration skills, Mr. Patrick stands unique regarding his interest and experience in the repair and restoration of wood doors and windows that are badly deteriorated and in danger of loss.

Mr. Patrick has been fortunate to work on notable properties in and around Boston and the North Shore.  His works include both residential and public buildings and structures spanning the 1700s through the early 1900s, and include churches, historic private residences, historic commercial buildings, and public monuments.

Examples of Pertinent Work Experience

RESIDENTIAL:

265 Beacon Street, Boston, 1890 Repair and restoration of paired, walnut doors of a Back Bay condominium. Work scope included hand stripping of old finishes, fabrication and replacement of meeting faces, certain rails and astragal. Significant repair was required to the lockset and strike areas, installation of antique hinges, refinishing, and installation of new lockset with electrified security strike.

22 Sullivan Street, Charlestown, Boston, circa 1880 Repair and restoration of paired walnut doors in a Charlestown residence. Work scope included removal of large glass panels, hand stripping of old finishes, repair to lockset and strike areas, filling of mail slot, location and installation of matching lift off hinges, and location and installation of antique lockset.

Pearl Street, Marblehead, MA, circa 1853  Work scope included restoration, repair, and weather stripping to 20 sashes and 2 large entry doors.  The window sash lower rails had separated from the stiles by the weight of very heavy glass. The rails were repaired in place, followed by stabilizing stile/rail mortise joints. The two doors, exterior and interior, were mechanically restored, and weather-stripped.

Front Street, Marblehead, circa 1721   Work scope included repair and restoration of twenty-four sashes and repair, and restoration of three interior arched doors, and one exterior door.  The sash openings had warped significantly. The sash were repaired and reglazed. The openings required carpentry to provide smooth operation, and interior trim modification to counter the warp of the openings.

INSTITUTIONAL:

First Church of Christ (Old North, Marblehead), Marblehead, current structure 1932.  The first project work scope included repair and restoration of ten sanctuary windows, lower sashes.  Restore operating mechanism, weights, and pulley.  In addition, restored Front arched windows and entry door transoms. All of the glass was removed, the beds repaired and the sashes reglazed.  Many of the glass beds of the windows required leveling before reglazing. The second project at the Old North Church was to repair rotted trim and reglaze three hallmark windows in the front façade.  This project required complete scaffolding of the front façade to do the work.  The large sashes were in very bad shape as was the substructure attaching the jambs to the granite blocks. 
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Eastern Yacht Club, Marblehead, circa 1850  Restoration and repair to six large bottom rolling exterior pocket windows.  The sashes are almost eight feet tall by two and one half feet wide, and originally equipped with bottom rollers, which tracked on a tubular rail into a wall.  Each sash had one large piece of glass of remarkable thickness.  The loose putty was removed and the sash patched glazed.  In order to return the sash to full operating function, it was necessary to commission a blacksmith to manufacture the replacement rollers and rails.

Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum, Provincetown, MA, 1904  The scope of this project included restoration and repair of four very large monolithic wooden doors, eight large shutters, and ten smaller shutters all fitted into a thick stone block wall.  The large doors and the shutters were removed from their drop hinges and transported to Marblehead for processing. The hardware was removed from all, repaired, or forged for replacement by a blacksmith, cleaned, and reinstalled.  Where repair was necessary, aged oak original to the monument was available and used for this purpose.

Abbott Hall, Marblehead, circa 1880  Abbot Hall is the town hall for Marblehead.  Restoration and repair to four very large wooden entry doors.  These doors required working in place because they are so heavy.  Much of the veneer has separated requiring custom manufacture and reattachment.  The door bottoms had sagged to the granite floor and worn significantly.  No chemicals were used in old finish removal, and no pigmented stains used.  Repairs were done using aged oak from the original construction of the building.

AFFILIATIONS:

Founding member of the New England Window Restoration Alliance (NEWRA) www.windowrestorationne.org.  Members of NEWRA share a common commitment to the preservation and restoration of historic wood windows.  Alliance members blend traditional and modern materials and techniques to restore and maintain windows’ original function and architectural design throughout the region.

Former Chairman of the Marblehead Historic Districts Commission (OHDC)
Marblehead, MA is one of the oldest townships in the United States, founded in 1629.  The OHDC is charged with ensuring the continued historical appropriateness of buildings and structures in the historic districts.

Traditional Building Show, Boston, MA
Speaking subjects include Epoxy Repair of Deteriorated Window Sashes, and Environmental and the Energy Considerations of Window Replacement.

Contact Information:
James M Patrick
2 Pleasant Court, Ground Floor Office
Marblehead, MA 01945-3310
781-631-5145 Phone
781-639-6024 Fax
pat@oldtownrepair.com

Licenses and Insurance:
MA Construction Supervisor
MA Home Improvement Contractor
Certificate of liability insurance available upon request.