Masonry Preservation Group, Inc.

Princeton Chapel, Princeton University – Princeton, NJ

The Princeton University Chapel was designed by the noted Gothic Revival architect Ralph Adams Cram. This variegated, Pennsylvania sandstone chapel, trimmed with Indiana limestone, was constructed between 1925 and 1928. Decades of exposure had resulted in extensive deterioration, fracturing and loss of stonework. Masonry Preservation Group, Inc. was selected to execute the extensive restoration designed by Ford Farewell Mills & Gatsch Architects. MPG craftsmen carefully restored the exterior of the building to its original appearance while also enhancing its structural integrity. This multi-million dollar masonry restoration project also included intricate stone carving restoration and one of the largest stained glass window restoration projects in recent history. MPG skillfully managed this complex project within budget constraints while meeting the dual challenge of completing the project in two short years and keeping the Chapel open for all services and events. The project earned the 2002 International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Craft Award for Best Restoration/Rehabilitation/Maintenance Project for the State of New Jersey. This project also won the 2002 New Jersey Preservation Award.