Guardians at the Gate

The Rockingham Hotel in Portsmouth, N.H., was built in the 1880s on the site of American merchant, politician and justice Woodbury Langdon’s home. It quickly became one of northern New England’s finest small hotels. At least seven U.S. presidents are known to have stayed in the hotel, from George Washington to John F. Kennedy. The building ceased operating as a hotel in the early 1970s and today houses condominiums and the Library Restaurant, an upscale steakhouse that preserves many of the hotel’s original interior features such as vaulted mahogany ceilings and ornate dining rooms.

The real stars of the show, however, are two pairs of gold lion statues that flank the front steps of the restaurant and condominium entrances and have been a part of the streetscape since 1872. The lions’ presence marks the only continuity between the location’s multiple lives—mansion, hotel and modern dining venue. Originally crafted in France, the lions were produced as cast metal works rather than carved stone, which was the common choice at that time for ornamental statues. Their cores and visible surfaces have historically included bronze and cast-iron elements, with granite plinths used for anchors that help to mitigate damage due to ground moisture and frost.

By 1995, corrosion and other defects had taken their toll. Scott Barker, president of Universal Powder Coat Inc. at the time, was a regular at the Library Restaurant and became friends with the owner. After some convincing, Barker was given the tremendous job of removing the lions from their pedestals and performing a true restoration for the first time since their placement. After sandblasting, they realized each lion was constructed of nine constituent pieces, and there were large horsehair-filled gaps between the metal castings. There were no high temperature fillers available at the time, so Scott worked with the Dampney Co. to produce an aluminum-containing filler that could survive curing. This product went on to become Hi-Temp Lab-metal, still used by powder coaters today.

Conserving the lions involved replacement of corroded connecting tabs and hardware — all aimed at prolonging life without obscuring the original artisan value of the statues. An epoxy powder primer was used for the basecoat, and O’Brien powder coatings (eventually folded into Axalta Coating Systems) were topped off with a clearcoat to preserve the function and appearance of the statues for the foreseeable future. This was the first attention-grabbing project for Universal and helped to launch a highly successful venture. Scott eventually sold that company, and today he is in the process of starting a new job shop (ad)venture named Powder Coat Tek Inc. in Saco, ME, which he says will house the largest batch oven in New England.

For more information:

Rockingham Hotel/Library Restaurant
libraryrestaurant.com

Powder Coat Tek Inc.
powdercoattek.com