If you live in Pittsburgh, you know this iconic structure. It’s the Frick Gatehouse that serves as one of the entrances into our gorgeous Frick Park. My buddy Joseph Parente (@josephparente) restored its roof.
He also fixed our roof twice, purely out of the kindness of his heart. Last year he came out and patched our roof after he saw a story I posted complaining about our leak. The first time he fixed it, we hadn’t even met in person – only through IG! Obviously he’s a truly great person. He mainly does cool historic roofing/restoration using things like fancy copper work that I know nothing about. So I decided a long while back that he needed a wooden artwork in appreciation. It took me forever to figure out what to make, but once I saw him work on this structure, I had the answer! I gather that he put a lot into landing this gig and it seemed like something he was particularly proud of.
Unfortunately, the bridge next to the gatehouse collapsed last year, making national news in the process (it happened literally hours before the President’s infrastructure bill speech*). Swipe to see the Pres in front of it. Miraculously, the gatehouse was totally unharmed! But it also meant I could no longer get to it for photos. So this piece is based on fuzzy photos I found online.
Made mostly from local wood scavenged myself – mostly storm-felled sycamore from nearby Schenley Park. It also has a bit of nearly extinct black stinkwood from an antique South African chair. Also holly, walnut, apple (thanks @afonticiella), crabapple, elm, wenge, sapele, basswood, and curly maple. Obviously the green is dyed. All the rest is natural. With copper foil on some pieces.
I hope you enjoy it, brother!
*political comments will be deleted/blocked. IG and art is where I come to escape all that. General comments on the state of our bridges is acceptable 😂
