July 2008

Window on the past

Lately, folks have been giving the Julius Foust Building double-takes.

The reason: green and maroon trim colors that haven't been seen in over a century. The red-brick icon's original trim is being reapplied as part of a major window restoration that should be complete by year-end.

Instead of replacing the existing wood windows, the UNCG design team decided to repair and repaint them to preserve the historic fabric of the building.

Foust Building is UNCG's oldest, most architecturally significant building, dating back to the opening of the campus in 1892. Originally called Main Building, it was designed in the Romanesque style by Epps & Hackett Architects and was completed in 1895. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Double Hung, LLC, a Greensboro-based company that does historic window renovation all over the Southeast, advised the design team during planning and construction.

Selecting the new colors for the windows and trim involved a trip back in history. An architectural conservator was hired to analyze samples of existing paint to determine the original colors used to trim the windows and wood.

The conservator found that the window frames — including architraves, jambs, stops, sills, and transom bars — were painted a medium green, while the window sashes were painted a dark maroon. Both were incorporated into the design and are the colors you see on the building. Wood trim on the gable ends is also being painted to match the new window colors.