A Patchwork of Tiles

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • September 8, 2015

What you are looking at is the interior south wall of the MMA Library/EcologyLab. I believe at some time in my blogging about the MMA Library conservation work, I mentioned that the terracotta tiles and the exterior stucco and the interior walls of the building were pretty much all one piece sp to speak. These photographs certainly illustrate that. Those ridges you see are actually the terracotta tiles which make up the structural walls of the building. When built in the early 1930s, about three coats of a lime plaster were placed on the terracotta and then tempera paint which is the more yellow looking finish you see in areas where the plaster did not fail. If not for some leaks about a decade or more ago, the plaster would not have failed because everywhere else in the Wing the plaster is in excellent condition – you can’t beat lime plaster!

But due to the damage from the leaks, the lime plaster had blistered and pulled from the terracotta so in we called Pen Austin (I have blogged about her before), an island mason who specializes in traditional methods of mortar, paint finishes, and plaster. Her work is partially Community Preservation Act funded – it became a bigger project because of the work that was completed on the outside of the building – remember again that this is all like one piece. We have the right woman – and her team – on the job and she hopes to be completed with the plaster work in about a week. It will take about a month for the lime plaster to cure and then painters can paint the walls.


JNLF

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By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • August 17, 2026
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