Stan Hywet Grape Arbor Restoration - Akron, Ohio

The Grape Arbor is an open garden pergola structure consisting of 44 brick and stone piers, 17-inches to a side, supporting a wooden trellis which then supports the original white and dark Concord grape stock from which the structure derives its name.  Over the past 95 years a few of the masonry southern piers were exhibiting a masonry condition referred to as “calcification.”  This causes the masonry piers to shrink or expand in a way that forces the pier to curl or the top to bend.  Nine piers are effected this way and three severely. Because the 44 piers are linked together by the wood trellis above, the other solid piers are being pushed out of alignment.

Project Included:

  • Relocating or Pruning grape stock
  • Ordering special size brick
  • Demo existing wood trellis
  • Demo specific existing masonry piers
  • Rebuild masonry piers with correct presentation brick and salvaged stone trim
  • Rebuild vertical and horizontal Cypress trellis