Waterbury City Hall was designed by noted architect Cass Gilbert during the City Beautiful movement. This and several other buildings designed by Gilbert at the turn of the 20th century constitute the Cass Gilbert Historic District in the City of Waterbury.

As part of a plan to restore and re-configure the building’s interior for changing municipal functions, JBC was retained by STV, Inc. to complete a conditions assessment and finishes investigation. We removed and analyzed 263 paint samples from interior spaces including the lobby, stair hall, corridors, Court Room, Aldermanic Chamber and the Mayor’s Office, and 11 paint samples from exterior windows and doors. JBC also conducted archival research to find visual documentation of the interior spaces. Together with the paint analysis, this information was used to pinpoint the locations for exposure panels uncovering original decorative painting and stencil work in the Court Room and Mayor’s Office. Our analysis found that, while the original paint colors were muted shades of yellow, grays, greens and blues, these were extensively combined with glazes to create visually rich finishes.

When the City of Waterbury switched designers for the Design and Construction Document phase of the project, JBC was retained by the firm DeCarlo and Doll to assist with this work. JBC helped select materials that were scheduled to remain and was responsible for designing the repairs and replacements for the historic interior spaces and exterior facades.