For more than 150 years, the Mansion Hill Inn’s ornate exterior has radiated stately elegance. The 9,000-square-foot bed and breakfast originally served as a single-family residence. Constructed in 1857 in the spirit of the Romanesque Revival, its distinct exterior wrought iron has never been altered. Maintaining the 19th-century artistry and design of the Madison historic site while restoring its ironwork was essential.
Wolfgang Schweizer of German Blacksmith LLC was charged with dismantling and repairing the
ornamental wire on the building’s iconic balcony. Schweizer, who works in the tradition of Old World craftsmanship, approached Banker Wire for help with the task because the company offers fully customizable wire weaves.
Banker Wire created a unique die to duplicate the original ironwork’s slightly irregular decorative crimping pattern. The crimped wires were then assembled individually by hand, in a process reminiscent of its 1857 creation. The restored pattern now sits again where it has for more than a century, atop the balcony over the inn’s front entrance.
“Guests always comment on the balcony, as it speaks to a time gone-by,” says Margaux Stutz, general manager of the bed and breakfast. “We’re grateful to Banker Wire for helping us recreate this wonderful detail of the past that you don’t see in today’s buildings.”
General contractor: German Blacksmith LLC, Milwaukee
Metal mesh: Banker Wire, Mukwonago, Wis., www.bankerwire.com
