It's brilliant and blustery atop the tallest building in Annapolis, a bank of white clouds scudding quickly across the sky. John Greenwalt Lee leans against a temporary railing, gazing down with fondness on the town he calls home.
A few blocks to the northeast, the dome of the Naval Academy Chapel looms far above the street. Lee helped renovate it in 1999, rappelling out a window to apply chemicals to the copper to bring out its historic-looking green.
A little to the west, the spire of St. Anne's Episcopal Church towers above downtown. Lee helped with a structural survey of the building.
In a way, those jobs were just steppingstones to the architectural conservator's current venture: helping restore the wooden dome that has adorned the Maryland State House since 1789.
"I've been working my way up," he says, laughing. "Who wouldn't want to work on the State House? It doesn't get any more historic than this."
Since May, Lee, 61, has been lead consultant to a team of professionals who are removing failing paint, restoring original windows and planning to leave the dome with the sort of protective coat that will keep it safe from the ravages of weather for years to come.
1 comment:
Are they flying the muslim flag yet?
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