Court House Kalamein Doors I Heather & Little

The classic revival Brighton Division of Boston Municipal Court House, built in 1925 by eclisiastical architects O’Conner and Shaw takes the form of a three-wing "Y" shape. The front entrance of the court house is enhanced by three-sets of imposing twelve-foot-high bronze clad kalamein doors which had exceeded their practical service life and required restoration.

This was a challenging project as the original brass doors were not typical Kalamein construction and consisted of very intricate millwork and sheet metal profiles. Heather & Little reproduced the six bronze court house Kalamein doors as part of a larger building restoration. We worked closely alongside the contractor, TRAC Builders, and the building’s managers to ensure that the metal-clad doors were historically accurate. The doors consisted of metal-covered wood trim using an architectural brass material called Muntz metal – a combination of alpha-beta brass with about 60 percent copper, 40 percent zinc and a trace of iron. Our artisans were able to recreate the bronze ornamental components and metal-covered wood trims of these custom historical court house kalamein clad doors using a combination of traditional and modern techniques and return the entrance to the visually striking condition it had not seen in decades. In fact the doors functioned even better that the originals as they were slightly resized to provide a better fit in the existing openings.

The  historic doors have been returned to their pride of place in the restored court house,  garnering a 2021 North American Copper in Architecture (NACIA) award. To learn more about the Brighton District Court House Kalamein Doors browse our gallery of images.