The Preservation Society of Newport County announced today (May 21) that restoration work on The Breakers’ massive main gates has been completed.
Weighing 5,600 pounds each, the main gates were put back into place by crane on Wednesday (May 21). Two large wrought-iron crown pieces were reinstalled on Tuesday (May 20).
The two main gates, two side pedestrian gates, and the elaborate scrolled crowns that top the whole structure were taken down in January and sent to Stratford Steel in Connecticut to be restored and weatherproofed.
Stratford sandblasted the components down to bare metal, replaced any heavily deteriorated metal, treated the pieces with zinc thermal spray coating, and finished them with a marine-grade paint coating system applied with epoxy primer and black urethane top coatings.
