HISTORICAL BUILDING
RESTORATION
IN ARLINGTON, TX.
Downtown Arlington and the original town center contain early-20th century commercial structures that require historically sensitive restoration. UTA's campus includes midcentury buildings that are aging into restoration candidates while remaining in active academic use.
Historic Restoration Services for Arlington's Landmark Buildings
Arlington's historic commercial core — the West End, Deep Ellum, and downtown civic landmarks — contains 130+ years of masonry construction that requires material-compatible repair rather than modern construction methods.
Lime Mortar Repointing
NHL or Type N lime mortar matched to original hardness, color, and texture for Arlington's pre-1930s brick buildings. Full joint raking to minimum 3/4" depth before repointing — no skim coat over existing mortar. Mortar hardness testing before specifying replacement mix. Critical for West End Historic District 1890s–1920s commercial brick, Deep Ellum Elm Street warehouses, and early 20th century institutional buildings.
Terra Cotta & Ornamental Masonry
Crack injection, detachment re-anchoring with stainless steel pins, and replacement casting for glazed terra cotta on the Adolphus Hotel (1912), Wilson Building (1904), and West End commercial buildings. Profile documentation before any replacement work. Specialty precast or hand-molded replacement units matched to original color and glaze. Cast stone repair and replacement for early 20th century civic buildings.
Historic Brick Cleaning
Low-pressure water washing and appropriate chemical cleaners compatible with the brick and mortar type. No sandblasting, pressure washing above 500 psi, or acid applications that remove brick surface texture — all of which damage historic masonry irreversibly. Test panel cleaning before full elevation to confirm method produces the desired result without substrate damage. Appropriate for West End warehouses, Deep Ellum loft conversions, and civic landmark buildings.
Waterproofing & Penetrating Sealers
Penetrating silane/siloxane water repellents for historic Arlington brick and limestone — vapor-open systems that reduce water absorption without trapping moisture behind an impermeable film. Compatible with Arlington Landmark Commission COA requirements. Critical for Old Red Courthouse (1892), Deep Ellum's unreinforced masonry warehouse stock, and designated historic structures where film-forming coatings are prohibited.
Arlington Historic Property Types Served
Griffin works with property owners, preservation consultants, and facilities managers on Arlington's historic commercial, civic, and institutional building inventory.
Arlington Historical Building Restoration: Local Context
Arlington's historic commercial districts contain masonry buildings spanning 130+ years — from the 1892 Old Red Courthouse and 1904 Wilson Building to the 1920s West End warehouse district and Deep Ellum's Elm Street commercial row. These buildings share a critical characteristic: their soft, permeable brick was designed to work in conjunction with flexible lime mortar. The mortar acts as a sacrificial joint that absorbs movement and moisture stress so the brick itself is protected.
When these buildings have been repointed with Portland cement mortar — a common mistake made by general contractors unfamiliar with historic preservation — the harder cement captures moisture and thermal movement forces against the brick face. The result is brick spalling and accelerated deterioration that can destroy the original fired surface of soft historic brick within 10–20 years. Identifying and removing incompatible Portland cement repointing before applying correct lime mortar is often the first step in any Arlington historic restoration project.
Griffin operates from Whitesboro — ~95 miles via I-35E south to I-20 west (approx. 1hr 30min) — with 56' and 72' boom trucks that access Arlington's historic 3–6 story commercial buildings without scaffolding mobilization.
Why Arlington Historic Property Owners Choose Griffin
Historical Building Restoration FAQ — Arlington, TX
What historical building restoration services does Griffin provide in Arlington?
We provide comprehensive masonry and facade restoration for Arlington's historic commercial, civic, and institutional buildings: lime mortar repointing compatible with 19th and early 20th century brick and stone, historic brick cleaning using low-pressure water and appropriate chemical methods, masonry crack repair and structural stabilization, terra cotta and cast stone repair and replacement, historic window frame restoration and weatherproofing, and exterior masonry waterproofing with penetrating systems that allow historic masonry to breathe. Arlington's historic inventory includes the West End Historic District (1890s–1920s commercial brick), Deep Ellum's Elm Street corridor, the Adolphus Hotel (1912), Wilson Building (1904), and Old Red Courthouse (1892).
Why does historic masonry require different repointing mortar than modern construction?
Pre-1930s Arlington brick was made with soft, permeable clay fired at lower temperatures than modern brick. The original lime mortar in these buildings is intentionally softer and more flexible than the brick — allowing the mortar joint to absorb building movement and weathering stress so the brick itself is protected. When contractors repoint historic masonry with Portland cement mortar — which is significantly harder than the original lime mortar — the cement captures moisture and thermal movement forces against the brick face rather than the joint, causing brick spalling and accelerated deterioration. For Arlington's West End Historic District, Deep Ellum Elm Street buildings, and the 1900s–1920s brick commercial buildings in the Design District, only NHL (Natural Hydraulic Lime) or Type N mortar formulations compatible with the original material are appropriate. We test existing mortar hardness before specifying replacement mix.
Does historic restoration work in Arlington require Landmark Commission approval?
Arlington's Landmark Commission reviews exterior alterations to Landmark-designated structures and contributing buildings in historic districts. The West End Historic District, Adolphus Hotel, Wilson Building, Old Red Courthouse, and other individually designated properties require Certificate of Appropriateness review before exterior work. Griffin is experienced with the documentation required for COA applications — including material specifications, photographic existing condition surveys, and repair methodology descriptions — and coordinates submission with the property owner and their historic preservation consultant. We do not perform work on designated properties without confirming the appropriate review process is underway.
How do you repair historic terra cotta on Arlington buildings?
Arlington's early 20th century commercial buildings — including the Wilson Building (1904), the Adolphus Hotel's ornamental terra cotta, and several West End District buildings — feature glazed terra cotta elements that require specialized repair. Hairline cracks in terra cotta can be injected with lime-based grout if the glaze surface is intact. Spalled or missing sections are cast in architectural precast or hand-molded terra cotta by specialty fabricators to match the original profile, color, and glaze. Detached terra cotta is re-anchored to the masonry backup with stainless steel pins and lime-based grout. We document all existing terra cotta conditions photographically before any intervention, providing a record of original profiles for replacement casting.
Can historic restoration work be done while a Arlington building is occupied by tenants or active uses?
Yes — the majority of historic masonry restoration work at Arlington properties like the Adolphus Hotel, Wilson Building, and West End commercial lofts is conducted from the building exterior using boom truck access or swing stage. Interior tenant space is not affected. For ground-level masonry work at active retail or restaurant tenants in the West End and Deep Ellum, we sequence work to avoid peak foot traffic periods and maintain clear pedestrian access. For historic buildings under Arlington Landmark Commission review, the phasing plan is documented as part of the COA submission so the preservation office is informed of construction activity sequence.
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Learn More →Ready to Restore Your Arlington Historic Building?
Griffin provides written condition assessments for historic masonry buildings — identifying failed repointing, incompatible repairs, and deterioration patterns — before any scope is committed. Call us or request an assessment online.
109 Highway 377 N, Whitesboro, TX 76273 · Serving Arlington and the DFW metro