“Like Giving the Building a Second Chance”: HMPC Training Gets Local 8 Southeast Members Ready to Restore Louisiana State Capitol

James Hudson, a member of BAC Local 8 Southeast, never knew he had a passion for historic buildings until he enrolled in the International Masonry Institute (IMI)’s Historic Masonry Preservation Certificate (HMPC) program. 

Hudson, who has a background in brick and refractory, took the class to prepare for the restoration of the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge, a 30-story Art Deco building with limestone cladding.  

“I was very impressed with the training. It really sparked my interest in historic buildings and being able to bring things back to life,” Hudson said. “It’s like giving the building a second chance.” 

The Capitol is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, meaning the work had to comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s standards for historic properties.  

The project involves the maintenance, repair, and cleaning of the building’s exterior masonry, including removal and replacement of damaged masonry, repair of anchoring systems, re-pointing, re-honing, and cleaning. 

BAC Local 8 Southeast’s training coordinator contacted David Donkin, regional director for the International Masonry Training and Education Foundation (IMTEF), after he saw the spec language required masons to have specific skills, such as custom mortar mixing.  

Most Local 8 bricklayers, like Hudson, work in new construction and refractory, and therefore needed to be cross-trained in historic masonry restoration. BAC signatory contractor Stone and Lime Historic Restoration Services, based in Massachusetts, was awarded the project and has spent the past six years partnering with Local 8 to employ local craftworkers on preservation projects throughout the South.  

In preparation for the Capitol project, Local 8 members enrolled in several HMPC classes last fall and this winter to expand their skill set.  

"It's an honor to work on the Capitol in my home state," said Ora Thomas, a 18 year BAC member from Louisiana, who took the training last November. "We're going to be able to match everything back perfectly and make it look like it's never been infringed on." 

Antwan Stone, a refractory specialist with Local 23 Ohio/-West Virginia/-Kentucky/-Maryland, said the class left him with a new appreciation for both the artistry and the science behind historic masonry buildings.  

“Because it’s historic masonry, you have to keep all the same colors, the same materials, the same style, so it has the same look and feel to it as it did before,” Stone said. “The class taught us not only the process we had to follow, but also why and how to understand that process.” 

Donkin said this project is the perfect example of collaboration between the BAC, IMI, and IMTEF.  

“The collaboration started with the local union reaching out to IMTEF for support in training their members,” Donkin said. “We worked together with IMI and the contractor to tailor the training to the specialized needs of the job and crew. Everyone got involved to get the job done right, and now Local 8 members have the opportunity to work on a significant historic landmark in the region.”