This 1910 building had suffered some haphazard alterations over the years. The present owners were in the process of restoring it for their Christian Day School and wanted to replace the ill-fitting aluminum entrance that had been installed by previous owners.

In our research, we discovered photos of the original entrance, which was designed by renowned Philadelphia architect, Frank Furness, 90 years before. Back then, the entrance was as grand as the building, with two 30-inch doors. Today's ADA standards require a wider opening.

Our solution was this single, custom-designed white oak door with two sidelights that completely echoed the look of the original entrance while adhering to contemporary ADA requirements. Not only was the doorway created in the spirit of the original designer and builder, but we did so with the same traditional tools, techniques, finishes, and materials that were used in the initial construction. In addition, we completely restored the original transom, repairing more than 75 cracks and breaks in its frame and re-setting the glass.