Working hard on the balustrade

What does the balustrade have in common with the Egyptian Pyramids? Nope, not camels. Nope, not dead mummies either.

Limestone. That’s right, the Great Pyramid of Giza is solid limestone, just like the balustrade on the Scioto. Ancient civilizations recognized the timelessness of the substance, just as those who built the local floodwall back in the 1920s. 

We recognize its value today too.

The time has come for the balustrade to participate in Downtown’s revitalization. In fact, its columns have already undergone restoration and are being re-installed as we speak. New limestone reinforcements are scheduled for a September installation (and the project, with the exception of a small section at the south end, will be completed by November).

New spindles will improve the safety of the balustrade, while maintaining its charm

These changes are not drastic, but they are important. Standards of safety have changed since the 1920s. The spaces between the beautiful carved pedestals are the just the right size to permit a wayward child or pet to slip through. The challenge will be to preserve the old-school beauty with modern sensibilities in mind. When the project comes together, it’ll be a real victory in uniting Downtown’s glorious past to its glorious future.

And there couldn’t be a more appropriate medium than limestone. The rock itself has a knack for capturing the past from long before the balustrade’s construction.  It’s characteristically filled with fossils, and so Ohio’s great natural history in limestone will continue on into the future on the Scioto Mile’s balustrade.

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