Ellis Island, NJ
Restoration of the recreation pavilion
COMPLETED
Planned as part of a larger redevelopment plan, the Recreation Pavilion is in a group of unoccupied but stabilized buildings managed in a partnership between Save Ellis Island and the National Park Service. It is one of the most recognizable structures on the Island, originally used as a place for respite and as part of the outdoor recuperative process for immigrants quarantined before finally arriving in America. Thaler Reilly Wilson Architecture & Preservation, LLP were contracted to complete the construction documents phase of the work on the pavilion.
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The 1932 pavilion along with many other buildings had suffered greatly from water damage and neglect. Work to restore the pavilion included restoration and replication of deteriorated and missing terracotta tile; restoration of wood doors; restoration of steel windows; replacement of the built-up roofing, metal flashings and copings; and restoration of the brick walls and piers.
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The pavilion fronts on the great lawn on the south side of Ellis Island. Now restored it provides a venue for public and private events, a small office and enclosed storage.