Old Faithful Lodge Recreation Hall Lighting Restoration & Replication
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The current Old Faithful Lodge is a result of numerous changes dating back to the early days of tent camps. These camps were erected throughout the park and offered shelter before hotels and lodges were built. By the 1920's, auto traffic into the park was increasing dramatically and it was determined that the tent camp at the site should be replaced with a permanent lodge.

Following a site visit earlier in the year, Grand Light was selected to restore and replicate the lighting fixtures from the historic Geyser Hall. Rather than risk loss or damage in transit via a common carrier, Grand Light dispatched a team to Geyser Hall and carefully packed and transported the historic fixtures 2,400 miles back to Connecticut. These fixtures included 148 gothic-style pendant luminaires, of which 28 were replicated, as well as 40 larger luminaires of the same style. Grand Light cleaned all luminaire components, inspected and repaired all mechanical defects, replaced all existing electrical components with UL listed products, rewired and hipot-tested the fixtures. To restore the historical integrity of the luminaires, previously installed plastic panels were replaced with historically accurate medium-amber glass.

Many fixtures were missing tabs that were meant to hold the glass panels. As a previous fix to this problem, some panels had been siliconed to the frame as a temporary solution. This silicone was removed and new tabs were fabricated and soldered to the fixture.

It was determined that a medium amber colored, Wissmack type glass with a dew drop pattern would be the most suitable match to replace the many missing or damaged panels from the lodge's lighting fixtures. To protect the glass from shattering in the event they are ever hit by a ball or other item, each panel was coated in a 3M SCLARL #150 safety film. A total of 1,080 panels were cut for the smaller fixtures, which include 158 originals (Type A, A1 & C) and 28 replications (Type D). An additional 264 panels were cut for the 40 larger (Type B) fixtures. In all, 1,344 glass panels were fabricated.

With the structural integrity of the fixtures restored, Grand Light plastic bead blasted all surfaces to remove the previous coating and then sandblasted them to achieve a smooth uniform surface. The frames were then cleaned and given a 15% gloss black powder coat before being wired with UL recognized components, HIPOT tested and reviewed for approval.

While in Grand Light's shop the fixtures were treated as historic treasures and therefore packed for transit accordingly. Approximately 10 pallets with 4' x 4' x 5' custom crates were constructed, and then lined with foam padding and extensive individual packaging. Safety tests were carried out to ensure the packing was more than adequate for the potential shock and vibrations that the fixtures my encounter while on the road.

Electrical Contractor:
Network Electric, Inc
Salt Lake City, UT
(801) 972-5600

Lighting Consultant:
Ryan Stockman
Grand Light
New Haven, CT
1-800-922-1469
info@lightrestoration.com

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