Refurbished Cupola Adorns Top of Murch Elementary School

BETHESDA, Md. – Clark Construction Group, LLC recently refurbished the cupola atop Murch Elementary School in northwest Washington, D.C.

The cupola is a neighborhood icon, often appearing in images of the surrounding area. The cupola on the 76-year-old school was in poor condition when Clark representatives visited the school this summer. The structure leaked, its copper roof had been painted white, and the wooden supports and walkway surrounding it were rotting.

Clark refurbished the cupola by replacing the deteriorating sections of the walls with new, pre-machined wood, and worked with Gordon Contractors, Inc., of Capitol Heights, Md., to install a new copper roof. Damaged railings were repaired and missing ones replaced. A new door, which opens to the walkway, also was installed.

In addition to restoring and re-painting the cupola, the project team repaired two leaky gutters around the school.

The projects were part of Clark’s “Century of Service: 100 Good Deeds for 100 Years” community service campaign in honor of the company’s 100-year anniversary in 2006. The company covered the costs of labor and materials.

Clark has ties to Murch Elementary School dating back to 1930 when the company - then known as The George Hyman Construction Company - finished constructing the school.

The school is named after respected educator Ben W. Murch, who served as a principal and administrator of the city’s public schools system between 1887 and 1927.