Multiple Museum Renovation at Fort Riley

Fort Riley, a historic site listed on the National Register of Historic Places, features several limestone buildings with significant historical value. In joint venture with JADE Carpentry, the JADE Blinderman team undertook renovation and restoration of three of these buildings - Building 203, 205, and 207 - adhering to the Secretary of Interior’s standards for the treatment of historic properties and ensuring compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act.

Building 203, originally the cavalry post guard house, was renovated to house museum operations, administrative offices, a library, and classroom space. Building 205, one of the four original pre-Civil War buildings, was transformed into the U.S. Army Cavalry Museum with modern amenities, while preserving its historic appearance. Building 207, which once served as barracks and offices for the Cavalry School Band, now houses the administrative offices for the Museum Complex.

Our team aimed to enhance the historic experience for museum visitors by updating building systems and creating interior spaces that support state-of-the-art exhibits, all while complying with ADA standards. The renovation scope for the three facilities included finish renovations to administrative offices, library and classroom spaces, MEP/FP infrastructure replacement, and exterior sitework.

We also performed site work renovations that involved redesigning the exterior scope of work, including concrete paving, sidewalks, exterior lighting, and landscaping. The building envelopes were improved for increased longevity, with structural stabilization using helical piles and substantial reinforcements throughout the buildings.

Masonry restoration efforts across all three buildings involved restoring historic limestone, foundation work, grinding and tuckpointing, and matching historic mortar. We completed the restoration of numerous historic windows in each building, ensuring their preservation.