MOLLY O'DONNELL JORDEN

The New York State Capitol Eastern Approach

The New York State Capitol is a National Historic Landmark with contributions by the architects Thomas Fuller, Leopold Eidlitz, H.H. Richardson, and Isaac Perry. The eastern elevation features an elaborate multi-story monumental stair constructed of unreinforced brick and granite masonry with sophisticated geometry and ornate carving.

Years of neglect, settlement, and insensitive repairs have destabilized the historic site feature. JGWA is responsible for measuring the structure by hand and laser scanning, modeling the complex form in Revit, and producing construction documents for the complete disassembly and restoration of the iconic entry to the state's capitol. Molly has been involved in every step of that process while working closely with the Project Manager to coordinate and execute project decisions and submissions between the client and the design team. Additionally, she has prepared drawings digitally and by hand for presentation to the Governor of New York.

Princeton Battlefield State Park

680 acres of land are preserved in Princeton, New Jersey to commemorate the Battle of Princeton as a turning point in the American Revolutionary War under the leadership of George Washington.

The beautiful park requires additional historical interpretation and facilities for its visitors and reenactors. This includes restoration of the historic landscape with special consideration for adjacent structures significant to the Institute of Advanced Studies. JGWA provided material for a persuasive presentation on the future use and development of the site in cooperation with the American Battlefield Trust. For this project Molly conducted a site survey, produced drawings for a new design, and created the two watercolor renderings pictured here.

Georgi on the Battenkill Museum

Originally constructed as a private residence in 1955, the Georgi Museum opened in 1991 to display a small but significant collection of Italian, Dutch, Flemish, German, and French paintings from the fourteenth through eighteenth centuries alongside Henry Georgi's collections as an engineering geologist. The building is situated on a nine-acre site at a bend in the scenic Battenkill River and acts as a community park and event space.

JGWA conducted surveys, wrote an Architectural Conservation Assessment, and provided drawings for a small design project to update the museum's accessibility. Molly acts as the Project Manager and produced materials for the report and the construction documents.

Creek Meeting House

Built in 1777, Creek Meeting House in Clinton Corners, New York represents the quiet elegance of the Quaker traditions of construction and community. The doubled plan of the building illustrates an evolution in Quaker design and worship with separate entrances for men and women divided by a moveable partition to reinforce the idea of order and equality among the Religious Society of Friends. In this way, the architecture reflects the ideology of the community it housed.

A Historic Structure Report was produced by JGWA to ensure the thorough documentation of the building and its history in order to proceed with its sensitive restoration and continued use as a space for public gatherings. Molly developed the rendering pictured to illustrate the earliest documented configuration of the the meeting house according to measured drawings of existing conditions, evidence uncovered in the documentation process, and historic images and accounts of the prominent and beloved structure. The cutaway axonometric describes all aspects of the character defining features in a single image that visually supports the text of the report and features prominently on the cover page.