Learn to care for and repair plaster at Saturday workshop

If your only experience with plaster involves a broken bone, you’ve seen just one aspect of this diverse material that’s used for everything from casts to walls to decorative friezes. It can even help purify the air in your home.

“Uncoated plaster actually absorbs carbon dioxide from the environment,” said Lauren Dillon, a plaster specialist with Master of Plaster in Irmo. “It’s one of the healthiest interior wall materials you can use.”

According to Dillon, many of Columbia’s historic homes and buildings were constructed with plaster walls. One of those buildings is Chappelle Auditorium, which opened on the campus of Allen University in 1925.

One of only five buildings in Columbia designated as a National Historic Landmark, the auditorium was an important site during the Civil Rights Movement and has hosted famous speakers and leaders such as Langston Hughes, Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali, and Mary McLeod.

After falling into serious disrepair, the building is in the midst of a $3 million renovation that will, among other things, rejuvenate the building’s plasterworks.

Saturday, Master of Plaster, along with Allen University and GMK Associates, will offer a two-part workshop that will offer a tour of the building, which is in the process of renovation, as well as a discussion about plaster that will give homeowners tips on caring for – and repairing – their own plaster walls.

“For anyone interested in historic preservation, the chance to observe the restoration a building in process is quite rare,” said Dillon. “Usually, you see the before and after. This will give you a glimpse into what restoration really entails.”

The workshop is $5 for Historic Columbia members and $10 for non-members. Allen University’s Chappelle Auditorium is at 1530 Harden St.

For more information, visit www.historiccolumbia.org

Katie McElveen, Special to The State

This story was originally published January 29, 2016 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Learn to care for and repair plaster at Saturday workshop."