Restoration of Copper Lanterns

John Bott

I retired in June 2004 at 61 and am now having a great time doing what I want when I want. I am the volunteer blacksmith at Morningstar Mill on Tuesday and Thursday plus open house weekends.

I am currently working on a restoration project for one of the local Catholic Cathedrals. They had some beautiful copper lanterns that were made in 1832 hanging outside the church. The church is across the street from the police station. The lanterns were stolen, stomped down flat and taken to the scrap yard to sell for the value of the copper. Two ladies at the church did search of all scrap yards and found th elights. One of them had a go at trying to striaghten the lights out and could only go so far. She came to one of our open house days at Morningstar Mill in October of 2005 and asked if I might be able to help with the project. The picture below shows the progress after straightening.

Some parts 4 horns, 3 upper ledges, hinges, wall mounting brackets and holder assemblies as well as door latches had to be manufactured. It was a real challenge to try to figure out how the original smith did it the first time and then how can you reproduce it now. I also had to decide when to keep the original parts even if they can only be restored so far. The originals were gas fired. over the years there had been many repairs and updates made. To assist in taking them backto the original I fashioned two elements that would look like the old gas cones. These were made from a plastic tube from a photo copier roll and some fly screen. With the screen wrapped around the pastic and a Christmas tree light bulb mounted in the element it is hard to tell if they are gas fired or not. All in all it was great fun and a real learning experience. When they were returned to the church there was a very gratifying goup of smiling and laughing people, one even crying, since they felt the lights would never be returned to them. The finished lights will be mounted inside a new enclosed area of the church to keep them safe. They are also mounted very high up on the walls.