About Us

The successful restoration of historically important property requires attention to a tremendous number of details. Water and structural damage must be located. Aesthetic, legal, safety, documentation and maintenance concerns need to be addressed.

Above all, respect for the historical quality of the property need to be considered.

None of this is simple or easy, but the result of doing it right though can be reduced restoration costs and very satisfying completion of the project.

In 1973, Dale began his career providing marketing services, and supervising crews in Front Royal, Virginia as an apprentice stained glass craftsman and foreman with Hauser Studios.

Studying under Dr. Martin Weaver; a legendary engineer, architect, and conservator at Columbia and Pennsylvania State Universities, he helped restore the Governor's Mansion in St. Thomas, built by Ponce de Leon, a World Heritage site in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Under Dr. Martin's guidance, Mr. Waters restored the Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church in Maryland, and several historic buildings in the metro D.C. area. These projects involved masonry, metal and slate roof restoration.

His next project, restoring the Chapel at West, Point took seven years, and involved masonry, stained glass, metal roof and facade restoration in Taylor Hall, Washington Hall, Thayer Hall, and the residences.
After that, working with renowned structural engineer David Fischetti; Mr. Waters consulted on the restoration of dozens of important structures, including the historic Monumental Church, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, and notably, the 1780s Chapel in Hopewell, Virginia.

In 2000 Mr. Waters, worked in Manazo, Perua with the Sisters of Charity and Catechu Indian tribe in a remote Andes mountain village to build and restore stained glass windows in a 1700 adobe chapel.

Then in, 2002 Waters Craftsmen was selected to restore the exterior of the US Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland where priceless multilayered Tiffany Art Glass windows were removed. The elaborate frames, terra-cotta balusters, drainage system, stone parapets, the dome plinth and copper roofing systems, and historic features inside the tomb of John Paul Jones were restored.

Dale Waters created Waters Craftsmen to provide superior building restoration consultation and preservation services for historic and sacred buildings.

Mr. Waters was also chosen to restore the Castillo de San Marco Monument in St Augustine, Florida; America’s oldest masonry structure. This two-year project included removing antique cannons, timber frame gun platforms, replacing the massive roof system, and restoring of the ancient coquina parapets and courtyard walls.

Electrical systems and plumbing were rebuilt, a temporary dura-base mat road system was installed and a 360 foot crane erected to protect the ancient walls, palisades and Native American burial sites.

After that, the National Park Service selected the company to restore another national treasure, Fort Jefferson, on the small remote island of Dry Tortuga Florida.

The massive brick fort had no basic necessities, fresh water, sewer, power or cell phone service. Mr. Waters designed and helped build a self-contained solar powered, 100% biodiesel micro-cogeneration and ecologically-friendly base camp to house the crew.

Waters Craftsmen has restored hundreds of sacred and historic properties throughout the United States, the Caribbean, and in the metro Baltimore/Washington D.C. area, including:

The Department of Justice
The Holocaust Museum,
The Library of Congress,
The Maryland State Senate House,
The Maryland Governor’s Mansion,
The National Cathedral, St Mathews,
The State House in Richmond, Virginia.

The clear and precise approach that Mr. Waters applies to all projects, both big and small, as proven to provide the most economic and proper results. His clear and concise holistic approach, lets historic property owners address the numerous overwhelming problems inherent in historical restoration.

Current projects include:
the historic St Peters Lutheran Church in Toms Brook, VA, the massive wood steeple and facade at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Charlottesville, VA, masonry window surrounds, gutters and parapets at the historic First Lutheran Church in Norfolk, VA, the historic stone Presbyterian Church in Elkins, WV, the historic brick St Peters Catholic Church in downtown Charlotte, NC and the historic stone St Philips Episcopal Church in Durham, NC, and restoring the historic masonry landing and facades at the 18th Airborne Division Headquarters, the historic Officers Club building and historic masonry barracks buildings at Fort Bragg, NC.

Quality control and careful project planning are essential to successfully restoring a historic building.