Lost luster returns to Kennett High lights

Refurbished pendant fixtures now basking in glow of admirers

By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times

Once an eyesore, the pendant lights in front of Kennett High have been restored to their former luster.

When the vintage pendant lights came down about a month ago outside the entrance to Kennett High School, the few people who noticed were probably pleased: They were an irrefutable eyesore. Even worse, they didn’t work.

The district had hoped to fix the problem during the high school renovations. But the price tag for refurbishing the three fixtures – original to the 1932 stone building – prompted sticker shock at $17,000, said School Board Member Dominic F. Perigo Jr., who chairs the board’s Facilities and Operations Committee.

After enduring the blackened, patched, hanging fixtures for several more years, Perigo questioned whether repairs could be done in-house, initiating a process that included hours of buffing, polishing, and reassembling and that culminated with the return of the lights on Monday at a fraction of the cost, district officials said.

Rob Moran, the district’s manager of central maintenance, said Perigo approached Robert Perzel, who heads Facilities and Construction, who then queried Moran, who felt his crew of eight could handle the job. But that was before strenuous buffing led to more buffing – with no end in sight. Moran said they quickly realized the tarnish was thicker than imagined, but a glimmer of hope emerged: Some brass peeked through the darkness, he said.

Each fixture contains energy-saving, candle-style lights to enhance their historic look and save money.

Previously, Moran said the workers had run the risk that the fixtures might not be worth saving. “Once we got one edge cleaned off, we knew they were going to be special,” he said.

Moran, a 20-year employee, recalled that the lights had worked when he was hired and that they had quit about 15 years ago. As the project got underway, he concluded that his crew needed reinforcements – specifically a glass-beading machine to blast through the grime – and they consulted with Robert S. Swanson Co., a family-owned electric motor sales and service center in Kennett Square.

“They were absolutely great,” said Moran of Swanson. He explained that the company felt the job was “a worthwhile endeavor … and they charged us absolutely nothing.”

Robert S. Swanson Jr., a 1970 Kennett High grad, said the company was “honored” to participate. He said his father started the company in 1948, and “we’ve been serving the community ever since.” He said the real credit for the lights should go to the maintenance crew. “They’re the ones who made this happen; they really know what they’re doing,” he said.  “As a taxpayer, it’s great to know that a good job is getting done.”

Once the pieces were returned from Swanson, Moran said they were polished and clear-coated. The wiring was redone, the glass replaced with tempered, historic-style panes, and the fixtures were returned to bask in the glow of admirers.

Another plus: Instead of seven 200-watt bulbs, the fixtures use long-lasting, energy-saving 3 ½-watt LEDs, the cost of which was covered courtesy of a PECO rebate program, Moran said.

Moran said the opportunity to restore the fixtures to their former glory was gratifying in a community that prides itself on its rich history. And in an era of austerity, it was equally satisfying to slash more than $14,000 from the estimated total cost, he said.

During the month-long process the crew started to envision how spectacular the finished product would appear, Moran said. “It far exceeded our expectations,” he added, encouraging visitors to the school to look up before they enter the building.

“They look  beautiful,” agreed Swanson.