Posts by Site Administrator

We are hard at work on a sleek all-glass stair project with saw tooth stringers. We went through a four-month design and engineering process to come up with this configuration to satisfy the particular needs of the client. Construction of the steel frame in our shop is well under way, as you can see from…

The Mouse House was originally built as a carriage house around 1900. Olga Hirshorn was the widow of Joesph Hirshorn, who accumulated one of the largest art collections of the 20thcentury and whose collection filled 197,000 sq. ft. in the Hirshorn Museum in Washington, DC. Olga used the Mouse House as her pied-a-terre and fit…

For years, here at Compass Ironworks, we had relied on outside testing labs to provide us feedback on the durability of our powder coat finishes, especially as it pertains to the harsh elements at the shore. In 2013, Compass created our own in-house salt spray testing within the guidelines of ASTM B-117, but with added…

Estate gates that are misaligned in the closed position don’t provide visual impact or the security that is desired from a gate. Someone could slip through the gate and into the secured property beyond. A properly aligned gate also portrays more character than one that hangs loosely on its hinges or isn’t entirely closed in…

In 1908 Samuel Yellin hand-forged a beautiful set of Iron gates for the editorial offices of Lea and Febiger Publishers in Washington Square Philadelphia. Ever since then, these gates have expressed their beauty for all that pass by. In 2016, Compass Ironworks was contacted to refurbish these Yellin Masterpieces. Locks Gallery, the building owner, was…

A Client, designer, and builder were creating an exceptional home on a waterfront property. Initially, there were a few design ideas for wooden stairs, some with glass rail, but they just didn’t have the design, the character the client wanted. Meanwhile, the rest of construction was moving along, framing was completed and in the mechanical…

On June 17th Friday evening, we at Compass Ironworks opened our doors for the Client Appreciation Dinner. The tour started in the gallery area, view the plaques and awards including the 2016 Mitch Heitler Award for Excellence in Craftsmanship, the highest award achievable globally in our industry. Next, we viewed the Samuel Yellin gates, originally built…

The guys at Compass booked a charter boat to go fishing in June. Arrived at the dock a tad late and headed straight for the inlet to try for blues. We fished and fished and caught one 2 ft blue in half and hour, and fished and fished some more, for hours, but had no…

Compass Ironworks was awarded the Gold, Silver, and Bronze prizes for its submissions at MetalFAB, NOMMA’s national conference. In addition, Compass was the recipient of the Mitch Heitler Award for Excellence, the highest award conferred by the industry, worldwide. This is the first time EVER that this award has been brought to Pennsylvania. The annual…

Compass Ironworks participated in the 15th Architectural Digest Design Show and was part of the offering from more than 300 luxury brands from around the world. We showcased Old World Class Craftsmanship along with eco-friendly finishes and sustainable materials, the product line-up ranged from gates, fences, and railings, to sculptural and even doors replicated from…