High Maintenance

Wind, snow, and pigeon poop take their toll on Baker Tower's paint job. This fall a three person crew spent two weeks ISO feet above the rest of Hanover repairing, caulking, scraping, sanding, priming, and painting the wooden boards that surround the clock. (The workers reported a few boards missing, perhaps a result of last winter's ice storm.) The $ 15,000 project, which occurs every three years, requires some 30 gallons of white oil-based paint. Since its construction in 1928 Baker Tower has been maintained in the same fashion: Ropes secured through windows to iron beams beneath the steeple provide safety and support for a harnessed crew. And no, rock climbers heed not apply for the job—the College always hires an outside contractor (outfitted with a $2 million insurance policy) to do the work. .