Wrought-iron fences, from simple to ornate

If you have an older house with a large property, it may have come with an iron fence of the same vintage. If you weren’t that lucky, maybe you’ve considered adding a fence to suit the period of your home.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JERITH

The Concord III style from Jerith, shown with Imperial finials, is a classic, Old World wrought-iron design replicated for less in aluminum. Jerith is one of several manufacturers carried by Best Gate & Fence Co., Inc., Fairfield.

The first iron fences came to America from England during the colonial period, and guarded upper-class homes, churches or public buildings. By the turn of the century, American blacksmiths got the knack of producing this kind of fence, themselves. The material was termed "wrought iron" because it was "wrought," or worked, on a forge.
By the mid-1800s, cast-iron fences could be mass-produced with melted iron poured into molds. These became especially popular, painted either black or dark green, around Victorian homes in American cities. Iron and iron-look fences still seem most appropriate surrounding colonial or 19th-century houses — in a simpler style for the former and more ornate for the latter.
Custom work
"There’s still quite a few of us out there" who offer older-style iron fences, said Anthony of Paterson Railing and Iron works, Paterson (201-615-5066). "We do both railing and fences. We do restoration, too, when something is rusted out or loose."

PHOTO COURTESY OF PATERSON RAILING & IRON WORKS

This iron fence from Paterson Railing & Iron Works was assembled the old-fashioned way, by welding the sections to the posts. Iron is heavier and more expensive than aluminum, but can last more than 60 years with little upkeep besides occasional repainting.

He noted that his products are a heavier-grade material than those offered by most fencing companies. "Some come in boxes and just bolt and screw together," he explained. "Ours are welded — you have a section and a metal post, and at each post connection, you weld."


Anthony said he learned this process by helping his father when he was a boy, and has been doing it for about 30 years. His company specializes in "the old-fashioned look, square bars with finials and spindles."
This quality is appreciated mainly in upscale towns such as Saddle River, he said. For those with more modest budgets, he also offers aluminum fences and railings.
His fencing prices are $60-70 per foot for aluminum and $80-90 for iron. His railings run about $35 for iron and $50 for aluminum — because, he said, the aluminum railings require more work.
Matching Older Designs
Father and son Ed and Joe Rimelis also offer both iron and aluminum fencing through Best Gate & Fence Co., Fairfield (bestgateandfence.com).
"Most of the parts are still made, and I have a catalogue with maybe 5,000 things," said Ed. Because of this, he said, if someone has an older fence that just needs repairing, he should be able to find matching elements.
"We deal with International Ironworks, which makes hand-forged iron in Ecuador, so we can do custom," he said. "We also have a company in Texas that makes solid, older-look fences and one in Canada that has cast-iron fencing—the Hoboken look." He said many customers want fences and railings for their brownstones, and others for detached homes in older, upscale neighborhoods.
Rimelis explained that, while older iron fences had to be maintained with rust-inhibiting paint, new ones are galvanized and powder-coated to stand up to the elements as well as aluminum.
When choosing between materials, a customer should weigh the pluses and minuses. Aluminum can mimic the ornate style of iron at a much lower price.
"I’ve been doing aluminum for about 25 years, and get no call-backs as long as a tree doesn’t fall on it," Rimelis said. "The hinges do wear out after 15-20 years. And I’ve seen people put up a six-foot-high aluminum fence around their yard, and deer push the pickets apart and get through. It’s not as strong (as iron) — that’s the big difference."
He said he will only do a motorized gate across a driveway in iron or steel.
As for prices, Rimelis said, "An aluminum fence can start as low as $20 a foot, while iron can go as high as $200 at foot. It depends on the bells-and-whistles — the design, the filigrees, etcetera. Iron gates can range from $500 to ‘the sky’s the limit.’"
SIDEBAR: METAL FENCING TIPS
* Iron is some of the strongest fencing available, providing high security. A spiked top adds to this function.