Gruber-Latimer Restoration was founded in 1968 and over the last half century has become the premier stone and brick restoration firm in the quad state area. The company has helped restore many historic private homes as well as completing a significant number of projects in the commercial and public sector. Founded by Hagerstown businessman Dick Gruber, the company quickly began developing an expertise in historic construction techniques. Jack Latimer became the owner in 2001 and focused the company’s efforts on masonry buildings in both the public and private sectors.
Among Gruber Latimer Restoration customers are Antietam National Battlefield, Shepherd University, Rock Creek Park, the Maryland-Capital Park and Planning Commission and the C&O Canal. Notably, the company did much of the work on the Canal’s Big Slackwater restoration. Today, the company is owned by Brien Poffenberger who took the helm in 2019. He has long been an advocate for historic preservation and was once a customer of Gruber-Latimer Restoration. Brien and his wife, Chase, own an historic home in Sharpsburg, MD. Brien’s family has been in the Sharpsburg area since the 1730s.
The former president of the Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce from 2004 to 2014, Brien has a masters degree in architectural history from the University of Virginia and is chair of the Maryland Historical Trust’s board. Covering the four-state area of Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia and West Virginia as well as Washington, D.C., Gruber-Latimer Restoration has developed a special expertise restoring Washington County’s famed stone arched bridges.
