St. Peters Restoration Project
Behind the Scenes with Will Beebe: The Bog Dig--Activity
The "train has left the station".
So...... What has been going on?
Last month I included a link to the "Before" condition of the Church. This month, I will provide links to various activities that have occurred up to the writing of this article.
First of all, we had to do some landscaping. This included removing the shrubs and bushes, and cutting down some trees. Most of the shrubs have been transplanted and saved. Those in temporary locations will be returned once work is complete. The others have found new homes where they will be well taken care of and appreciated. Here is the link to the pictures.
Then, the Organ came out. As I said last month, "The decision was made to remove the ENTIRE organ and send it to the builder's shop for the duration of the construction. While it is away, the organ will undergo a complete renovation. This will include new felts in the pipes and pallets. When it is re-installed, the organ should be better than new!" Here is the link to the pictures.
Then, a work zone was established by installing temporary fencing. Storage trailers arrived to store things, such as pews, during the digging of the new foundation. Here is the link to the pictures.
Then, The pews were removed. Note in the pictures that the pews were attached to the walls. No wonder they suffered when the walls started to bow outwards. Here is the link to the pictures.
Now the fun began. There was a huge day on 11 July when the work site was prepared. Here is the link to the pictures.
And, finally, on 12 July, the digging started, as did the demolition of walls, etc., to allow the restoration to begin. Here is the link to the pictures.
Demolition and digging continued on July 13th. Here is the link to the pictures.
At this point, I must stop, as the printing deadline for the Cross Keys approaches. I leave you with these comments:
- If anyone is having difficulty seeing these pictures, please let me know. Best to contact the Church office, as they can get the message to me.
- These pictures are more than just casual interest. They are a detailed documentation of a major event in the life history of St. Peter's. They are WELL WORTH looking at.
- There is a generic link that will get you close to the albums listed above. The web site is regularly updated, so, if you are able, you can reach pictures in near-real time. Here is that link: http://www.wbeebe.com/photos/v/Parish+Updates/
- At the "press deadline", the digging and demolition have proceeded to the point where the true nature of our foundation work has been exposed. It was NOT what we expected. The structural engineer, the construction company, and the building lifting company spent the better part of a morning discussing just how to proceed. The original way forward has been scrapped and a new plan is in the works. Early indications are that the modifications are minor, and the delay will be short. WHEW!!
- The foundation issue above is just one of several issues that we have discovered. Most are very minor in nature, but very revealing in characterizing the nature of our Nave. The Nave was WAY overdue for corrective maintenance and upgrade. The insulation to be installed will, alone, be a major improvement, but that is not all.