St. Paul’S Episcopal Church
winston-Salem, North Carolina
St. Paul’s, completed in 1929 and designed by noted ecclesiastical architect Ralph Adams Cram of Boston, is an outstanding example of architecture as fine art. In keeping with its roots in the Church of England, Cram designed St. Paul’s after typical English churches of the medieval period, with a cruciform plan and a great bell tower over the crossing, cleverly blending styles from many periods. With this $5.5 million exterior restoration, St. Paul’s demonstrated an exceptional commitment to preservation, matching the high quality of the original building’s design, materials, and craftsmanship.
JKOA performed a full condition assessment of the exterior building envelope. Existing conditions were evaluated in precise detail by rope access specialists rappelling down the tower and facades with handheld tablet computers. Water infiltration was the most commonly noted condition, with many contributing factors resulting in a variety of deterioration types. Masonry cleaning and repair was based on a comprehensive program of testing and mockups.
Following sampling and testing, it was determined that the previous mortar repairs contained asbestos, requiring complete containment of the scaffold and removal of this mortar by hazardous materials specialists. Masonry restoration included repair or replacement of damaged or cracked granite and sandstone, replacement of damaged lead through-wall flashing, replacement of steel window lintels, full repointing, and cleaning with micro-air abrasion, chelating poultices, and chemical or detergent products. The scope also included repairs to lead-coated copper gutters and downspouts, installation of new lead-coated copper roofing at flat roofs, replacement of missing and cracked slate roof shingles, restoration of exterior bronze lighting fixtures, and restoration of leaded glass windows and over 80 stained glass windows.
Project services
Architecture
Historic preservation
Condition assessment
Structural engineering
Civil engineering
Rope access
Materials testing and conservation
Stained glass conservation
Environmental testing and analysis
Construction administration
Cost estimating
press
Climbers scale the tower at 90-year-old St. Paul's Episcopal Church