The Campaign for the Advent - Restoration Progress |
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| October 21, 2007: Bishop Roy Cederhom joined us to bless the new garden and give thanks for the completion of Phase II. | |
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| Fall 2007 - finishing touches: the gardens are being restored | |
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| August 2007 - the work is just about completed! The restored stained-glass windows in the transepts and north wall were installed in July. | |
 The south porch, newly cleaned and restored |
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 The tympanum, looking brand new - 70 years after it was installed |
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 High above Mt. Vernon Street, steeplejacks attend to the flèche. (Photo by Matt Samolis) |
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 Apparently Jake likes scaffolding, assembled or not |
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| June-July 2007: crosses made of lead-coated copper were fabricated to replace stone crosses that formerly sat on the roof peaks over the Brimmer and Mt. Vernon Street entrances. The original crosses were blown off in a hurricane, either the "No Name" storm of 1938 or Hurricane Carol in 1954. The new crosses were blessed at services on June 24, 2007, and installed on separate days in July. | |
 The cross newly surmounting the Brimmer Street roof |
 A vista not seen in decades |
 Photo by Augie Petrus, Shawmut Design & Construction |
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 June 2007: Work is nearly complete on the exterior, including rebuilding this chimney at the rear of the parish house.  A new member of the construction crew?  One of two new crosses - reproduced from archival photos - to be affixed to the crowns of the roof over the Mt Vernon and Brimmer Street entrances, is blessed on June 24, 2007.  Oh, so that's what those are? |
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 High above the street, workers prepare to install one of the new crosses (photo by Julianne Turé) |
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 Checking the installation (photo by Julianne Turé) |
 A contemplative moment (photo by Julianne Turé) |
 The cross in place on the Mt. Vernon Street roof (photo by Julianne Turé) |
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 "Flèche exposed"! (photo by Julianne Turé) |
 Tom Perry of Shawmut entering the flèche from the roof (Photo by Augie Petrus) |
 The iron bar in the center opens the eight wooden windows by means of the attached spokes. (Photo by Augie Petrus) |
 Jake inspects the work (and workers) from on high. (He got off the scaffolding with only a little help.) (Photo by Augie Petrus) |
March 2007: Phase II of the reconstruction, addressing the north and south walls, has begun. This project includes conservation work on windows in the north wall and both transepts. |
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 This scaffolding on the Brimmer Street side will provide worker access to the north wall. |
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 Scaffolding going up around the south doors. |
 It's not exactly a cloister, but it'll do... |
 Scaffolding erected to remove clerestory windows in the north wall. |
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Windows in the north and south transepts and the north clerestory will be removed and rehabbed. |
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November 2006: Completion of Phase I! |
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| Work on the Belltower began the week of March 5, 2006, and wrapped up in October. Two of the stained-glass windows on the south wall of the building were removed for restoration work and returned to place in September 2006. | |
 Note the contrast between the newly cleaned brickwork on the tower and that of the not-yet-scrubbed library exterior. |
 The restored trefoil and lotus blossom adorning the West porch. |
 The cleaned brickwork and masonry almost glow. Note the exterior of the restored St Athanasius window at right. |
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 October 27, 2006: workmen disassembling the scaffolding |
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 The top of the tower showing restored finials old and new |
 Even closer view of the finials and freshly cleaned and restored brick and stonework |
 View of the Charles River from atop the belltower (photo by Jim Wood) |
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 The weathered and worn trefoil (aka the sandstone Stilton) that was removed from the Brimmer Street entrance. (photo by Rob Pollard) |
 Just arrived this week from Nova Scotia, the new trefoil wedges. The one on the left is about to be hoist into place. (Photo by Julianne Turé) |
 The fully re-furbished finials have finally been firmly affixed to the gables. (Photo by Jim Wood) |
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 Vesica window and terra cotta tiles on Brimmer Street façade.  The trefoil removed. It will be duplicated with new stone. The size came as a surprise.  Where late reposed the trefoil worn. |
 John Barreira, one of the stonemasons, with a feathered friend |
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 Church Cat Jeoffry seems perplexed by the tower crosses, old and new. The new cross was installed on the tower on Wednesday, August 16: |
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 Photos by Augie Petrus of Shawmut; Jim Wood; Julianne Turé |
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 Old stones from the spire waiting to be recut. |
 A recut stone |
 Newly fabricated members of the fanciful finial family awaiting final assembly. The older members of the family look on in anticipation of their retirement. |
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Aerial view of Beacon Hill and the church, from a tethered balloon on Boston Common. ©
, Boston College, 2006  |
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Workmen in Nova Scotia cutting the stones for the tower. |
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Stones waiting to be carved. |
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Two photos demonstrating the before-and-after of the cleaning process: left - "before," the south wall of the library; right - "after," the west wall. |
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 This photo was taken from a wooden platform about 20 or so feet from the top of the spire. The steel shaft in the center is about 70 feet long and extends from the base of the spire, through the apex, anchoring the cross and its base atop the spire. Rob Pollard, the head of the masonry restoration team, stands at the bottom left. He pronounced the masonry to be in remarkably good shape considering its age. (Photo by Augie Petrus, Shawmut Design & Construction; text by Jim Wood) |
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 May 5 - the cross has been removed for restoration. The not-so-intrepid (terrified acrophobic) photographer thanks Fr. Gray for access to his roofdeck for these three photos. |
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 The orange dot above and to the right of the contractor's sign... |
 ... is one of the workmen (a telephoto lens is a wonderful thing) |
March 2006 - the scaffolding going up |
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late April - the scaffolding is complete |
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| More about The Campaign for the Advent | |
