Description
As the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Canton celebrated its 300th congregational anniversary and the 200th anniversary of its landmark meetinghouse, the restoration of its bell tower, steeple and weathervane was well on its way to completion. The deteriorating wood shingles on the 20th century spire were not to be replaced however. Instead, Torrey Architecture had designed a replica of the original 1825 gracefully curved steeple by reviewing historic photographs in the town’s archives. The new spire is GFRP, glass fiber reinforced polyester, an extremely durable cladding material requiring almost no maintenance, mounted over the sturdy wooden rafters of the spire. Structural repairs were accomplished within the tower’s timber frame, a new copper roof was installed over the belfry and the deteriorating weathervane was rebuilt in copper and ironwork. Future restoration phases will repair the Revere bell cradle and could replace the lost character of its original finials and parapets. The steeplejack’s dramatic installation of the spire and weathervane was witnessed by the sponsors of this multi-phased project: the parish membership and the Town of Canton, whose Community Preservation Act funding was instrumental in saving this iconic local landmark of small town New England architecture.
Photo Credits: David Moynahan, David Torrey and Robert Levesque
Gallery
Before & After
