the north side of the tower

Repairs have been completed on the north side of the tower and painting is well underway! 

Click here and sign into Realm and go directly to the Steeple Fund.

Check on the progress of the Steeple Project here.

Second Presbyterian is doing the work we are called to do, work that includes being stewards of this particular house of God, and the beautiful sanctuary where we get to come together to worship. If you would like to contribute toward the preservation of Second Presbyterian Church, PCUSA's Historic Site #1, and the many ways in which God is working through this particular place, please donate to the Bell Tower Steeple Fund online, in the offering plate, or deliver your donations to the church office.

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Why are there cracks in the steeple?

Why are there cracks in the steeple? Steel and plastic.

There are four steel rods placed within the masonry of the tower that would have supported a taller steeple if ever one was added. Those steel rods are very long to support such a structure, and each is set 10” back from the face of the bell tower, the walls of which are 90” thick. The rods would have been made of high-carbon steel available at the time (the sanctuary was completed in 1811), and high-carbon steel is prone to rust and the expansion of that rusting steel caused the cracking in the surface over the years. Thankfully none of the repairs or cracks are structural in nature and the cracks are being cleared of deteriorated material and filled with bricks and mortar that is of similar composition.

The cracking very likely occurred in recent decades after fire damage was repaired in 1960. At that time, the architect suggested elastomeric paint, which was again suggested during repairs after Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Elastomeric paint provides a strong, long-lasting, watertight coating. The benefits of the paint in this application ended up creating a setting well-suited to rust metal. Since masonry absorbs moisture, the bell tower masonry took in moisture over the years and the elastomeric paint, effectively a plastic coating, kept the moisture from being able to evaporate. That held moisture likely exacerbated the rusting of the embedded steel rods in recent decades. The bell tower has begun to look more pink as the crew strips the white elastomeric paint to be replaced with a masonry paint more appropriate for this application.

Patterson explains why there are cracks in the steeple, why the bell tower looks more pink than white at the moment, and the interesting things we've come to learn during the restoration of the steeple.

The Second Presbyterian Church of Charleston's bell tower has been undergoing repairs since January 2020 as part of the vision of the Steeple Fund started in November 2019. A lightning strike caused a fire in the top of the bell tower on April 19, 2020, the full scope of which took many months to assess. Restoration was able to resume in July of 2021.

Click here and sign into Realm and go directly to the Steeple Fund.

Check on the progress of the Bell Tower Project here.

Bell Tower Roof Repairs

You may have seen the front page picture of a new center king post lowering into place published in the Post and Courier on August 5th. That new post is 13 feet long and weighs about 400 pounds. The top of that new post can be seen here covered, around which the roof is being repaired.

To date, the fire damaged interior roof structure is repaired, either using the original material, if it is sound, or new boards that match the old wood. The contractor has sourced old growth pine boards of the same dimensions to make the structure historically correct and in good repair.

The photos show the progress of replacing sheeting with new boards. We appreciate the hard work to bring the tower to this point; work that included removing two layers of old roofing with underlayment that is difficult to remove. In places, the crew had to chisel up the coverings inch-by-inch. The roof covering will be of the same material as the old one, sheet copper with a white coating to prevent green patina from staining the tower.

In addition, a crew is restoring the wooden shutters that are in the window openings of the eight-sided top section of the tower. This is where the bells sound out the call to worship. This crew is also recoating the interior of the entry vestibule.

This week another crew began work on the masonry, starting at the top tier. While we can appreciate the hidden work in the tower roof structure and are secure in the knowledge it is in keeping with the quality of the original construction, we are in anticipation of the beauty of the tower being revealed once again as the work progresses.

 

Click here and sign into Realm and go directly to the Steeple Fund.

Check on the progress of the Steeple Project here.

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New King Post

You may have seen the front page of the Post and Courier today featuring a picture of a crane and a lift allowing access to the top of the bell tower. The photo is of a new center king post being lowered into place yesterday at the top of the tower; a post that is 13 feet long and weighs about 400 pounds to replace the old post damaged by the fire from last year's lightning strike.

 
Watch footage of the installation of the new king post from August 4, 2021.

Watch footage of the installation of the new king post from August 4, 2021.

 

Click here and sign into Realm and go directly to the Steeple Fund.

Check on the progress of the Steeple Project here.

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The Steeple Project Moves Forward

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Fire damage repairs have begun this week. Many thanks to our general contractor Russell Smith and the Bell Tower Committee (Rob McCready, chair, Pat Mellen, Brad Milner, and Rev. Cress Darwin, ex-officio member) and Patterson Smith of the Finance Committee.

The Steeple Fund grew as an initiative out of the Mixed Adults Sunday School Class at the end of 2019 to repair the stucco and paint the bell tower. Funds were raised and cleaning began in February 2020 and the project has since come to span a global pandemic and a lightning strike.

Since the bell tower was struck by lightning April 19, 2020, the scope of the project grew exponentially to include close work with our insurance company, the city, the Fire Marshall and all the permitting and contractor specifics required before work could commence. We are grateful for the continued progress, the long work of the committee and we recognize God's grace along the way. Thankfully, insurance will cover repairs sustained from the lightning strike and fire and many members of the congregation and community have given to support the Steeple Fund along the way.

Second Presbyterian is doing the work we are called to do, work that includes being stewards of this particular house of God, and the beautiful sanctuary where we get to come together to worship. If you would like to contribute toward the preservation of Second Presbyterian Church, PCUSA's Historic Site #1, and the many ways in which God is working through this particular place, please donate to the Bell Tower Steeple Fund online, in the offering plate, or deliver your donations to the church office.

Read more about the history of the building here.

Click here and sign into Realm and go directly to the Steeple Fund.

Check on the progress of the Steeple Project here.

Source: /give