Grace Church was designed by ecclesiastical architect Richard Upjohn in the 1850s and constructed between 1856 and 1875. The existing tower and spire date to 1933, and were reconstructed with similar massing, scale and detail to the original, which was deemed to be unstable.
The octagonal spire of the Gothic Revival church sits atop a square plan tower and is capped by a copper cross finial to stand 216 feet tall. The spire is built of locally quarried rough-cut sandstone with granite trim. The square plan tower below consists of the same rough-cut sandstone with limestone wash surfaces and window surrounds.
Scope of work
- Surveyed and documented existing conditions of exterior masonry and window openings at all areas of tower and spire.
- Conducted interior investigation of spire to correlate interior conditions with exterior conditions and to determine possible areas of water infiltration.
- Performed inspection of standing-seam lead-coated copper roof on the nave and visually examined all adjacent sheet metal flashings for proper detailing and sealant condition.
Solutions:
- Gained access to finial of spire by aid leading the top 40 feet above the highest spire opening.
- Used tape measures and a laser distance meter to get direct measurements of difficult to reach areas of tower.
Original architect
- Richard Upjohn (completed in 1875)
Building owner
- Grace Church