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Tower Takedown: Days 7-9, Aug. 24-26, 2015
More trim removal, and Takedown rescheduled to Sept. 9,
This week Ed Bell and the team from Preservation Timberframing continued the careful removal of the trim and damaged elements from the top sections of the tower.
This process has uncovered more of the tower's "guts," and the news has not been very good. The structural condition of the belfry and lantern is even worse than estimated, and so fairly extensive reinforcement work will soon commence.
Between the need for this extra work and challenges scheduling a large enough crane, the Takedown Day is rescheduled to Wednesday, Sept. 9th.
We will publicize a firm schedule for the day once the logistical plans are worked out, but it's looking like the flying down of the tower top will happen between 10:00 am and noon.
Tower Takedown: Day 6, Thursday Aug. 20
Today the Preservation Timber Framing experts focused on removing the bed and cove molding covering the joint between the belfry and the tower base.
First they had to adjust the staging platforms to work at this lower level, not easy 65' in the air. Then they very carefully removed each piece of trim to keep it intact. As with all the old elements of the tower, every piece of molding gets numbered and cataloged and will go into storage for its eventual refurbishment and placement back on the finished tower.
The crew also began to plan and build the new roof cap that will seal the tower after the takedown. They'll build it on the ground, and the crane will fly it up after lowering the top. (Unfortunately there's still not a firm commitment date from the crane company, but we're aiming for around Sept. 2nd.)
Ed Bell and the PTF crew must work at another job site tomorrow and will return to FPC Monday. They secured the scaffold ladder and covered the tower window openings with plastic for the long weekend.
FPC volunteers have also been hard at work. Paul Dionne led the effort to remove the pulley and cable for the clock-driving weight box. That pulley was attached to the clock room ceiling/belfry floor, and had to come down for the top separation. We unfortunately won't be able to keep the clock running during the rehabilitation work, so restoring its function in a couple years is an exciting milestone to look forward to.
Thanks also to volunteers Ken Gould who cleared the brush from the mound of dirt sitting right where we'll probably place the tower top, and to Bill Wheeler and Harry Carter who are making that dirt mound disappear.
Tower Takedown: Day 5, Aug. 19
Uncovering hidden timbers and continuing the great disconnect.
The heatwave continued today, but the powerful fans and emptied window openings help make the tower interior a little more tolerable. The seven-person Preservation Timber Frame crew led by Ed Bell continued working inside and out, removing more trim, siding, and other materials, to preserve them and expose the timber frame structure underneath (which none of us in recent years have ever seen).
FPC volunteer and clock works master Paul Dionne removed the shafts that drive the hands on the three clock faces. These will be stored safely with the clock works inside the tower. Later this week he'll remove the ceiling-mounted pulley and cable for the rock weight box that drives the clock, and then construct a box around the clock works to protect it.
Meanwhile volunteer Harry Carter has removed nearly all of the electrical system wiring so that the tower top will be free to fly away. He also installed a new outlet box at PTF's request (they have learned not to trust existing ancient outlets for their tools and lights). Bill Wheeler from the FPC Facilities Board also helped prepare for the takedown by coordinating the moving of fire alarm gear with the fire department.
PTF's extensive work is on track. But it turns out a larger crane is needed than originally expected, and so the Tower Takedown will probably happen around Sept. 2nd (rather than Aug. 26th).
Tower Takedown: Day 4, Aug. 18
The PTF crew continues to prepare the top.
Work continued on the rigging and preparation of the top for its removal.
PTF workers disassembled components and lowered them to the ground, including the belfry screening, railings, and its roof/floor. That roof originally consisted of cotton fabric that was shellacked and covered with wooden shakes. Later the shakes were replaced with copper. Today they took the copper off, and found it was placed over the original fabric. PTF will take the copper to a reclamation center, and the church will get some funds from i for future rehab!
New weight estimates for the Tower Top (37,000 pounds!) and its considerable height require a larger crane than originally thought. Reps from the new crane company visited today to check out the site, and we should have a date for the Takedown soon. (It very likely will be more like Sept. 2nd than August 26th.)
Tower Takedown: Day 3, Monday Aug. 17, 2015
PTF begins rigging and takedown prep.
Preservation Timber Framing began work to prepare the tower top for removal, investigating the structure and beginning to remove elements that are loose or otherwise should come down in pieces.
They brought in some large timbers for the cribbing that will hold the top securely on the ground, and lumber for internal reinforcements. The reinforcements are necessary because they found the condition of the top to be such that it needs help to stay intact during its removal.
Editor Julie Huss from the Derry News interview Arron about the project. She had interviewed Pastor Deborah last week, and will probably publish an article on the takedown effort this week.
Steeple Coming Down at First Parish Church in East Derry, New Hampshire
The Tower Top Takedown is Sept. 9, 10:00am–12:00 noon. Major rehab efforts on the FPC Meetinghouse get started in late August, 2015, with the takedown of the damaged top part of the tower.
UPDATE — Takedown Day is now scheduled for Wed. Sept. 9. The "flying down" of the tower top should be between 10:00am and 12:00 noon. See more updates on the Project Page.
Press Release – EAST DERRY, NH – August 13, 2015 – A very visible step in the effort to preserve a significant New Hampshire landmark will soon take place with the lowering of the steeple at First Parish Church (FPC) in East Derry.
On or about Wednesday, August 26, timber frame experts will make the final detachments and a large crane will lower to the ground the top two sections of the tower on the historic FPC Meetinghouse. The belfry and lantern will be placed in secured staging on the lawn, and a temporary roof will be lifted up and installed above the clock, which will remain in place.
It will take two years to complete the restoration work and reunite the top sections with the rest of the tower.
Rehabilitating an Historic Landmark
Built in 1769, with the current tower added in 1824, the timber frame Meetinghouse appears to be in remarkably good condition but actually needs an estimated $1.5–$2M in repairs. The tower structure is especially deteriorated, and the top sections must come down now before the weather potentially takes them down this winter.
This work on the tower is part of a multi-year effort to rehabilitate the historic Meetinghouse, ideally in time for the 300th anniversary of the church and Derry’s founding in 2019. Plans call for:
- Lifting the building to rebuild its foundation and adding an adjacent elevator for full accessibility throughout the facility in 2016,
- Repairing the timber frame and slate roof in 2017, and
- Restoring and rehabilitating the interior finishes in 2018.
“The meetinghouse at First Parish is one of the most beautiful and significant 18th century New Hampshire buildings still in active use. We applaud and support the church’s dedication and perseverance in beginning this rehab effort, and look forward to seeing their great results over the next three years.”
The tower top itself will be repaired and restored while on the ground, and be reunited with the rehabilitated tower base after the Meetinghouse foundation work is completed in the fall of 2017.
Initial funding for the Tower Takedown and early rehab projects comes from years of preservation donations and a recent $800,000 capital campaign drive within the church. A community-oriented fundraising effort launching soon and various grants will hopefully contribute towards the remaining costs; FPC has submitted a 2015 NH state LCHIP application to cover part of the $300,000 estimated cost of rehabilitating the tower alone.
“Our church has been a trustworthy steward of ‘The Old Meetinghouse on the Hill’ for two and a half centuries,” said the Rev. Dr. Deborah Roof, pastor of First Parish Church. “We look forward to sharing this rewarding challenge with the community through several dramatic rehabilitation projects that all begin now with taking down the damaged parts of the steeple.”
About the FPC Meetinghouse
“The First Parish Church Meetinghouse is one of the most significant and inspiring timber framed structures in New England. The peaceful removal of the damaged belfry and lantern frames from the tower begins a comprehensive and thoughtful preservation of the entire historic structure. We look forward to working closely with FPC as they ready the building for their 300th birthday in 2019.”
The current FPC Meetinghouse was constructed in 1769 to replace an earlier structure built by the area’s first settlers. It has served as a civic, community, and religious center for almost 250 years, and today is home to the vibrant First Parish Congregational Church UCC (United Church of Christ). Along with two modern FPC buildings, the Meetinghouse is host to concerts, social gatherings, history events, a preschool, and the regular meetings of dozens of community groups.
“The First Parish Church is the cornerstone of our towns founding. It stands high on the hill where the first settlers lived and has been a consistent reminder of our great heritage. I’m so excited to see the preservation project get underway and look forward to watching it bring new life to the building.”
With its hilltop location along a heavily traveled road, the Meetinghouse epitomizes the classic New England village church and is a well-known and much-appreciated regional landmark. It anchors the East Derry Historical District—placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982—and is thought to be the oldest structure in town and one of the oldest New England meetinghouses still operating.
Learn more about First Parish Church, the Meetinghouse’s history, the multi-year rehabilitation project, and how to contribute by visiting www.fpc-ucc.org.
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First Parish Congregational Church, UCC
47 E. Derry Rd., P.O. Box 114, East Derry, NH 03041 • (603) 434-0628
Tower Takedown: Days 1 & 2, Aug, 12–13
Staging goes up to provide access for takedown prep.
The exciting work to remove the damaged top sections of the First Parish Church Meetinghouse tower began on Wednesday with the preparation of staging to allow safe access to the structure.
Seacoast Scaffold & Equipment Corporation's crew arrived early, and parked as close as they could get to unload the large load of scaffolding elements. Hand carrying the heavy pieces from Cemetery Rd. to the base of the tower took two or three hours, while the foreman measured and for the exact location of the staging and prepared a solid base.
Building the staging then proceeded pretty quickly, reaching about the halfway point by day's end.
Thursday morning the scaffold crew returned and put in a hard long day, completing the staging a day earlier than anticipated.
Also on Thursday members of the FPC Building Advisory Committee* met with Preservation Timber Frame's president Arron Sturgis and our project foreman Ed Bell to plan remaining details for the takedown. Joining in the planning session were Pastor Deborah Roof, and volunteers Paul Dionne (tower clock guardian) and Harry Carter (master craftsman and electrician).
Everything was then ready for the PTF's rigging and preparatory work next week.
* The FPC Building Advisory Committee (BAC) is Paul Ambler (chair), Nancy Heywood, Larry Krantz, Paul Lindemann, and Bill Mann.
