That’s not a spaceship on the Morristown skyline…it’s St. Peter’s bell tower getting a facelift

Stairway to Heaven? Scaffolding encases the St. Peter's bell tower, which will undergo renovations through the fall. Photo by Paul Hausman
Stairway to Heaven? Scaffolding encases the St. Peter's bell tower in 2013, for scheduled renovations. Photo by Paul Hausman
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Editor’s note: If you have traversed South Street lately, you have seen a metallic structure that looks like a cross between an alien spaceship and a Gothic tower with orthodontics. We asked a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church to explain…

By Mark Dadd

The much anticipated preservation work on the St. Peter’s Church tower on South Street has started with the erection of scaffolding around the tower.

The project aims to stop the persistent water penetration into the walls at the top of the tower, which then has been moving throughout the walls to the bottom. The work is due to be completed by the end of November, weather permitting.

During the work, the church will remain open for services, visitors and concerts, and the carillon bells will continue to be played.

Photos by Paul Hausman and Kevin Coughlin

The project is being financed by grants  from the Morris County Historic Preservation Trust (MCHPT), the F.M. Kirby Foundation and by parishioners.

[The trust contributed $428,134 and the church was tasked with raising another $107,000.]

The work will include removing two layers of stones from the top of the tower, and installing a layer of copper “flashing” through the full thickness of the wall to stop any water from traveling down through the tower walls below. The stones, some of which weigh 2,000 pounds, will then be put back into place.

“This is a job which is extremely difficult and takes a high level of training – but when it is done – the success will be that our tower and narthex roof will be sound. The only difference we will see is the American Flag will be able to be flown proudly once more,”  Rector Janet Broderick said in a message to parishioners.

Stairway to Heaven? Scaffolding encases the St. Peter's bell tower, which will undergo renovations through the fall. Photo by Paul Hausman
Stairway to Heaven? Scaffolding encases the St. Peter's bell tower, which will undergo renovations through the fall. Photo by Paul Hausman

The flagpole will be removed with a new and stronger support structure installed at the top of the tower, and a lighter and stronger pole will be put up.

A recent preservation plan study, also partly financed by the MCHPT, indicated that the tower walls were structurally sound (they are 55 inches thick about half way up) but raised concerns that the obvious water penetration and movement within the walls posed a long term threat because of the freeze/thaw cycles during winter.

The study showed that water was traveling down through the tower walls because of the nature of the tower construction — the tower walls were constructed with a granite stone exterior and a poured concrete interior.

Poured concrete techniques are common nowadays, but at the time they were new and not fully understood. The builders at the time poured the concrete in small batches, used a mix that was too stiff and did not tamp down the mix to remove air pockets.

We know this from archival photographs taken at the time and from recent drill core samples. All these techniques used at the time facilitated water movement within the walls if it gets in at the top.

The tower and its unusual issues were the subject of a scholarly paper presented at The Association for Preservation Technology International meetings in 2012 by the church’s preservation architect, Christine Ussler, and masonry consultant John Harry.

There are several other historic U.S. buildings from the same time period that used the same construction technique.

The church and tower were designed in Gothic Revival style by the renowned architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White at the peak of its prominence.

The firm also designed the Boston Public Library, the Rhode Island State House and the Columbia University campus and Lowe Library. The church was built from 1887 through 1908, with the tower being the last part constructed. The tower is the only part of the church where poured concrete was used for the inner wall.

Mark Dadd is a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Morristown.

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