St. Patrick's Church, St. John's, Newfoundland, stands out as one of the most beautiful architectural gems in the province. The Church's Gothic spire, considered by many Newfoundlanders to be a prominent part of the capital city's skyline, was removed of necessity during the past year due to extensive damage and structural flaws. A new spire was designed and installed in late November, 1997. The goal of $350,000 which will be needed to pay off the recent restoration work to the new spire is a challenge which the people of the parish hope to soon meet. This site is intended to provide a brief summary of the historical and architectural significance of St. Patrick's, and an opportunity for all interested to become a part of this historic restoration project.
Raising The Steeple
The old 62-foot steeple of St. Patrick's
Church was removed in the spring of 1997 after it was discovered that it had deteriorated and posed a hazard to the general public. Due to the extensive decay of wood and infrastructure, the steeple was beyond repair. Initially it was feared that the St. Patrick's Spire might become another of the monuments of our heritage to be eroded and abandoned. A Steeple Restoration Fund was thus established in the fall of 1997 to raise an estimated $350, 000 to have a new steeple designed to replace the old one.
A construction of this magnitude could not be completed within Canada; the new steeple was designed and constructed by Munn's, a fabrication firm in Utah. An exact replica of the original, it was delivered to the site in late November. The project to supply and install the spire and reinforce the tower was, however, overseen by local construction company Allied Constructors Inc. The structural consultant on the project was Mr. Roy S. Pieroway of Design Services Ltd., St. John's.
On the morning of November 24th cranes were put in place to move the assembled steeple to the tower, but due to winds in the afternoon the lift was postponed until November 27th. Lifting the 11, 500 - pound steeple to the top of St. Patrick's tower may have looked like a relatively simple feat but it called for absolute precision. The crane that was used to lift the steeple was provided by Capital Crane, and is one of only two such cranes available in the province.
|
