In the late autumn of 2011, Landmark Consulting was brought on at the urging of the NY Landmarks Conservancy to assist the parish of Church of St. John in the Wilderness with the repair of its unique timber-framed bell tower. The board and batten wood framed Carpenter Gothic church set on a hill overlooking Bish-Bash Falls and the Copake Iron Works site, was designed by Richard Upjohn and consecrated in June of 1852. Upjohn, the founder of the American Institute of Architects in 1857, is renowned for his role in the American Gothic Revival movement and the many charming churches that were built in the mid-19th century as a result. Recognizing the significance of their church, the Building and Stewardship Committee members were concerned about the best approach to address the deterioration of the timber-framed bell tower and to find a durable repair. Previous contractor recommendations had suggested sawing off the top portion of the tower and removal by crane to a shop for evaluation of work needed. Fortunately the members of the Building Committee recognized the negative impacts this approach would have on this historically-significant building. With funding through the NYLC’s Sacred Sites Program, Landmark Consulting provided an extensive assessment of the physical conditions, documentation of the original 160+ year old fabric, mechanical connections, decorative and finish details such that a design for careful removal, restoration, replication and reinstallation could be performed. The Church and Landmark Consulting’s stated objectives were to make necessary repairs to ensure the survival of the bell tower – an important character-defining feature of the church; conduct a construction project with open and direct communication between the church representative(s), architect and contractor, and to conduct the repair within the stated budget and timeframe.
Research of the church and of Upjohn helped to confirm the type and dimensions of timber originally used and the original design intent for the church. Close inspection of the joinery from scaffolding as well as of modern roofing and flashing details illustrated the cause of rot and structural deterioration.
Landmark Consulting personally sought out the expertise and involvement of a skilled restoration carpenter with timber-framing skills, and involved him in the assessment work. Together architect and contractor, developed a plan for restoration of the timber members that were salvageable, replication of those beyond structural repair and sourcing of similar old-growth Douglas Fir timbers milled to size for site placement and flashing improvements to ensure a life-span of the repaired work for more than 75 years. Extensive drawings were produced noting what original fabric was to remain, what was to be replaced and how the joinery details were to be replicated. Construction began in the Spring of 2013 and included the full refurbishing of the cast iron bell and cradle. Project was completed and celebrated with the Church’s Fall Festival in September of 2013.
Situated in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains in eastern, upstate NY, this Gothic Revival church designed by renowned architect Richard Upjohn was constructed in 1852. Nearly 160 years later, the bell tower timber structure was in need of some major restoration. Unique in its design, the bell tower structure was both integrated within the superstructure of the gable-end wall timbers while employing exposed heavy timber joinery with brackets to support the weight of the bell and tower loads. Select structural and decorative members of the tower had been extensively repaired previously, so Landmark Consulting use historic photographs to detail the tower’s original design using heavy timber that is more compatible with the original dense, northern white pine timbers.
St. John in the Wilderness was awarded a grant for the restoration project from the New York Landmarks Conservancy under their Sacred Sites Program to help the congregation afford the much needed repairs with an approach worthy of this significant architectural landmark. Landmark Consulting was commissioned to initially inspect and confirm the deteriorated conditions, and provide architectural design services for both the access and the restoration of the tower. Several construction details were designed to direct moisture away from the joinery and prolong the life of the original and new timbers. Direct collaboration between the owner, contractor and architect sought to understand the magnitude of costs so that the project would fit within the church’s budget and achieve a long-term solution.
In the early autumn of 2013, the bell tower project was completed. Work done by A. G. Carpentry (Chatham, NY) included not only the repair of the heavy timber joinery and tower roof, but also the refurbishment of the heavy brass bell and cradle. This work was completed in time to be featured as part of the annual Harvest Fest with a Bell Ringing Celebration in October where the bell tower was blessed and many members of the St. John’s parish and Copake Falls community took turns ringing the bell.