Recently restored facade and steps...just a few more finishing touches left...new handrails and final cleaning of steps. December 2021
Before facade restoration. St. Rose was in rough shape. The project was supposed to start Summer of 2020, but Covid pushed the stair restoration to Fall of 2020 and the facade restoration to Spring 2021. Repair of stairs is underway in this photo.
We started this historic preservation project more than 3 years ago, August 2018, with an existing conditions report. The scope of work entailed architectural services for repairing the sheet metal at the belfry, repairing the deteriorated bluestone and brick facade, and repairing the granite steps. We documented existing conditions, prepared measured drawings, selected repair materials, prepared construction plans, bid out the work, selected contractors and administered the construction with frequent site visits.
Restored sheet metal clad belfry. The sheet metal is original to the building and most was still intact.
Before Restoration. Belfry sheet metal was in a state of disrepair. Walsh Sheet Metal repaired the holes and fabricated missing architectural details; Postupak Painting scraped and painted the sheet metal.
Bluestone sills and arches were deteriorating; water had infiltrated brick and caused movement in brick and efflorescence (white powdery film on surface).
The finished arches and capitals! The door surrounds were also painted. The deteriorated coved brick was replaced.
During patching operations. The arches were patched and the capitals were up next. The coved brick was replaced.
Many thanks to all involved in making this possible: John Devine, Father Jeffrey Walsh, Father James Price, Bishop Bambera, Grimm Construction, Reuther-Bowen Structural Engineers, Postupak Painting, Walsh Sheet Metal, C&D Waterproofing, the Board at St. Rose of Lima, Ralph Scartelli, Brand Safway Scaffold, all the donors, and the architectural design team at Martina Bacarella Architect.
Martina Bacarella Architect Design Team (left to right: Kevin Boyle, Vincent Sgarlata, David Truitt, Martina).
Credits:
Photos and drawings by Martina Bacarella Architect