Boston—May 18, 2006—Shawmut Design and Construction recently began work on The Church of the Advent, a 112-year-old Episcopalian landmark located in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. The historic restoration of the Church will be completed over three phases, beginning with a full exterior restoration, repair and cleaning of the 172-foot tower and spire, and conservation of two Christopher Whitworth Whall stained glass windows, which were originally crafted in London in 1910. The Church, a creation of architect John Hubbard Sturgis, was designed in High Victorian Gothic style and is visited by thousands of parishioners each year.
Shawmut was selected for this project due to their vast experience in the historic preservation and restoration space, exemplified through its recent role in the restoration of Boston’s Trinity Church and Newport, Rhode Island’s Touro Synagogue. Shawmut’s success is credited to relationships with historic building experts, including subcontracted masons and stained glass artists, the project team’s attention to detail and dedication to upholding the integrity of the historic space.
The multi-phase restoration has been planned according to the priority of the Church’s repair needs. Phase one includes full restoration of the Church’s tower and is scheduled for completion in September 2006. During phase two, to begin in spring 2007, the construction team will restore the Brimmer St. façade, which will include additional stained glass windows. Phase three will begin in 2008, and include restoration of the Mount Vernon St. façade.
To complete the construction of phase one, the team will carefully remove damaged stone from the tower and replace with precisely matched sand stone, imported from Nova Scotia. To ensure the historic integrity of the tower, Shawmut enlisted the help of expert masons and is working to replace stone and brick with closely matched materials.
Additionally, two of the five 8 ft x 20 ft Christopher Whitworth Whall stained-glass windows were removed from the Church to be disassembled, cleaned and conserved. This is the first work ever done on a Whall stained-glass window in the U.S., an accomplishment that is widely recognized and anticipated by the art community. During a previous restoration in the mid-1900s, Plexiglas was added to the outside of the windows for protection. Since this method of protection has been proven to actually cause more damage, the construction team removed the Plexiglas from all stained glass windowsills.
The Church of the Advent will remain open during all phases of construction. The Church clergy and administrators are working closely with Shawmut to ensure the safety of all parishioners and Beacon Hill residents.
