UPDATES - MARCH

UPDATE:  MARCH 2, 2001

Life is beginning to return to normal at Lost Creek Presbyterian Church.  We started worshiping in the Education Building on Sunday, January 28, returning to our regular worship time of 10:00 a.m.  We had a very busy first Sunday including the celebration of Holy Communion and the Annual Meeting of the Congregation.  Starting on Sunday, March 4 we will resume our Sunday School classes at 9:00 a.m.  Trustee Barry Scheirer has been working to install a sound system in the Education Building.  There are currently 8 speakers located in the ceiling, with a plan to add 4 more in the future.  The Trustees authorized the purchase of two UHF cordless mics:  one is a lapel mic for the pastor and one is a hand held mic that fits the stand on the pulpit.  He also reconnected the Telex system which provides wireless listening assistance for those who have difficulty hearing.   We are using funds that were donated for the fire restoration to pay for the sound equipment.  Jay Fulkroad and Sons, Inc. donated a spacious office trailer for our use during the rebuilding.  Pete House wired the trailer for power and phones.  We are currently evaluating copiers and computers to replace the equipment that was damaged in the fire.

Phase 2 (the restoration of the sanctuary) has begun.  On Monday, February 26 the Trustees and Session met together to vote on recommendations from the Fire Restoration Committee.  Committee member Rich Roush explained the insurance information.  The insurance adjuster hired W.S. Miller & Son of Harrisburg to provide a detailed estimate of the cost to restore the sanctuary building to its original condition.  The cost is estimated at $450,000.00 which is within our insurance limits.  Committee Chair Bob Brandt made the first recommendation:  that the church hire W.S. Miller & Son to do the restoration work.  The company was founded in 1895 and has performed fire restoration for over 100 churches.  They come highly recommended and have already performed the engineering necessary to do the work.  The joint board approved this recommendation.  The second recommendation was to replace the church roof with a new roof using trusses and 40 year shingles.  Although only a 3rd of the roof was damaged by the fire, we would actually save $5,000.00 by replacing the entire roof because all the lumber to repair the damaged roof would have to be custom cut.  The joint board approved this recommendation with the addition that half the trusses be "attic" trusses that will allow us to create storage space above the ceiling.  A sub-committee was formed to handle the repair of the pews:  Pastor Fowler is chair with Dick Frymoyer and Maggie King from the Trustees and Wendy Hackenberger from the congregation.  Another sub-committee will be formed to make recommendations about the bell tower and steeple.

W.S. Miller and Son, Inc. went right to work.  On Tuesday, February 27 they arrived on the scene setting up their equipment.  Because the entire roof will be removed, the interior of the church will be exposed to the elements.  So the first job was to remove the Sunday School and Office walls and the ceiling.  As they worked the extent of the fire damage became more obvious.  They are also removing the flooring so that the floor joists can be cleaned and sealed and the soot in the soil can be removed.  When the trusses have been engineered and built they will begin the work of removing the old roof and installing a new one.  They hope to have the entire sanctuary restored by Thanksgiving.

Click here to see more images of the restoration work.

UPDATE:  MARCH 26, 2001

After removing all of the flooring and stage, the work crew replaced the charred floor joists.  The old floor joists that were not damaged by the fire were cleaned and sealed by the crew from Alex R. Szeles, inc.  Many of the old floor joists had bowed after 100 years of use, so the crew from W.S. Miller cut shims to flatten the joists and added bracing so that the new floor would be as solid as possible.  Then they nailed down the 4 X 8 plywood that would form the sub floor of the sanctuary.  They also rebuilt the stage.  Many people wondered why they put in the sub floor before the new roof.  But they needed a surface on which to put their internal scaffolds when they work to remove the old roof.

While they were working inside they also removed the plaster from the side walls of the sanctuary.  In doing so they were able to explain one of the mysteries of our Sanctuary.  Many of our seniors remember when the ceiling was curved on the edges, before the congregation installed a lower, stapled ceiling.  But when the stapled ceiling was removed, there appeared to be no sign of the original curved ceiling.  We were wondering what kind of ceiling the sanctuary had.  Eric Brandt, the site forman for W.S. Miller, pointed out the tell tail signs of the original, plaster ceiling.  At the top of the wall they built up a 2 foot radius out of plaster.  Lath was attached to the under side of the rafters and the plaster ceiling was then applied to the lath.  There are white marks on the rafters where the plaster came through the lath, and the top of the plaster walls is 4" thicker than the rest of the wall, revealing where the plaster radius began.  When the plaster ceiling was removed the stapled ceiling was attached to wood strips in the brick wall.

Outside the crew built scaffolding around the front and sides of the Sanctuary.  They then began the challenging work of removing the cupola and the bell tower.  The original plan was to save as much of the cupola as possible in case we decided to rebuild it out of wood.  But as they began to remove the "ginger bread" (the decorative wood work) and the railings, the cupola proved to be unstable.  100 years of weather and serving as a roost for birds and bats took its toll. The Fire Restoration Committee decided that the cupola would need to be replaced with modern materials that would make it as maintenance free as possible.  That decision made it possible to remove the cupola in sections and the work progressed faster.  Then the crew removed the wooden tower that supported the cupola above the roof line.  Finally they covered the opening with plastic and tarps.

In removing the cupola we were finally able to take a close look at the bell.  The 800 pound bell has inscriptions on both sides that reveal that the bell was made at the McShane Bell Foundry in Baltimore Maryland in 1887 and that it was donated by Hugh M. North in memory of his father and mother.  Once the bell was lowered to the ground Trustee Dick Frymoyer and his son Jeff took the bell to his home for safe keeping.  The Bell will be returned to the church once the restoration work is completed.

The bell presented another mystery to me.  It had both a clapper and a striker.  The clapper hung inside of the bell and when the bell rope was pulled the bell rocked back and forth and the clapper struck the insides of the bell.  Many members of the congregation remember the delight children took in pulling the bell rope and being pulled up and down by the weight of the bell.  But there was also a striker that sat on the floor of the tower.  It had its own rope which, when pulled, caused the striker to bang against the inside of the bell.  I wondered if, at some time, the wooden wheel on the bell had broken and this striker was added so the church could keep using the bell.  But this didn't match with people memories of the children pulling the bell rope.  I spoke with Bill Parker at McShane Bell Foundry (yes, they're still making bells) and he explained that the striker was a funeral toll that was part of the original equipment of the bell.

While the sanctuary was being prepared for the installation of the new roof the Pew Sub-Committee was working on a recommendation concerning the pews.  They spoke with representatives of companies that could strip and refinish the pews, refurbish the existing finish, pad the pews, and even replace the pews.  Eventually the sub-committee recommended to the Trustees that the pews be padded and the finish refurbished by Bahret Church Interiors from Harrisburg.  Joe Bahret had inspected the pews and said the they were structurally solid and the finish was in good shape except in places where it had been scratched or discolored.  Many people encouraged the sub-committee to consider padding the pews.  Padding the pews has many benefits.  Of course padding makes them more comfortable plus they'll be warmer in the winter.  But they also protect the wood from scratches (the cloth is thoroughly Scotch Guarded to make stains easier to remove).  They will help absorb sound.  And by padding our existing pews we can create a warmer worship atmosphere while keeping the classic look of the sanctuary.  Since it didn't make sense to completely refinish the pews just to glue padding to them and cover them, we agreed with Mr. Bahret that refurbishing the finish on the exposed wood was the best option.  And it is very cost effective.  The work on the pews will be done at the old Pannebaker Cabinets warehouse North of McAlisterville which is being donated for our use.

Two other sub-committees have been formed.  The Carpet Committee is chaired by Trustee Jack Musser and includes Trustee Dick Watts and Elder Cheryl Booker.  The Bell Tower Committee is chaired by Trustee Barry Scheirer and includes Trustee Larry Booker and congregation member Sue Watts.

More Pictures of the work inside the Sanctuary.

More Pictures of the removal of the Cupola.

Pictures of the inscriptions on the bell.