[MassHistPres] church steeples

[Chris Walsh]

I have to pipe in on this issue because I don't believe that the "you
can't tell the difference " argument holds any water here - its what I
might call the "brickmaster" approach  -  Some 30 years ago my cousins
from LA came to Boston  to visit and wanted to go on the freedom trail-
I went with them as an architectural guide... when we got to the old
north church they didn't want to go in  saying "we don't need to see it
we have an exact copy at Forest Lawn Cemetery back home" - ARRRGGGH !   
I say  real is real .. fake is fake and I can't understand why anyone
champion fake over real  - I personally love to see how things were put
together, the craftsmanship on even the most mundane things ( how many
of us could cut consistent straight line slats like that using hand
tools). There is obviously a reason that the cell companies want
fiberglass- less interference i suppose - but that SHOULD take a back
seat to preserving the REAL for future generations to see and touch- I
mean we're not talking Disneyland here -I really don't think any one
would suggest replacing the Old North Church with a stick built replica
with Brickmaster siding on the basis that from a distance  "no one can
tell the difference!"
Chris Walsh, AIA
Chairman  Framingham Historical Commission

james howard wrote:
> Betty, Here in Wenham in the First Congregational Church they have
> installed a cell antenna in the bell tower portion of the church.  On
> the sides the bell tower there were black wooden louvers.  These were
> replaced with black fiberglass louvers that look from the street
> exactly like the wooden ones.  The Wenham Historic District Commission
> asked for and received samples of the fiberglass louvers before
> approving them.
>  
> The same church is negoiciating with another cell phone company to put
> another cell antenna in the conical portion of the steeple above the
> bell tower.  They propose to replace the entire conical top portion of
> the steeple with a fiberglass replica.  The Historic District
> Commission has not yet received a formal application for this
> fiberglass replica but we have been talking with them and they have
> sent us samples of the fiberglass.  We have looked at some steeples
> that are fiberglass and we cannot tell the difference.  I expect a
> formal application after the first of the year.
>  
> Jim Howard 
> Chair 
> Wenham Historic District Commission  
>