[MassHistPres] church steeples

[Tristram Metcalfe 3]

This issue of restoration materials might be more of a slippery slope  
issue than it is substance since very little preservation can be 100%  
identical to the past in tools used as well as all materials with  
their processing.
The effort to be as close to 100% needs the maximum effort when it's  
a hands-on up-close restoration.

When it comes to a wood vs composite louver way up beyond any close  
scrutiny the important preservation specification is to require  
"Identical detail proportions" and lessen the concern for what is  
underneath the paint way beyond any ability to even tell that  
difference, because it could jeopardize the preservation of  
everything else.

I more than just louvers, an entire rebuild needs very accurate as  
built drawings using wood profiles from actual wood and approval  
should ONLY happen after they built the copy and it can be proven  
that it IS identical. Mistakes and outright misdirection will more  
than likely occur without total control.

Tris Metcalfe
Northampton

On Dec 6, 2009, at 12:00 PM, Marcia Starkey wrote:

> Perhaps another compelling argument is that we all know the  
> constituents of fiberglass. That may encourage these companies to  
> find alternatives such as those mentioned here.
> Marcia Starkey, Chair
> Greenfield Historical Commission
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Walsh" <arcwalsh at rcn.com>
> To: <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Sent: Saturday, December 05, 2009 12:48 PM
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] church steeples
>
>
>> 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
>>>
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