St. Mary s Church, Newport Restoration and Preservation Project Review. October 2016 June 2017

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1 St. Mary s Church, Newport Restoration and Preservation Project Review October 2016 June 2017

2 Preparing for the Choir Loft Restoration: October 2016 Dismantling of the St. Mary s Church massive Casavant pipe organ with over 30,000 pieces took place last fall to make way for the choir loft restoration. The instrument was shipped to its original builder, the Casavant Frères Company in Quebec, Canada. Refurbishing the pipe organ was done by hand, using historic techniques by skilled craftsmen.

3 Choir Loft and Surrounding Area Deterioration Age and deterioration required extensive repair to the choir loft and surrounding environment to ensure the structural and architectural integrity of the 188-year-old building.

4 Cracked, torn and battered over decades, the choir loft deterioration caused public safety concerns and fire hazard conditions. The vital reconstruction project included significant electrical work, new technology and the complete overhaul of the HVAC system. Energy efficiency and resource conservation elements were incorporated into the project.

5 Choir Loft and Surrounding Area Restoration Reconditioning the 1848 church structure included cleaning, plastering, painting and restoring clerestory side and rear walls, window frames and panels of huge stained glass windows. Clerestory windows and ornamental belts, and massive arches, pilasters and capital heads were repaired.

6 Project Work Reveals an 1848 Sculpture During renovations of the choir loft space, a nearly 200-year-old Forgotten Woman was uncovered. The rare and precious finding dates back to 1848 when the church was built.

7 Protecting the Integrity of the Building With the organ removed from the choir loft, the space was rebuilt and restored to ensure that the environment was structurally sound and perfectly matched with the Church s remarkable and historic Gothic Revival architectural style.

8 Reconstructed Flooring and Design Enables Flexibility of Use The choir loft begins to take shape with the reconstruction and re-surfacing of the approximately 750-square-foot floor space. The new design allows for multiple music formations, and pipe organ mobility.

9 Reassembly of the Refurbished Pipe Organ: April 2017 The 30,000-piece pipe organ was purposefully arranged in the church pews for installation. It took more than a month to install the refurbished 1,900-pipe organ and prepare it for its first public recital.

10 Restored Project Floor Plan Frontal View The restoration of the choir loft environment matches the Gothic architectual style of the building. The enormous stone archways and stained glass windows at either side of the choir loft are now fully revealed. The reconfigured floorplan and the mobility of the pipe organ allow for flexible and functional space requirements for multiple formations of performers and instruments. The design lay out of the pipes greatly improves the experience of the performers and the audience.

11 Restored Project Floor Plan Lower Plan The total depth of the pipe organ is approximately seven feet at floor level, which significantly increases the floor space of the choir loft, allowing for multiple formations of performers and instruments. With mobile capability of the pipe organ and expanded choir loft space for formations and organs, St. Mary s now offers the venue to the community for arts, theater and music performances enriching the quality of life for the entire community.

12 A Safe Space and Place: May 2017 The choir loft restoration project was completed in May of Expanded community music performances and education becomes a reality. The safe venue is available for use. On June 5, St. Mary s held a community Festival of Pipes event to premiere the pipe organ sound and to showcase the restoration of the choir loft.

13 Preserved with Pride for Future Generations St. Mary s Church massive 1958 Casavant Op pipe organ is a centerpiece attraction for local, regional and international visitors. St. Mary s will establish a reserve maintenance fund for the choir loft and pipe organ as part of its Souls In Harmony fundraising campaign, ensuring proper care and maintenance of the space and organ for the future generations.