Lofty project at downtown church
Steeple renovation work nears finish as cross is replaced in high winds
By Andy Paras
Video
A new cross for Grace Episcopal Church
A construction crew returns a 6-foot, 30-pound gold leaf cross atop the 164-year-old Grace Episcopal Church on Wentworth Street battling winds in excess of 35 mph.
The 6-foot, 30-pound cross dangled and spun around in 40-mph winds.
Securing the 70-year-old cross was a difficult but not impossible task for the construction crew. They managed to place it atop the 164-year-old Grace Episcopal Church on Tuesday after about 90 minutes.
The task was one of the final pieces of a two-year-old steeple renovation project, said W. Daniel Beaman, president of Cummings & McCrady, the architectural firm behind the project.
"The challenge is the wind is unbelievable," Beaman said. "It's like threading a needle 130 feet in the air."
Scaffolding has covered the Wentworth Street church for more than two years as crews worked to reinforce the tower that holds up the steeple. The project was necessary to prevent a church that has survived the the Civil War, the earthquake of 1886 and Hurricane Hugo from collapsing over time.
Church officials said all they have left to do is finish the stucco once the weather becomes consistently warmer. They hope the scaffolding will be down by Easter, said Holly Behre, communications director for the church.
Reach Andy Paras at 937-5589 or aparas@postandcourier.com.
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