St. Luke's Episcopal Church
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Owner: The Vestry of St. Luke's Episcopal Church
Cost of Construction: $10 million
Completion Date: 2001

 

St. Luke's is a 1906 Tudor Gothic building in downtown Atlanta. This project involved tying the split chancel arch back together again, strengthening the truss supports, stiffening the nave floor, raising and re-supporting the dropped chancel floor, supporting an additional altar and construction of a new 100' tower for English change ringing bells.

 

 

 

St. Michael's Episcopal Church

Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Owner: The Vestry of St. Michael's Episcopal Church
Cost of Construction: $4 million
Completion Date: 1993

 

St. Michael's Church, on the corner of Meeting and Broad Streets, is the oldest church building in Charleston. Structural work on this 1751 building included straightening of the spire, rebuilding of much of the spire woodwork and supporting masonry, rebuilding and strengthening of the organ gallery, the addition of two new floors within the tower and the strengthening of the tower and complete reinstallation of the bells for English change ringing.

 

Stella Maris
Location: Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
Owner: The Catholic Diocese of Charleston
Cost of Construction: not available
Completion Date: 1995

 

Stella Maris was built in 1845 and its bell tower was completed in 1895. In 1995, the church added a ring of eight English change ringing bells to the tower. Strengthening and stitching of the tower permitted the bells to be installed and rung without opening the pre-existing cracks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First (Scots) Presbyterian Church

Location: Charleston, South Carolina

 

The First (Scots) Presbyterian Church was built in 1814. Work on the building originally grew out of the church's interest in installing a ring of change ringing bells. The towers proved poor candidates for handling the lateral load and funds were diverted to repair severely deteriorated trusses. A single slow swinging bell was installed as a replacement for the one that was melted down for a cannon in 1861.

 

Grace Episcopal Church

Location: Charleston, South Carolina

 

Grace Episcopal Church, built in 1848, is an early example of Gothic Revival work which came out of the Oxford Movement. Previous work with Cummings & McCrady has included Hurrican Hugo repairs and the addition of a bell tower and columbarium. Current structural work is an extensive study of the original tower, focusing on both the ongoing movement of the tower and the stability of the masonry supporting the spire.

 

 

 

Pompion Hill Chapel

Location: Charleston, South Carolina

 

Pompion Hill Chapel was one of the first chapels-of-ease, built along the banks of the upper Cooper River in 1764. Study of the chapel in 2001 found that ground movement due to drying of expansive clays in the 1997-2002 drought and partial foundation repairs in 1980 had caused the building to settle unevenly. Work continued in 2005 on the repair to the roof trusses.

 

Location: Stateburg, South Carolina

 

The Church of the Holy Cross was built in 1850 of pise de terre or rammed earth construction. The exterior walls are covered on the interior with plaster and on the exterior with pebbledash, a rough coating similar to stucco. 4SE is invilved in the repair of extensive termite damage to all of the wood in the building, especially to the timber trusses.

 

Location: Charleston, South Carolina

Completion Date: 2001

 

The Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul was built between 1811 and 1816 as St.Paul’s, Radcliffeboro. In 2000, the Cathedral undertook a campaign to reinstall bells in the tower, which had been silent since 1861. Work with Cummings & McCrady on the Cathedral included the installation of a ring of bells hung for English change ringing.

 

 

 

 

Grace Episcopal Church Columbarium and Bell Tower

Location: Charleston, South Carolina

Completion Date: 1998

 

The Grace Church Columbarium was built as both a columbarium and a tower for English change ringing bells. Work with Cummings & McCrady included the complete structural design for the tower. The design required special consideration for the lateral load of the bells, the liquefiable soils, and the protection of the adjacent 1846 church.

 

Location: Savannah, Georgia

Completion Date: 2006

 

The current building used by Independen Presbyterian Church is an 1891 structure, the fourth building built by this congregation. The wrought iron frame for the cast iron skin of the 225 foot spire was built as the industry changed from iron to steel. By this century, many of the primary structural connections at the 111 foot level had corroded out completely. In 2006, 4SE was able to direct the remaking of these primary connections with the frame still under load, without removing the spire.

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 

St. Mark's Church in Philadelphia was built in 1848 and, like Grace Church in Charleston, was a Gothic Revival structure which grew out of the Oxford Movement. Structural work consisted simply of supporting the new organ on the structure designed for the previous organ.

St. Mary's Catholic Church, Charleston, SC