Construction

St. Christopher's By the Sea

st. Christopher's construction

a photo diary

September 21, 2009

We're almost there!

Delphi Construction contractors tell us the progess on the new sanctuary and building renovations are moving right along. Already, the flagstone terrace has been installed and landscaping started on its surround. The shape and dimension of the curved arch of the main entrance reflects the arches facing Main Street.

June 12, 2009

'Ribs' of reception area take shape

Assitant Rector Gail Smith delighted in the similarity to a boat's ribs as the roof over the new church reception area, so she snapped this picture. With every passing day, construction gives more and more of a sense of what the church will look like when completed.

March 12, 2009

Foundation concrete pours started

Construction has made some real progress again this week with 100 cubic yards of concrete poured, forms removed and a good weather day for Robert Our Co. to do a significant amount of back filling for the foundation, according to Building Committee chair Bruce Wood. The red tanks for collecting ground water should be out by the middle of next week.
Partitions are being built on the lower level. The work has experienced no setbacks for several weeks and Delphi says they are a bit ahead of their current schedule, both outside and inside.

February 22, 2009

'Pit' filling in; concrete pours begin

   Some of the “pit” is filling in!
     For the past several days, workers have been pouring concrete into the pile cap forms and footings that dot the huge hole below the courtyard area. Workers from Robert Our Co. are filling in around the caps (top, right). That should prove to be a welcome sight! Additionally, workers are moving large steel panels up against the foundation for added support (below, right).
     Building Committee Chairman Bruce Wood reports that at some point in the next several weeks, a deep pit for the new elevator will be put into place.
     Work continues in the Sanctuary as well, especially in the old Narthex area. Two new stairways are being built – one to the bell tower and the other an emergency exit stairway leading out into the courtyard area.
     Workers also have torn out much of the plaster and lath from the rear wall of the Sanctuary, revealing the so-called “balloon framing” construction techniques prevalent in the 1800s. Balloon framing did not require highly skilled carpenters and was quite flimsy. This technique got its name from skilled carpenters of the day, who called it no more substantial than a balloon! Most communities have outlawed balloon framing because of the fire danger it poses – it provides a path for fire to travel from floor to floor.

February 4, 2009

Piles work continues; some go down 42 feet

Church construction crews continue sinking piles around our buildings, some as deep as 42 feet See pholo, top, right.) Workers have removed the chandeliers from the Sanctuary as well as the stairway leading in from the front door (Lower right).
On Jan. 29, 10 engineers, a surveyor and contractors met for two hours to discuss plans for pipe placement, drainage and water runoff. Bruce Wood, who attended, said “it’s hard to imagine the complexity of such planning.”

moving day for worship space

    “If it were easy,” Olympian Bill Toomey once said, “it would have no value.”
    St. Christopher’s celebrated its first service in a bright, freshly painted and redecorated Parish Hall on Sunday, Jan. 4 – our temporary place of worship for the next eight or so months.
     But it wasn’t easy.
     In fact, a few wondered if it would happen at all. Of course, they didn’t reckon with Dick Kraycir, Ali Crockett, Bruce Wood and a group of dedicated, hard-working volunteers. Dick and Ali, along with Bruce, put together a precise, densely detailed plan that would gradually transform the Parish Hall into a house of worship. For months, day after day, week after week, they rolled up their sleeves, pushed, cajoled, prodded and nudged. They got things done.

What to do on that special day?

     Meanwhile, Rector Brian W. McGurk was trying to figure out how to mark the day. “How do we make it special?” he repeatedly asked the staff. “How do we make it meaningful?”
     Organist Julie Winchell came up with a possibility. “What if we start the service in the Sanctuary and then have the entire congregation process through the cloister into the Parish Hall?” she wondered. “And then when the Sanctuary is finished, we’ll process back.”
     Perfect! Brian went to work. He planned a service that would begin in the Sanctuary with the Liturgy of the Word before the congregation rose and walked en masse across to the Parish Hall to celebrate the Great Thanksgiving.

Even the best-laid plans…

     But events always seem to have their own way.
     During the fall, when workers found contaminated soil and water under the courtyard, Bruce had to drop just about everything to work with town, state and federal officials on a plan to clean things up – even though the source of the contamination wasn’t the church.
     Dick fretted about the timetable – in part, made more difficult by First Night performances. Typically, St. Christopher’s opens its doors to the community on Dec. 31 for concerts and recitals. But this year would be tough – how do you try and close down a building while at the same time hosting a big party? What about electricity? What about heat? Should we be doing this so close to Jan. 4?
     And then Dec. 29, a portion of the foundation under the Sanctuary collapsed.
     That may have been a blessing -- the Sanctuary would be off-limits to First Night performances.
     What about plans for the Jan. 4 procession? Could we process from the Chapel into the Parish Hall?
     Brian decided no, let’s do it all in the Parish Hall.

The final push

      Volunteers attended to last-minute details. On the days leading up to Jan. 4 Linus Decker painted the Parish Hall. Sexton Lou Augustine and Ali repeatedly tweaked the 180-chair seating layout.
     Early on the morning of Friday, Jan. 2 -- “Moving Day” – a group gathered in the Parish Hall armed with tool boxes, drills and other gear. Dick Kraycir, John Rude, Parker Chick, Hank Holden, and Blair Wormer went to work. Brian arrived. Gail and David Smith stopped in.
     How do we do the coffee hour? Has the communal rug arrived? Should we paint the speakers? What about the cross?
     On Saturday morning, Brian sat in his office finishing his sermon as people walked in and out. The rug arrived. Moving the cross would take a little more time.

We come together

     On Sunday, the congregation gathered in the Parish Hall for worship.
     The walls shone with the new paint; candle light glowed; and the choir processed through the center aisle and back to their seats beside the organ. From the ceiling on either side of the altar hung green banners made of ribbons -- the idea of Ilene Bendas. With just a few mis-steps and hastily moved chairs, communion was given "in the round," as it will be in the new Sanctuary.
       Afterwards, tables came up and coffee and snacks were quickly laid out for Fellowship. Many people lingered, commenting that the service went very well in its new location -- that indeed it felt like sacred space. But it wasn't easy getting there.

(Photos-- Top, Brian shares communion "in the round" in temporary sacred space in the Parish Hall. Middle, volunteers work on Friday to prepare the Sanctuary in the Parish Hall. Bottom, Linus Decker paints the walls of the Parish Hall.)

January 18, 2008

Crib towers to support Sanctuary

     Last week, workers successfully removed asbestos from the Sanctuary. Outside, they are shoring up the Sanctuary as they prepare to install piles next to and under the building.
     If you stop by and take a look, the tall square towers you see are called crib towers or cribbing towers. They help support buildings until permanent supports are installed. Many houses on the Cape are lifted this way so that foundations can be installed.
     Contaminated soil and water continue to be treated, a process that will continue until all the foundations are poured.
     Finally, if you attend 10 a.m. services in the Parish Hall, please note that the outside gate to the Dunkin Donuts parking lot is unlocked so that the fire exit door will lead to a safe area.

January 7, 2008

Organ, pews dismantled; soil work continues

     On Monday, Jan. 5, workers from Andrew Organ Co. of Methuen began to take apart the tracker organ in the Sanctuary. Some parts will be stored, although most of the organ will be wrapped in a protective, plastic “cocoon” during renovation.
     Also this week, workers from Delphi Construction began removing the pews for storage. They also will take apart the choir and altar platforms. “By the end of the week, it should be a big, vacant space,” said Building Committee chair Bruce Wood.
     During the week of Jan. 12, the Sanctuary will be sealed so workers can begin removing all asbestos tiles. New steel columns are being installed beneath the Sanctuary, replacing old wooden posts.
     Finally, workers from Bennett Environmental Inc. of Westford report that the soil decontamination process is going smoothly. They test frequently and report their findings to the town, Delphi and Robert T. Our Co. of Harwich, a main subcontractor.

For more pictures, see our Construction page.

Want email for St. Christopher's construction updates? Please email StChristophers@comcast.net.

December 18, 2008

Contaminated soil, water issues addressed

    Over the weekend of Dec. 13-14, Building Committee Chairman Bruce Wood announced at each worship service what some had feared – workers have discovered contaminated soil and groundwater on the building site.
      Working with the town, the state and the federal government, church leaders have signed off on a plan to clean up the site. This will involve removing up to 150 cubic yards of contaminated soil and cleaning the groundwater – to drinking water purity -- before it is pumped into Oyster Pond.
     Where did the contamination come from? That’s still under investigation, but many suspect an old gas station once located near the site of the present-day Chapel – the contamination was hydrocarbon-based, a strong indicator of spilled oil and gasoline.
      The cost of the clean-up is estimated at $60,000-$100,000. The project will be delayed for about two weeks, but the contractor is optimistic workers can make up the lost time.
      On Tuesday, Dec. 16, a hazardous waste container from Adler Tank Rentals in Randolph arrived on-site to prepare filtering the groundwater.
          If you have further questions, please e-mail Bruce Wood at bxmwood@comcast.net.

(Photo above: Workers poured concrete into large holes filled with rebar on Wednesday, Dec. 17. The filled-in holes will be the base of new support columns. )

December 16, 2008

A hazardous waste container arrives at the rear of the church on Dec. 16. Adler Tank Rentals is based in New Jersey but has a tank storage facility and an office in Randolph, Mass.

November 29, 2008

Installing new pilings will begin Monday, Dec. 1, according to Bruce Wood, chairman of the Building Committee. Each pile will be hammered into the ground about 35-40 feet deep. Workers also will pump standing and ground water into the courtyard area. When the water is pumped off-site, it will pass through a large trailer containing a filtering system so that it will be free of silt, sand and clay.

November 5, 2008

Workers have dug a large hole in the courtyard down to the water table (left) and continue excavation in the undercroft area (below).

Crews will dig deeper when they begin to install pilings and concrete foundation components, scheduled for Nov. 17.

Please note that Delphi Construction managers have cut an opening in the portico screen so all you “sidewalk superintendents” can regularly check on our progress.

October 29, 2008

Note the yards of topsoil in the old courtyard (above). This week workers are clearing asbestos in the old office complex, consignment shop and library. Below - And the walls come tumbling down! Brian checks the area that used to house the consignment shop and library. The space will be renovated into a new office complex.

October 22, 2008

Movers from Fancy’s in Chatham move the contents from the library and the Gift & Consignment Shop into storage on Monday and Tuesday. They're parked on what used to be the back yard.

October 21, 2008

Workers from Robert B. Our Co., Inc. continue interior demolition as they prepare for the asbestos removal phase, which begins next week. Meanwhile, Ali Crockett, superintendent of Buildings and Grounds, is beginning to plan for “transition, phase 2” which involves moving from the Sanctuary into the Parish Hall. The last service in the Sanctuary is Jan. 4.

October 15, 2008

Out with the old

The rector's office is gone now. In its place, workers have built a temporary staircase as an emergency exit from the Sanctuary. In the foreground is what remains of the courtyard. Below, the library has been packed up and will soon be closed for asbestos removal. (Photos by Tim Weller)

October 7, 2008

Clearing the way

On Tuesday, Oct. 7, construction crews from Robert B. Our Construction Co. demolished the rear part of the church, which used to house staff offices and Brian’s second-floor office. Gone in a day! At right, Brian wears his personalized hard hat. Brian’s temporary new office is in a second-floor classroom above the Parish Hall. Crews have cleared trees and bushes in the courtyard and in the back yard, although the Memorial Garden is protected by a screened fence. The Gift and Consignment Shop will close at the end of the week as demolition work continues in that area.

Rector Brian McGurk stands on the roof of the Parish Hall to watch as his former office is demolished to make way for new construction on St. Christopher's Church.

September 23, 2008

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS!

Workers started work in earnest on Sept. 23, walling in the back yard of the church and blocking off the rear entrance.

September 23, 2008

Staff members Ilene Bendas and Jamie Chalker -- in vain -- try to break into the courtyard. Construction officially began Sept. 23 when workers installed a six-foot high chain link around the courtyard and backyard.

Think you can come through the back door? Think again! Parish Nurse Priscilla Chick shows how workers have walled off the back door.

(Photos by Tim Weller)

	THE PIPES mid-Oct. 2006			Oct. 31, '06


	Digging begins			No parking

	Contractors bring in the big machines to begin moving the town's water and sewer pipes running under the church.			The excavation expands in the parking lot. Note the traffic sign where our rector, Brian, usually parks.



	Nov. 7, 2006			Nov. 10, 2006



	Short cut			Taking it to the street

	As access to the church became more restricted, people started cutting through the hedge by the dumpster in back. That alternative disappeared later in the week, as the water pipes trench grew.			The trench has now grown up the parking lot driveway alongside the church and breeched Main Street, forcing the closure of one lane directed by a police officer.

Chatham, Massachusetts

st. Christopher's construction

moving day for worship space

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS!