For as long as anyone can remember, there has been scaffolding covering the façade and towers of St. John’s. Actually, it has been only a little over a year since the scaffolding was in place. But it does seem like a very long time. Well, here is some good news! Work on the north tower is completed and scaffolding there is now being removed. Work will soon be finished on the south tower and when that is done, the remaining scaffolding, and the bridge over the sidewalk will be removed. We are looking for all this to be finished by mid-March.
You may not notice any changes in the towers when you see them without their current covering, but much has been done. The top third of each tower was taken apart and re-assembled, stone by stone, with new masonry so that the towers are now straight and true; steel rods were added wherever necessary for additional support; tower roofing was replaced and a new drainage system was constructed. In addition, masonry on the lower portions of the towers was replaced or repaired where needed. And finally, to ensure the future safety of the church, new interior stairways have been installed in each tower so that regular inspections can be made.
