RESTORATION
The year 2003 marked the 150th anniversary of the building of St. Andrew's Stone Church. It was also the year we started the restoration in earnest. Sometimes the work was beyond the scope of our wonderful volunteers, and we have used professional contractors, including all electrical work, plastering, masonry, roof work, dry walling, glass work, and the installation of a new exit door (required by fire code) on the east wall. But our volunteers have been very busy during these last eight years. We climbed up to the top of the walls to remove the blue stucco from all of the interior walls, and after professional plasterers fixed the major cracks and smoothed over some of the smaller ones, volunteers again mounted the scaffolding, and using tinted primer, painted over the plaster with three shades of ochre.
Following our campaign to "Bring Back the Pews", which allows individuals to sponsor a pew, we have now moved on to Window Sponsorship. During 2011, every one of the 8 Gothic-style windows was removed, repaired or rebuilt, depending on the weather damange, and replaced. Dedicated volunteers stepped up to the challenge, and each window was painted. Three families have come forward to sponsor three of the windows. If you are interested in sponsoring a window, please contact anyone on the "Contact Us" page for further information.
Although we thought we were doing the right thing in painting the walls, over the three years since they were painted, we have had issues with peeling. We have consulted a number of experts, and have still to find the solution. It may be that, with the harsh weather that the building is exposed to, and the fact that the building is not heated, there is not enough air circulation. We are monitoring the situation, and will continue to search out the answer. Recently, a group of volunteers scraped off peeling paint, and with the new windows installed, we will see if there is further deterioration in the springtime.
In the late fall of 2011, the Town of Caledon replaced the brick chimney, structuring it as closely as possible to existing old photographs.
We are always eager to have new people involved in this wonderful project. Please go to the Contact page, if you wish to know more about any aspect of the restoration and use of St. Andrew's Stone Church. St. Andrew's Stone Church is a unique and striking historic landmark in the Caledon countryside.
