Project

Though its stability was severely compromised, the church retained its historic landmark status because it seemed possible to replicate the missing half by examining what remained. WMF placed St. John’s Anglican Church on the 2004 Watch, hoping to raise the profile of the site and participate in its restoration. (...)

Though its stability was severely compromised, the church retained its historic landmark status because it seemed possible to replicate the missing half by examining what remained. WMF placed St. John’s Anglican Church on the 2004 Watch, hoping to raise the profile of the site and participate in its restoration. WMF was concerned with reviving and conserving the historic components of the church, specifically the interior decoration. An artistically trained parishioner had painted the dome of the nave, a blue sphere speckled with 700 gilded stars. The murals, dating to 1872, and the chancel walls were also hand-painted, where stencils and gold leaf had been used to create elegant curving patterns. The fire tarnished and discolored much of the remaining decoration, so the surviving pieces needed intricate reconstruction. WMF provided a grant for conserving the church’s unique ornamentation and the project was completed at the end of 2005.