Judged unsafe in high winds

By Kelly Kandra Hughes

On September 8, after its Sunday worship service, the congregation of the United Church of Christ, Congregational voted on whether to remove the church steeple. Engineers had determined that even after recent repairs, the steeple was not guaranteed to be safe during winds greater than 40 mph. The steeple had to come down as soon as possible. The cost of the removal, including lumber, steel, a hired contractor, a crane and rigger crews, is estimated at approximately $35,000. 

Church by-laws require decisions like removing the steeple to be made by a majority vote. And in the late morning of September 8, the members did just that: by a unanimous vote, they authorized the removal of the church’s 206-year-old steeple. 

Back when the Congregational Church was first being designed and built in 1813, Michael F. Mills, the appointed agent, was given only one instruction, “to build as good a house as you can for $6,000.” Mills could have settled for building a church similar to those already built throughout Connecticut; it certainly would have been easier and cost-effective. However, word of mouth had spread of David Hoadley, a self-taught architect from Waterbury, Conn., who had outstanding skill and genuine ability in church design. Mills hired Hoadley to design and build the church. 

From a historical perspective, Hoadley paved the way at the time for advancing church architecture through minimal ornamentation and greater refinement of proportions. According to Ann Havemeyer, an architectural historian and curator of the Norfolk Historical Society, “Hoadley was an exceptionally skilled designer. His skill is reflected in the graceful proportions of the steeple; it’s all about subtle designs.” 

The centuries-old steeple is now tentatively set for removal in the next two months. The plan of the Congregational Church is to remove the steeple first, then raise funds to restore and reset it on a new steel support structure within the existing clock tower. Matthew Szydlo, an engineer with Designs and Engineered Solutions, LLC, in Harwinton, is working with the church to design a cradle system to go around the base of the steeple where the bells hang. Local contractor, Dan Green, whose father worked on the last major repairs to the steeple back in the 1970s, will install the cradle. After the cradle is installed, the steeple will be stabilized and safe. The cradle can then be used to lift the steeple by crane and lower it to the ground, where it will remain intact. 

Two years ago, a local steeple jack company had estimated that the total cost to remove, repair and restore the steeple on a new support structure would cost between $700,000 and $800,000. When Ross Burke, the former owner of Kingsland Company, a Norfolk-based construction company that does architectural millwork for churches, heard this he thought the job could be done for much less. Burke contacted local crane and rigging companies, steel and lumber providers and other contractors to put together an estimate for the church to act as its own general contractor. Burke’s estimate was $300,000 for everything. Although the church has an endowment, a large portion of the funds are restricted by the terms of the individual bequests and cannot be used for the steeple repair. Therefore, a fundraising campaign for steeple removal and repair is currently underway. 

This cost was not without debate, particularly for a church that values and prioritizes philanthropy. While collecting pledges to pay for the operation and upkeep of the church has been a challenge in recent years, support of the church’s weekly philanthropy collections have increased for things like the Minister’s Discretionary Fund, Norfolk NET, Norfolk Food Pantry, Meadowbrook, the Norfolk Lions Club Ambulance, and the Norfolk Volunteer Fire Department. According to church treasurer, David Torrey, it doesn’t have to be an either-or situation. “The steeple is one of the many beautiful iconic architectural structures in our town. It’s an integral part of the town’s character. It brings visitors here, as do our Tiffany stained glass windows. I believe we can repair the steeple without sacrificing our commitment to charitable work for the community and beyond.” 

For the time being, services are still being held in the church on Sundays at 10 a.m. and will continue for the duration of the removal and restoration. In the event of dangerous winds, services will be moved to the Battell Chapel next door. 

For anyone interested in the removal and restoration process, a slide show on the history of the church and steeple will be held at Battell Chapel on Sunday, October 20, at 5 p.m. All in town are welcome to attend.

Photo by Kelly Kandra Hughes