Scaffolding has gone up around the iconic steeple at St. George’s Episcopal Church in downtown Fredericksburg as a major restoration and accessibility project moves into its second phase.
The work, part of the church’s “Open to All in Love” effort, centers on making the historic building easier to enter and navigate while also tackling long-running water issues. Plans include an exterior accessibility ramp and a new entrance, plus a retaining wall with a handrail in the graveyard to help prevent future water damage. Additional scope includes railings along the graveyard path to the entrance, a code-compliant railing at an office window well, repairs in the Sydnor courtyard, and restoration of the louvers in the bell tower.
Daniel & Co. has started removing paint along the graveyard wall, repointing brick where needed, and applying a protective coating. Church leaders said the existing paint was not appropriate for brick and was trapping moisture, contributing to deterioration and indoor water issues. For mason contractors and restoration crews, it’s a reminder that older brick walls need materials that work with masonry, not against it, especially when vapor and water have nowhere to go.
Next steps include restoring stained-glass window casements along the graveyard wall and creating a new opening for the ramp where one of those windows currently sits. The stained-glass panel closest to the street will be preserved inside the church. Bell tower louver restoration is expected to take about three months, followed by foundation work for a new columbarium with 156 niches.
In the graveyard, St. George’s partnered with Level Spirit Preservation, a group of stonemasons specializing in historic site work, to move stones that fall within the construction zone and protect especially fragile markers with wood enclosures. The second phase is estimated at $2.375 million, and the full project budget is $3.245 million, with the current phase expected to wrap up this fall.
Read the full, original article from Fredericksburg Free Press here.