Check here for weekly updates on the remediation efforts in the church.

August 30, 2024

Each week we will provide bulleted lists of work taking place in the restoration of the church.

This week:

• Castle Studios has completed repairs and cleaning to the windows! 
• The HVAC system is now operational again after extensive cleaning and repairs. 
• Miller Flooring has sanded and buffed the floor on the south side. They will continue with staining and coating in the next few days. 
• The north aisle pews have all been returned and installed. The rest of the pews will be returned next week after the floor is finished. 

WE WILL RETURN TO THE CHURCH FOR WORSHIP ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8.

August 23, 2024

Each week we will provide bulleted lists of work taking place in the restoration of the church.

This week:

• The HVAC system has been repaired by Sebastian & Sons and is being extensively cleaned by Cygnus.
• Miller Flooring have begun the restoration of the floor on the west side of the church nave. 
• Castle Studios completed cleaning of the rose window and was able to include cleaning of the window above the old altar in the chancel of the church. 

August 16, 2024

Each week we will provide bulleted lists of work taking place in the restoration of the church.

This week:

• ServPro has finished cleaning the church. All of the lifts used to reach the ceiling and high areas of the walls have been removed. 
• Castle Studios is erecting scaffolding above the main entrance to give them reach to clean the rose window. 
• Sebastian & Sons are repairing the damaged air returns. 
• This coming week Cygnus will be cleaning our HVAC system and Miller Flooring will begin sanding and staining the floors on the left side of the church. 

August 9, 2024

Each week we will provide bulleted lists of work taking place in the restoration of the church.

This week:

• The church, chapel, and adjoining rooms have been vacuumed with HEPA vacuums.
• Three lifts are now in the church. They have been used this week to clean the ceiling in the nave and the walls of the clerestory . Teams from ServPro have been using soot sponges that gently lift soot and grime from the surface.
• Castle Studios are at work cleaning the stained glass. 
• Heritage Conservation has been working with ServPro to test various cleaners for use on the masonry throughout the church. We are starting to clean to walls and will continue through next week. 

July 19, 2024

Each week we will provide bulleted lists of work taking place in the restoration of the church.

This week:

• The damaged Curwen Family window has been removed by Castle Studios. 
• A team from Emery Brothers is in progress removing the damaged antiphonal division of the organ under the rose window. They discovered that the chests were water damaged and these too have been removed. 
• Our architects from John Milner are working with engineers to evaluate the truss at the end of the aisle against the narthex. They are also working on architectural drawings to help roofers and carpenters prepare bids for the reconstruction. 
• This week we expect ServPro to begin removing pews to protect them during clean-up. They will also work with our architects and conservators to review treatment methods for sensitive areas of the church. 

July 12, 2024

This week:

• ServPro will be starting their work next week. This begins with adding reinforcements (steel beams and jacks) under the church floor to support the lift they’ll use.

• We have the proposals in hand from Castle Studios for the cleaning and repair of the stained glass and from Sebastian and Sons for the repair to the portion of the HVAC system affected by water damage.

• We also have a plan for cleaning and repair of the organ provided by noteworthy organ builder Steve Emery. The instrument will need to be removed and worked on offsite for several months. This means we’ll have to temporarily use a digital organ when we return to worshipping in the church in September.

• Our architects are working on plans now for the repair to the ceiling and roof. They’ll make a site visit this week to look more closely at two largely decorative trusses that may have been damaged and need to be repaired. 

July 5, 2024

From the Rector: This has been a very productive and encouraging week. We had originally set a goal of returning to worship in the church by September. This would entail that the majority of the cleaning of the church would be finished, as well as any work that might require extensive scaffolding. Estimates for the completion of this work provide significant margin for meeting this goal. We’ll still have organ restoration to do, and we may yet be in the process of replacing appointments (pew cushions, kneelers, prayer books and hymnals, etc), but making the building functional is our first priority. We are continuing to explore ways to make services in Burns Hall as edifying as possible, including making livestream available. This was slowed by the Independence Day holiday’s falling during the work week. Churches are institutions and communities that are built upon multiple layers of rituals, most of which we take for granted and, therefore, never really appreciate. Disruption often serves as a reminder of many things that, when suddenly exposed, are deeply valued. As we move through this phase of repair of the church and as we gather and worship in different ways allow yourself some time to realize anew the depth of the gift of The Redeemer.

Each week we will provide bulleted lists of work taking place in the restoration of the church.

This week:

• We have a proposal from ServPro for mitigation of the church, including extensive cleaning with an articulated boom lift.

• Electrical service is mostly restored except for the area under the fire.

• The flooring that was soaked by firefighters has been dried. We will refinish it after cleaning is complete.

• Estimates are being prepared for repairing a portion of the HVAC under the area of the fire, replacing the damaged roof & ceiling, and cleaning the stained glass. The Great Commission Window (Curwen memorial) was slightly damaged and will require portions to be removed and repaired.

June 24, 2024

Dear members of the Redeemer community:

Last night around 8:30pm I was notified by our alarm company that the smoke sensors in the church had detected a fire. This automatically initiated their call to the fire department. Within minutes I had unlocked the church doors and discovered that the ceiling in the rear of the nave was burning and the entire church was filled with heavy smoke. Firefighters arrived almost immediately and, over the course of nearly two hours, they contained and extinguished the fire. Seven fire departments worked together to make sure that the building was preserved, that the damage, though significant, was minimized, and that no one was injured. Their response was quick, decisive, professional, and personally caring.

As a result of the fire, a substantial portion of the north roof was cut away, and the interior suffered extensive water and smoke damage. Beginning at midnight, a crew from ServePro began the work of remediation. At this point, we don’t know when we’ll be able occupy the church, and we’re working with fire, insurance, and restoration personnel to draw up procedures for its repair. One of the several fire chiefs who were on the scene said that we were lucky; in most cases fires like this in churches are devastating. Our losses are limited and, by early estimates, manageable.

I was moved by the many parishioners who, in hearing the news, came to the campus to offer whatever support they could. At a time of crisis, this immediate ad hoc community was an immeasurable grace. Other parishioners, across many states, called and texted members and friends, expressing their care. I am especially grateful to Tracy Steele, our Rector’s Warden, who arrived as soon as she could and stayed late into the night in order to walk through the church with fire officials. She was joined by Kyle Lissack, who provided excellent guidance, especially in light of his deep knowledge of the building. Staff members came to lend a hand, and Joshua Castaño remained well into the morning to insure that the best work could be done in a timely manner.

Very early this morning numerous neighbors walked by and noted, in heartfelt fashion, how much they appreciated The Redeemer, its campus and its presence. They felt the wound of our loss. But it was a wonderful indication that we have made significant steps toward being the anchor institution that is our goal, as a community that meaningfully touches and supports the greater community.

We will have a ways to go before we can resume regular worship in the church. This may take several weeks or several months. In the meantime, we’ll do all that we can to continue our ministries and prepare for the beginning of the program year in September — hopefully in a refreshed space and with a renewed appreciation for what others have provided us and what we can maintain and develop for our future.

Peter Vanderveen, Rector