New roof installed at historic St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
By Bethany Monroe DeBorde
The River Press
Fort Benton, MT
Burney Construction completed installation of a new roof last month for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the oldest Episcopal church in Montana and the oldest church of any denomination in Fort Benton.
By Bethany Monroe DeBorde
The River Press
Fort Benton, MT
Burney Construction completed installation of a new roof last month for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the oldest Episcopal church in Montana and the oldest church of any denomination in Fort Benton.
The church has been in use since it opened in 1881 and is included on the National Registry of Historic Places. Prior to the building’s construction, Episcopal services were held locally in an abandoned saloon, a hotel and a school.
Insurance funds from previous hail damage covered the bulk of the roofing project, along with a $5,000 private donation and a $6,800 contribution from the city of Fort Benton, Mayor Rick Morris said. |
Burney Construction installs new roof on St. Paul's
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A few decades ago, ownership of the building was transferred to the city for historic preservation purposes.
“It was overdue for a roof,” said Brad Burney of Burney Construction. “It had a lot of areas where it had worn through and you could see inside the attic.”
Yet despite the aging roof, the building had not suffered leaks. Ken Sievert, an architect specializing in historic preservation, evaluated the church roof and provided recommendations for preventative maintenance and structural reinforcement.
“Ken Sievert is doing this pro bono. He is one of the very best historical architects in Montana,” local historian and author Ken Robison said. “He just loves historic buildings like that one.”
Burney Construction added shear strength to the roof and re-nailed the structure to make sure everything was solid, also replacing the old, original square nails.
“The roof was never tied to the top plate of the wall and the wall was separating from the roof,” Morris said.
Prior to this winter’s roofing project, the last significant renovations at the church were done in 1975, said Gail Good, a longtime member at St. Paul’s. The church walls and ceiling have developed many large cracks over the years.
A soil sampling test will need to be done to determine some of the reasons for the cracking and settling. At some point, the congregation added an attached structure to the south side of the building, which contains a small room and a bathroom.
The weight from that structure seems to be creating strain on the building, so ideas are being considered to separate the two.
“One of clearest indications of the problem is the south side stained glass window is bulging because that wall is pretty much endangered,” Robison said.
The building would also benefit from gutters for improved drainage.
While they are not an original feature, they could find a gutter design that would not detract from the building’s historic look, Robison said.
St. Paul’s Epsicopal Church is a small parish with only a few members, but a priest visits from Great Falls on the second and fourth Sunday each month for Holy Eucharist at 5 p.m. On the alternate Sundays, church member Shirley Lenington leads morning prayer. Rosemary Koch volunteers as the church organist.
The church bears many reminders of the past, including the inscription, “Territory of Montana” under the church pews, Good said. The large stained glass at the front of the church was donated in memory of Anna M. Conrad, who died in 1888 at age 31. Several other stained glass windows were also donated by local families as memorials over the years.
“This is too important a church to lose,” Robison said.
Before additional improvements can be made, the church must secure more funds. Tax-deductible donations can be mailed to: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, PO Box 463, Fort Benton, MT 59442.
“It was overdue for a roof,” said Brad Burney of Burney Construction. “It had a lot of areas where it had worn through and you could see inside the attic.”
Yet despite the aging roof, the building had not suffered leaks. Ken Sievert, an architect specializing in historic preservation, evaluated the church roof and provided recommendations for preventative maintenance and structural reinforcement.
“Ken Sievert is doing this pro bono. He is one of the very best historical architects in Montana,” local historian and author Ken Robison said. “He just loves historic buildings like that one.”
Burney Construction added shear strength to the roof and re-nailed the structure to make sure everything was solid, also replacing the old, original square nails.
“The roof was never tied to the top plate of the wall and the wall was separating from the roof,” Morris said.
Prior to this winter’s roofing project, the last significant renovations at the church were done in 1975, said Gail Good, a longtime member at St. Paul’s. The church walls and ceiling have developed many large cracks over the years.
A soil sampling test will need to be done to determine some of the reasons for the cracking and settling. At some point, the congregation added an attached structure to the south side of the building, which contains a small room and a bathroom.
The weight from that structure seems to be creating strain on the building, so ideas are being considered to separate the two.
“One of clearest indications of the problem is the south side stained glass window is bulging because that wall is pretty much endangered,” Robison said.
The building would also benefit from gutters for improved drainage.
While they are not an original feature, they could find a gutter design that would not detract from the building’s historic look, Robison said.
St. Paul’s Epsicopal Church is a small parish with only a few members, but a priest visits from Great Falls on the second and fourth Sunday each month for Holy Eucharist at 5 p.m. On the alternate Sundays, church member Shirley Lenington leads morning prayer. Rosemary Koch volunteers as the church organist.
The church bears many reminders of the past, including the inscription, “Territory of Montana” under the church pews, Good said. The large stained glass at the front of the church was donated in memory of Anna M. Conrad, who died in 1888 at age 31. Several other stained glass windows were also donated by local families as memorials over the years.
“This is too important a church to lose,” Robison said.
Before additional improvements can be made, the church must secure more funds. Tax-deductible donations can be mailed to: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, PO Box 463, Fort Benton, MT 59442.