by David Flint
Work on restoring the ceiling of the Stephentown Heritage Center is nearing completion. Contractor Adam Squires conducted a walk-through on Wednesday with project manager Rik McClave and officers of the Historical Society. Except for a few minor details that will be taken care of this week, McClave pronounced it a “Job well done.”
When Historical Society officers noticed early in the year a sagging in the ceiling above the balcony area, a temporary re-enforcement was put in place. It soon became apparent, however, as the sagging became more marked, that the entire ceiling of the former Methodist Episcopal Church built in 1870 was in imminent danger of collapsing.
Doug Williamson and Carl Taubl were hired to construct a temporary support wall on the balcony to forestall the collapse, allowing time to determine what needed to be done and prepare specifications to put the repair work out to bid. Adam E. Squires Construction & Restoration Services of Stephentown, who had prepared a bid with a discounted rate, was selected to do the job. Squires, who has had extensive experience in architecturally correct restoration work on old buildings, pledged that his work would be safe and meet all fire and building codes.
Squires first carefully removed the historic tin ceiling panels from the balcony area, noting where each had come from so that they could be replaced following the structural repairs. He then removed the plaster and lath in the area where the tiles were removed, refastened or replaced the furring strips and removed the insulation above. With new insulation and a new vapor barrier installed and a new ceiling constructed with plywood sheathing and drywall, Squires then painstakingly replaced and refastened the tin panels. He finished caulking and painting these panels this week. After that, he constructed a two foot wide catwalk running the length of the attic, and, to
prevent any further sagging, he installed steel ties connecting the furring strips to the joist timbers throughout the entire ceiling area.
Work is expected to be finished by the end of this week, but the Historical Society will continue to hold its program meetings at the Stephentown Fire Hall for the time being until curators are able to complete cataloging and return to the balcony area all those documents and artifacts that were removed from there during the reconstruction.
Historical Society President Patricia Flint said she is pleased with the work that has been done and relieved that with the discounted price the Society was able to make the repairs with existing funds. However, the unexpected expense has put a serious crimp in operating funds that might have to be replenished from a fund established to replace the roof, work that will have to be done in the next few years, so this money will have to be replaced with fund raising.