The weathered, ancient white clapboard on Beaverdams Church will soon be a thing of the past.
Within the space of six weeks or more, the 1832 iconic building will be completely covered with brand new siding, Andrew Prescott told the Thorold News Tuesday morning.
He and his crew from Square Roots Restoration have “lots of work to do,” he said, including tearing the old boards off and making repairs before adding a protective barrier and new siding.
“We’re strengthening the eave with brackets, and repairing the cornices as we go,” said Prescott, all while “preserving the integrity” of the heritage lakeside building. “Some of the timbers are oak. There’s quite a bit of rot, so we use different epoxies.”
Square Roots first became familiar with the church rehabilitation project after being called to remove some siding when bees had burrowed into it, and the company was subsequently hired to help replace the foundation.
“We jacked the church up nine inches so the masons could build a foundation,” said Prescott, adding he also assisted with the new replica windows installation.
Following completion of the $90,000 siding, renovations will be shifted to the historically significant church interior.
All enhancements to the church have been made possible through fundraising and various events hosted by the passionate Friends of Beaverdams Church.
When completely renovated, the Friends hope to host a number of community events, as well as weddings, at the site.
For more information, visit their website.
