| CHA-264403-19 | Challenge Programs: Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants | Christ Church Preservation Trust | Restoration of Christ Church Tower & Steeple | 5/1/2019 - 4/30/2024 | $500,000.00 | Barbara | | Hogue | | | | Christ Church Preservation Trust | Philadelphia | PA | 19106-4509 | USA | 2019 | U.S. History | Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grants | Challenge Programs | 0 | 500000 | 0 | 500000 | Exterior
restoration of the Christ Church steeple and supporting brick tower, and interior
restoration of the upper level of the tower. Steeple restoration would include
repainting, wood restoration, re-gilding of the weathervane, and roofing. Tower
restoration would include replacement and reinforcement of the interior frame
and braces, masonry restoration, and brick replacement.
Christ Church is a National Historic Landmark, founded in 1695, and the 6th most visited historic site in Philadelphia. Each year, 250,000 tourists visit to learn about the founding of America and the American Revolution. Today, its historic 1754 steeple is listing two feet to the right. In March 2016, a commissioned engineering study found that the steeple -- one the few standing wooden structures of its kind from the colonial era -- needs urgent and costly structural support. The steeple remains Christ Church's most important artifact that is gazed upon by tourists, students and educators alike to learn about the founding of America, William Penn's experiment of religious liberty, the Revolutionary War and the founding of the Episcopal church. The steeple and its brick tower remain Philadelphia's most treasured historic landmark. The Christ Church steeple needs immediate preservation and needs structural support to remain for centuries more. |