Cross Removal Service
December 2024
The cross and corpus on the corner of Fourth Street and Second Avenue N were removed on December 4. Canon Mike Alford led a brief service recalling the ministry of our first dean, the Very Rev. LeRoy D. Lawson, who had the cross installed on Good Friday 1977. Read Canon Mike's remarks here. Workers from All Trades Historical Restoration loosened the bolts that held the corpus to the cross, then slowly lowered the figure on ropes. Other workers gently received it and carried into the office building for storage. The cross itself was cut from its base, lowered, placed on a cart, and moved into the Memorial Garden for storage. We are offering the cross and corpus first to other churches in the diocese and then to our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters.
The Bell Tower Restoration Project
August 2024
What is the restoration project all about?
We noticed last fall that the bell tower at the east end of the Cathedral was starting to bow outward. The weight of the steeple and the top section of the tower — added in 1925 to accommodate the carillon of 20 bells — was bearing down without adequate support on the lower portion, built in 1899.
That inspired us to look further, and we discovered that the interior structure that supports the carillon was in poor condition, with rotting wood and lead paint.
We already knew that we needed a new roof over the worship space. There are leaks and interior damage and an inadequate roof drainage system.
We have worked with All Trades Historical Restoration of St. Petersburg, a structural engineer, a lead-paint remediation firm, and a company that specializes in bells, chimes, and carillons to put together the project. We have received the approval of Bishop Doug Scharf to move ahead.
When will work start?
Work will begin in August. Our hope is that the work on the bell tower will be completed by Easter 2025. It will be a joy to hear the bells ring out on Easter morning for the first time in many years.
This is an anniversary project as we celebrate the 55th anniversary of our designation as the Cathedral for the Diocese of Southwest Florida (1969); our 135th year as a worshiping community (1889); and the 125th anniversary of the completion of our original worship space (1899).
Exactly what is involved?
Structural and masonry repairs to the bell tower recommended by the independent structural engineer
Lead paint remediation of the structural elements
Restoration of the carillon
A new Cathedral roof
Remediation of the roof drainage design to resolve water issues
What will all this cost? How are we paying for it?
We are blessed with financial resources that will cover most of the cost, which we estimate at $780,000, including $25,000 contingency.
Funding will include allocations from Blue Sky Communities (this is the Peterborough income stream that has provided major support to the Cathedral for several years now); income from a major trust fund; 5-percent draws on our endowment for three years; and a targeted appeal to parishioners.
Will any of the work impact our worship?
No. The bell tower work will be done during the week and should have no impact on Sunday worship or on the interior of the Cathedral. The re-roofing will likely not start until next spring. We need to do the bell tower restoration work first to avoid damaging the new roof. You will see scaffolding erected around the tower.
Say more about the history of the bell tower.
The original tower, as seen in pictures from the Cathedral’s early days, was two stories high. In 1925, the family of Abe Pheil, an early mayor of St. Petersburg, donated a carillon, or grouping, of 20 bells. To accommodate them, a third story was added. Over the years the weight of that third story and the steeple has made the lower story bow outward.
We are told by The Verdin Co. — a leading supplier and restorer of church bells and carillons — that ours are among a handful of bells of this quality in the country. The computer that controls the bells was hit by lightning in 2015 and was not replaced. The felt covering on some of the metal strikers that “ring” the bells has deteriorated. A recent assessment by Verdin showed that support beams and bolts for the bells and chimes are rotted, rusted, and in need of replacement.
Who can I speak to if I have more questions?
For questions about the financial aspects of the project, please speak to Treasurer Mark Myers (mmyers460@gmail.com).
For questions about construction, speak to Senior Warden Lucas Fleming (jslucas75@gmail.com).