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CLOUDY Temp: 45 °F Wind: SSE at 8 mph Friday, December 20, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend June 28, 2002 The Rev. Bert Davies and his congregation found more than they budgeted for when, in the process of readying the 1854 St. Andrews Anglican Church for painting, they discovered extensive termite damage in the foundation. Click the photo to see a larger (31k) version; use your Back button to return to the story. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Shaken to its foundation Damage from age and termites has Jacksonville officials scrambling to fix oldest church in region By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune JACKSONVILLE — What started out as a new paint job turned into a major preservation project when the city learned that the oldest church building in Southern Oregon has dry rot and termite damage. St. Andrews Anglican Church, the steepled, white structure built in 1854 at the corner of Fifth and D streets, needs help, and the city is taking bids for structural stabilization and foundation work. "We won’t know until we get in there what it’s like," said Public Works Director Jeff Alvis, who declined to guess at a cost estimate. "I don’t know how much is involved, whether we’ll have to lift the building or what." The city sprayed pesticides a couple of weeks ago, he said. Alvis said the city, which owns the building, is seeking bids and is meeting with potential contractors at 10 a.m. today at the site. Proposals are due by 10 a.m. July 15. The Rev. Bert Davies, 72, said that when workers in the spring removed some cracked boards for replacement before painting, extensive termite damage to the beam was revealed. It was more than his congregation had counted on. "We had money to do the paint, but this is going to be major work," said Davies. The small congregation of 55 to 60 members has been considering fund-raising ideas and looking for other spaces to use in case the repairs shut down the building temporarily, he said. The building was constructed as a Methodist Episcopal Church facing Fourth Street. In the 1880s, the church was moved and rotated to be fronted on Fifth Street. Methodist Episcopal services were held until 1928 when the congregation disbanded. Since then, the building has been a gathering place for other denominations including Presbyterian, Baptist and now Anglican. City Administrator Paul Wyntergreen said the city received an $8,500 grant from the State Historic Preservation Office. The city will contribute $11,400 from its capital budget and $1,800 from its church restoration fund toward the project. Because the structural work is hidden, historical restrictions don’t apply. But City Planner Scott Clay said he encourages consideration of replacing the church’s original beams with similar beams. "The sills that the building sits on, those are hand-hewn from the 1850s," said Clay. Even though the beams won’t be visible, it’s more a philosophical thing, he said. Davies said his concern is not so much whether the beam is a wood beam or a steel beam, but whether the city and the church together will be able to come up with enough money for the job. "At this point, there’s just a lot of hope," said Davies. For more information, contact Jeff Alvis at 899-1231. Visit the church Web site at www.standrewsanglican.org Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S