In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald"
- Gordon Lightfoot
1976
The Mariners Church in Detroit is an exceptional "sacred space." Built in 1840 - ya 1840! - its' craft is that of old hand hewn wooden boats. It's scale is massive for its' time but its stature now is greatly dimished by a misguided 1950's adjacent tower and the now dead monument to the raise and fall of the automakers Renaissance Center (the "RenCen") across the street.
Ouch!
So the meaning of the word "sanctuary" becomes nearly perfect when you enter the ancient confines beyond the heavy original solid wood front doors and close them snuggly behind you. It's incandescent tonality and quietness embraces you. You feel safe, warm and protected.
The simplicity of the church interior is what makes it historically special. It's telling of its' original creed:
"A House of Prayer for All People"
Thus, even the "hobo" mariners were welcome to attend services despite the distain of the local pious newspaper editors during a time when seating placement in a church was the measure of your social status.
Its' example said, "Money should be spent on the mission not embellishment of the edifice."
But, along the way, the well intentioned past stewards "updated" the interior floor level wood finishes with the trend of the 1950's (or so) - a "limed" or "blonded" lacquer surface finish.
So prior to our work there this is how it looked:
Some of the existing architectural wood elements - ceiling beams, doors and frames, balcony half wall- had only been cleaned in the past. So they still held the original 174 year old patina. They not only looked old- they actually were old. Those were the hard to reach remnants of character that had managed to survive all that time. They were what you'd expect to see in a building that was that old.
Over time the aged updating hadn't fared as well. The dichotomy between the old and out-of-date recent was stark. Cold. Wrong. It had become a lesson that taught the importance of always keeping the original architecture and culture of an old building as a priority. Opps.
The current stewards understood this and set about making things correct.
As part of our proposal we created an AI/photoshop pic to help others see what fixing that would look like:
Then we spent 4 months this past summer working to achieve that.
In the course of it all we destroyed our lame misconceptions of the City of Detroit and couldn't help becoming Lions fans.
What we found was just amazing!
Detroit pizza!
As part of our proposal we created an AI/photoshop pic to help others see what fixing that would look like:
Then we spent 4 months this past summer working to achieve that.
In the course of it all we destroyed our lame misconceptions of the City of Detroit and couldn't help becoming Lions fans.
What we found was just amazing!
Detroit pizza!
To start.
Then the determined resurrection of a vibrant community.
The wood turned out to be Mahogany. We had seen similar in the Illinois State Supreme Court and the St Paul City Hall/County Courthouse. So we already knew where this was going to go. How it would look and the dynamic impact it would have on the worship space.
The pews were "pegged" INTO the wood floor and the wood "dividers" down the middle of each pew section weren't anchored. They were just sitting on the floor and each wood piece was random in its' size.
All had to be tagged/numbered and gently dismantled. There were thousands of nails that were a lesson on the history of nail evolution from 1840 to now.
Dismantlement:
The wood turned out to be Mahogany. We had seen similar in the Illinois State Supreme Court and the St Paul City Hall/County Courthouse. So we already knew where this was going to go. How it would look and the dynamic impact it would have on the worship space.
The pews were "pegged" INTO the wood floor and the wood "dividers" down the middle of each pew section weren't anchored. They were just sitting on the floor and each wood piece was random in its' size.
All had to be tagged/numbered and gently dismantled. There were thousands of nails that were a lesson on the history of nail evolution from 1840 to now.
Dismantlement:
The demo always reveals pristine original well protected hidden finishes that then become the undebatable basis for what the finish should be had it not been tampered with:
We also found an untouched interior door with existing original finish in the sacristy:
Then we created our sample using a pew end.
Notice the "pegs". Our "rinse" removal of the limed lacquer didn't raise the grain or harm the patina. That's our thing. It provides a deep, rich basis for an aged wood asthetic.
It was a lot of work but my son and I just loved every minute of it.
Actual after:
We also brought all the sanctuary furnishings and the altar back.
Just getting started with a hand dry brush process:
It was a lot of work but my son and I just loved every minute of it.
Actual after:
We also brought all the sanctuary furnishings and the altar back.
Just getting started with a hand dry brush process:
After:
How fortunate we are to have been able to participate in this project!
How fortunate we are to have been able to participate in this project!
I'm tempted to retire now.
Can we help your church?
Email or give us a call.
Scott Beddome
Woodwork Restoration, LLC
Naples, FL 34113
(262) 527-8969
woodworkrestoration@hotmail.com
Best to all!
Can we help your church?
Email or give us a call.
Scott Beddome
Woodwork Restoration, LLC
Naples, FL 34113
(262) 527-8969
woodworkrestoration@hotmail.com
Best to all!
