1874 Church Restoration

http://www.preservationtexas.org/endangered/1847_Church_Belton.doc

PRESERVATION TEXAS NAMES 1874 CHURCH IN BELTON TO ITS

SIXTH ANNUAL LIST OF TEXAS’ MOST ENDANGERED HISTORIC PLACES

Sites in Austin, El Paso, Fort Worth, Galveston, Houston, San Antonio,

Central Texas, and East Texas Included on 2009 List

AUSTIN, TEXAS…The 1874 Church in Belton is among the 11 sites that Preservation Texas, Inc. has named to its sixth annual list of Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places.

Preservation Texas officials announced the selections on the steps of the Texas State Capitol on February 11, Preservation Day 2009.

Originally known as Old St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and located at 438 N. Wall Street, the Belton church is the oldest standing church in Bell County. The limestone rubble masonry church building was constructed in 1874, and a stone bell tower was added in 1956. The church served as a place for refuge and solace during World War II. The church was deconsecrated in 1972, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and subsequently served as a meeting place for the Bell Fine Arts Association and as an art gallery. Currently the building is vacant.

According to a structural assessment in 2007, the church is structurally unsound as the north and south walls are leaning and about 10 inches out of plumb. The face stone of the walls has separated from the inner layer. and settlement of the foundation has contributed to the distress.

“Like the other structures on our 2009 endangered list, the 1874 Church in Belton reflects the increasing awareness across our state of the importance of preserving structures that have played important roles in the history of our state,” said Libby Buuck, president of Preservation Texas, Inc., a statewide partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “From churches and schools to parks and private residences, the sites represent places that are as important to our history and way of life as longhorn cattle and 10-gallon hats. Many have been such an important part of our heritage that it is easy to take them for granted. By calling attention to them now, we want to encourage residents to act while there’s still time.”

Buuck added that each individual listing is threatened by possible destruction, adverse development or neglect, and each has a compelling reason for being saved. “These sites represent the most eminent needs and highest probability for positive action,” she said.

Preservation Texas, Inc. is a statewide nonprofit organization that advocates for preserving the historic resources in Texas.

Preservation Texas named its first list of endangered historic sites in 2004. Several sites recognized by Preservation Texas have benefited from inclusion on the list of Texas’ Most Endangered Historic Places through energized conservation efforts, commitments for restoration, and additional funding. Texas historic courthouses and the Statler Hilton Hotel, both named to the Preservation Texas list, also were cited by the National Trust for Historical Preservation.

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Belton Journal

http://www.beltonjournal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=228:old-church-restoration-committee-announces-plans-for-25k-fund-drive&catid=55:News&Itemid=90

Old Church Restoration Committee announces plans for $25k fund drive

by Berneta Peeples Tuesday, January 22, 2008

The 1874 Old Church Restoration Committee, Inc., considered plans for a $25,000 fund drive, the first phase of restoring the 1874 Episcopal Church building at 438 N. Wall St. at a meeting Jan. 14 at the home of the chairman Harry Sweet.

The first phase of a $400,000 fund drive for total restoration and preservation, will be to stabilize the structure with emphasis on the south wall, Sweet commented. Temporary support for the south wall, particularly has been recommended by the structural engineer Pat Sparks, as well as by Adam Alsobrook of the Texas Historical Commission Grants Study division.

Michael Cooper of Salado, vice chairman and legal counsel to the committee, announced that the committee's 501(c)3 designation is pending and that the committee may now receive gifts directly. Checks may now be made directly to the 1874 Old Church Restoration Committee, Inc. and mailed in that name to Post Office Box 1874, Belton TX 76513-1874.

All monetary donations are now tax deductible through the committee, rather than going through St. Luke's Episcopal Church, which has been acting as a collection agency for the committee.

Sweet told committee members that the request for a start-up grant has been denied by the Texas Historical Commisison. However, the THC committee was strongly urged by THC "to apply immediately for a regular grant, which will provide more funding than the start-up grant."

Vickie Moose, Grants Chairman, was instructed to contact THC about the matter. The committee's next meeting will be Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. at 430 N. Wall St.

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Temple-Telegram.com
http://www.temple-telegram.com/story/2007/10/03/44007

Old church building has hope of salvation

by Laura Frase
Published October 3, 2007

BELTON - When Harry Sweet looks out his front door every morning, he sees the potential for history to carry on another 100 years. The 133-year-old St. Luke’s Episcopal Church that appeared headed toward demolition earlier this year still stands tall several doors down from Sweet’s home.

There is now hope the church may continue standing for generations to come thanks to the 1874 Church Restoration Committee, which was created in response to the potential demolition.

Sweet, chairman of the committee, said a structural engineer out of Austin has surveyed the church and said it is salvageable at its current location.

Because the church lacks a foundation, there was talk about disassembling it and rebuilding at a different location, but that idea received strong opposition from residents.

“Things aren’t the same unless they’re in the original location,” Sweet said. “It’s a touch to the past.”

Nancy Kelsey, secretary of the committee, and her husband have always been avid history nuts. When it came to moving the church, Kelsey couldn’t sit idly by.

“We realized it’s one of the oldest structures in Bell County, so we wanted to be able to save it,” Kelsey said. “The way I look at it, if it’s torn down and moved, it’s not the church.”

To restore the church to meet safety standards, the walls need to be stabilized and a foundation inserted. Plans are for the foundation to run 20 to 40 feet below the building until it hits bedrock.

The estimated cost to stabilize the church is nearly $300,000.

“If you look at building costs today, $300,000 doesn’t build a whole lot of house anymore,” Sweet said. “We’re talking about a structure that has walls 18 to 20 inches thick and built on no foundation and looking at restoring it in better condition than it was built 133 years ago.”

“That’s not a lot of money when you consider all of that,” Sweet added.

The committee is currently researching fundraising efforts to back the costs.

Sweet predicts work will be underway by the end of the month.

Between leaning walls, rotting floors and a cracked foundation, Sweet said there’s no time to waste.

“When I walked in (the church), I felt the floor give under my legs,” he said. “That’s not a good feeling.

“And the issue isn’t the floor, it’s the walls,” he added.

Once the church is made safe, the committee wants to ensure public access to the building. Since no committee members care to bear the administrative title, the church may be offered to the city of Belton.

Sweet wants the church to be as accessible to the public as is the Harris Community Center.

Belton City Manager Sam Listi said it’s too premature in the process to make arrangements.

“They seem to be going in the right direction,” he said about the committee. “We encourage them in their effort. We want to be a partner to the extent we can.”