At a time when many mainstream churches are being demolished or turned into trendy condominiums because of dwindling congregations, a historic and architecturally significant church in southwestern Ontario is going in a different direction.
Designed by Larkin Architect Limited, with structural design by Tacoma Engineers, the Paris Presbyterian Church in Paris, Ont. is being restored and given new life as both a church and a needed community facility.
Overseen by general contractor Robertson Restoration, the large-scale restoration of the 1894 structure encompasses critical envelope stabilization, masonry repair, slate roof replacement, reconstruction of the eaves and the transformation of the sanctuary into a space that is still a sanctuary but can also be a venue for non-religious events such as concerts.
Expected to wrap up this fall, the restoration phase took longer than expected due to material shortages and supply chain interruptions, says Larkin Architect principal Michael Nicholas-Schmidt.
Located in the heritage district just on the edge of the downtown core, Paris Presbyterian has been a town landmark since its construction.
Designed in the new-Romanesque style, it is distinguished by its gables, an upper roof and two “pinnacles” which were once chimneys, but are now a decorative feature, he says.
In the past few years the building has been beset with a number of structural problems. Significant deterioration of the eaves had resulted in extensive masonry damage and falling bricks and, in the process, creating concerns for members’ safety and forcing the congregation to close off entrances and access points, says Nicholas-Schmidt.
“The east wall had been buckling for some time, contributing to the masonry damage above and resulting in the falling bricks.”
A 2017 structural assessment by Tacoma Engineers concluded despite those problems, the building was still structurally sound. Two years later Larkin and Tacoma were retained by the church to conduct a condition survey of the building envelope. A joint investigation by the two firms and Robertson Restoration concluded the condition of the envelope was good, despite the damages and the church’s age, says Nicholas-Schmidt.
Larkin also provided recommendations of which areas to prioritize for selective repairs.
“The entire roof did not need replacement with only a percentage of damaged slates and faulty flashing,” says Nicholas-Schmidt, citing the recommendation that more rainwater leaders be placed around the building to deal with heavy rainfall and snowmelt.
In tandem with those studies was a year-long “visioning exercise” where the congregation evaluated the pros and cons of rebuilding the church or selling the property and building a new one, says assistant pastor Bruce Mann.
“The congregation needed to determine whether repairs and renovations could cost effectively give them a functional facility for their contemporary needs or whether a new property should be purchased, potentially resulting in the loss of a heritage landmark.”
Eventually, the congregation opted for retaining the church and embarking on a project that encompassed not just the exterior restoration, but a plan to renovate the church so it could also serve as a community facility. First step in that mission was a three-month member-led alternation of the sanctuary in 2020 which actually occurred before the exterior restoration.
As the church was closed at the time because of COVID, the design team decided to proceed with the sanctuary work first as it would be “less intrusive” than it would have been if the building was opened, he says.
The project is being entirely financed by the church and the creation of that space has allowed theatrical, concert and other events to proceed, as well as introducing the church to non-congregational residents of Paris, says Mann.
As for the exterior restoration by Robertson, it began in the spring of 2021, stopped for the winter and then resumed again this spring. Some of the work has included taking down sections of the badly deteriorated north and east walls and rebuilding them.
In July, the contractor began removing the old slate tiles on the four-sided upper roof, replacing it with a new synthetic tile roof.
According to the 2019 condition assessment, the roof probably only had 15 years of life left and, since the scaffolding was in place for the restoration of the pinnacles, it was decided to proceed with the removal/replacement, says Mann.
All four sides had to be removed simultaneously or it would have created “structural imbalance.”
Depending on financing, the building of an addition and the renovation is scheduled to commence in the summer of 2023 to meet the congregation’s goal of creating a civic landmark.
In the meantime, some church financed initiatives such as interior design upgrades to the basement are underway, says Mann.
The Paris Presbyterian restoration project is succeeding because the congregation has a vision of what it wants and how to achieve it, he says.
“Restoration projects simply can’t be a case of repairing old buildings. You have to have a vision.”
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