In one corner of the Christchurch CBD, work quietly continues to restore one of the city's remaining historic churches. Knox Presbyterian Church on the corner of Victoria St and Bealey Ave was severely damaged in the Feb.2011 earthquake. For more than two years, its stood naked - striped back to just its timber skeleton.
This week saw a milestone in the 1902 church's rebuild as the concrete foundations were poured. These will be completed within a month and then work begins on replacing the roof.
The new church will not be a replica of the old, but more a modern interpretation
of the previous. It will be designed to meet 100% of the building code and as a result has bricks replaced with lightweight timber cladding. It's expected the church will be finished by May and open in July, complete with the salvaged and restored 1910 pipe organ.
Funding for the multimillion-dollar project has yet to be confirmed, but would include insurance, grants and support from the Knox Trust. Another $2m will come from trust applications and donations.
The Knox Church restoration should serve as an example to other congregations: no angry debates, no legal wrangles, no drawn-out public angst, just a quiet resolute determination to put a roof over God's children...
1 comment:
This is going to be lovely. My Great grandparents married here on 19 November 1910
http://tinyurl.com/lc6khyn
I wonder if they had the 'new' organ playing :)
Cheers!
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