In the News:

Significant Crack Develops in Dartmouth St. Wall:
All normal events to continue

December 5, 2008

Newslinks:
Boston Globe: At Old South, Damage Makes Way for Joy
WBZ-TV "Significant Crack Develops in Old South Church"
Boston Herald: Old South Church cracked by MBTA work nearby
WCVB TV: Work on MBTA Station Caused Crack in Church
Boston Globe: Historic Church Damaged by MBTA

Dear Old South Members and Friends:

As you may have heard, read or seen on the news, the MBTA's work outside
our Dartmouth Street wall has resulted in a serious, through-and-through
crack in our east facing wall. This occurred somewhere around 10pm on
Tuesday evening … at a time in which the MBTA and its contractors were
working at our site. Old South's geo-technical engineer noted the
problem early Wednesday and a stop-work order was immediately
implemented. The resulting crack extends from the foundation to the very
top of the wall and into the ceiling roof. It is viscerally painful to see.

The MBTA and its contractor take full responsibility and promise to make
us whole. In the meantime, we have brought in our architects (who know
the building well) and their structural engineers, along with our organ
builder and geo-technical engineer. (Our stained glass consultant will
be brought in shortly.) A small army of such folk has been in and out of
our building all day: peering, poking, measuring, consulting, advising
and reaching some conclusions. Our first concern was safety.

The temporary results are threefold:

1) We are approved to resume all normal activities in the sanctuary
through the weekend (concerts, wedding, worship), with the exception
that the organ will not be used. The reason to refrain from playing the
organ stems from a concern that its vibrations could cause bits of the
interior plaster to come loose. They are not concerned that the stone
wall will come tumbling down.

2) Over the weekend the engineers will attach to the building ten or so
sophisticated crack gages. These will be affixed at all the areas of
concern, can be read and monitored remotely, and will measure any and
all movement of the building and its cracks.

3) The major through-and-through crack will be temporarily filled to
keep out the weather; the wall's weakest sections may be stitched (not
unlike a medical suture).

Over time this same small army will come to conclusions and agreements
about a more permanent solution.

Rest assured that the very good work that was done two years ago in
negotiations with the T (deep thanks to Rusty Aertsen) puts this
squarely on the shoulders of the MBTA and their contractors (their
insurance not ours) and that they have already agreed to our need to
hire our architects, our structural engineer, our organ builder, our
stained glass consultant … and the bills go to them.

I cannot say enough about Old South members who spent hours and hours in  the past few days at meetings, climbing around the building, talking,
consulting, listening, learning, and consistently advocating our
stewardship of this national historic landmark building. Many thanks to
Tom Bulkeley who is our point-person for the MBTA project and to Lois
Corman who chairs the Operations Committee. Both were in the church
virtually all day today and much of yesterday and Wednesday as well.
Thanks to Roger Burke whose expertise as an engineer and deep knowledge  of the building continues to serve us well. Thanks to Sean O'Donnell who  sings in the choir and who doubles as one of organ builders, for stopping in over and over to see that things were going well. Many
thanks to staff members who came in to help out on days off and/or
worked extra hours: Helen McCrady, Amy Perry, Elias Perez and Quinn
Caldwell.

There is much more to say, but I need to sign off. Please know that your
staff and lay leaders are working tirelessly and strategically to manage
a near-crisis, to handle the media, to juggle building users, to
maintain our regular commitments in a very busy time of year, and to
continue to provide a beautiful safe space in which to serve, worship
and celebrate the deep beauty of this holy season.

Come to the Old South Craft Fair tomorrow, note that our outdoor
Christmas Tree is up and lit, that Gordon Chapel is decorated and that
we are preparing our hearts and minds and souls for the coming of the
Christ Child.

The Rev. Nancy S. Taylor
Senior Minister
Old South Church in Boston
Boylston & Dartmouth Streets at the Copley T
(617) 425-5150
nst@oldsouth.org
www.oldsouth.org

Old South Church
645 Boylston St. Boston, MA 02116
(617)536-1970 Tel (617)536-8061 Fax

You can E-mail us by clicking here: OSC Communications

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