A PhotoScape

Preservation Begins Now!

On Friday, August 15, a special crane capable of reaching

220 vertical feet was delivered to the First Congregational Church of Lee

how do they do that???

The Objective Is
To dismantle the finial and bring it down to go to the shop to be gilded
and
To deliver and install ropes around the spire for the steeple jacks to access and inspect the steeple

A crane that can extend to 220 feet high is brought in from Connecticut a day later than expected because the first one wasn't long enough

Paul, the owner and one of the steeple jacks, prepares to take cables to position and secure the ropes from which the other two steeple jacks will use to make their inspections of the conditions of the steeple paint

The truck is constructed with 4 leveling panels that are extended out into the parking lot, and each one is adjusted to keep the balance of the crane when it is being raised and moved about, also accounting for the load it might carry.

Practice runs are done enough times to seurely demonstrate all the parts moving that are supposed to move and all the parts that are not supposed to move are stable!

Paul reaches the Bell Tower height and the other two steeple jacks prepare to climb the 72 stairs to the Bell Tower and then climb the ladder to the spire.