We have begun replacing the clock faces of the First Parish Congregational Church in York, Maine. Formed in 1636, the congregation is the oldest in Maine. The current building was built in 1747, and moved to its position, facing the road, in 1888.
Big Caulk
It is time for this old girl to get a face lift. Her frown lines brim with caulk. The clock faces are simply painted on the flush siding and framed with trim applied directly to the surface. Considering the lack of flashing, the trim has held up well, and we suspect that we will be able to restore and reuse approximately 75% of it. The white painted sides are in good shape, but because the faces are painted directly on the siding, we will have to replace the paneling totally. We speculated that the deterioration of the black portion was due to the increased heat absorption and movement of black painted wood, but concluded that the difference in wear was more likely due to better maintenance of the white portion. It is much easier (if you can call painting a steeple easy) to slap white paint on the trim and outer siding, than removing the numbers for painting, and cutting black paint in around the trim. But we can only apply makeup for so long, and at this point, this clock tower’s going under the knife. Click on the photos below for more information.
