The church at 18th Avenue East and Aloha on Seattle's Capitol Hill was cold, dark and leaky. For nearly seventy-four years, it has been a house of God and a gathering space for the faithful, but the church was showing its age. The windows at St. Joseph Parish no longer kept out the rain. Outdated mechanical systems were inefficient and were difficult and costly to repair.

In response, Fr. Craig Boly, S.J., pastor at St. Joe's and his congregation included a restoration and renovation effort in the church's strategic plan. The intent was to spruce up the church in commemoration of the 100th anniversary in 2007.

News of Fr. Boly's impending transfer to another parish added a resolve to complete the work prior to his departure. It was Father's desire to leave the church in better shape than he found it 12 years ago, and to continue the tradition of stewardship set by preceding generations of Jesuit leadership.

The Church on Capitol Hill

The current church, built in 1930, replaced a wooden clapboard building constructed in 1907.

As the numbers of faithful multiplied, the parish soon outgrew its space, which was expanded a few times. In the early 1920's, the structure was made larger by cutting it in half, moving it apart and filling in the void with more pews. Within no time, even this wasn't large enough.

The limited size of the space, and its modest construction did not reflect the increasingly grand presence of the neighborhood. The church opted to raze its wood frame building, and build a church with lasting power.

During construction, masses were held in St. Jospeh's School auditorium, just south of the site. The church commissioned the architectural firm of Albertson, Wilson and Richardson to design an elaborately-styled gothic house of God. The foundation was poured, and construction proceeded as planned, that is, until the stock market crashed.

Streamlined by Necessity, Great Design Nonetheless

Deteriorating economic conditions forced a halt to construction and a reworking of the original gothic design. A reduced budget led to a more restrained Art Deco design for about a third of the original cost, and the omission of stained glass windows and bells in the tower. The walls were left virtually bare.

Though the project was heavily debt financed and constructed in difficult economic times, corners were not cut everywhere. Ravenna Mosaics of New York and St. Louis were employed to create the stations of the cross and the likeness of Jesus, with patron saints of the Jesuit; St. Ignatius, and St. Francis Xavier watching over the high altar. Mosaics of Mary and Joseph adorn the two side altars. Three stained glass rose windows at the east end of the church were added shortly after construction as the rising sun shown directly in the face of the congregation -- obscuring the activities at the altar.

Fortunately, financial constraints did not seem to inhibit the creativity of the architects or the sense of drama they brought to the design. The tower reaches to the sky in a manner reflective of the Northern Life building completed downtown by the firm two years prior. One enters the church under carved stone crests of the twelve apostles. Upon opening the great brass-clad doors at the front of the church, and entering the narthex, or vestibule, a rather low ceiling contrasts with the external mass of the building.

This relatively confined space also sets up a contrast, adding to the impression of vast openness in the sanctuary. The long center aisle or nave processes to the chancel and original high altar at the far end of the building, though as a result of liturgical changes, this view has been somewhat altered by a new altar at the center of the cruciform and a baptismal near the nave.

Some theorize that the architects accentuated the church's length by inclining the aisle and ceiling height slightly. This also improved the view of the altar.

The architects' innovation pervaded all elements of the design; they used a relatively new construction method. Unlike most other churches of its time, the entire church was to be built of concrete poured into a cast of horizontal boards and reinforced with metal rod. The walls, roof, tower and dome would all be cast in place. Though the church has since been painted inside and out, the outline and wood grain of each foundation board remain visible. At the time the church was built, a trade magazine described it as the largest continuous-pour concrete structure in the world.

Showing its Age

Two mammoth boilers originally served the church, the adjacent rectory and school. After serving the congregation for nearly seventy-three years, this oversized, inefficient and asbestos-ridden system needed replacing.

And there were other problems. Some time in the 1950's, after the church discharged its debt, the remaining stained glass windows were installed. An angle iron window frame system affixed each panel to the concrete walls and to an obscured wire-glass storm window on the outside. Lacking proper ventilation between the inner and outer layers of glass, the angle iron rusted, allowing serious moisture into the building. In recent years, buckets were placed at strategic locations with each impending rainfall.

The stained glass, however beautiful, produced an overly dark interior experience. While perhaps conducive to individual reflection, the lighting was not ideal for hopeful and inspirational worship. After thoughtful consideration and a favorable nod from the Landmarks Board, St. Joe's followed the example of St. James Cathedral and replaced the foot thick concrete dome over the altar with a skylight. The skylight was finished with flashing to match the original copper roofing and the finial atop the dome was restored and replaced.

To some, removing the dome remains a controversial decision. To minimize any detrimental effects of the alterations, and to insure work was completed in a historically respectful manner, the church hired architect Steven Lee. Lee has contributed to the success of renovations at St. James Cathedral and several other churches in the region.

One Thing Led to Another.

Just as work was set to begin, and perhaps due to wind and weather, and the Nisqually earthquake, the tower's cross crooked to one side.

This began a chain of events. One fix led to another problem. The cross work was outside the scope of the original bids and was taken on as a separate project. Inspecting the damage to the cross required the removal of nearly a ton of bird droppings and other debris that had accumulated in roost highly popular among Capitol Hill's pigeon population. Workers balked at climbing the precarious iron ladder, now rusted and lacking the benefits of today's safety standards. To expedite the work, new electrical service needed to be fished to the top.

Upon inspection, the original cross needed replacing. After a new cross was manufactured, raised to the top and installed, parishioners began to notice that things weren't quite right. Due to a miscommunication between the church and a contractor, the new cross was shorter and fatter than the original deco design.

This was a difficult position for both the contractor and the church. The church was adamant that they should stay true the original design, but the contractor eyed the cost of a replacement. To the contractor's great credit, they agreed to remove and replace the cross with one conforming to the original specifications. The cross you see today atop the tower is actually the church's third in that location.

While all the activity in the tower was taking place, the stained glass windows were removed and sent to Issaquah to be restored by Perry Stained Glass. While they were out, the window frames were removed and new ones were fabricated. For a few months, the sanctuary was bathed in a light similar to the church's first twenty years -- before the stained glass. So intense was the light that a temporary window covering was needed for shade. Throughout construction, all the regular functions of the church took place: masses, weddings, funerals etc.

After the windows in the dome were removed, a staging of plywood was placed atop aluminum beams creating a temporary floor for workers high above the altar. After methodical planning and preparation, saws cut around the base of the dome. The next day, with all of St. Joseph School watching, and 11:30 mass going as scheduled in the vestibule, a great crane lifted off the dome. The 15,000 pounds of reinforced concrete, with a 73-year-old patina of incense and candle smoke, was then lowered to the playground, broken apart and hauled away.

Ringing in the New

In September of 2003, soon after the dome work was completed, the first three bells of a carillon of six, cast at the Petit and Fritsen Foundery in Holland, were unloaded from a truck and placed on display at the base of the tower. High on the tower, a notch in one of the vertical columns was cut to allow the tower to accept the bells. Welders constructed an iron frame to support the added weight and motion.

In keeping with traditions of the church, the bells were each given a name. Mary, the smallest of the first three bell weighs 387 pounds. Joseph is 693 pounds and George, named after the longtime school principal, George Hofbauer weighs 1,397 pounds and has a diameter of 39 and three quarters inches. The bells are tuned to the musical notes of D, B and G.

The Verdin Bell Company of Ohio sent a representative to install the bells and the electronic ringing system. He and his wife drive around the country installing bells. St. Joseph's was on his route after stops in the Midwest and before San Francisco and beyond. The system came with a remote control that can activate the bells from a quarter of a mile away or more. Fr. Boly tested the unit from his rectory across the street. The first formal use of bells was also the first funeral service by the church's new deacon, Steve Wodzanowski. The service was for a non-Catholic neighbor who long wished to have his service held at the church.

Neighborhood disruption caused by the new bells was a concern to the church. Ringing was coordinated not to exceed city ordinance. Complaints from the neighbors were anticipated when ringing began. Instead the church received several letters of thanks, and even some contributions in gratitude for the bells. The last three bells- tuned to C, E and G will be delivered in June of 2004 and expected to be installed in time for Fr. Boly's departure.

St. Joseph's is proud of its church. As an outward expression of its faith, the church views its upkeep as a venerable act. The beauty of its design and the work of human hands is a reflection of God. Balancing funds between social concerns and mission verses improvements and maintenance is an ongoing challenge.

All of us at St. Joseph's are grateful for those who came before; the parents and grandparents of current parishioners who left this house of worship. It is an honor to maintain their legacy.

Sources:

Interviews: Steve Derkacht, Clem Felzer, Rowina Bacina

Kreisman, Lawrence, Made to Last: Historic Preservation in Seattle and King County, Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1999.

Special thanks to: Fr. Craig Boly, S.J., Mary Fulton, Steve Wodzanowski and Stephen Lee.

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