Looking up while shading our eyes, we stood in awe under the 180-foot-tall ornate spired bell tower designed in the nineteenth century by renowned architect, Edward T. Potter, and the rusticated brownstone exterior with Gothic ornamentation, pinnacles, and tracery executed by master mason, George Maltzberger.
Today, PA SHPO’s Historic Property Inspection Program (HPIP), ventured to Reading, Pennsylvania for a property inspection of the Christ Episcopal Church of Reading (PA-SHARE Resource # 2018RE00954), a contributing resource within Reading’s Callowhill Historic District (PA-SHARE Resource # 1979RE00447).
Additional close-up view northwest towards the Christ Episcopal Church of Reading’s east, primary façade showing ornamented masonry work by master mason Maltzberger. Alex O’Gorman, HPIP Site Visit, 2/13/2025
A prior Keystone Construction Grant Recipient and current HPIP Monitored Property
The Christ Episcopal Church of Reading is a current covenant property monitored by the HPIP. The covenant originated from a 2021 Keystone Grant Construction Grant which helped secure necessary funding for exterior masonry restoration work on the church’s east primary façade. At the conclusion of their grant cycle in 2023, the church began interior restoration work on the ornamental molded plaster and timber framing within the nave.
At the conclusion of a property’s two- to three-year Keystone Historic Preservation Grant cycle, all future project review then falls under the purview of PA SHPO’s HPIP which reviews covenant projects and undertakes consultation throughout the remaining duration of the covenant term. This ensures that properties benefitting from the public investment of Keystone Historic Preservation Planning or Construction Grant funds are maintained in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (36 CFR Part 68, 1995), in particular the Standards for Rehabilitation (36 CFR Part 67, 1990), hereinafter referred to as the Standards.
Lucky for us in the HPIP, we got a first-hand account of this interior restoration work in 2025 which allowed us to positively assess the rehabilitation in accordance with the Standards.
Additional close-up view northwest towards the Christ Episcopal Church of Reading’s east, primary façade showing additional ornamented masonry, pinnacles, and adjacent geometric tracery with quatrefoil ornamentation. Alex O’Gorman, HPIP Site Visit, 2/13/2025
Site Visit and Property Inspection
Upon arrival, SHPO staff gazed up to see the spire and accompanying masonry work of master mason Maltzberger as we made our way into the building. Once inside, we were greeted with a thirty-five-foot-tall scaffolding system that led to a project area above the nave. After a brief introduction to the space and interior project area, we prepared for our hoist up the scaffolding system – we were required to wear a safety helmet and harness that attached to a safety wire. Once we reached the top, we were able to view the project area filled with materials only found in a preservationist’s dream – exposed hand-hewn timber joists, hand-hewn wooden laths, and up-close views of the ornamental molded plaster.
View west within the interior of Christ Episcopal Church of Reading showing the scaffolding system within the nave. Alex O’Gorman, HPIP Site Visit, 2/13/2025
View of the ladder associated with the scaffolding system. Alex O’Gorman, HPIP Site Visit, 2/13/2025
View of Alex O’Gorman, Historic Property Inspection Coordinator, climbing the scaffold ladder with protective gear. John Wood, HPIP Site Visit, 2/13/2025
Rehabilitation Project in Accordance with the Standards
The plaster rehabilitation project incorporated traditional materials such as horsehair lime plaster which was then applied onto wood lath and also used during the recasting of associated ornamental plaster sections. And the timber joist rehabilitation used steel plates, angles, and modern fasteners to secure the deteriorated sections.
View of the project area at the top of the scaffolding system in the nave. Alex O’Gorman, HPIP Site Visit, 2/13/2025
While in the project area, HPIP staff continued to inspect the various rehabilitation treatment methods used in accordance with the Standards.
View of Alex O’Gorman, Historic Property Inspection Coordinator, inspecting the exposed plaster and timber sections. John Wood, HPIP Site Visit, 2/13/2025
The project meets all ten of the Standards for Rehabilitation, but Standards 5 and 6 stand out while assessing the project.
Standard 5 states, “Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a historic property shall be preserved.”
While Standard 6 explains, “Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.”
Additional view of the hand-hewn timber joist rehabilitation with exposed hand-hewn wooden laths. Alex O’Gorman, HPIP Site Visit, 2/13/2025
When evaluating the project against Standards 5 and 6, HPIP focuses on features, finishes, and in-kind material treatment rehabilitations, including the use of proper rehabilitation techniques and historic materials. The traditional lime plaster mixed with horsehair troweled onto hand hewn wooden laths and the same lime plaster incorporated with horsehair pre-cast in ornamental molds successfully re-created the historic in-kind treatment method with associated historic materials. And the method of incorporating the use of steel plates, angles, and modern fasteners to restabilize the timber framing helped rehabilitate the damaged timber joists rather than dismantling or deconstructing the timber framed structure.
View of pre-rehabilitated ornamental plaster with exposed hand-hewn laths. Alex O’Gorman, HPIP Site Visit, 2/13/2025
A Successful Rehabilitation Effort!
As shown in the photos, the rehabilitation work was carefully executed and highlighted the use of traditional historic materials and methods. The HPIP was more than happy to be part of the review process for this project, making sure the proposed treatment methods met the Standards while also learning a bit more about this structure; heritage plaster techniques, materials, and methods; the interior timber framing system within the church; and the architectural and religious history associated with the Christ Episcopal Church of Reading and the greater Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
For additional information regarding Christ Episcopal Church and the rehabilitation effort, see Christ Episcopal Church – Reading PA
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