A timeless restoration for St. James

A new product will make removing lead-based paint unnecessary.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
HE 176-YEAR-OLD ST. JAMES MEETING House in Boardman Park is getting a face-lift.
The St. James Meeting House is the gathering spot in the township for many weddings and other social events, but age may be taking a toll on the building, which can no longer be referred to as a church because it's owned by a government entity.
Dan Slagle, park executive director, said more than $180,000 will be spent on upgrades to the building this year. The work, he said, will involve paint and replacement of worn parts.
"This is the most prominent historical landmark in Boardman, and this is a project that has to be done," he said. "There is no way you can ignore the deteriorating siding and molding. The meetinghouse is not going to get any better by itself."
One problem
According to Slagle, one of the problems to be addressed in the restoration project is the lead-based paint accumulated on the building's exterior. Slagle said years of built-up lead-based paints have made it impossible for new coats of paint to stick to the structure and has also lead to severe cracking in paint already on the building.
Slagle said the lead-based paint problem could have been addressed by stripping the paint from the entire building, replacing all the painted wood with new wood or by touching up only the "problematic" areas -- in this case, more than 80 percent of the structure. Those options, he said, were not cost effective or were not in the best interest of the building.
A Pittsburgh-based paint company offered a different solution.
Slagle said a new paint product by the Pittsburgh Paint & amp; Glass Co. will be used in the restoration project. According to Slagle, the product, called Timeless, will eliminate the need to remove the lead-based paint or wood from the structure and can be applied directly as is. He said park officials have tested the product on various parts of the building.
The Pittsburgh Paint & amp; Glass Co., Slagle said, has agreed to donate enough of the product to apply two coats to the building. The painters union Local 476 has offered to donate the labor and equipment necessary to apply one of those coats of paint. The combined donations are worth $6,000.
Molding and trim
Another issue to be dealt with in the restoration process is the replacement of worn and deteriorated molding and trim on the outside of the building. Because of the nature of the building, Slagle said, replacement pieces must be specially ordered, adding to the project cost.
Brock Builders of Boardman has been hired to do the carpentry work at a cost of $162,922. Joseph Painting of Boardman has been hired to do the painting for $18,900.
The companies have already started the restoration project. Slagle said the work should be completed by the end of October.
The St. James Episcopal Church was built in 1828 with funds and land donated by Henry Mason Boardman, son of Elijah Boardman, founder of the township. It is believed to be the first Episcopal church west of the Allegheny Mountains.
Saved from demolition
The church, originally built in the late 1820s near the U.S. Route 224 and Market Street intersection on the southeast corner of the Southern Park Mall property, was slated for demolition in the early 1970s until the Boardman Historical Society campaigned to save the structure. The campaign was a success, and the structure was moved to the park in 1972, where it has been a mainstay.
The meetinghouse has become a focal point of the community and gathering place for countless weddings and social functions. The meetinghouse was the site of 245 weddings in 2003.
Slagle said the restoration project had been on the minds of park officials for some time, but consistent use of the meetinghouse and other factors put the plans on hold. He said the work must be completed by the end of October because more weddings at the meetinghouse are scheduled for November.
Slagle said the park has started a fund-raising campaign in hopes of raising $160,000 to defray some of the restoration cost. To date, about $18,000 has been raised.
jgoodwin@vindy.com