MARIA STEIN — Demolition of St. John the Baptist Church resumed March 30, as crews began a five- to six-week project to clear debris and assess the building’s historic sandstone façade.
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Sunesis Environmental is the lead contractor for the demolition, which will move from the front entrance toward the south end of the structure.
The work follows a devastating fire and the previous demolition of the church tower.
Architects and representatives from the Archdiocese are currently coordinating with insurance adjusters to determine the cost of repairing or rebuilding the structure, according to Fr. Ken Schnipke.
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Clean debris is being hauled to a local industrial park for grinding, while remaining materials are being transported to other local sites.
The façade and decorative trim consist of Berea sandstone.
The material was likely sourced from Cleveland Quarries, a company founded in 1868 that remains in operation.
While the project goal is to reuse the original stone, initial inspections have revealed that this may not be possible due to decades of weather exposure, the fire, and the previous demolition of the church tower.
Project officials noted that repairing the original stone to match its specific texture and color may be more expensive and difficult than creating a new façade.
In that scenario, select pieces of the original sandstone would be used as templates for new Berea sandstone from the same quarry, Schnipke said.
The timeline for the remaining work, including salvaging materials and backfilling the basement, depends on weather conditions and the availability of masons to remove the sandstone.
Once brick debris is removed from the front entrance, Freytag and Cleveland Quarries will conduct a formal inspection to assess what materials can be salvaged.
This evaluation will determine if the façade will be repaired or replaced with new sandstone.
Updates on the church demolition can be found here.
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