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Holy
Hill - Restoring a Historic Landmark
Perched high upon a hill in the beautiful
landscape of Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine is quite possibly
the state's most famous landmark, Holy Hill. A United States
and Wisconsin registered landmark, Holy Hill Shrine of Mary
sits atop one of the highest points in the state towering
some 1350 feet above sea level. For many decades this unique
place has been treasured for the architectural beauty of its
church and shrine, the splendor of the surrounding landscape,
the gracefulness of its religious significance, and, in the
end, the awe inspiring convergence of these elements at a
single place on earth.
There
are a number of other interesting points of history worthwhile
mentioning. Earlier a French native had inhabited this
area and raised a cross upon the hill, dedicating it as
holy ground. Many of the original settlers in the area
were immigrants of Ireland who founded the nearby Town
of Erin. Though distant from the Lake Michigan coastline,
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers erected an observatory
on this site to map out the coastline during the 1870's.
Since becoming home to the Discaled Carmelite Friars,
many have visited and made pilgrimage to Holy Hill as
a special place. Today, people arriving by tour bus on
almost a daily basis frequent the grounds.
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Dedicated in 1920, it became necessary to
provide for the interior and exterior renovation of this facility
so that generations to come could continue to enjoy its grand
beauty. Due to the gradual effects of the area's harsh environment,
exterior leaks had become all too evident in the facility's
interior. Damage to ceilings and walls had become commonplace,
eventually requiring renovation of both its interior and exterior
construction. Given the significance of this project, historically
and financially, former Wisconsin Governor Tommy G. Thompson
assisted in the appointment of a special oversight committee
consisting of locally prominent leaders.
The first priority was to reestablish the
facility's watertight exterior.This phase began with the assistance
of the engineering firm of Structural Research, Inc. (SRI)
from Madison, Wisconsin, who spent more than a year's time
analyzing existing conditions and developing specifications
to renovate the exterior. Led by Rene Dupuis, SRI is nationally
renowned in all matters concerning roofing design, specification
and problem analysis. This large-scale project would entail
replacement of the existing roof assembly, extensive copper
sheet metal replacement and repairs, masonry restoration and
painting. To scale the heights of this facility, the entire
exterior would also require complex scaffolding.
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F.J.A. Christiansen Roofing was honored to be chosen as
the Prime Contractor for the first restoration phase of
this sacred facility. Past experience was proven to be
helpful as we had been involved with other complex exterior
restoration projects.Two such examples included the historical
renovations for the large copper dome of the Basilica
of St. Josaphat, and the United States Courthouse, both
located in Milwaukee. Projects such as these have stood
testament to highly skilled copper craftsmanship, as well
as a keen ability to select and coordinate qualified crafts
in a complex, large-scale setting.
The selection of qualified partners to handle certain
aspects of the project was of vital importance.Through
a lengthy process, we ultimately selected the following
subcontractors that have a demonstrated history of success
in handling projects of this nature: Vande Hey Roofing,
Patent Construction Systems, Statz Restoration, and
Hess Sweitzer.
The production began with the installation of the scaffolding.
This occurred promptly in April as the Carmelite Friars
had expressed their desire to complete the exterior
renovation by this winter. Due to the unpredictability
of weather and wind conditions high above this hilltop,
proper scaffolding was critically important. Scaffolding
ultimately would be one of the most visible aspects
of this project, as scaffolding crews were found on-site
daily erecting and dismantling various areas of the
scaffolding structure.
Scaffolding was necessary not only to reach the highest
rooftop heights of this building, but also to scale the
many sides of the church and shrine for the masonry restoration.
Safety precautions required that the layout of scaffolding
be engineered beforehand. To secure its stability, the
scaffolding was double-tied to the exterior wall and a
number of steel beams were also installed to support the
scaffolding as it reached the soaring heights of the observatory
and bell towers. Coordination was particularly key as
the entire project would depend upon initial placement
of scaffolding and building areas that would be available
or unavailable depending upon the subsequent placement
and dismantling of the scaffolding structure. Roof replacement
began once the scaffolding was set. Initially, this required
the removal of the original 80-year old asbestos slate
roof materials and underlayment.
Now, moving the clock 80 years forward,
this facility would benefit from the latest technology
in underlayment materials and a natural slate tile as
old as the ages. The underlayment consisted of Grace
Ice and Water Shield at all eaves and valleys, and Performance
Roof Systems' Derbibase modified bitumen product installed
in a two-ply fashion. Installed by craftsmen, a slate
shingle roof protects the top of this sacred building.
This particular material was selected from a natural
slate-producing quarry in Vermont.
Sheet metal craftsmen from Christiansen tied in the
slate roof through intricate copper gutters and conductors,
fascia and soffit details, valleys and flat-seam copper
panel roof areas. For the most part, this involved removing
of existing green patina copper materials and replicating
these difficult details with shiny new copper materials.
One notable exception was the large spire located high
above the Church. Due to years of wear and tear, the
myriad of joints in the spire seams had given way and
allowed water to seep into the building. All seams were
cleaned and re-caulked and a deck area located above
the attic space below was reroofed with a cold-applied
Derbigum roof. This interior area was particularly difficult
to reach as it required all materials to be traversed
across an attic beam located above the upper church
ceiling.
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Through the dedication of all involved with
this once-in-a-lifetime renovation, Holy Hill Shrine of Mary
will continue to stand as a sacred landmark. While many may
challenge that today's buildings are no longer created with
old world craftsmanship, Holy Hill will serve as a testament
that old world craftsmanship can certainly be found in the
restoration of this historic place. The exterior renovation
allows the Carmelite Friars to proceed with the large interior
renovation as their final phase. With exceptional results
in safety and quality of installation, the scaffolding and
craftsmen now descend from the heights of this magnificent
structure. Although Holy Hill has become accustomed to the
many companions that have scaled her exterior over the past
months, generations to come can now enjoy her gracious presence
as she soars above this beautiful hilltop.
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