Restoration Committee
This committee is focused exclusively on the restoration of St. Andrew Church, a 125-year old architectural and spiritual treasure in Old Pasadena. Proceeds raised at our annual Bach to Broadway Concert raise money for the Restoration Fund.
The current members of the St. Andrew Restoration Committee are:
Henry Buckingham, Chair
Patricia Alexander
Paul Anderson
John Van Dyke
Maria Grant
Jerilyn McAniff
Steve Broussard
Diane Vesga
Edmund Zepeda
Our Conservation Artist
Evan LeGrande Wilson has been our professional Conservation Artist at St Andrew since 1990. He is a graduate of UCLA Fine Arts and his commissioned work includes locations from San Francisco to San Diego as well as international projects in Japan, Chile and the Netherlands. His local restoration works include Los Angeles City Hall, San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, St. Charles Borromeo Church in Studio City and St. Andrew Church in Old Pasadena. Evan has earned recognition in the Los Angeles Times, Pasadena Star-News, Veranda Magazine and Beautiful Homes. At St. Andrew, Evan has worked on our entrance vestibule, our bell tower, our doors and our baptismal font. It is our great good fortune to have Evan as our professional Restoration Conservator.
About St. Andrew Church
St. Andrew Church, an architectural masterpiece built in 1927, was the inspiration of Monsignor John McCarthy and architect Ross Montgomery. The Romanesque church tower and facade are replicated from Santa Maria in Cosmedin, a church dedicated in 1123 and situated in Rome on the left bank of the Tiber River.
The interior of the church is a replica of the Basilica of Santa Sabina dating to the early days of Christianity in Rome. In that church, situated on the Aventine Hill, marbles from many lands enhanced the columns. At St. Andrew's, the Corinthian-capped scagliola columns are the work of Italian artisans of the 20th century.
The altar and baldachin are structured of white Carrara marble, and the mural above, depicting the legend of St. Andrew, was painted by Carlo Wostry, a Venetian master descended of Italian mural painters of the Renaissance.
St. Andrew Church is recognized as an extraordinary replica of Romanesque architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
About St. Andrew Tower
The campanile of St. Andrew Church is a replica of the tower of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome. This church stands on the left bank of the Tiber River in the ancient city amid an area densely packed with Roman monuments of every date. The tower is of the square Romanesque style which endured for 1000 years and was influenced by the emerging architecture of Constantinople.
Originally, Santa Maria Cosmedin was Santa Maria in Schola Graeca a conventicle in the Greek colony. Pope Adrian I converted the conventicle to a church in the Greek custom. Greek artisans who adorned the church were so appreciated that the church name was changed to Santa Maria in Cosmedin...Greek meaning “to adorn”. The entrance of St. Andrew is also replicated from the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. This type of portico was unknown to Romans in the 10th Century but was used by the Greeks as an entrance to their most important buildings.
Santa Maria in Cosmedin as we know it today was ready for conservation on May 6, 1123 on which occasion the date was cut on the table of the high altar. Out of the body of this church surges the tallest of the campanile on the Aventine and the most spectacular of those surviving in Rome at this time.
Founding of the St. Andrew Restoration Committee
Following the earthquakes that occurred during the l970s and 1980s, it became apparent that costly repairs and a number of restoration projects were needed at St. Andrew Church. Fortunately, the Archdiocese would cover the cost of earthquake damage to the Church tower and would pay for some seismic improvements within the Church.
A number of parishioners spoke with the pastor, Monsignor English, to express concern about the proposed work. They wanted to be assured that all work would be done carefully and in keeping with the historic nature of the Church.
Monsignor English invited a number of parishioners to serve on a Restoration Committee. The Restoration Committee began its work by meeting regularly with members of the construction firm working on the Church tower. The Committee also hired its own seismic engineer to assist the Church and to make some additional seismic improvements.
The seismic work was underway but the Committee members quickly realized that the Church was suffering from deferred maintenance. It became apparent that St. Andrew’s faced some expensive restoration challenges.
It was decided to sponsor a fall concert in the Church to raise funds for the needed work. Restoration Committee member, Ann Longyear, chaired the first Concert, which was so popular and financially successful that it quickly became an annual event. All monies raised are used for restoration projects in St. Andrew’s Church.
Here is a list of some of the projects that have been completed using funds raised from the Bach to Broadway concert during the last two decades:
Restoration of our rare and original from 1927 “Deagan” chimes including all new electrical wiring and circuitry, replacement of missing antique component parts, rust consolidation and painting of all metal support components, replacement of deteriorated wooden support members, reconditioning and re-staining of all wooden support beams and cleaning of chime cylinders
Repair the floor damage in top level of tower which included extraction and replacement of embedded, corroded rebar, and waterproofing epoxy coating.
Repair of main baldacchino
Restoration of peeling paint at the Carlo Worstry painting (side chapel)
Repair to Statue of St. Patrick (hand) recurring touch up
Addition of bird abatement spike strips to various locations.
Extensive Scagliola repair on Choir loft Apron.
Repair and refinishing of the tops of the pews
Refinishing of the table tops in the vestibule
Ambo modifications at the pulpits
Replacement of screening in the Tower spaces
Baptistery walls have been repaired and restored
Inappropriate wood paneling was removed from the vestibule walls. Original paintings beneath the panels were cleaned and restored
New tables were designed for the three Church vestibules.
The damaged cast stone balustrade in the Bride’s Room was repaired
Upgraded sound system
Side chapel was cleaned, painted and new light fixtures designed and installed on the walls
Cast stone was carefully cleaned throughout the Church
New carefully designed lighting system was installed around the main altar
Stations of the Cross were cleaned and repaired
Stained-glass windows throughout the Church were repaired
Choir loft was cleaned, repaired, and repainted. New appropriate light fixtures were purchased and installed
New cast stone planters, waste receptacles, and benches were installed outside the Church
You can read more about our annual Bach to Broadway Concert here.