Posted on: Saturday, December 8, 2001

St. Andrew's to be topped with copper

By James Gonser
Urban Honolulu Writer

The Rev. Rick Vinson, interim pastor, is delighted to see the construction of St. Andrew's Cathedral — a work in progress for more than 130 years — nearly complete. For many, it's the realization of a long-cherished dream. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

There has always been the sense for some that the historic St. Andrew's Cathedral was never properly completed.

With a $1.6 million restoration of the building, church officials hope to make that right, fulfilling a decades-old vision and doing what church designers would have if they hadn't run short on money years ago.

The project, begun in October, includes cleaning and repairing the building's stone exterior, but most importantly replacing a leaky, asphalt tile roof with one made of copper.

The Rev. Rick Vinson, St. Andrew's interim pastor, said construction started on the Episcopal church more than 130 years ago and major work was done in three phases, the last completed in 1958. But at some point the flow of money for the project ran dry.

"What we have now was never the roof that was intended to be put on there," Vinson said. "When the cathedral was finished, the original design was to put on a copper roof, but they ran out of money. They just put up an old-style asphalt shingle kind of thing."

With the roof in dire need of replacement, church leaders decided it was time to do it right.

"We talked about going with the same kind of shingle roof, which has a shorter live expectancy," Vinson said. "The structure of the cathedral will not handle slate or tile, so our choices were to go with the same thing or with copper, which is light and lasts much longer. Looking at all the possibilities, we decided to bite the bullet and make the repairs now."

The church raised money for the project by renting the facility for Japanese couples to re-enact their wedding vows and with donations and a loan.

Vinson said when that the new roof, when completed, will shine like a new penny at first, eventually acquiring a patina from natural oxidation, but it should last 100 years.

"I think the project will bring a sense of elegance and a sense that the cathedral is finally completed," Vinson said. "It has been a work in progress for so long and this is the final big thing to be done."

The building of an Episcopal cathedral was conceived and put into motion by King Kamehameha IV and his wife, Queen Emma, who brought the Anglican church to the Islands in the 1860s.

Kamehameha IV died on Nov. 30, 1863 — St. Andrew's Day — and church elders picked the name to honor his memory. The king and queen are depicted in the huge stained glass window at the makai entry.

Queen Emma traveled to England in 1865 and came back with much of the stone used in the first section of the cathedral. The cornerstone was laid March 5, 1867, and the first services were held in the building on Christmas Day 1886.

The cathedral is a modified French gothic design built in the form of an inverted ship and with approximately the dimensions given in the Bible for Noah's Ark.

Architect Bob Rodin, of Specialized Architectural Services in Kailua, is overseeing the restoration project. He started researching the cathedral about five years ago, looking over plans from the 1958 phase as a guide because no previous documentation exists.

"For whatever reason they punted on the copper roof and installed shingles," Rodin said. "We had the original drawing that showed a copper roof, and the church agreed that was an appropriate choice."

Rodin said a nationwide search was conducted for the contractor, and following a bidding and interview process, Custom Metal Fabricators of California was hired to replace the roof. Western Waterproofing is doing the masonry restoration.

"For me, the job is much more fun because we are using techniques that are centuries old," Rodin said. "We are making every effort not to disturb a single stone."

The scaffolding will remain in place around the church until work is completed in May.

"I'm hoping the project will serve as a symbol or reminder that (the church) is alive and well," Vinson said. "We are not a museum; there is activity going on. When the scaffolding comes down there will be not only be a great sigh of relief, but people will be jumping for joy."

Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2431.