By John Byron Turner, For Iron County Today
For the past three summers I have written many stories about our historic Old Rock Church here in Parowan. You have probably read way too much about all the needed fundraising that has been going on for these three years….well the goal is finally met and the work is complete!
After the many auctions, bake sales, memorial brick placements and ORC Days memorabilia, cash and Venmo donations, and with special thanks to the Anne and Dixie Leavitt Foundation matching fund, the goals for the restoration of the Old Rock Church have been met. So, as of this writing, the on-going theme of “Raise the Roof” is finally completed, along with the exterior painting last year and the straightening of the steeple and now, the biggest project of all: a new roof for an old church and museum.
Back in mid-October, a partnership between local contractors, Pendleton Builders and Stout Roofing Company tore into the old roof of the historic church and began to remove tons of old wood shake shingles, 30+ feet above the ground, working at warp speed. For those of you who have waited endlessly for a contractor to complete a job on your own house, this was a rare treat. As I drove by every day, first, the old shingles were gone, then sheets of plywood beefed up the old structure and a plastic moisture barrier over everything was completed within a week or so and new composite shake shingles began to appear as the old church took on a new look.
For those who are not familiar with our landmark church, the work on it began in 1861 by the original Parowan Pioneers. It took 13 years to complete the work. Forklifts and backhoes were nowhere to be seen back then! The ORC was “The center of the public square” built from local stones and timbers and was used for worship, a meeting hall, school dances and the Parowan class of 1917-18 was taught there. A larger church replaced it in the early 20th century, and the ORC was deeded to the City in the mid 1970’s. It is still the proud face of the Mother Town and now serves as a museum that is curated by The Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. The historical artifacts on display are a time machine to a bygone era.
City Manager Dan Jessen noted to me that the pioneers who designed and built the Old Rock Church were basically boat builders and you can see the influence of that style of craftsmanship throughout the building but especially in the roof structure. Large, sturdy planks are hand fitted with old construction style mortise and tenon joints and impeccable handmade nails are found along with other innovative carpentry techniques evident of high skill levels and careful attention to detail. The planks along with the other lumber used were all locally sourced and of high-quality pine, that even after over 150 years and lots of wind, rain, snow and weather shows almost no water damage or dry rot and are in nearly pristine condition. The rocks show an attention to detail and sturdiness that makes this iconic structure the focal point and gem of Parowan architecture and heritage. The Old Rock Church, built in the 1800’s, and other two church buildings on the public square, 1 built in the 1900’s (built by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright) and the newest building, constructed in the 2000’s, have given reason to coin this town square “the Court of the Centuries” and it is a sight to see year-round, especially at sunrise and sunset!
Each day of the renovation I could see the progress when I picked up my mail at our nearby post office. After a few days I decided to call our City Office to get some details about the ongoing work. Mayor Mollie Halterman was more than happy to help. She filled my phone with dozens of progress photos that she, along with Dan Jessen, had taken from 30+ feet in the air while clinging onto a construction basket at the end of a forklift.
Contractor Larry Pendleton described the roof attachment process to me:
In a nutshell: the 150-year-old roof structure was never anchored to the 16” thick stone walls of the building…it’s a bit of a miracle that the many years of high winds have never moved that enormous structure out of place. So, the workers stripped off all the wood shingles thus revealing the original roof planks (see photo). They cut out 1 section of planks to access the area where the roof trusses touch the top of the stone wall on the east and west walls. They drilled about 24” down into the walls and inserted a threaded rod down into the stone, which was cemented with commercial grade epoxy resin. They then bolted their custom-made brackets to the trusses in 19 spots around the roof perimeter and secured the brackets onto the rods. Somewhere during my interviews, I recall hearing one of the crew confidently declare: “That baby ain’t going anywhere now”. Or as my father, an aircraft engineer, would have said: “I love it when a good plan comes together”.
Thanks to so many people, including all those who donated time and money, contractors and City officials who made it happen, the roof has finally been raised at the ORC. As it turns out the job was completed just in time for the final city event of the year: Christmas in the Country, including: The candlelight-walk to the park, the Winter Wonderland lighting, hundreds of townsfolk caroling at the live nativity and a Christmas variety show at the historic Aladin Theatre. Every year that we have attended these seasonal events it has always felt as if you are walking through a Hallmark Christmas card. This year was even more special because all of these events in Town Square and now featuring our new Old Rock Church looking like a pioneer lady with a new bonnet and serving as an ever-present backdrop for the Christmas festivities that have become such a much-loved tradition, here in Parowan. You are certainly welcome all year round here in Parowan, and maybe plan a trip for next year’s Christmastime festivities.
