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LEHIGH VALLEY WEATHER

Trinity Episcopal begins recovery

Snow still lingers on the grounds of Trinity Episcopal Church on Market Street as workers from Alvin H. Butz, Inc. work to remove damaged material from the site preparatory to starting restoration efforts.

They are working in a frigid sanctuary without heat or running water. Some of the active work areas have gas powered space heaters. Workers use a temporary toilet at the rear of the building complex next to a 40 cubic yard dumpster. Two men are busy removing damaged floor panels where the pews used to by. Others outside behind the church pile debris into the huge dumpsters.

The pews and a lot of other salvaged furniture are in storage, according to Dr. Rev. Pamela Payne, the church rector for eight years.

On the night of Dec. 26, 2023, a water main in front of the church broke, forcing water under the building with such force that huge 12 x 24-foot concrete slabs comprising the ground floor were heaved up. At one point, according to Greg Wielgus from the Alvin H. Butz Company, the water was five feet deep in the former gym, which had been converted into classrooms for Sunday school. He estimated that the room contained 80,000 gallons of water at the height of the flooding.

Because of the topography of the lot where Trinity Episcopal sits, the water spared adjacent homes in the Historical District from the damage. After flooding the church, the water continued downhill.

Large cracks in wall panels show the results of stress caused by water pressure. Inspection holes were cut in wall panels to allow engineers to check for damage to the brick walls.

There were no signs or smell of mold, as might be expected, because the restoration team had opened up wall panels and dried any moisture to abate mold.

The toilets were shut down because there is no water supply to the building.

Electric space heaters provided warmth in the rector’s office which has been converted into a headquarters for the construction crew.

Rev. Payne said repairing the damage from the massive water leak will cost about $3.2 million.

Rev. Payne and Greg Wielgus from the Alvin H. Butz restoration unit escorted the Press on an inspection of the damaged building which, according to Payne, was built over many years in several phases. She said the main building, the nave, was built in 1871. Payne said she believed the sacristy was built in 1915 and that other additions were made in the 1920s.

Needed demolition and removal of the debris are about finished. Reconstruction may be completed in about a year, according to Wielgus.

“We would love it if we were in here by the end of the year,” Payne said. “It may be longer and perhaps could be shorter. We just have to see.

“The insurance company that we work with is the [national] church’s insurance company. We’re a part of the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem, and so we have a bishop who’s been doing his bishop work [on the project.]”

The pews used to seat about 300 people, said Payne .

“We have 150 memberships,” said Payne, “and our services averaging around 52 or 53 people.” Attendance varies with the weather and the time of year, she said. The United Church of Christ church across the street is currently hosting regular services for Trinity Episcopal.

“Like every other mainline church in America, we’ve known some decline,” Payne said. “We’ve been a fairly stable congregation [at] this level for at least the time I’ve been here. The funny thing is that our church does start to grow but things then start to grow. I mean, like we were starting to grow, right before the pandemic hit, then we went into lockdown like everybody else, and so that growth kind of stopped.

“Then we started [growing] again after [that] and we were showing some growth last fall or the fall of 2023 and by growth, I mean we were having a lot of new visitors. We were having people who were coming to our inquiry classes, and we were moving toward growth.

“Then the building suffered all of this damage, so it’s like every time we do start to grow, something has happened. We’re hopeful that as we move through this emergency and get this settled in and get our building back into good shape that we are set to be a good, stable and growing congregation in the future. That’s our hope.”

Press photos by Douglas GravesOn the night of Dec. 26, 2023, a water main in front of Trinity Episcopal Church on East Market Street broke, forcing water under the building and causing an estimated $3.5 million in damage.
Dr. Reverend Pamela Payne says she hopes restoration work is done by the end of this year.
Rev. Payne and Greg Wielgus from the Alvin H. Butz restoration unit discuss the work progress.
A worker pries up ruined floor panels where pews once were.
Workers haul debris from the church and put it in 40 cubic yard dumpsters behind the ruined church.
What years ago was built as a basketball gymnasium and later partitioned into classrooms stands completely gutted after flood damage buried the classrooms in five feet of water.