How do you bring an iconic, beloved, 1914 building up to date and up to code while still preserving its historical integrity? Senior pastor Rev. Timothy Klinkenberg will discuss the incredible restoration and retrofitting of Orange’s St. John’s Lutheran Church, at the May 12th, 2016 meeting of the Orange County Historical Society. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 2400 N. Canal St., in Orange.
St. John’s got its start in the early 1880s. Initially, they had 13 members and nine students in their school. As Orange and the church grew, St. John’s went through a couple of smaller sanctuaries before building their current landmark church in 1914. Today, their congregation has 4,000 members, their school has 800 students, and the church building itself is on the National Register of Historic Places.
But along the way, the 1,100-seat sanctuary has gotten a lot of wear and tear, and modern building codes have passed it by again and again. By the church’s 100th birthday, it was clearly time for a major overhaul. A combination of old-school craftsmanship and the latest technology were necessary to improve structural integrity without ruining historical integrity. During that process, some beautiful, long-forgotten features were even uncovered and have once again been incorporated into the look of the church.
The recent work at St. John’s is one of the more interesting local restoration and preservation stories in recent years, and we hope you’ll join us for this educational and entertaining program.