Dashboard
Overview
With God’s help, Cities Church aims to raise $1.2M in restricted funds to restore the steeple and north transept roof, as well as improve exterior lighting.
Funds raised
$1.2m
Latest updates
July 30: North Transept tuckpointing and stone replacement in progress. North Transept roof repair scope of work under review.
June 17: Exterior stone replacement and tuckpointing is now complete. Copper flashing install in progress. Lighting design underway.
Work progress
History
Learn about the history of 1524 Summit Avenue and how, in God’s providence, it became the home of Cities Church.
What needs to be done?
01. Stone replacement
The original masonry work in the steeple and north transept has suffered significant deterioration over its 100+ year life. Damage is attributed to poor stormwater runoff management exacerbating the annual freeze-thaw cycle, lack of regular inspection allowing for early correction, and improper or insufficient past repair work. Approximately 20% of the tower’s stone is damaged and 10% needs to be replaced entirely.
02. Mortar tuckpointing
Tuckpointing is an expensive and time-consuming process in which deteriorated mortar is replaced with new mortar. For masonry buildings, think of tuckpointing like an oil change for your car — essential maintenance that makes for smooth function and prevents long-term damage.
Given the extensive nature of the deterioration, 100% of the interior and exterior mortar will be tuckpointed to maximize the longevity of the repairs.
03. Roofing repairs
Given the water damage, the north transept roof will be structurally reinforced to ensure soundness, and to allow for a future rooftop A/C unit.
Also, the transept roofing membrane itself will be replaced. Additional flashing and other water mitigation treatments will be applied to the steeple.
04. Exterior lighting improvements
In addition, the lighting around the steeple will be improved to illumine this beautiful structure after sundown, restoring this steeple to its historic brilliance on Minnesota’s most iconic street.
Scope of work
Why now?
Standing 125 feet tall, the steeple is the hallmark feature of 1524 Summit Avenue. The deterioration of the limestone and mortar, due to years of deferred maintenance, requires urgent attention.
Experts from multiple companies and organizations have recommended immediate repairs to prevent further deterioration and the risk of critical failure.
As good stewards, by God’s grace, Cities Church is choosing to preserve the integrity of the structure and restore its beauty as a paragon of Christian symbolism in St. Paul.
Rationale
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. Cities Church is a registered 501(c)(3) organization, and all donations to the Steeple Project Fund are entirely tax deductible.
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Designed by Emmanuel Louis Masqueray and completed in 1912, the 1524 Summit Ave building and its steeple have stood as an iconic landmark on Summit Avenue for over a century.
Helping restore the steeple is a tax-deductible way to preserve the rich history of Summit Avenue and keep our neighborhood beautiful.
Cities Church is committed to stewarding the building into the future. We need help to get the building back to a place where our congregation can sustainably maintain it for future generations.
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With God’s help, we seek to raise funds both privately and publicly. The leadership team and members of Cities Church expect to take the lead in giving sacrificially to this project above and beyond our regular contributions to maintain the church’s operations.
As the impact and scope of this project is larger than just our congregation and its limited resources, we are also asking our neighbors on Summit Avenue and beyond to join us in preserving our historic building. To ensure transparency and accountability, we have set up a restricted fund to receive donations towards the project.
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“Restricted funds” refers to money set aside for a specific purpose or project. Any funds given are legally required to be used for the stated purpose. Every dollar given will go directly to the design and construction costs for the project.
For Cities Church, this also means that our $1.2M fundraising goal is in addition to our regular operating budget.
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The entire project is anticipated to span the summer construction period, concluding by the end of October 2024.
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Any noise-producing work will be performed in accordance with current Saint Paul noise ordinances, typically between the hours of 8am and 4pm.
No work will be done on Sundays so as to not disturb worship services. For midweek events, the site foreman will be notified in advance so they can plan noise-producing work around events.
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Various options, including demolition, rebuilding, selling, and postponement were considered.
All these were deemed impractical, too expensive, or not in line with our mission and vision as a church.
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At the moment, no. All anticipated repairs will not interfere with north transept seating.
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The repair and replacement of damaged stones on the bell tower should only need to be done once. However, as noted above, the repointing work is a cyclical maintenance item. With proper monitoring and maintenance, our design professionals are optimistic that the lifespan of the repointing will be close to 50 years.
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No. The work on the bell tower and steeple is viewed as a single phase, due to the intricacies involved in tasks like removing tiles and erecting scaffolding.
It’s either all of it, or none of it.
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Given our building’s age and the amount of deferred maintenance that has accumulated over the years, other portions of the building’s exterior envelope will require repair and repointing work in 2025 and beyond.
We are currently assessing the scope and cost of work needed with our design and construction professionals. We hope to catch up on all deferred maintenance over the next five years, prioritizing the most critical areas.
History
An 1856 illustration of St. Paul, Minnesota
St. Paul’s Church On The Hill was legally incorporated in 1856 and met at their building in Lowertown for 50 years.
At the turn of the century, the church moved “up the hill,” reusing much of the same materials, including most of the original steeple, stained glass windows, and the statue of the Apostle Paul.
A photo of St. Paul’s Church On-the-Hill, 1912
Led by architect Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, construction was completed in 1912 and the church held its first service at 1524 Summit Avenue.
1524 Summit Avenue sits empty © Bill Klotz, 2018
After nearly a century of ministry, the original congregation closed in 2015 and the building was put up for sale.
Bought by a developer in 2018, the historic property began to see new life. After leasing the sanctuary for two years, Cities Church purchased the entire building in January 2020.
Having completed major renovations in the educational building in 2023, structural issues in the steeple and roof must now be addressed.
