Historic Restoration

Owner:

Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church

Design:

Waggonner & Ball Architects

Size:

December 2008

Budget:

$5,200,000

Completion:

Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church

Based on the previous historic restoration that Woodward Design+Build had performed, Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church once again turned to Woodward after the church was severely damaged during Hurricane Katrina. During the strom,the original masonry steeple was blown over on the roof of the church. Bricks broke through the roof and ceiling down into the church itself. This also damaged the air conditioning system, interior chandeliers, pews and wood flooring.
Woodward’s scope of work included rebuilding broken roof trusses, reframing the roof, sheath the roof, and replacing the slate tiles. A new steeple was rebuilt with a new steel frame, sheathed, reslated, and new millwork louvres and windows were completed. The bricks were made specially in North Carolina. The clay color in this area of North Carolina matched the exising brick, which was a blend of 5 shades. In addition, 14 different shaped bricks were required. Special molds were made from some old bricks and new ones were fabricated.
The damaged wooden pews were also sent to a specialist in North Carolina to be rebuilt and refinished. Wood floors were refinished, new chandeliers installed, the interior was repainted after replastering of cracks in the walls and a new air conditioning system was installed. The project team at Woodward took great pride in the restoration of this historic church and New Orleans landmark built in 1875.