Repairs and renovations to the historic Shepherdstown Presbyterian Meeting House, built in 1836, are now complete.

The public is invited to see the completed work on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 10 a.m. to noon. The Meeting House is located at 100 W. Washington St. (across from the Post Office).

The project was divided into several distinct areas. Each individual project was designed to rehabilitate and restore deteriorated areas of the original meeting house. Great care was taken to retain the structures unique character and historic significance.

One relatively hidden area was the repair and rehabilitation of the bell tower. This consisted of the replacement of most of the original framing members of the bell tower cupola as well as the rebuilding of the bell supports. This allowed for the full operation of the church bell for the first time in several decades.

The circa-1850 limestone retaining wall on the east side was stabilized, with the installation of drainage piping, and the re-pointing of the deteriorated mortar joints. This required the demolition and rebuilding of a significant portion of the wall. The severely deteriorated front entry way was demolished, redesigned and rebuilt. The new design provides a safer and more efficient way to enter and exit the front of the church. Great care was taken to retain the historic architectural design elements. The new wrought iron railings, finials, brick walkways and steps were designed to match those elements of the 1836 structure. On the west side, a covered walkway was constructed to alleviate significant moisture infiltration against the inside plaster and to provide a “weather-protected” pathway from one end of the church to the other. All elements of this new covered walkway were designed to blend with the 1836 structure.

The Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church renovation project was a cooperative effort by many individuals and professionals. Architectural Firm: Rust/Orling Architecture of Alexandria, Va., Mark Orling, Architect and Designer; General Contractor: Waynesboro Construction Company of Waynesboro, Pa., Herb Sandifer, Project Manager and David Kauffman, Project Superintendent; Landscaping by Meadow Farms, Charles Town; Subcontractors: Window Painting and Shutter Installation: Mike Henderson, Shepherdstown; Masonry Construction: Jolliffe Masonry, Hagerstown, Md.; Electrical Construction: Ellsworth Electric, Hagerstown, Md.; Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church Building Committee Members: Paula Reed, John Burns, David Hatchett, Gene Bayer, David Springer and Julia Springer and Landscaping committee: Lucy Gay, Moria Artlip, Tim Artlip and Becky Phipps.