Behold, the Glory of Saint Thomas Revealed

Over two years ago, scaffolding was erected on the exterior of the south and east sides of the church, along 53rd Street and Fifth Avenue. The scaffolding was originally erected due to work on the stained glass restoration project, which was recently completed, and which will be acknowledged and celebrated more formally in the spring.

The scaffolding also allowed us a unique opportunity to do a thorough and up close investigation of the stone façade as part of our Master Plan, a detailed building review which we perform once every ten years. Not only did we perform repairs to the stonework but we cleaned every inch of the façade as well. The façade was last cleaned about thirty years ago. With the scaffolding now removed, we can all see the glorious results. And while there are still a few small items to be cleaned and repaired on the 53rd Street side, the totality of the nearly completed project is self-evident. We invite you to take some time to stand outside on a sunny day and examine it for yourself. You might also take note of the new flags flying crisply on either side of the Fifth Avenue entrance.

This project could not have been completed without the hard work and daily attention to detail by Angel Estrada, our Facilities Manager, and the marvelous staffs of Beyer Blinder Belle (preservation architects), Metropolitan Construction and Restoration (cleaning and repair), and Westerman Construction (general contractor). Thank you to everyone who has worked on the project, and thank you to all of our parishioners, friends, and visitors who have endured the project with patience and goodwill. We hope you will agree it’s been worth the wait.

View Photo Gallery of the Exterior