Chapel of the Good Shepherd - Roosevelt Island
Chapel of the Good Shepherd - Roosevelt Island
The repairs and cast stone replacements blend to create the beauty of the Chapel of the Good Shepherd's restored tower.
Chapel of the Good Shepherd - Roosevelt Island
Program Director Ann-Isabel Friedman, President Peg Breen, and Assembly Member Pete Grannis dedicate the restored bell tower and rose window at the Convent of the Good Shepherd.
Chapel of the Good Shepherd - Roosevelt Island
An archival photo from the Convent days.
Chapel of the Good Shepherd - Roosevelt Island
The centerpiece.The Chapel of the Good Shepherd has been a community center for Roosevelt Island residents for the past 28 years, but it was originally built in 1888-9 to serve as an Episcopal mission to the Almshouse on then-named Blackwell’s Island. In 1995, architectural conservator William J. Stivale surveyed the building and identified several
areas of the building that needed repair.
Conservancy Shepherds Restoration
From 1997 to 2002, state assembly representative Pete Grannis and the New York State legislature allocated a series of state grants, totaling $312,000, towards the restoration of Good Shepherd and named the Conservancy as licensee. Since then, the Conservancy has worked with Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC), the State Historic Preservation Office, project consultant William Stivale, and LZA Technology, Engineers on the project. Over the last several years, the Conservancy has donated hundreds of hours of staff time to structure and negotiate the licensing agreement; coordinate city, state, and RIOC review; refine construction documents; publicly advertise and bid the project; redefine the scope of priority work to meet budget constraints; and finally, manage the construction.
Construction Begins
Construction began in July 2003, with experienced restoration contractors Schtiller & Plevy, and is now substantially complete. The major areas of restoration were the bell tower and spire and the rose window on the west side of the building. The brick masonry and brownstone trim of the bell tower and spire were cleaned, repointed, and repaired. The application of inappropriate masonry sealants to the brownstone in the mid-20th century had caused delamination. Fortunately, the deterioration was superficial, and the majority of the stone remained sound.
Delaminated brownstone was composite patched and re-tooled. The top six feet at the spire was dismantled and rebuilt. The brownstone masonry at the spire interior was regrouted. New lightning protection and lead-coated copper flashing and weather protection were fabricated and installed at the apex of the spire. The stained glass panels from the rose window were removed for restoration and re-leading at the Gil Studio in Brooklyn. The masonry surrounding the window will be repaired, and a new exterior protective glazing system will shield the window from fierce winds off the East River.
More restoration is needed in the coming years, including replacement of the existing asphalt shingle roof, upgrades to the exterior storm drainage system (gutters, leaders, and flashing) and site drainage.
