SAN ANTONIO – One million pounds of scaffolding fell on the parish house at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in San Antonio during a storm on Sept. 19.
The Rev. Beth Knowlton gave a tour of some of the areas of the church that were damaged by the scaffolding collapse, specifically the parish house.
Gish Hall and Gosnell Hall were both severely impacted by the collapse. Parts of the ceiling have been removed in Gish Hall, and Knowlton expects the ceiling in Gosnell Hall will need to be replaced as well.
Residents stop for pictures as crews clear scaffolding that collapsed in downtown San Antonio
Many windows were broken, but fortunately, all historic windows in the parish house were spared.
There is extensive water damage in many areas of the parish house, according to Knowlton, due partly to the rain coming in through the roof after the scaffolding fell but also because of a large chiller that was located on the roof of the parish house that contained a large amount of water.
Azian Bermea
All scaffolding has been removed, but the full extent of the damage is still unknown.
The children's choir room, choir rehearsal space, staff break room and the kitchen all sustained massive water damage, Knowlton said.
Man injured in scaffolding collapse in downtown San Antonio speaks out
Sunday school rooms for third to fifth graders were also impacted by water.
Furniture items, including a piano, are all being assessed to see if repairs can be made or the items need to be replaced.
Hot air is currently being pumped into the parish house in an effort to help dry out the waterlogged building, Knowlton said.
Tucker Court Yard is the main entrance for the church while renovations are underway.