Christ Church in Philadelphia is a National Historic Landmark, major tourist attraction, and active historic site with multiple church services and a large congregation. Keast & Hood has worked with the church since the 1960’s on the evaluation and strengthening of the building. In 2017, the firm supported the replacement of the 1935 pipe organ. ..

Christ Church in Philadelphia is a National Historic Landmark, major tourist attraction, and active historic site with multiple church services and a large congregation. Keast & Hood has worked with the church since the 1960’s on the evaluation and strengthening of the building. In 2017, the firm supported the replacement of the 1935 pipe organ.

The church has only housed three organs throughout its history. In order to install a new organ, engineers worked closely with the architect and organ builder, C.B. Fisk, to design a support system for the modern instrument within the replicated historic case and building structure. The replacement of the organ included acoustic treatments to the sanctuary and installation of a solid wall at the current arched opening into the tower, along with the design and insertion of a new chair rail at the balcony that compliments the existing organ case.

The challenge of supporting the new organ required the design for supplemental steel framing to fit within the existing depth of the historic balcony floor. The addition of a new chair rail also extended the balcony slightly and thus required the sistering of existing framing to support a new radius at its edges. As part of the new organ’s installment, a new blower room was constructed in the church’s tower and required the infill of the existing arched opening between the tower and the sanctuary for sound separation. The design for the enclosure included the insertion of a new cast concrete beam at the base of the infill wall to allow for necessary mechanical openings for new pipes and mechanical units. Supports for new mechanical units in the tower blower room were also included in the design as well as openings for new mechanical pipping much larger than had previously existed.

The insertion of the new organ and addition of a chair rail constituted a major undertaking for the high profile historic and religious site, but due to close coordination between the project team, Christ Church was able to remain open throughout the project and continued to operate uninterrupted with a service every weekend.

CLIENT: John Milner Architects
LOCATION: Philadelphia, PA

TYPE: Historic, Religious, SERVICES: Historic Preservation, MATERIALS: Wood, SUSTAINABILITY: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Completed project photography © Tom Crane Photography