St. Thomas Altar

St. Thomas Church in the DuPont Circle section of Washington, was built in the 1880’s. It was severely damaged in a fire in the 1970’s that destroyed most of the structure but most of the altar at the east end of the nave survived. The damaged altar and reredos were retained and protected in place after the church itself was demolished and the site turned into a park.

A new church building was planned for the site of the historic church, with the intention of incorporating significant architectural elements from the original structure. EverGreene was engaged to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the existing altar stones and reredos—the ornamental wall behind the altar. The team documented their condition, created precise measured drawings, and developed detailed plans for carefully removing and reconstructing these historically significant elements within the new sacred space.

Each stone was measured and its condition noted on color-coded drawings marking good, fair, and poor conditions. A master plan of all pieces was drawn showing the original joints, layouts, and conditions. The plans were then integrated into designs for their integration and reuse in the new church. This preservation-minded approach ensured that important pieces of the church’s heritage would continue to serve the congregation in their new home.