Trinity Episcopal Church

Newtown, Connecticut (1870)

The Building: 
Trinity Episcopal Church is a Gothic Revival structure in the heart of Newtown’s historic district. The 1870 church, with its sandy yellow walls and ornate stenciling in plum and teal, saw its last major renovation in 2000.

Project Synopsis: 
Extensive cracking could be observed on the surface side of the plaster 40 feet above the pews. Historic Plaster Solutions (HPS), the New England affiliate of HPCS USA, was called in to inspect the back side. The inspection revealed that the plaster was separating from the wood lath substrate, leaving entire sections sagging.

The building’s management could have taken the modern way out, making inexpensive repairs with Sheetrock, which oftentimes results in a calamitous collapse. However, wisdom prevailed and the decision was made to stabilize the entire ceiling using the HPCS three-step plaster treatment system featuring CO R-100 Consolidation Agent. HPS performed this work successfully and the plaster-on-wood-lath ceiling is now stable and safe beyond the foreseeable future.

HPCS technician working to stabilize the plaster on wood lath painted ceiling inside Trinity Episcopal Church in Newtown, Connecticut
HPCS technician working to stabilize the plaster on wood lath painted ceiling inside Trinity Episcopal Church in Newtown, Connecticut

HPCS Products Used

Historic Plaster Conservation Services