First Congregational Church of West Haven

West Haven, Connecticut (1859)

The Building:
First Congregational Church of West Haven was built on a place called “the Commons”, which denoted common ground for the use of the community. Over the years, the Church has had three separate sanctuary buildings. The first was built in 1719. The second was built in 1851 and burned to the ground in 1857. The third was built in 1859 and is still in use today.

Project Synopsis:
John Canning Co. was called in after a section of the plaster and wood lath ceiling failed. An inspection from the attic side of the ceiling revealed many broken and missing keys & lugs, as one would expect in a building this old. With the assistance of Historic Plaster Solutions, an affiliate of HPCS USA, the 3500-square-foot plaster and wood lath ceiling was consolidated using a variety of HPCS consolidation and adhesive products. The ceiling is now stable and should be maintenance-free for a very long time.

A view inside the First Congrational Church of West Haven, West Haven, Connecticut, USA

Historic Plaster Conservation Services