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Major restoration phase of iconic St. George’s Cathedral completed
Kaieteur News – One of the country’s most renowned of national monuments has undergone four years of major renovations, opening to mass yesterday.
Facelift: The St. George’s Cathedral
However, the work is not complete yet on the St. George’s Cathedral, which has been described as the tallest wooden building in the world.
There is still work to fix the main roof and the need to build a protective fence.
Many would have been gaping at the ongoing works with workers perched at dizzying heights, painting replacing boards, among other things.
Business executive, Carlton Joao, who was part of the team from the church overseeing the works, made it clear Saturday that he was a proud Guyanese.
“I have had the privilege to be a part of a wonderful team which has worked to restore the center piece of our built heritage. We have toiled over the last four years to stay true to the vision of Sir Arthur Blomfield. Sir Arthur designed St. George’s Cathedral over 120 years ago and never came to British Guiana to witness the finished building.”
The official, in a Facebook post, disclosed that the north, south and west walls along with the surrounding lower roofs were restored.
The electrical fittings and lighting were also upgraded.
“The eastern wall was corrected and repainted. The undercroft was cleaned up, the asbestos ceiling replaced and all areas repainted. “
Joao recalled that the journey started under the late Reverend Cornell Jerome Moss, D.D., Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Guyana and “today has ended in splendor under Charles Davidson, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Guyana and Suriname.”
The building and construction team included Marcel Gaskin & Associates as Engineering Consultants; “Mr. Jackson as Clerk of Works, Mr. Tony Lewis as the building contractor; Mr. D’Anrade as the electrical contractor…”
The management team included Reverend Paul Andrew Carto; engineer, Egbert Carter, Duke Gittens and Joao himself.
“We have had suppliers like Iwokrama/ McVantage, Farfan & Mendes, The National Trust, InFab and several others who prefer not to be named. Thanks to all who contributed in some way.”
The executive said that he has been in engineering for 30 years and this has been among the most satisfying projects that he has been involved in.
“The sheer size of the project was humbling. There was so much to learn, so many obstacles placed in the way of completion. God was with us every step of the way and we conquered everything thrown at us.”
However, he said, the work is not finished.
“We still need to fix the main roof and build a protective fence so the Diocese needs your help. Please help if you can. We hope we have made Sir Arthur proud. Let’s continue to preserve our built heritage.”
He urged for volunteers.
St. George’s Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Georgetown, Guyana. The wooden church reaches a height of 43.5 metres (143 ft). It is the seat of the Bishop of Guyana.
It was designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield and opened on 24 August 1892. The building was completed in 1899. It is located on Church Street in Georgetown, and has been designated a National Monument.
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