Coventry meeting house steeple comes down to earth

 

by Sylvia C. Dodge

COVENTRY — The steeple on the Elijah Cleveland Meeting House in Coventry was removed with a crane and placed on the ground Tuesday morning.  The work was carried out by Restoration and Traditional Building, a company based in Stannard owned by Jan Lewandoski that specializes in heavy timber repair and restoration of historic structures.

Part of the work on the steeple will include pulling the belfry apart and removing the bell, which is caked with almost two centuries of grime. Dave Barlow, who is the Coventry road commissioner and a member of the select board, will handle cleaning the bell before the belfry and cupola are hoisted back atop the building, work that is planned for late November.  Repair of the church’s roof trusses should be complete by Christmas, Mr. Lewandoski said.

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