Renewing over a century of history
Known as the skyscraper of McHenry County, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Johnsburg, Ill., has been a Catholic gathering place for more than 100 years.
The St. John the Baptist Catholic Church was founded in 1859 but was one of the first Catholic parishes to be formed in Illinois. Immigrant families from Germany traveled here in 1841 in hopes of escaping religious persecution and oppressive social conditions and were ultimately successful in their ventures. Although the church that is currently erect is not the original, it does indeed sit where the original log cabin for it once was and where the second church in the gothic style after that sat, before burning down in a terrible fire.
Rev. Jacek Junak was completing his first sanctioned day as pastor at the church when a piece of plaster fell from the ceiling onto the confessional that he was sitting in. It was then that the community came together to help raise $1.2 million to repair not only the interior, but the exterior of the church as well, which had not had any repairs in more than 30 years. An additional $450,000 was raised to complete the second phase of restoration, which included all the decorative elements like finials, cupolas, cornice, etc.
The problem of this site was one not of design, but of application. The St. John the Baptist Church committee decided that they needed to restore the church, but in a manner that would preserve the antiquity of the church’s immigrant families. Chicago-based Chicago Metal Supply was asked to fabricate the entire exterior renovation that the church required and provide more than 15,000 square feet of copper just in roof paneling. The church committee chose a copper standing seam roof with 1 1/2-inch double lock panels to give the church a “more European style,” according to Junak, who originally hails from Poland. These panels reached a run length of about 30 to 40 feet in some spots on the roof.
Chicago Metal Supply helped cut down on shipping costs by employing their service of on-site portable standing seam roll formers. This allows for panels to be made right in front of the customer to ensure quality and accuracy, while also not costing near as much as shipping would if the panels were previously fabricated beforehand.
After viewing designs of a copper roof, it was decided that Chicago Metal Supply would also replicate the historical decorative finials, spires, cupolas and cornice on the roof of the cathedral. Chicago Metal Supply used cold-mold technology with 20-ounce copper to achieve these fabricated pieces. Chicago Metal Supply also designed a cornice to encase the building but also house built-in gutters to not obstruct the view of the decorative work on the cornice itself.
Junak says the he cannot wait for the copper to start its natural patina because “after several years, the copper will turn green … it will be beautiful.” This patina will further reflect the gothic architecture so common to European countries that the original immigrant families traveled from.
Since the building’s exterior renovation completion in 2014, the copper has in fact started its natural aging process. The building’s roof now appears a dark bronze color that will eventually age its way into the mint green that is desired by Junak.
Not only has it proved beautiful and successful for the people and committee of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, it will provide shelter and beauty for the next generations because copper roofs last around 60 to 100 years.
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Brittany Wyatt is an architectural intern for Chicago-based Chicago Metal Supply. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Architecture at University of Illinois at Chicago while learning the importance of roof design. To learn more, visit www.chicagometalsupply.com.