Known as “The Little Church,” St. John Nepomucene Roman Catholic Church in Bohemia, N.Y., was built in 1885 with a new cornerstone for the larger church laid in 1981. In April 2012,, a midday fire ravaged the interior of the unoccupied building. While the fire completely destroyed the interior of the old church, the quick knockdown of the fire by the Bohemia Fire Department saved the historic structure from a complete loss.
An unknown donor volunteered to fund the restoration of the church including replacing the copper roof and stucco façade. Architect Frank G. Relf of Huntington Station, N.Y., originally specified a 14-inch wide 1 3/4-inch copper panel which was later respecified as a 16-inch-wide by 1 1/2-inch-high Englert A1300 Series panel from Perth Amboy, N.J.-based Englert Inc. to qualify for a weathertightness warranty. The roofing company, BB Sheet Metal of Long Island City, N.Y., used 20 oz. copper weighing 1 1/4 pounds-per-square-foot to fabricate the replacement panel for the project. BB Sheet Metal also fabricated all of the gutters, downspouts and components from 20 oz. copper. Englert supplied the copper for the project.
Baschnagel Brothers of Whitestone, N.Y. installed the 3,000-square-foot roof. “It’s a beloved church with a tremendous history. The first Catholics who came to Bohemia established this parish, built this church,” notes Pastor Joseph Schlafer.
Englert Inc., www.englertinc.com
