A demolition contractor began work Monday morning to raze the bell tower section of a long-dormant church building at the southwest corner of Perkiomen Avenue and Spruce Street. Reading officials say the structure is in danger of collapse.
The city’s buildings and trades division reached out to one of its emergency contractors after officials noticed the previously identified masonry problems of the tower of the former St. Cecilia’s Chapel, 1340 Perkiomen Ave., had become acute on Friday, rendering that part of the building in danger of collapse.
The emergency resulted in sections of both streets being closed for public safety. The roadways are anticipated to remain closed until at least Friday afternoon, city officials announced Monday afternoon.
The work was expected to begin Saturday but was postponed due to rainy weather.
Cracks in the upper portion of the tower were ominous as a crane delicately removed the first of several crosses topping the parapets shortly after 10 a.m.
City Fire Marshal Jeremy Searfoss said Friday that officials had kept a close eye on the condition of the brownstone building.
The bell tower’s pyramidal roof fell into the building some time ago, and a crack developed on the tower’s western side.
Drone images showed separation of the joints and spacing between the stones that were aggravated by the seasonal freeze and thaw cycles, he said.
“Because this is a public risk, it is necessary to demolish a portion of this (the bell tower) to get it down to a point where at least it’s stable,” Searofss said Friday at the scene.
Originally St. Cecilia Roman Catholic Church, it was built as a mission chapel and funded by the Heizmann family, owners of the now defunct Penn Hardware Company, according to local historian George M. Meiser IX.
The property is owned by Total Family Christian Center Inc., according to online county records.
Searfoss told the Reading Eagle Friday: “Communication with the property owner has been problematic and almost nonexistent.”
