Saints Joseph and Michael Church

Union City, New Jersey (1875)

The Building: 
Construction of Saints Joseph and Michael Catholic Church on Central Avenue was completed in 1875. The building is a state and national historic place. On March 4, 2017, a fire started in an adjacent apartment building and quickly spread to the church.

Project Synopsis: 
The church was badly damaged from the 2017 fire and underwent a major restoration project. HPCS USA was called in to assess the plaster ceilings and ribs that support the ceilings. Both were suffering from serious deterioration, some systemic and some caused by the fire. HPCS USA successfully stabilized 12,000 square feet of plaster-on-wood-lath ceiling using the HPCS three-step treatment system featuring CO R-100 Consolidation Agent. The ribs were stabilized with HPCS RE Aramid Gel, an acrylic resin reinforced with DuPont™ KEVLAR®.

Saints Joseph and Michael Church after four-alarm fire.
Saints Joseph and Michael Church after four-alarm fire.
Historic Plaster Conservation Services