St. John’s Episcopal Church, in Sandwich MA, the oldest church on Cape Cod, became a church in 1854 when nine citizens of the town of Sandwich gathered for the first time as a religious society. Almost 170 years later, the church continues to hold worship and prayer services for the community.

Even though St. John’s has been serving for so many years, they needed the help of Barnes Consulting Group to investigate and repair the rotting walls of their chancel; the space around the altar that includes the choir and the sanctuary. The damaged wood was due to water intrusion. Also, insufficient and clogged scuppers allowed unwanted water to enter the walls, causing significant rotting and structural issues.

BCG updated the scupper system and the counter flashing around the stained-glass windows. The new scupper design allows water to move through the parapet directly into the gutter below, so the roof can drain properly and avoid water intrusion behind the gutter and cedar shingle sheathing. BCG was also able to repair the rot and restore the exterior walls of the historic building back to its beautiful original character. The church is now back to “like-new” condition!