Schuylkill School Cupola Restoration Project Hits Snags

The ongoing project to preserve the Schuylkill School cupola has hit a snag, another in a long series of issues for those dedicated to saving the cupola.

The Phoenixville Area School District recently sent out requests for proposals for the project, but those bids resulted in a projected cost of $240,000. That bid was just for the pedestal and surrounding area and not for the actual restoration of the cupola, which will be paid for by the township.

Schuylkill Township has budgeted $35,000 to fund the cupola restoration, while the school district has agreed to pay for the stonework for a pad and patio. The plan is for the cupola to rest on a pedestal surrounded by a patio.

Sandy Momyer from the Historical Commission spoke before the Schuylkill Township Board of Supervisors during the Sept. 7 meeting.

Momyer said that the commission recently met with PASD Executive Director of Operations Stan Johnson, Director of Buildings and Grounds Ron Miller, and the school district's architect to discuss how to proceed.

"The consensus was that we went to the wrong people [to get bids]. We went to large builders. We need to go to local contractors and historical carpenters and get this moving," Momyer said.

Momyer said that her purpose at the board meeting was to ask the board to consider splitting up the two parts of the bid, with the district bidding out the stonework and the township soliciting bids for the restoration work.

The hope is that splitting the bid would result in lower bids for both projects.

The issue was also discussed at the PASD board of directors meeting on Sept. 8. Johnson told the board that bids came in high, and noted that the monument is important but would nto be possible at the price quoted. 

"It was clear that contractor did not want to do that project," Johnson told the board."It's not a complicated structure." 

He said school representatives plan to meet with the Historical Commission members this month to map out how to proceed. Johnson said the hope was that the monument could be completed in 2011.

School Board Member Betsy Ruch suggested possibly getting students involved to help make the proposed monument more cost-effective.

At Wednesday's township meeting, Chairwoman Barbara Cohen asked if the Friends of Schuylkill School (FOSS) could do any fundraising to help with the project or if the group could put out proposal requests as a non-profit.

Supervisor Laurie Williams suggested FOSS do a brick paving stone fundraiser that would get the community involved.

Momyer said that was not possible, as FOSS is no longer functioning.

"I think it's sad that you've given up," Williams said.

Momyer responded that it was not a matter of giving up but that FOSS cannot legally take on a project like that.

When creating a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, that organization has to file a specific mission statement with the Internal Revenue Service.

"Our mission was to save the Schuylkill School building. Now that it doesn't exist, FOSS is done. That mission can't be changed now," Momyer said.

Supervisors Jim Morrisson and Norman Vutz both spoke about the board's part in the project.

Morrisson said the large issue is whether the bids can be split, while Vutz expressed concern that the township would be taking over the bidding process on something it does not own.

"The cupola belongs to the school district. Why should we get bids on something that is their property?" Vutz asked.

Morrisson suggested to Momyer that the school district be responsible for putting out both bids.

Momyer said that the greatest concern right now is that the cupola is in a "precarious position."

"The concern is preserving it over the winter," Momyer said.

Cohen asked if the cupola could be moved to be restored.

"It's cost-prohibitive to move it," Momyer said. "It would have to be laid down to be moved," which risks more damage.

Despite the commission's request that the township take over their part of the bidding process, the board took no action on the issue beyond making the recommendation that the commission have further discussions with Johnson on re-proposing the project.

"After 10 years of working on this ... I'll see it through for the commission and the township," Momyer said.