The Church of the Ascension – Parish Hall Addition

The Church of the Ascension – Parish Hall Addition

The Church of the Ascension is a beautiful historic masonry structure completed in 1907.  It consisted of Beaver Valley Sandstone with intricate carvings. Based on our work on prior historic masonry structures Jendoco Construction Corporation along with Marc Liebman, a historic masonry forensic investigator, performed a full masonry analysis of the church, the church tower and the Parish Hall. This analysis resulted in a full-building Masonry Restoration that would clean the years of black soot, re-point the joints with lime-putty mortar, and stabilize failing steel.

In 2001, Jendoco negotiated the Renovations of the existing Parish Hall and the Two-Story addition of an Educational Wing. The 4,700 square foot renovation of the Parish Hall consisted of the kitchen and the Social Hall, with the Second Floor having Offices that were renovated.  The Educational Wing, was a 15,000 square foot addition that consists of classrooms and a Multi-Purpose Room.

In 2024, Jendoco  and Rothschild Doyno Collaborative reunited the once isolated campus buildings with active social spaces. The separated stone Sanctuary and Parish Hall were connected by a dark, constrained hallway. The new connector creates a transparent entry that respectfully highlights the historic Parish Hall facade. The entry plaza is a comfortable and welcoming outdoor space for extended fellowship and neighborhood outreach.

The ascending form creates a clear and welcoming gesture while respecting the existing Sanctuary tower. The light touch of the glass enclosure honors the historic Parish Hall facade. New social spaces unite the Sanctuary, Parish Hall, and Education Wing hallway, facilitating an ease of movement and intersection for the growing congregation.