Gilford Corp.

Scope Of Work

Metropolitan AME is a major landmark of African American heritage and one of the most important religious institutions in the United States. The red brick Victorian Gothic-style church, completed in 1886, was constructed through donations from AME congregations across the country. It is the oldest AME church in the District of Columbia and was placed on the DC Inventory of Historic Sites and the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Walled in on three sides by recent development projects, the church suffered numerous structural cracks resulting from vibrations during adjacent construction. In addition, unknown water infiltration caused extensive damage and a poorly designed internal gutter system also caused water damage to the church’s walls and ceiling. The stained glass windows were compromised due to deteriorated lead jointing. In addition, the building's original exterior metalwork had rusted, and there is evidence of settlement of the church's grand staircase and sanctuary floors.

Life Safety:

Scaffolding with a “dance floor” system was installed that spanned the entire sanctuary so that ceiling work could be conducted in an occupied environment. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing renovations were completed and the sanctuary ceiling replaced with minimal disruption to ongoing Church activities. Use of the “dance floor” also ensured the safety of both workers and parishioners.

Completely new fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems were installed in the sanctuary where none previously existed, and the basement sprinkler and fire alarm systems were upgraded to current code compliance.

Building Envelope:

A critical priority was to make the building watertight to stop further deterioration. Gilford completely replaced the existing open trough roof drains that carried through into the interior of the building and repaired/replaced gutters, downspouts, and flashing.  

Joints in the exterior masonry had weathered and decayed over time allowing ingress of water and damage through freeze/thaw cycles. We removed the existing mortar and re-pointed the entire masonry exterior. A waterproofing material was also applied to the exterior of the brick.