Western Specialty Contractors’ Peoria Roofing branch recently completed a multi-year project to replace the metal gutters and coping on historic St. Mary’s church in Henry, IL. Located at 401 South Street, the Catholic church was established in 1851.
Western started the project in 2019 with the replacement of gutters on the church’s bell tower, plus metal on the church’s front/rear coping. The Catholic Diocese of Peoria was so pleased with Western’s work on the tower that the branch was also awarded the contract to replace the gutters and edge metal, including the historic cornice, on the entire church. All of the work occurred over about six years, as the church’s budget allowed.
In 2022, Western replaced the remainder of the church’s metal coping and performed repairs on a small area of gutter and cornice.
In 2023-2025, Western replaced the remaining gutters and completed the cornice replacement. During the project, Western discovered that the edge metal had been patched many times over the years, and that rotten wood and bad brick were behind it. Western needed to remove two rows of roof shingles to perform the edge work properly, which required crews to install a new drip edge and matching shingles.
“As we uncovered more material, we found more items that needed to be repaired. What could be salvaged was, and any rotten wood found was replaced as needed. Some of the brick was replaced or tuckpointed. Restoring the building to keep it watertight while maintaining its historic aesthetic was our main priority,” said Assistant Branch Manager Jared Osterman.
All of the metalwork was custom-fabricated at the Peoria branch using PACLAD Aluminum Kynar-coated metal and 16-oz copper. Western’s crews started with small sections and, as the customer approved the profile of the metalwork, proceeded to larger areas.
Western experienced delays on the project, including requesting that Ameren move electrical lines near the church for safe access to the work areas, as well as the required brick and wood replacement on the façade.
Western completed the six-year, multi-phased project on budget.
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About Western Specialty Contractors
Family-owned and operated for more than 100 years, Western Specialty Contractors is the nation’s largest specialty contractor in masonry and concrete restoration, waterproofing, and specialty roofing. Western offers a nationwide network of expertise that building owners, engineers, architects, and property managers can count on to develop cost-effective, corrective measures that can add years of useful life to a variety of structures, including industrial, commercial, healthcare, historic, educational and government buildings, parking structures, and sports stadiums. Western is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, with 30 branch offices nationwide and employs more than 1,200 salaried and hourly professionals who offer the best, time-tested techniques and innovative technology. For more information about Western Specialty Contractors, visit https://westernspecialtycontractors.com.