2010
A The church parking lot and driveway were replenished with sand and gravel.
B The fence was reinstalled around the church.
C Bricks were replaced on the church portico.
D The back porch on the church was reconstructed, the new storm door was hung, and the porch light was replaced.
2011
Major projects
A. Repairs to the church following the earthquake on August 23, 2011 completed by the Pitts Brothers
1. Crack under the gallery on the driveway side repaired
2. Damaged sacristy chimney removed
3. Vertical crack beside the sacristy door filled
B. Repair of the duct work under the nave and replacement of the old furnace and air conditioner
completed by Harrie Plumbing and Heating; old oil tank and furnace given to Habitat for Humanity
C. Repairs to the organ completed by Mark Thompson (one pipe still needed)
D. Work in progress by Shenandoah Glass on the stained glass in the gallery
II. Smaller projects
A. Re‐wiring in the rectory kitchen completed by Harrie Plumbing and Heating
B. Graveyard fence completed by the Pitts Brothers
C. Rectory porch and ramp and church ramp painted by the Andersons
D. Rectory back door frame replaced by Rick Chenault
E. Rectory outside wall on the cottage side repainted by Rick Chenault
F. Cottage roof repainted by Rick Chenault
G. Plaque marking the belfry project (2009) donated by David Storke and installed on the outside wall of the
church on the graveyard side; framed parchment with list of donors
H. Replacement of the sacristy water heater completed by Clarence Kunstmann
I. Replacement of the rectory dishwasher with new dishwasher donated by Vivian MacDonald and Steve Price
2012
Major
A. Remove dead sycamore trees on Water Street and grind the stumps
B. Trim dead tree limbs from live trees on the street corner and above the bell tower
C. Repair water line break on the property between the church and Fall Hall
D. Major repairs to the back wall of the Sunday School House where water had leaked in and damaged the wall
Minor
A hole in the church floor under one of the heat registers was repaired
B Downed tree limbs on the fence line were removed due to storm damage
C Yard work was organized and completed with the help of the ECM
D The Pitts Brothers repaired the damaged fence in the cemetery
E Spread mulch (accumulated by stump grinding) on flowerbeds
F Plant mums, lilies, jonquils & Lenten roses where oil tank was removed
G Two new Dogwood trees were donated and planted in the churchyard
2013
Major projects include:
A Repairing the pedals and the trackers on our 1859 Steven’s organ by Mark Thompson, a specialist in Steven’s Organs at a cost of $3900.
B Selecting and replacing the flooring in the kitchen and bath of Fall Hall. (This was a gift of the Royal Caterers of St. Peters.)
C Locate, frame and hang pictures of all former rectors of St. Peter’s in Fall Hall.
D Work with Ron Dobson & Co. in enlarging, painting and making the bathroom in Fall Hall more handicap accessible. (Ron donated the new sink & cabinet as well as much of his time).
E Worked with the ECM to plan a Fall Yard Cleanup Day.
F Spent the whole day representing St. Peter’s and managing the Moon Bounce and Slide at Port Royal’s Charter Day.
G Located bulbs, a ladder & 2 volunteers to replace the 3 twenty feet high recessed lights over the altar in the church.
H Met with a representative of Virginia Dominion Power about the power lines crossing the cemetery. Found the expense of going underground at this time to be too costly.
I Served as the Vestry representative on the Long Term Planning Committee charged with prioritizing repairs needed at St. Peters. Learned that the paint is peeling on the outside window trim at the church and some minor repair is needed there.
J Met with the Pitts Brothers to survey needs in Fall Hall. Found windows in need of repair, one pane missing, storm windows loose & in need of cleaning on the inside, paint peeling off of the kitchen walls, cabinet doors that do not latch and drawers that are hard to open. We also found a board broken in the upstairs floor that should be repaired.
Minor projects include:
A Repair one cabinet that was in danger of falling from a kitchen wall.
B Replace old light fixture in Sacristy.
C Arrange furnace repair in Fall Hall replacing defective blower and capacitor for a total of $712.13.
D Work with Travis Minter in overseeing yard work, spraying the walks, cutting the grass and getting the riverbank cut back in the fall.
E Had volunteer clean and repaint the sign in front of the church.
F Organized and transported food to Football players at Caroline High.
G Purchased 2 additional folding tables with money donated to the church.
H Get volunteers to repair pole light before Christmas Eve Service.
2014
A We applied for a Mustard Seed Grant from the Diocese of Virginia in 2014 which Catherine wrote and $7000 was awarded to us so that we could releather the organ bellows (the lungs of our organ). This is the second Mustard Seed Grant we have received from The Diocese of Virginia in the past four years, in addition to a financial gift from the Diocese that helped pay for our continuing community dinners this past year. Mark Thompson, who runs Thompson Pipe Organ Company in Seaford, Virginia also did the bellows work as well as replaced the pedal trackers in 2014.
B New insulation was installed under the living room of the Parish House.
C Men of the Church painted the white board fence behind the Parish House and part of the chain link fence on the northeast side of the church.
D Hired ALEXCOM (structural engineers) to inspect the church and Parish House because of the leaks and cracks that had appeared recently. No major problems were found but some minor repairs are needed in the future.
E Removed old cork board and installed new covered bulletin board on the right side of the church porch.
F Met with Cleo Mullins (a conservator) and Catherine to look at the Tablets above the altar and discuss the process of preservation and stabilization.
G Hired J. L. Clark to paint the outside of the church removing all lead paint from wood trim and making repairs as needed.
H Organized a fall work day in the church yard with the men of the church cutting bushes and removing limbs & leaves.
I Planted two apple trees and a lilac bush in the yard of the Parish House.
J Formed an alliance with the Northern Neck Food Bank to get fresh vegetables and fruits to supplement our new monthly food ministry.
K Picked up a truckload of food from Northern Neck Food Bank in Warsaw in November and December.
L Continued working with Hunters for the Hungry at Upper Essex Baptist Church taking them freshly harvested deer and picking up packaged frozen venison to deliver to Social Services in Caroline County.
2015
A. Researched and did a study on our utility bills—mainly gas- heat and telephone. Wewere able to reduce our phone bill by over half with the help of Becky Fisher. I have been able to keep a closer watch on thermostats to lower temperatures when not in useand thus save money on heating bills.
B. I organized a team to cut the riverbank this year and saved $800 by doing it ourselves.Thanks go to Johnathan Davis, Tommy Hicks and Roger Key for assisting me.
C Scaffolding was needed for the conservators to study the Tablets and I was able to pickit up saving delivery costs. Roger Key assisted me in the set up.
D A broken heat grate was very costly to replace but Stanley Fields helped by repairing theoriginal grate.
E I worked with the county by locating and getting the septic tank pumped at the Parish House.
F. In July I led a group from St. Peters to do gleaning in the Northern Neck fields for the Food Bank. We picked corn on five hot days. Thanks Becky, Tucker, and Kimberly Fisher, Ed Harper, Jim and Elizabeth Heimbach, Ben Hicks and Cookie Davis.
G Every third week of the month I go to the Northern Neck Food Bank and pickup 500-800lbs. of fresh vegetables and canned goods for our local food distribution (VillageHarvest). Cookie has been assisting me in selecting items and unloading them.
H I thank the Vestry for continuing to support Hunters for the Hungry. My hunt club took several deer to them this year to be processed. I will pick up the packaged venison and take it to Caroline Social Services where it will be distributed as usual. We have donethis successfully for more than 5 years.
I. Painting has continued on the outside of the church. Jesse Clark has about one more hour of painting with a lift to reach the belfry. We have hired him to paint the Parish House this coming spring 2016 at a cost of $14,000.
J. A groundhog burrowed under the Parish House. I was able to discourage him and later filled the hold with concrete to keep him from returning.
K Other ongoing work:
1.Raising the old bell tower and setting it down on concrete. Having it painted &enclose the top so the building can be used as a secure storage area.
2.Finding a roofer to do repairs on the church roof and/or fix leaks on the Parish House roof.
3.Repairing or replacing the metal door going into the Parish House basement.
2016
A We have put effort this past year in doing some needed maintenance, with the guidance of our Junior Warden, Johnny Davis. Work included the scraping and painting of both the church and the parish house, new and improved plumbing in the parish house along with the renovation of the kitchen, the painting of the nursery roof, a new roof on the church, and refinished floors in the sacristy and altar areas.
B With regret, we said goodbye to the old sycamore in the graveyard behind the bell tower. Our worship space got transformed for several months by the gigantic green scaffolding that covered the altar area. Luckily the scaffolding was color coordinated with the church season after Pentecost, the green and growing season of the church year. High up on that scaffolding, Cleo Mullins, Beth Fulton, and the crew of the Richmond Conservation Studio, along with Rusty Bernabo were working magic on the altarpiece, restoring it to its former glory. On All Saints’ Day, we celebrated the completion of this project, made possible by your financial generosity. I believe that our St Peter’s ancestors would be elated to see the care we have taken to restore this part of the church, and I also believe that future generations will continue to be inspired not only by the words on our walls, but by the beauty of those words, the way they glow as the sunlight passes over them throughout the day.
C. More important than the words on the wall are the ways we live out the words as a community of faith. The restoration of the kitchen this past year, planned by Eunice Key, Cookie Davis, Betty Kunstmann and Cindy Fields, made possible with the help of a UTO grant as well as parishinoer generosity, has given us new opportunities for outreach. This summer we had two lunches for those who come to the food distribution, and in December we made soup for people to enjoy when they came to the food distribution. The distribution gives us the ongoing opportunity to fulfill another of our baptismal vows, “to seek and to serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbors as yourselves.” We have also carried out those vows through the jail ministry at Peumansend Creek Regional Jail.
D In February we purchased an “escape ladder” for the upstairs of Fall Hall to use in case of fire on the stairs. One window in Catherine’s office was opened to allow access to the ground. Also in February, the riverbank was cut back by volunteers working with me to save the church the usual cost of hiring this out. Thanks to Tucker Fisher, Chris Fisher, Roger Key and John Gilliland for assisting me.
E In March the roof of the main church building was replaced by Ivory Home Solutions of Fredericksburg after leaks and other damage was noted. This cost was donated by one church member.
F In April the project to restore the Tablets over the Altar was begun. Johnny and men from the church saved money by picking up, erecting and returning needed scaffolding for the 3-month job. This project included plaster work, painting of the gold framing, removing and repainting the 4 wooden tablets, etc. The cost was approximately $50,000 which was generously donated by the membership and friends, and a grant from the O’Neill Fund for the Stewardship of Historic Resources.
G The ECW ladies asked that the kitchen be remodeled to better service our community and congregation. The Vestry agreed and Catherine wrote a grant request to United Thank Offering. It was approved at the local and national level and we received $15,000 towards the project. Garry Watts and Company contracted the work. Betty Kunstmann, Eunice Key and Cookie Davis met with Cindy Fields, the Watts representative and worked on the design and details, adding an additional sink & refrigerator, new dishwasher & stove and a built- in microwave. Thanks to them for a job well done! Thanks to for the many contributions from Village caterers, our ECW and our membership.
H Watts also replaced and installed a much needed new window upstairs in Fall Hall for the “Godly Play” room.
I Jesse Clark of Warsaw completed painting the window trim & outside of the main church building in June. During the painting process it was noted that the exterior tablet on the front porch of the church was in poor shape having been damaged by the weather. It was removed but found to be beyond repair. Cleo Mullins agreed to put a protective coat on it in order to preserve it inside and Helmut Linne von Berg agreed to make a duplicate for the outside.
J We next contracted Mr. Clark to paint the exterior of Fall Hall in July and August.
K During the work on Fall Hall, Blaine Larson, a small local contractor, covered all of the window sills with aluminum and replaced siding and other rotten wood areas of Fall Hall. He also repaired the leak on the roof of Fall Hall.
L In October Jesse Clark came back to paint the roof of the Nursery and repair and paint several windows.
M An aged Sycamore tree behind the bell tower was damaged badly in a storm. It had to be taken down by Bo Seal and the stump was ground up. We now have a nice pile of mulch for use in the spring.
N In December we hired Eastside Glass of King George to replace our old storm windows in Fall Hall with single pane windows. The old windows were not in good shape and some had been already replaced with single panes. The one exception to the single pane storm windows is the new storm windows in Catherine’s office.
O The original pine floors in the Sacristy and in the Altar area of the church were worn and in much need of refinishing. Two members of our church offered to pay for refinishing them. The Vestry approved and Cookie Davis contacted the Jackson Dependable Hardwood Floor Service and worked with the owner on this project. The men of the church and Catherine helped move furniture, books, etc. in and out of the work areas. Cookie is currently working to find proper flooring for the sink area and bathroom in the Sacristy. This will be funded by the Church.
2017
The following St. Peter’s Church property maintenance and repair projects were undertaken during 2017.
A. The “leaning” former bell tower in the church yard cemetery was straightened, repaired and painted. Three vents were installed so that the historical tower is now a first class equipment shed sitting on a poured concrete slab.
B. The large dead tree in the church front yard with a huge bird nest on top finally was blown over during a stormy night. It did considerable damage to our fence which was repaired. Thanks to Johnny Davis and Alex Long for repairing the damaged grounds.
C. A leaking window in the Sunday School building was repaired.
D. Children’s furniture in the Sunday School building was repainted.
E. Three sunken, damaged brick walkways were replaced with raised, professionally installed pavers.
The walkways led:
a) from the church back door to the parking lot; a step was eliminated,
b) from the parking lot to the rectory back door and
c) the patio in front of the Sunday School building.
F. According to recommendations by our County Sheriff Department, padlocks were installed on church and rectory basement doors, as well as on the buildings’ circuit breaker boxes.
G. A keyboard for the padlock keys was manufactured and installed in the sacristy area.
H. Repair/reconstruct church sign from church front entrance. This sign is currently being professionally painted and lettered. Rance Rupp, a woodworker and artist, is in the process of lettering the sign and making it more weather resistant. It should be back in place soon.
I. Sand and repaint church sign post in church front yard.
J. Manufacture and install temporary safe, steel grate cover for the front right heat/AC outlet in the church.
K. Install professionally manufactured permanent steel, ornamental grate covers for front left and right heat/AC outlets in the church.
L. Several other church members were involved in church property improvements, i.e. rectory bathroom and kitchen repairs and regular ground maintenance, flower beds, etc. These individuals deserve recognition for their contributions to our beloved St. Peter’s Church.
M. Patching and painting in the parish house. The “front” door has been repaired and repainted.
N. Currently obtaining cost estimate/proposal for the painting of the interior church and the interior rectory.
2018
MAJOR PROJECTS:
A Painting the inside of the Church J.L. Clark $16,000
B Painting the inside of the Parish House Walter Bareford $8,500
OTHER PROJECTS:
A Purchased 2 additional fire extinguishers for the Parish House
B Hired Bobbie Harrie to repair the heating and AC ducts in the basement of the Parish House and replace some of the insulation
C Purchased an AED machine for the Church (installed by Rob Dobson)
D Had the upstairs toilet repaired in the Parish House
E Accepted the Rain Barrel donated by Cookie Davis (installed by Robert Bryan)
F Removed old damaged bricks left from walk replacement (helped by Ed Harper)
G Removed large tree blown down by storm in backyard (cut up by Robert Bryan and removed to his burn pile with help of Ed Harper
H Hired Jeremy Pitts to remove leaves from the property and cut the River Bank
2019
Major projects
A. Our beautiful property brings us closer to God. Robert Bryan cleared the riverbank and worked on the old colonial road bed next to the church, opening up the river view. We are so blessed with the beautiful view that we enjoy of the Rappahannock River and of the many flowerbeds around the buildings that Cookie Davis maintains.
B. In March the Vestry voted to do repairs to the Nursery building. New windows were ordered from Window World in Fredericksburg to be installed after the roof was repaired or replaced. Two members of the church agreed to cover the cost of a new metal roof rather than paint and repair the old one. Burrus Roofing of King George was hired to do the work at a cost of $6,450. Rob Dobson agreed to oversee the repairs inside and out so that windows can be installed. The roof is now complete and additional repairs will be made soon.
C. Chris Fisher showed everyone the new AED purchased by the vestry and explained how it works. He will give an actual demonstration later.
D. The termite company was called to check the buildings. Some Powder Post Beetle damage was found.
Other projects
A Clean Up Day was held in March. The following things were accomplished:
1 First the chain link fence and white board fence were power washed by the Junior Warden before the work day.
2 Both the chain link and the white board fences were painted.
3 The whole Parish House basement was cleaned out removing trash and plastic bags from the basement.
4 Topsoil was spread in holes around the church yard.
5 The rotten stump on the fence line was dug up and removed.
6 All items collected outside of the Bell Tower were removed and the items inside were rearranged.
7 Gravel was added to the driveway to the Parish House.
8 Later the tombstones in the graveyard and all the steps to the buildings were power-washed by the Junior Warden and the new wind-chime donated by Catherine was hung.
9 Tools were bought from Sears and donated to the church by the Junior Warden to be kept in the Parish House. He immediately tested them by hanging a new bulletin board purchased for the Parish House and a picture donated to the Sacristy. Then new screws were used to secure hymn book holders in the sanctuary.
10 After a bad storm in May, the Junior Warden cleaned the church yard removing sticks and limbs. Earlier three truck-loads of wood was removed from a fallen tree on the property line with the help of Ed Harper. Robert Bryan sawed the tree and allowed us to put it in his burn pile nearby.
11 In November Jeremy Pitts was hired to removed leaves and cut the riverbank. It was also necessary for the Junior Warden to spray the driveway and borders four times to eliminate weeds and unwanted grass.
12 It was also necessary for the Junior Warden or his designee to keep the heat and air conditioning adjusted each week and to pick up fallen limbs as needed.
B. The Pitts Brothers were called about the leak on the inside of the rear left wall of the church. They will come and assess the problem.
2020
Contacted Window World to install windows purchased earlier found there was extreme termite damage, and they were unable to do the installation.
FEBRUARY
Helped with the demolition of the Nursery building after getting Chris Flora to remove the new roof with a crane
Had to decide what to do after the demolition of the building
After much discussion and a number of ideas, it was decided to use the roof and make it into a pavilion.
We talked to three contractors and decided to ask Chris Flora to do this project. I found and purchased a ceiling fan online. Hired ESV, Inc. to wire the Pavilion for lights, a ceiling fan, and receptacles.
MARCH
Had Austin Field install a new lamp on the posts in the front & back of the church.
Had Austin install new motion lights on the back of the Parish House.
APRIL
Chris Fisher agreed to power wash and repaint the ramp on the front of the Church and Parish House. Tucker Fisher, Zeke Fisher and Charles McGuire helped with this project.
Called the Pitts Brothers to replace vents in the Bell Tower that had blown out. They had rebuilt the tower earlier.
MAY
Cleaned yard around area where old Nursery was taken down and removed all old siding from the church property.
JUNE
Robert Bryan and I investigated an organ problem in the loft of the church. We found the problem was not the wiring but the breaker in the switch box. Robert bought and installed a new breaker, and the problem was fixed.
JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER
Sprayed walks and borders with Roundup three times to keep down grass & weeds.
Hired Jeremy Pitts to cut the riverbank and clean leaves, etc. from the church yard.
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER
Assisted in Outdoor Worship helping with chairs and sound system.
Talked to Jason at Bartlett Tree Experts about the cost of lightning rods to be installed on the big sycamore tree behind the church.
DECEMBER
Took windows we had purchased from Window World and could not use to Habitat for Humanity in Hanover.
2021
In the Fall Cookie Davis held a “Plant Sale” at my home during St Peter’s Season of Creation and raised
$400 for the St. Peter’s Tree Fund. I also joined & helped promote two Zoom Programs sponsored by St. Peters…prayer at 6:30 am on Mondays and the Sacred Ground meeting once a month on a Thursday at 7pm. In addition, I shop monthly for Village Harvest and represented St. Peters as a delegate to the Annual Convention in November.
It has been my duty to see that the buildings and grounds are in good repair. This includes both maintenance of the buildings and the heating/cooling systems. Powder Post beetles were found in the church windowsills and the vestry voted to spray both building to prevent continued damage. Contractors are currently working on a bid to repair the Parish House porch floor damage and replace wooden siding on the building that is rotten or damaged. This work will be done in the coming year prior to the painting of the whole Parish House (last painted 2015) which should be done this year.
2022
St Peter’s received a $5,000 grant from the Peter J. Lee Small Church Revitalization Grant in May, 2023 for painting of the Parish House. Jesse Clark was hired for the job and began in July. Some repairs to the parish house siding and porch have been made during the process of painting.
Another capital item was reported in the March newsletter – “The Parish House furnace has been replaced after the old furnace failed during this winter’s only cold snap. Brian Hatfield installed the new furnace. He organized the recovery after termites were discovered in the church. Jim Anderson has adjusted the pew doors on the south side of the church
Loss of trees – We lost the pear tree just behind the Parish House which was over 100 years old. The pear tree was probably planted by the wife of Rev Ware, who served at St Peter’s from 1888 to 1918. She planted an orchard of fruit trees on the church property. This pear tree was probably the last member of her fruit tree orchard, connecting us to the faithful witness of past St Peter’s members. Ironically, we had one of the best pear years this year.
After a storm in late July, 2023, our large sycamore tree now stands as a sentinel with no branches. The branches that remained after the freak storm at the end of July did not have enough support from the tree trunk to safely remain on the tree. The sycamore tree will probably bush out in the spring with small branches and leaves. Meanwhile, it too provides a witness to our past. It is estimated at 200 years old, possibly planted before the church was built.
2023
The Parish House heating system was replaced over the summer and was a planned upgrade. However, the Church heating system failed on Christmas Eve and was replaced in 2024
2024
1. We had 8 men working on a glorious Sat morning, somewhat cool. (Thanks to Ken Pogue, ECM chair, and Larry Saylor, Junior Warden for organizing it). The ECW provided lunch
2. 3 projects. 1 project was completely finished (C), One is a work in progress to be completed next week (A). A third one needs external review.(B)
A. New water pipe from the parish house to the church to be installed by a plumber on Monday, May 13. We need to dig trenches to find the main line from the parish house and prepare the connection for the plumber. The line going into the church needs to be reviewed. Finally, refill the trenches and make sure firm.
B. Handicapped ramp needs painting. Scraping needs to be done. Concern was wood damage. PARTIALLY DONE. Some scraping done but much remains. It is very time consuming! We need a third party to review and advise on the stability of the ramp and whether the ramp can be repaired and life extended.
C. Segment on the fence in the rear graveyard was bent. DONE!