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Old Posted Dec 23, 2008, 6:08 AM
kaneui kaneui is offline
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With the west tower restoration now complete, work on San Xavier Mission's east tower will begin in 2009 and last for three years:



People visiting San Xavier Mission, 1950 W. San Xavier Road, this holiday season will not run into
restrictions for the restoration project. With the west tower finished after five years, crews will
take a break and begin work on the east tower after the holidays.
(photo: Renee Bracamonte)


Scaffolding off San Xavier Mission - for now
West tower spiffed up in time for Christmas

by FERNANDA ECHÁVARRI
Tucson Citizen
12.23.2008

Restoration of San Xavier Mission's west tower is finished - just in time for Christmas Eve Mass. After five years of work, the tower has been restored with the integrity of the church protected, said Vern Lamplot, executive director of Patronado San Xavier. The mission has been undergoing a multimillion-dollar restoration project funded by Patronado San Xavier, a local nonprofit group, that began with the interior preservation in 1989.

The restoration team removed the earlier coating of cement plaster inch by inch on the west tower's exterior, repairing the historic brick beneath and refinishing the exterior surface with a traditional lime plaster, Lamplot said. The west tower's flawless finish contrasts with the original plaster on the east tower, built more than 200 years ago. The west tower restoration cost $5.5 million, Lamplot said, and the east tower will take at least three years and about $1.5 million to repair. The scaffolding that has been the hallmark of the west tower restoration is gone for at least a month, until the restoration crew begins working on the east tower next year.

More than 250,000 people visit the church every year from many parts of the country, and the wear and tear takes a toll on the original structure, Lamplot said. "It's a miracle this place still stands," he said, "considering the damage that was done during an earthquake in 1880, and the mold, cracks and water damage it has had in the past hundred years." Inside, the paintings on the walls, the domes and the overall structure have been fully restored, but conservation crews do maintenance a couple of months each year. "Some of the paintings are gone forever, but we've been able to bring most of them to their original state," Lamplot said.

San Xavier Mission was founded as a Catholic mission by Father Eusebio Kino in 1692. Spanish Franciscans wanted to replicate the Spanish-style churches built in central Mexico, and began construction of the current church in 1783, making it the oldest European structure in Arizona. "This is our iconic building," Lamplot said. "History is contained here: Spanish, Anglo, Indian, no matter what the history is, we have it right here." The mission is at 1950 W. San Xavier Road, west of Interstate 19 and about six miles south of the I-19 interchange with Interstate 10. The Christmas Eve masses will be celebrated at 8 and 10 p.m. and Christmas Day masses at 9 and 11 a.m.
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