project LIGHTING
Modern Lighting Brightens Historic Church Energy-efficient, low-maintenance LED luminaires complement masonry work without spillover.
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inthrop, MA, is one of the oldest communities in the United States and St. John the Evangelist Church has been at the center of the community for decades. As is true for many older buildings, one honestly can say about this one that “they don’t make them like they used to.” Inside the church is an attractive, vaulted wood ceiling, while the exterior boasts intricate masonry and a slate roof. Above the main entrance is an eye-catching rose window designed in the style of European Gothic churches. The church’s bell tower has been a beloved beacon for the community and is visible from almost anywhere in town—at least in the daytime. Until recently, though, when night fell, the bell tower and the rest of the church faded into the darkness.
Let there be light St. John’s congregation wanted to make the church as prominent after dark as it was in the light of day and highlight the elaborate architecture of its exterior. Specifically, they wanted to illuminate the bell tower and the front of the church to emphasize the detailed brickwork and the prominent, backlit rose window. 32
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The church’s building and grounds committee realized they would need a robust exterior-lighting solution to achieve the effect. However, the town is primarily residential, and private homes are as close as 75 feet from the church. The pastor and the project manager wanted the parish to be a good neighbor, so they were determined in their resolution to prevent light spillover to the surrounding community. Additionally, as is the case with most churches, the budget was very lean, so it was important that the solution didn’t send electricity bills soaring or lead to excess maintenance costs. There were aesthetic and design challenges to be considered as well. “The primary question we faced was how exactly could we go about lighting [the church],” said Paul Marks, project manager and member of the parish. “We thought about erecting poles, but that wasn’t aesthetically pleasing and didn’t address the challenge of lighting the tower.” Mounting fixtures on the ground was also dismissed as an option because it would not achieve the desired effect. Marks considered a number of fixtures
