San Diego Community College District
PROPOSITIONS S & N PROJECT FACT SHEET History of the “Topping Out” Ceremony The beam and the tree represent one of the construction industry’s oldest customs – the “topping out” of a project to commemorate the benchmark of reaching the building’s maximum height. To discover the origin of the custom, it’s necessary to trace the development of human shelter. At one time, Europe was covered with a vast forest. Those who inhabited the forest were dependent on trees for their survival. The full, low‐hanging boughs provided shelter, the nuts and fruits furnished food, and the fallen dead wood supplied kindling for fires. Because of this great dependence on the forest, people began to revere trees. In fact, trees were the most common deity in Europe prior to the adoption of Christianity. Scandinavian mythology suggests that humans originated from trees and our souls returned to the trees after death, giving each tree a spirit of its own. Humans began constructing their shelter with wood. Before cutting a tree, they would formally address the forest, reminding it of the consideration they had always shown toward the trees, and asking the forest to grant the use of a tree for construction of their home. When the house was complete, the topmost leafy branch of the tree used would be set atop the roof so that the tree spirit would not be rendered homeless. The gesture was supposed to convince the tree spirit of the sincere appreciation of those building the home. As time passed, the early conception of tree worship gradually changed. The individual tree spirits merged into a single forest god who could pass freely from tree to tree. Tress were no longer placed atop the home to appease spirits, but rather to enlist the blessings of the forest god. The three branches on top of the home ensured fertility of the land and the home. The custom of placing a tree on a completed structure came with immigrants to the United States and became an integral part of American culture in barnaisings and housewarmings. Today, the custom is used most frequently on completed structures such as bridges, skyscrapers and other large buildings. Ironworkers have carried on the topping out tradition and consider it their own. While others join the celebration of topping out, it is the ironworkers who are the first to reach the pinnacle of the structure, and it is around this group of workers that topping out revolves. Source: The Ironworker, published by the International Association of Bridge, Structural, and Ornamental Ironworkers, Washington DC. See topping out video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkPou7VmioE&context=C4ac9051ADvjVQa1PpcFNGoDz7UA9d5XTB1ZprLwH6lUEmTyI9ndU=
San Diego Community College District • 3375 Camino Del Rio South • San Diego, CA 92108 Phone: 619.338.6546 • Fax: 619.338.6509 • http://public.sdccdprops‐n.com/Pages/sdccd.aspx
Mesa College Allied Health Education Building – 9.10.2008
City College Career Technology Center (CTC) – 5.1.2009
Miramar College Arts & Humanities and Business & Math Buildings – 12.4.2010
San Diego Continuing Education Mesa College Campus – 11.18.2011 San Diego Community College District • 3375 Camino Del Rio South • San Diego, CA 92108 Phone: 619.338.6546 • Fax: 619.338.6509 • www.public.sdccdprops‐n.com