St. John's plans $2 million in upgrades

From Washington DC

Parishioners at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Georgetown gathered on Friday to kick off a five-year fundraising effort focused on renovating the worship space in the centuries-old church.

The capital campaign aims to raise approximately $2 million to replace the almost 100-year-old pipe organ; renovate space around the pulpit and lectern; and tend to deferred maintenance projects at the 3240 O St. church.

“[The purpose] is to enhance our organ space and our liturgies so that our worship is so uplifting that people will be motivated by what happens in our church to go out … and do glorious things in the world,” said the Rev. Dr. Albert Scariato.

But tackling the project of renovating such an old space, once used by Thomas Jefferson and Francis Scott Key, presents design challenges. To execute the renovation, St. John’s hired Georgetown-based architecture firm Hartman Cox Architects, tasking architect Mary Kay Lanzilotta with melding the different design themes that result from more than 200 years of renovations, including the nine different types of paneling visible in the worship space. Lanzilotta will also bring in a sound system that will showcase the new pipe organ and allow Scariato to record sermons for homebound parishioners.

More here-

http://www.thegeorgetowndish.com/thedish/st-johns-plans-2-million-upgrades