General contractor, Hightower Construction, recounts in video some of the key details of the restoration work on the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston, South Carolina. All the events are presented in chronological order.

General contracting by Hightower Construction.
Cold molds by Hightower Boatworks.
Architecture by Glenn Keyes Architects.
Bells by Christoph Paccard Bellfoundries.
Brownstone restoration by Dan Lepore and Sons.
Cranes and lifts by All Carolina Crane.
The copper archways, finials and gilded cross are by Copper Exclusive.

This video is the property of Hightower Construction and is placed on this site by the gracious permission of the owner. All rights reserved. Please contact Hightower Construction for terms of use.

Administrator’s note:
A special thanks to Jimmy Hightower and his magnificent crew. Your persistence and creative innovation are an inspiration and we are all blessed by your efforts. Thank you.

This video shows details of how select parts were made on the very ornate copper steeple on the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston, SC. Copper Exclusive shows their point of view here through photos and film.

Holier skyline:  St. John’s now 167 feet high to top of its gilded cross

By Robert Behre

Charleston’s skyline was blessed with a new landmark Monday afternoon, as a crane hoisted a new copper-clad spire onto the top of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist.

Shortly after Bishop of Charleston Robert Guglielmone shook holy water on the 16-foot-tall cross, he recalled a recent visit to James Island…

To read the whole story, please visit: http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/mar/09/holier-skyline/

120 Years later, church gets steeple
Posted: Mar 08, 2010 4:38 PM MST Updated: Mar 08, 2010 4:39 PM MST

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) – The mother Church for the Diocese of Charleston finally has its steeple. On Monday, the new steeple was raised at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist on Broad Street, more than 120 years after the cornerstone was laid…  For the accompanying news article, please visit: http://www.live5news.com/Global/story.asp?S=12105396

*Followers of our blog will know that there is no fiberglass in the cross.  The ornate archway or “lantern” directly below, however, consists of a fiberglass form covered in copper.  Otherwise, a fun and accurate news story.

Click here for a quick review of how the cross was constructed:  http://www.stjohnthebaptistcathedralrestoration.com/general/966/the-cross-a-masterpiece-of-disguise/

Click here to review how the fiberglass cold molds for the lantern were built:  http://www.stjohnthebaptistcathedralrestoration.com/general/336/hightower-boatworks-and-the-steeple/

Take a moment to review some of our past entries.  It’s fun to see how everything finally came together!