Located in downtown Scranton, Elm Park UMC was made from West Mountain Stone and is a fine example of Richardsonian Romanesque style. Construction began in 1891, but was disrupted by a fire in early-December the following year. With only the outer walls and tower surviving, a second fire in 1893 destroyed the walls and not the tower. Work concluded, incredibly, December of that year and has stood ever since, serving as a community hub for the Methodist community, a Montessori School, as well as the Scranton Live Arts Company, a student run theater company.
Crucially, a leak appeared over the church's prize organ and The Durable Slate Company was brought in to investigate. Besides repairing the chimney flashing responsible for this leak, we replaced numerous Peach Bottom, Unfading Red, and Unfading Green slates throughout the roof and completely replaced the arched metal roof - located above a series of magnificent stain glass windows - with a copper double-lock standing seam roof. (As it happens, the Unfading Green slates are still sooty from the original fire and look black to this day.) Considering, too, the extensive copper flashing, drains, and valleys, Elm Park serves as a lasting showcase of our expert copper work.
May Elm Park serve its community for another two centuries.
