Iconic 77-foot tall Paradise Valley church spire to be preserved
PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. - Crews are working to save a unique piece of architectural history. Ascension Lutheran Church near 68th Street and Indian Bend Road will be torn down, but efforts are being made to save the historic 77-foot spire – a piece of art that means a lot to the community.
"We were contacted by Eric Peterson from Ian who notified us that the church is going to get demolished, so he asked us to get involved with our fabrication company, the guild, to figure out how to salvage it and figure out what it would cost and help raise money to get this done," said John Andersen, owner of 180 Degrees Design + Build.
The spire was designed by William Wesley Peters, the son-in-law of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
The spire is as old as the church, and it has sat proudly on top since 1961.
"It's really bittersweet. My brother was married here, among other things, so I do have a deep connection to this. It was designed by Talas and architects West Peters was the lead architect. I’m very close to the Frank Lloyd Wright group, and it’s a legacy of architecture that I really hate to see come down," said Scott Jarson, a Paradise Valley resident.
The 12,000 pound piece will be taken down in three parts, but it's not going far, thanks to a group of concerned residents who came together and figured out that the spire could be saved and relocated.
"We're gonna preserve the spire and the town of Paradise Valley is accepting the spire, so we're very happy about that," said Katherine Kauffman, Paradise Valley Historical Advisory Committee chairperson.
Happiness found, even on a somber day, knowing a portion of the architectural legacy will live on as a new gift to the town of Paradise Valley.
After our first report on the matter, we received a statement from a spokesperson representing the property owner. The statement reads:
"Cole Mecray, CEO/Owner of Hunt Developers and Timothy Prather, Managing Partner of Hunt Developers donated the funds to have the spire removed and delivered safely to Paradise Valley City Hall. The spire committee was unable to raise the funds to save the spire, so the developer graciously wrote the check."