University United Methodist Church

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    During the process of the church’s restoration, which was complete in September 2009, stonemasons uncovered a time capsule buried by a congregation 100 years ago. The workers were repairing damage caused by the sprinkler system and found the capsule behind the cornerstone.

The piece of history was found just in the knick of time, as the church celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009. The church moved to its current location at the corner of 24th Street and Guadalupe in 1909.

History appeared to be a theme in this restoration process, as the goal was to be able to maintain the historical look of the sanctuary and church exterior.

“This was a great project to be a part of, especially with the 100-year anniversary,” said Kenton Heinze, vice president of operations.

Much of the materials used were from the original project, including limestone and re-used French clay tile from the roof.  The roof was brought to modern standards and many other aspects of the church was restored and protected.

“The attention to detail was outstanding, including trying to match the tool marks from the original masons,” Heinze said.

Completing the project in the midst of a busy city atmosphere presented some obstacles that were overcome.

“The challenges of it were the fact that it is downtown on the corner of the university and there is a ton of student traffic along with trying to get back to the true historical nature of the project,” Heinze said.

He added that even though some of the changes may not be noticeable, the building is in a better state as far as maintenance goes. The restoration process took approximately eight months to complete.

“The sanctuary is now in a great place to be maintained so that they don’t risk losing this incredible historical building,” Heinze said.

The project team included superintendent James Myers; project manager Colin Juren; and architects Ben Heimsath and Sandy Stone of Heimsath Architects.

Key subcontractors involved in the project include Port Enterprises, Ash Masonry and Bauhaus LLC. The church was also involved in the vision of the project, including the board of trustees president Patty Arnold.

“Every member of the team was realistic about the project and committed to being a part of the solution,” Heinze said.  “A lot of people went above and beyond to make sure that the church’s money was spent as wisely as possible.”

The Austin Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) also recognized Braun & Butler for their work on the project.

The church congregation celebrated both their 100 year anniversary and the success of the restoration by burying yet another time capsule to be discovered in the years to come.

“Our congregation buried another time capsule this past September, leaving it for future generations,” said Mardi Wareham, communications director for University United Methodist Church.

Braun & Butler has been in business 27 years in Austin and serves a combination of private and public clients. The general contractor has also worked on Hope Presbyterian, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Austin, the governor’s mansion and a variety of schools. They specialize in historical remodels such as this project. –km