Termites, $8.5 Million Spent and $3.5 Million Still Needed: Antigua’s Cathedral Restoration Grows

• Restoration of St John’s Anglican Cathedral in Antigua began in 2010
• More than EC$8.5 million had been spent by early 2017
• Termite damage forced replacement of the entire structural framing
• A further EC$3.5 million was needed, about half of it before services could resume

The restoration of St John’s Anglican Cathedral in Antigua turned out to be far bigger than planned. The Antigua Observer reported on 6 January 2017 that more than EC$8.5 million had been spent since work began in 2010, and that a further EC$3.5 million was still required to finish the job.

The original plan had been to replace the roof and aisles. But termite infestation had caused such extensive structural damage that the entire structural framing had to be replaced. That pushed the total cost of the project to around EC$12 million.

According to the Parish of St John the Divine, the remaining money would cover the “intricate styling, molding and paneling, which distinguishes the Cathedral as an iconic architectural edifice.” The parish said: “About half of that must be spent for services to resume in the Cathedral.” In the meantime, the congregation had been worshipping elsewhere.

The report listed some of the contributions: the government had given EC$650,000 and the Constantinian Order of St George EC$125,000, with the rest of the money raised from other sources.

The story is a familiar one for owners of old buildings. Once work starts, hidden problems emerge, and a roof job becomes a structural rebuild. For a church, that can mean years out of its main building and fundraising targets that keep moving.

Jamaica’s historic churches, many of them timber-roofed and centuries old, face the same risks from termites, rot and storm damage. The Antigua experience argues for regular structural inspections, termite treatment and maintenance funds built up before a crisis, rather than after. Diaspora members who support home churches can help most by backing that kind of routine care, which is far cheaper than a decade-long rescue.