[Source:Fernanda Echavarri, Tucson Citizen] – – Restoration of San Xavier Mission’s west tower is finished – just in time for Christmas Eve Mass. After five years of work, the tower has been restored with the integrity of the church protected, said Vern Lamplot, executive director of Patronado San Xavier.
The restoration team removed the earlier coating of cement plaster inch by inch on the west tower’s exterior, repairing the historic brick beneath and refinishing the exterior surface with a traditional lime plaster, Lamplot said.
The west tower’s flawless finish contrasts with the original plaster on the east tower, built more than 200 years ago. The west tower restoration cost $5.5 million, Lamplot said, and the east tower will take at least three years and about $1.5 million to repair. The mission has been undergoing a multimillion-dollar restoration project funded by Patronado San Xavier, a local nonprofit group, that began with the interior preservation in 1989. [Note: to read the full article click here.]