Page:Bruton parish church restored and its historic environments (1907 V2).djvu/95

 The contract for the mural tablets and bronze pew plates was awarded to the Gorham Manufacturing Company, of New York. The cost of this work has been about $1,500.

The work of restoration was not superficial in its character. It began at the foundations of the church, which were examined at every point around the building, and reenforced wherever necessary, a cement and tile drain being placed entirely around the building beneath the surface of the ground to protect them in the future. While excavating on the north side of the church for the window in the crypt, near the northeast corner, the foundations of the church of 1674 were discovered. The roof and ceiling timbers were thoroughly examined and largely reenforced. The causes for the cracks which had appeared in the tower and church walls were discovered and remedied, and where necessary, the walls were securely bound together by iron braces let into the brick work. The furnace room was largely increased in size for the accommodation of an additional heating plant, and a fireproof crypt was provided beneath the chancel of the church, containing a fireproof safe for the preservation of the old records and other memorials of the past.

The aisles and chancel floor of the church were repaved in marble, the original stones having been removed from the church at the time of the innovations of 1840.

While excavating in the building, twenty-eight ancient graves were found in the aisles and chancel, all of which were carefully examined, and many of which were identified by means of brass head tacks which had been nailed in the wood of the coffin, indicating the name, and date of burial. Among these were the graves of two Colonial Governors and one Secretary of State.

Over all of these identified graves marble slabs, suitably inscribed, were placed. These inscriptions are given elsewhere in this history, and also a diagram showing the location of all the graves identified.

In the west gallery, many coats of paint were sand