Another casualty of the cyclone season is one of the country's tupuna, the Titikaveka CICC.
Last week, workers removed wooden frames been removed from the historic coral and limestone building.
Most of the frames have been carefully stacked but others are partly broken and already tossed into a jumbo bin.
"There were some in there still with the glass in them," says one worker.
"So I took it home, cleaned it."
He agrees there are concerns about the frames.
"A lot of people have stopped and asked the workers but they say we are only following orders."
No telling how long the frames will be there.
"You better be quick," says one of the supervisors.
"There are no guarantees. A lot of people have been asking for those."
He says the frames have to come out for one simple reason: "they're rotten."
Historical value is recognised by the church authorities, he says.
"That's why we don't paint the front of the church, so that people can still see the workings," says the supervisor.
Are they the original frames?
"I don't know."
A fresh coat of paint is being applied as per the original scheme to the top of the churche's front wall.
"In renovations before," recalls the worker, "we wanted to lower the ceiling because it is too high for us to work on. But the elders told us, leave it the way our ancestors built it."
Are they the original frames?
"Yes."
Was it the original glass in the frames?
"Yes."
Titikaveka CICC is the latest church to under-go modern renovation.
Around the country, many churches are now framed with aluminium, the wooden originals burnt or tossed out.
On a few occasions, some residents have bought the frames to save them from destruction.
Renovators say the frames would be worth thousands if not tens of thousands on the antique market.
Restoring the frames would no doubt cost as much.
At the moment however, yet another invaluable piece of national history looks like being dumped on the rubbish heap.
Members of the Historic Places Trust have yet to make any public statements about the renovations.
If and when they do, it will probably be too late.
1 comments:
I still can't get over it! that timber must still be ok, and like you say, worth alot of money to those in the know, as well as its spiritual value to those who have loved them as part of God's house. do you know what timber it is? why is it that Cook Islanders are bent on destruction...what do we have against wood? is it a throw back to the burning frenzy the missionaries introduced to end idol worship? Trees are just as important as we are (if not more in my books), we breathe what they give us and vice versa...they have provided us with this shelter - a holy house that inspires people every week for years of praise and worship -and yet we are so easy to disregard its true value. I mean apart from the odd falling coconut, a tree wouldn't dream of hurting US - intentionally! Those who love this church had better keep an eye on the Cross on the wall, it might be next, i mean for heaven's sake its wood! someone might suggest "hey, its so dated...just burn it!! and then we can put a nice plastic one up instead". my suggestion is, that those bright sparks who's call it is to renovate by force, had better watch out for falling coconuts!
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