Franklin Memorial is a historic landmark church constructed out of the bones of a shipwreck off the coast of North Carolina in the 1890s. The church had been badly damaged by the many hurricanes to hit coastal North Carolina in the 1990s. Complete, Inc. had been hired to replace the roof on a very large building across the street from Franklin Memorial in historic Morehead City. John Minor, President of Complete, Inc. wandered across the street one day to determine if we could be of assistance.
It turned out that the church had been given only $17,000 to repair their roof and restore the interior. John called the insurance adjuster, whom he knew from previous claims, and requested a meeting. The adjuster agreed to review the claim, and within 4 hours of the on-site discussion, the claim was renegotiated to $76,000. With money in hand, Complete began the pleasure of restoring this building to its pre-hurricane condition, with a few extras at the owner’s expense.
The congregation chose to upgrade the roof to the Hatteras shingle, manufactured by Certainteed, in a red color. Complete performed the installation code plus on the 14/12 sloped roof, with the addition of ice and water shield in the valleys and edges. The ceiling had originally been a board-on-board design, but sometime in the mid-1970s, the decision had been made to install acoustical ceiling tiles over the original materials.
Complete brought the ceiling back to its original look with the use of a lightweight veneer replicating the board-on-board design. We added recessed lighting and faux-finished the walls with a golden glazing technique that turned out to be the best paint job ever installed by this company. The floors had been covered with a brown carpet, and Complete replaced the areas under the pews with a hardwood floor to match the wood in the chapel and brilliant red runners down the halls.
Complete was honored at the rededication of this church in 1999, and have continued our relationship with the pastor and the congregation, including responding to evaluate damage incurred when Hurricane Isabel hit the region in 2003. Complete repaired the minimal damages incurred by Isabel without the need for an insurance claim, further reducing costs for this church and its special congregation.
It is our understanding that this church is now a vibrant part of the community and the location for many weddings that would not have been conducted had it not been for the revitalization of their landmark. Pastor Motley wrote us a letter of recommendation, but more importantly, believed in Complete, as we were there for a higher purpose, more than shingles, bricks or carpet.
