Stewart W. Skates

While officially semi-retired, Stewart Skates remains a welcome presence in our shop, having helped considerably as we re-outfitted our facility for pipe making and pipe repair in the last two years.

Originally trained in Belfast, Stewart is characteristically modest about his knowledge and body of work as a pipemaker. With over four decades of work under his belt (the majority of which as Pipe Shop Foreman for a major builder in the Northeast), it can be safely said he has forgotten more than many of us could ever hope to know about the forming and joining of zinc and spotted metal. When dealing with restoration projects, Stewart is often the first to be consulted as to what can and should be done on a given set of pipes.

His contributions to recent projects include restoration work on our Opus 178 at Saint Charles Borromeo, and the Hinners organ for Old South Haven Presbyterian. New organ projects have included participation in work on our organ for St. Ann’s Bridgehampton, the United Methodist Church of Westport and Weston and most recently the new façade for Fair Street Church.