Workers Remove Steeples from Christ Church

Update, 12:03 p.m.: Crews are working to remove remaining scaffoliding, lose debris, damaged areas of the roof as well as the steeples, according to Dept. of Buildings spokeswoman. The intersection of Clinton and Kane streets will remain blocked off until work is completed.

The church's engineers will then assess the the damage to the building and decide whether to apply for permits to have the steeples be reattached to the buildings roof, the spokeswoman said.

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Four steeples atop Christ Church are being torn down after the building was struck by lightning last week, killing a 61-year-old man by falling debris.

Crews began tearing down the steeples this week, according to NY1, and the work is expected to take several weeks, since the stones must be removed one at a time. In addition, most of the 19th Century bell tower will also have to come down.

A call to Christ Church goes to a recording that says that no one has been allowed to enter the building since the lightning. 

Last week, , and scaffolding and falling debris injured Assistant Attorney General Richard Schwartz, 61. He was where he was pronounced dead.

Patch posted a slideshow last week of the and the damage done to Christ Church.