Greensburg teen's Eagle Scout project revitalizes gazebo at Unity's St. Xavier preserve

A gazebo at the St. Xavier Nature Preserve in Unity no longer has a roof covered in moss and filled with gaping holes.

That’s thanks to the work of Greensburg teen Ty Schlesman, who gathered materials and recruited helpers to renovate the structure as his Eagle Scout project.

The gazebo is located next to Bellbrook, a Civil War-era guesthouse at the preserve that previously underwent restoration.

“We recognized it would be very beneficial to renovate the gazebo,” said Betsy Aiken, executive director of the land trust. “It’s perfectly positioned for educational and other programming at the site.

“It’s a truly large project. We didn’t know how we would go about it when we happened to be approached by Ty.”

Schlesman, 16, is a junior at Greensburg Salem High School and a member of Scout Troop 226 based in Jeannette.

He connected with the land trust through a neighbor who is involved with the organization.

“I talked with the director of the preserve about some of the things I could do to help them, and the gazebo was one of the things on the list,” he said.

Through assisting the nonprofit, Schlesman gained much in return.

“I learned a lot of new skills that I can take away from this,” he said.

That included the organizational skills needed to research and obtain needed construction materials for the project, most of which were donated.

Aiken said the land trust’s goal was to have the gazebo’s dilapidated or missing cedar shingles replaced with ones of a composite material — featuring recycled content and providing increased durability.

Schlesman tracked down a company in Iowa that is co-owned by an Eagle Scout and was willing to donate the shingles as long as the land trust covered the shipping cost.

Schlesman used a discount available at an area home supply store to purchase some items that weren’t donated.

Ultimately, the land trust’s financial investment in the gazebo renovation was well under $1,000, Aiken said.

Schlesman also learned the various steps in a roof repair project — from measuring components of the octagonal gazebo structure to climbing up on it and driving in nails.

“When I become a homeowner, I might be doing renovations and it’s useful to know these things,” he said. “Measuring the exact size for everything was very important.”

Schlesman’s work on the project and promotion to Eagle Scout was recognized in a recent Court of Honor ceremony. Most of the project was completed between June and September of last year.

Once the old shingles were removed, Schlesman and his helpers installed new plywood roof sheathing and a layer of material meant to provide protection against rain and ice before they put the new shingles in place.

Schlesman replaced the gazebo’s crowning cupola that was in disrepair and added a screen to prevent hornets and wasps from nesting there.

He installed a new step at the gazebo’s rear entrance and sanded and pressure-washed the ceiling, railing and decking.

Schlesman, family members, friends and fellow Scouts gathered to coat the completed woodwork with a stain approved by the land trust.

“It’s a weathered olive shade,” his father, John, said of the stain. “It just fit perfectly with the woods and trees all around.”

“We had a lot of helpers that day,” said Ty Schlesman. “Everything went really smoothly.”

The project involved a total of 75 hours of labor.

Ty Schlesman scheduled his work at the preserve mostly on weekends, fitting them around his role as a junior camp counselor and facility assistant at Hempfield Park.

At his high school, Schlesman plays tennis and belongs to the National Art Honor Society, Spanish Club and Interact Club, which is a student affiliate of the Rotary International service organization. Once he completes his education at Greensburg Salem, he plans to attend college and is interested in majoring in education and psychology with a minor in Spanish.

“Visitors to the St. Xavier Nature Preserve will be able to enjoy the benefit of Ty’s Eagle Scout project for many years to come,” said Aiken.