Preservation of the chapel is nearing completion but there is still a lot we need to do - STAY TUNED TO WATCH THE PROGRESS!
To those who have already given to this project, You once again have our extreme gratitude.
February 25th, 2011 OFFICIAL OPEN HOUSE!!
The official open house has been announced! SATURDAY, MAY 21st at 1:00 p.m.
Mark your calendars. There will be a program with an ice cream social to follow.
December 15th, 2010 The Work Continues On
The electricians are doing the rough in and the furnace/air conditioning install will be in by the end of next week. This week, we are installing window sash and the storms are in place. The front door frame is installed. For now, it will have a temporary door so as not to ding up the new door that we have stained and sealed. Insulation happens on the 20th and then we are ready for sheetrock, tape and texture. As weather permits, the back ADA ramp will go in next week. Floor patching continues, also. I’ve attached a photo of how the exterior looks today.
More later--Wayne.
Please click photo once to enlarge and double click to reduce it.
September 22nd, 2010 Restoration Update
With the successful open house behind us, work continues and changes are evident every week. As usual, with this type of restoration, almost every new phase of the work reveals a new twist that requires a solution. A previous one was the detail on the corner boards which was solved using the old molding plane. Those corner pieces are complete and ready for primer and installation when the siding is complete.
One of the latest twists was the discovery that fir flooring, the same width as the existing, is not available. Fortunately, we were able to order stock boards and then mill them to match the tongue and groove profile and width that is on the older flooring. Those replacement pieces are now made and being installed on rain days.
The deteriorated cedar shingles have been removed from the steeple and are being replaced with new ones. The functional south louver on the steeple and the 2 decorative ones on the east and west have been replaced with new ones that were built in our shop to exactly match the old louvers.
The electrical service has been trenched in to its new location on the back of the building. The new panel will be in the old kitchen area, on the north wall. Electrical rough-in will most likely start in a couple of weeks.
Prior to that, we will need to string line the ceiling planes and do some shimming here and there so that the ceiling won’t have the whoop tee do’s that had developed over time. The large, half circle windows that will be re-installed over the front door and over the large, three section windows have been re-built and are being primed and first coated.
The radius crown molding on the old windows was too far gone to re-use so a new cutter has been ordered for one of our molding machines. When we have that, the new moldings can be made and applied. The rest of the windows have been re-built and first coat painting is almost complete. That work is being completed in our paint room so that the windows will have a protective paint coat prior to installation.
The windows will most likely be installed in about 2 weeks, or so and storm windows have been ordered. The old storms and screens were no where to be found. The new storms will be a wood combination type that will look fairly original and help make the building more energy efficient.
In that regard, the interior of the foundation was also covered with spray foam insulation and a vapor barrier was laid over the dirt floor. This process will reduce the amount of condensation that has a tendency to occur in the crawl space and also serves as a radon barrier.
The bell is patiently waiting to be moved to its permanent location in the belfry. That will happen as soon as that space is insulated and has had sheeting applied to the walls. In addition to the bell, this space will contain the furnace.
Please click photo once to enlarge and double click to reduce it.
It has been an interesting week to say the least! The feature spider is not the only one roaming around the place looking for a meal, one of her family members was spotted hanging out in places we least expected. It is a huge female Wolf spider and the males are larger yet. They are not aggressive.
The crews have been hearing bats squeaking since we started and we have now eliminated some of their hangouts without harming the bats. The little devils eat tons of bugs and are now lurking in the adjacent woods hoping we don’t seal the belfry and steeple up too tight. I am sure they would like to call those areas home again. When we are done with the renovation work it would be a long cold night hanging from the now open ceiling of the steeple.
Work continues in our shop on the window repair. The pews are refinished and stored for future installation. We also milled new siding pieces to the same profile as the existing. These will be used for repair in areas where the siding is past salvage.
The roof truss repair work is about complete. The repair involved adding additional framing lumber as specified by our engineer and adding 1,800 lag bolts, metal truss plates and over 20 lbs. of nails for the truss plates. The trusses are also now fastened to the wall framing with hurricane clips so the roof stays in place during normal wind events. We have removed the shingles, sheeted the roof and covered it until we are ready for the new shingles. The roof edge looks a little funky at the moment since we just had our crew hang the plywood over the edge 6 inches extra for now. We will recut it when we fix the soffits and fascia.
We also opened up the steeple area so we can see what repairs are needed there and to give folks driving by something new to look at. Thanks for all the support!
Wayne
Please click photo once to enlarge and double click to reduce it.
June 15th, 2010 Turning Back Time
The building is almost back in youthful shape, and the support trusses have been installed!
Next, the shingles will be stripped for a new set to be installed once the sheeting is replaced. This task will be coordinated with the installation of siding, soffits and fascia.
Once the roof is prepared for shingles we will have stopped the water leaks that have been present for decades.
The facelift is coming together and the old Chapel is taking on a new look, one board and nail at a time.
One interesting note on the siding, it is being cut to the profile of the original. The workmanship is awesome and so are all of the donors.
If you know someone who is interested in donating, we continue our efforts to fully fund this project. Let me know if I can help with information.
June 9th, 2010 Wayne Magee to Jan
The cables engineered to plumb/square the original building to its original shape and stature are installed and working as planned. You can see the building actually correcting its age.
Once the building is square, approximately 1 week to 10 days, as the cables are slowly tightened, the work will begin on the roof.
Today the work has begun on the old kitchen and stage area.
Thanks to everyone for the great lunch meeting yesterday. Thank goodness we’re done fighting the bees now that all the windows are out and back at the shop for repairs. We are well on our way and we are all very greatful.
June 3rd, 2010 Rehab Update
The interior cleanup and plaster removal is nearly complete. Carpenters have begun to square and strengthen the walls. This is quite a process involving cables and additional framing.
Engineering has developed a solution to ensure that the building will remain sound and squared once the framing and trusses are repaired.
The last pew has been refinished and work has begun on the windows, sashes and sills. Only a few window sash replacements will be required. Kiln dried yellow pine to match the original construction is being readied for these replacements.
Horray! Our progress thanks to our donors is well underway.
This week preliminary work on the interior of the chapel began. The old wall coverings are being removed down to the framing so determination can be made on how much repair will be needed to be done on the walls and floor system. As suspected, the majority of the framing looks good to this point, with obvious bad spots where there has been water damage. Volunteer trees around the building and some around the outhouse have been cut down.
The pew repairs and refinishing are well under way and several of the pews are complete now. Repair of the pulpit has begun and in the process of doing that, discovery was made that some of the areas on the pulpit had been originally been painted with gold leaf - interesting stuff! Documentation of those areas have been made and they will be repainted gold as they were. Most of the wall and ceiling coverings and removal should be done by the end of the week. Then another evaluation of the structure will be made. The engineer is doing the necessary calculations for repair of the trusses. Once those are repaired, the existing shingles will be removed and the new roof will be done. This will happen in several stages.
Please click photo once to enlarge and double click to reduce it.
December 10, 2009 New Year's Eve "Get Together"
The Kent Chapel Rehabilitation Committee is having a short New Years Eve "Get Together" at Kent Chapel on Dec. 31 at 3:00 p.m.
All interested people are invited to come and share a bit of history, hot cider and a quick devotional around a fire to celebrate the beginning of 2010.
October 2, 2009 It's Official!!!
Kent Chapel and Cemetery has been formally approved by the National Park Service in Washington, D.C. to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources.
Along with the distinction of a National Registry Listing, it is the first step toward eligibility for federal preservation tax credits. The Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program encourages private sector rehabilitation of historic buildings and is one of the nation's most successful and cost effective community revitalization programs.
Gary, Fred and Becky Showalter generously have deeded over the acre of land that Kent Union Chapel sits upon to the Brooklyn Community Foundation (BCF) for the express purposes of the Chapel's rehabilitation.
The transfer of deed, signed last Saturday, (August 29), was a vital first step in the rehabilitation process. As a non-profit organization, the BCF will be the agency accepting all project contributions and gifts. All gifts are tax deductible and will be formally acknowledged in writing. A major capital campaign will be launched late this fall.
Any questions can be directed to Jan Bittner, Project Manager at jan@kentchapel.com.
June 20, 2009 The First Official Steps
Kent Union Chapel represents an important, but little documented aspect of Iowa's social history. Constructed in 1909 by the women of the Kent Cemetery Aid Society, the building was the social and community center for farm families living within a five mile radius. At the time of the chapel's construction, the area was settled by families of diverse religious backgrounds, including Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Catholics, Dunkards, Quakers and United Brethren. The Ladies Aid Society decided to build a non-denominational building - hence the name "union" chapel. For more than 70 years until its closure in 1980, Kent Chapel was the religious and social center for the area.
Jumping a century forward to 2009, Kent Chapel is beginning to make a "comeback". With the blessing and generosity of the Showalter family, Kent Chapel is in the beginning stages of being rehabilitated back to a non-denominational chapel hosting seasonal services, weddings and funerals for the Holiday Lake and Brooklyn communities.
The important step of preparing a National Register of Historic Places nomination has been completed and the nomination was overwhelmingly approved at the State Nominations Review Committee meeting June 12th. The nomination now goes to Washington D.C. for final approval. A preservation architect has been on site to inspect the building and has begun making recommendations for the building's rehabilitation.
There is a committee in the process of forming and we are actively seeking lake and community area involvement. One important need is for individuals who can help provide historical insight into Kent Chapel and The Ladies Aid Society. We greatly desire to meet and speak with individuals who are familiar with the history of Kent Chapel and "have stories to tell". If you are one of these people and/or are interested in helping with this project, please contact:
Jan Bittner
3109 Dallas Drive
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
jan@kentchapel.com
Please download the attached article from the Brooklyn Chronicle published on July 3, 1930.
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