Volume CXXXIII, Number 10 November 16, 2001 f

Chapel gets facelift
KITTY SULLIVAN
ORIENT STAFF

The Bowdoin chapel, built in the late 1850s, has always been a prominent symbol of the College; however, a century of moisture and frost has eroded the outer structure of this historic icon. Costs to renovate the chapel and repair the water damage hover around $100,000, but contractors need to determine the exact extent of the damage to give more exact estimates.

A temporary passageway allows safe passage into the Chapel. (Henry Coppola, Bowdoin Orient)

The renovation will proceed in two phases. First, to comply with state laws, scaffolding needs to be constructed around the towers of the chapel, and second, the core of the tower needs to be patched. According to Bill Gardiner, director of facilities management , the scaffolding will be erected the Monday after Thanksgiving, and will entail wrapping the chapel towers in a special nylon mesh so stones will not fall and injure pedestrians.

Before the actual renovation of the chapel can begin, the structure was laser scanned by crane to provide an image of each individual stone. "This shows contractors how to number the stones, so that when they take them off, they can put them back in their original places," said Gardiner.

Gardiner explained how, through the years, water has seeped into the chapel's outer 8"-12" thick granite layer, deteriorating the mortar. Additionally, the constant freezing and thawing of this moisture has caused some stones to project out from the face of the tower. This movement has placed strain on the cornerstones and caused them to fracture.

H.P. Cummings, the contractors for the project, will decide the method to restore the chapel in mid-January when they receive the imaging results, but work will not begin until March, when the weather improves. Gardiner estimated that the restoration would conclude by November of 2002, saying that, "We'll make sure to seal open areas of the chapel and steeple's exterior, to prevent water damage in the future."

The contractors plan to put mortar in the open joints, and, possibly reinforce weakened stones with steel dowels, or rods.

Currently, a cover has been placed over the entrance of the chapel, so it can continue to be used for now. However, if the work done poses a risk for occupants, the chapel may have to be closed temporarily.

The chapel was given a new roof in 1996, and interior restoration was performed the following year, but the exterior structure has remained essentially untouched since it was built 140 years ago.