The pipe organ in King Chapel will need to be removed to complete repairs to the chapel, as will many of the pews and much of the interior woodwork.
Cornell College’s construction manager Scott Ladwig noted those two historical moves will be needed as the building will require multiple scaffolds in place in the interior of the building while crews repair the damaged trusses in the roof of the chapel. The presentation was made at the Saturday, Nov. 6, Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission Meeting.
The pipe organ, which is estimated at $2.9 million in value, will be entrusted to a firm in Champaign, Ill., for the two years this project is slated to be completed. The organ will be stored in a climate-controlled environment for the extent of the project.
“This just isn’t a roof repair project,” Ladwig said. “We’re noticing severe fractures in multiple trusses, including one of the diagonal trusses that support the roof and ceiling.”
This is only the second time the organ has been moved from King Chapel in the 150-year history of the building, Ladwig noted. The moving process will take three to four weeks to complete and then six weeks to reinstall and tune the pipe organ when it returns to the building after repairs are made to King Chapel.
The pews, woodwork and crown molding in the building will also need to be removed to make way for the interior scaffolding which will provide additional support to the ceiling and trusses as contractors work on repairing the damage in the building.
Care is also being taken to remove some of the interior stained-glass windows for King Chapel to protect those assets over the course of the project, as one of the cracks was above one of the larger stained-glass windows.
“We know that the efforts we take are going to be under scrutiny, not just locally, but from eyes across the nation,” Ladwig said. “Any decisions we make are not just a decision we’re making alone, but with the input of several contractors to make sure this is the correct move, and the committee will be documenting any repairs like removing stained glass or the pipe organ.”
The cracks that were originally noticed that indicated damage to a truss on the building have expanded to an inch and three quarters in diameter from the roof down to the basement. Additional cracks to the stones and plaster indicate the movement to the roof system and will also be repaired.
The cost for the project will be paid for from insurance, and it will be a sizable repair process requiring the work of multiple contractors to complete, Ladwig said. The college is also utilizing some Cornell College alums to help with the process.
The building’s roof line has seen a 19-inch difference in height from the north end of the building to the side of the building where interior trusses have failed. The weight of the roof falling onto the building’s exterior have also caused cracks that have been noticeable in the interior and exterior of the building as the stones take on the weight those trusses were previously supporting.
While the damages and cracks to the building are noticeable, Ladwig noted that all of the damages currently seen can be repaired and there is no immediate threat of a catastrophic failure at the building. It’s also why he and Cornell are being proactive in the repair work they are undertaking to preserve this building.
Suzette Astley will be serving as a liaison for the Mount Vernon Historic Preservation Commission to oversee and document the repair process to the building, noting that her retirement gives her more flexibility in her schedule to be present when needed for some of these repairs.
The college is working on completing contracts with the contractors for this project.
Pipe organ, original woodwork will need to be removed during King Chapel repairs
November 18, 2021
About the Contributor
Nathan Countryman, Editor
Nathan Countryman is the Editor of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun.