Cornell College’s King Chapel was named an endangered building by Preservation Iowa earlier this week.
The move to have the property listed on the endangered buildings list was to help seek additional grants and funding for the repairs and restoration of the building, which are slated to be extensive.
“We are exploring all future grant options following the announcement from Preservation Iowa that King Chapel is on its list of endangered buildings,”said John Harp, special assistant to the president at Cornell College. “Listing the building on Preservation Iowa’s list of endangered buildings allows the college to broaden the appeal for our preservation efforts. The college is continuing to work to preserve the building so we can welcome back the Music Department, which holds its concerts and rehearsals in the building, and host other large events in the future.”
The chapel has undergone many renovations over the years to meet the changing needs of the campus community, but the exterior has remained largely unchanged. The chapel was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and is a key contributing structure to the Cornell College Historic District listed on the National Register in 1980.
The college has installed a honeycomb of scaffolding from the basement to the ceiling of King Chapel in the repair procedures now. Sections of the walls are exposed, allowing views not seen since the chapel was built 140 years ago.
“Teams are now evaluating and scanning the entire roof truss system,” said Scott Ladwig, construction projects manager. “Once imaging is complete, a plan of action will become clear and specialists will be hired to complete repairs. We’re currently planning to start repairs on the building late this spring or early summer, and we hope to wrap up the work and reopen the building in the fall of 2024.”
The college continues to work closely with contractors, engineers, historic preservation experts, and insurance companies to assess the damage and determine the full scope of the project.
“We are committed to repairing and restoring King Chapel and are in the early stages of considering fundraising opportunities as well,” Harp said. “Alumni and community members are welcome to stay tuned to what’s happening with construction and all future updates.”
Three structural engineering firms and two architectural firms have investigated the building and reviewed its original plans. Among their findings were that the National Register building was designed to flex under 100 mph winds for 30 seconds. The derecho blasted up to 140 mph for 45 minutes, fracturing the chapel’s four main roof trusses, which in turn are causing progressive residual damage throughout the building. The west wall, that took the brunt of the storm, was pushed out an estimated eight inches.
In December 2021 a specialized team removed all 3,771 pipes and other components of the 1967 M.P. Möller organ.
Updates can be found at :https://www.cornellcollege.edu/facilities/king-chapel-repair.shtml.
King Chapel project named as endangered building
January 26, 2023
About the Contributor
Nathan Countryman, Editor
Nathan Countryman is the Editor of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun.