There have been numerous inquiries as to the 'goings-on' in the chapel this summer. This dear sacred space at the heart of our parish's life and history is getting its floor renewed. In fact, the present narrow-strip pine floor is not the original floor but dates from the renovation in the late 1940s. It was re-sanded and polyurethaned in the chapel renovation in the 1970s. Several years back, it was warped and damaged by a burst steam line; moreover, the addition of air conditioning and the elimination of the radiators two years ago left many visible scars on the floor, and the polyurethane had become badly scratched from use. Getting access to re-sand the floors evenly necessitated removing the pews; they were carefully stored off-site.

The chapel floors have now been nicely sanded and restained with a lighter, clearer finish. Instead of polyurethane, we will be using a strong dura-seal finish with a traditional paste wax that can be renewed and buffed from time to time instead of letting scratches accumulate. At the same time, we have uncovered an earlier wide-plank pine floor in the sanctuary of the chapel that is most likely nearer to the original chapel flooring material. It has been refinished and will be left uncovered.

In addition to the floor refinishing, we will also be adding six small recessed downlights under the balcony which should give better lighting for those seats. We are developing a more extensive plan to relight the rest of the chapel, but doing this in an historically sensitive way is rather expensive and needs a considerable effort to design. Monies for that project will need to be part of a larger fund-raising effort. It is hoped that a sense of success from the current small effort will help move the larger lighting project further along.

Other larger chapel projects that might be in the offing include: a new chapel sound system and a new pipe organ. The sound system is needed particularly for parish meetings and for taping special programs that take place there. Also, a new sound system can facilitate the chapel being used for overflow for a large special service in the main church. A lengthy study by the Chapel Organ Committee has indicated that an extensive renovation of the present chapel organ would not be good long-term stewardship. Our chapel has never had a pipe organ designed especially for it, and that appears to be a much better solution to the present problems with that instrument. A report from this committee chaired by Clare Baum is forthcoming in the fall.

Anything that is proposed concerning our historic 1848 chapel is subject to intense scrutiny. Ironically, this ancient space is one of our most used spaces. In addition to the daily services and two large Sunday services, it is open every day from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. for prayer and meditation. Also, it is one of our largest meeting rooms and the location of our largest adult Sunday School class. It is requested for funerals as often as the main church. However, all of the special needs and projects of the chapel must meet high standards of historic appropriateness. Mary Arthur Stoudemire for many years served as the chapel's guardian in her role as Chapel Conservator. Philip Rees continues in that role today. Please feel free to speak to Philip or to the Junior Warden at any time about any of these Chapel projects.