The light of restoration

MANCHESTER — Golden-honey light once again shined down upon a
sparkling Crowell Chapel in Manchester over a weekend filled
with ceremony and music.

The weekend events spotlighted the small Gothic structure's own
history, with a rededication of the chapel nearly 108 years
after it first opened its doors, and five years after the
launch of an estimated $220,000 restoration effort.

The chapel — constructed from Rockport gray granite — was built
in memory of Benjamin Franklin Crowell, a native son, who left
Cape Ann in 1859 as a young man to seek his fortune out west in
Colorado.

He was among those who became rich but, only after many
endeavors from panning for gold without much success, and then
sheep ranching, publishing and banking before he struck gold in
a way that would pay off.

In Sally Gibson's history, she noted that, after the Civil War,
the Crowell family members in Manchester fell on hard times,
and Benjamin's two sisters, Susan and Emily, began to take in
summer boarders. But soon after, their brother found gold and
he shared his wealth with his sisters.

"Almost every year, Benjamin came home to Manchester to visit.
In 1897, he died out west and was brought home for the last
time — the Crowell family plot is not far from the chapel,"
Gibson's history relates.

Gibson wrote that, when Susan, the last of the family, was in
her 70s, she dreamed of a building "of Gothic design similar to
the church architecture of Old England" to be constructed as a
memorial to her brother.

The Feb. 6, 1904 issue of the Manchester Cricket tells of the
new chapel: "The tower at the entrance is 60 feet high, with
heavily buttressed sides and castellated top. The nave is solid
oak, finished to the rafters, with a Gothic-arched roof
supported by massive oak trusses."

The stained glass, made by Horace Phipps of Boston, was
designed according to his sister's wishes who wanted two panels
to show an oak tree on either side, standing for the two sides
of her family, the Crowells and the Allens, according to
Gibson. "The spreading branches as they extend upward join
above, and intertwine with grapevines and fruit to fill the
upper portion of the windows."

The chapel again sprung to life over the weekend with two
events — one on Saturday to honor the 30 crafts people involved
in the restoration followed by a sold-out concert on Sunday,
both timed for 3 p.m. to coincide with the optimum sunlight to
showcase the stained glass, said Christopher "Woody" Kelly,
chairman of the Manchester Community Preservation Committee.

"The chapel has what we call high quality English arts and
crafts stained glass windows of total beauty," he said.

The Benjamin Franklin Crowell Memorial Chapel (May 28,
1904-Jan. 29, 2012), located in Rosedale Cemetery on Rosedale
Avenue, can hold up to 150 people.

Kelly noted that there will be an open house in the spring so
there will be other opportunities to see inside.

Most all of the craftsmen involved in the restoration are from
the greater Cape Ann and North Shore area.

"They are the most beautiful tapestry of people," said Kelly.

He also praised Judith Selwyn, of Preservation Technology
Associates, Inc., a nationally-known expert who has overseen
the restoration of historic masonry for structures at Harvard,
Yale, Wellesley College, Smith College, the U.S. Naval Academy
and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

She has been a major consultant on this job for more than six
years, said Kelly.

Overall, the project required years of planning and raising
money and about five years of work, with the estimated cost of
around $220,000.

Kelly noted that 109 years later, a major change is in store.
In addition to the chapel being used for its intended mortuary
and memorial services, there will be a move to make it
accessible for cultural and performing arts events.

"We are now endeavoring to make a concert series and hold other
cultural events, such as lectures, poetry readings and weddings
to make it alive and to help save it because we figured the
more it's used, the more it will be appreciated and there can
be money raised to protect it," he said.

The building was almost torn down in 1970s. The chapel, like so
many historic buildings in many towns, had fallen into
significant disrepair, with leaks, falling plaster and was
dirty.

In 1981, the town allowed for it to be used for a broader range
of purposes. But it still lingered in disrepair until this
latest effort.

The adoption of the Community Preservation Act by Manchester in
2005 was the first step, and when enough money was raised, the
actual restoration work began in 2007.

Gail McCarthy can be reached at 978-283-7000, x3445, or at
gmccarthy@gloucestertimes.com.

Continued here:
The light of restoration