Lawrence University Dedicates New Bjorklunden Lodge Aug. 3 
 
 
APPLETON, WIS. - Described as "the most beautiful building in Door County," the
new Bjorklunden Lodge (Be-YORK-lun-den) in Baileys Harbor receives its official
welcome Saturday, August 3 to the Lawrence University family.

A dedication ceremony, featuring self-guided tours of the lodge and grounds and
a reception, will celebrate the recent completion of the new lodge as well as
serve as a kickoff for the facility's upcoming incorporation into the college's
curriculum.

Lawrence President Richard Warch, Oscar Boldt, a member of the Board of
Trustees and a Bjorklunden volunteer, and Kim Jordan, president of the Boynton
Society, a support group named in honor of the original donors of the property,
will preside over the dedication ceremonies.   

"Bjorklunden has been a treasured asset of Lawrence for over 30 years," said
Warch, "but the completion of the lodge represents a new beginning for our
stewardship of the legacy of the original creators, Donald and Winifred
Boynton.   Not only have we been able to resume our summer seminar program -
interrupted since fire destroyed the original lodge two years ago - but we now
have the opportunity to enable Lawrence students to avail themselves of this
special place throughout the academic year." 

"It's an exciting moment for the college, made possible by the commitments and
generosities of many people," Warch added, "and one that will surely enhance
the personal and educational experiences of our undergraduates for many years
to come."   

Built on 405 acres -- one of the few remaining large tracts of undeveloped land
in all of Door County -- the new 17,190-square-foot lodge is more than
quadruple the size of the original lodge, which was built in the 1940s,
severely damaged by a fire in August, 1993 and razed last summer.  The two-
story, wood-frame structure features 12 guest rooms, each with its own private
bath. 

Sited amid a grove of cedars 300 feet south of its predecessor, the lodge's
exterior is a combination of cedar siding and Door County limestone.  A
distinctive red roof is accented with traditional Scandinavian ridgepoles. 

The centerpiece of the lodge is a 23-foot-high great room with a ceiling of
douglas fir timbers and cedar planking and a massive, 10-foot wide fireplace,
constructed with stones salvaged from the original lodge's fireplace.   

"It's the most beautiful building in Door County," said Ann Hodges, who's co-
directed the annual adult summer seminar series at Bjorklunden since 1991. 
"The architecture, the craftsmanship and the quality of materials that have
gone into this building make it an absolutely stunning creation.

"It retains some of the quaintness and charm of the old lodge, but it's also a
wonderful, modern facility with the space and amenities to do the work we need
to do here," Hodges added.

Starting in October, Lawrence will begin incorporating the Bjorklunden
facilities into the college curriculum, offering a series of 27 weekend
seminars during the course of the academic year for students to examine ideas,
artistic expressions and community/social issues.  The seminars will emphasize
interdisciplinary approaches to a wide range of topics, challenging students to
confront themselves and others on a personal scale.

"The magic of Bjorklunden is in the ways in which the setting -- the spirit of
the place -- promotes a connection between thought and reflection, which is one
of the special aims of a liberal arts education," said Warch.  RThe purpose of
the proposed student seminars is to provide an opportunity for students to
explore and experience issues of import in an environment that will be
conducive to personal reflection and renewal."      

Bjorklunden Vid Sjon, literally "Birch Forest by the Water," was donated to
Lawrence in 1963 by Donald and Winifred Boynton, a self-taught artist, of
Highland Park, Ill.   In addition to the lodge, the Bjorklunden estate also
features a small wood chapel built in the fifteenth century Norwegian
stavekirke style. Handcrafted by the Boyntons from 1939-47, the chapel is
modeled after a church in Lillehammer, Norway, that was destroyed in World War
II.  A popular site for weddings, the chapel contains 41 hand-painted frescoes
and numerous carved-wood furnishings.

Built at a cost of nearly $2 million, the lodge was designed by the Neenah
architectural firm Miller, Wagner, Coenen, McMahon.  Construction began last
August and was completed in late May.