Boynton Chapel Restoration

Boynton Chapel Restoration

In March 2025, just before another wet snowstorm, I peeked into the historic Boynton Chapel and noticed signs of snowmelt permeating the cedar shingle roof. I let Mark Franke know, who immediately put a temporary patch on the roof. The culprit? A woodpecker had bored a hole through the shingles.

We had already begun raising funds, knowing the roof was nearing the end of its life. By summer 2024, the Dobrinska Painters had donated 25 original works auctioned at our Gala event to raise money for the new roof, and several other donors stepped up to contribute. We also used endowment support and other funds on hand, along with a contribution from the President’s office to support the project.

I began working with our Facilities shop to identify the right roofer for this complex job. The chapel’s roof, with its intricate geometry and more than 1,900 precisely cut shingles, demanded true craftsmanship – far beyond your standard roofing job. Eventually, we found the crew to do it led by David Hatch, a longtime master woodworker in Door County.

Work began in late fall, as the busy wedding season wound down. The crew has already replaced much of the roof, carefully restoring ornamental woodwork along the way. It’s been a thrill walking by each day and seeing this work unfold. The most complex portion of the roof – over the apse – will be completed in Spring along with treatment of the exterior wood.

Inside, there are subtle signs of water damage from last spring’s leak as well as prior leaks. We hired the Midwest Arts Conservation Center to conduct a study of the frescoes, and they determined they can be cleaned. Fortunately, we received a grant from the Kohler Foundation to cover nearly three quarters of the cost of cleaning the frescoes throughout the chapel. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue this loving restoration of Björklunden’s Chapel of Peace.