Church-goers say good-bye to Duke Chapel
DURHAM (WTVD) -- On Sunday, church-goers said good-bye for now to Duke Chapel. Sunday's church service was the last until next spring, as the chapel will close on May 11 for restoration.
The chapel was built in 1932. Since then, it's been a place of worship and a sign of beauty on Duke's campus.
The decades have taken their toll on the structure. In 2012, a small piece of tile fell from the ceiling, sparking plans for a yearlong restoration project that will include rehabilitating the ceiling, replacing the roof, and restoring some of the 77 beautiful stained glass windows and woodwork.
For Ruth Young, not coming to Sunday worship at the chapel will be a first in decades.
"Been here for more than 50 years," said Young.
"Duke Chapel was named the most spiritual place in North Carolina," said Rev. Luke Powery, the Dean of Duke Chapel. "This is not because of the building itself, but because of what happens inside the building."
Rev. Powery opened his Sunday sermon by reminding the hundreds of people sitting in the pews that while he will miss the chapel, the church is really about the people.
"Its influence is not necessarily because it stands 210 feet from the foundation all the way up to the spire, or because it has 77 stained glass windows, its influence is due more to the fact that it is a gorgeous building," said Rev. Powery, "the influence has grown from Durham to the whole state of North Carolina to the nation and the world because of the people who fill and use this building."
Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. will be in charge of the restoration project. This is the same team that restored the Washington Monument and the Washington National Cathedral.
Until the chapel reopens in spring of 2016, church services will be held in Baldwin Auditorium over the summer, then Page Auditorium during the 2015-16 academic year.
