LEWISTON — The high stone turrets and sculpted copper cupolas of the Bates College Chapel are getting $3 million makeover.

Plans call for a new slate roof, copper flashing on edges and seams and repairs to the nearly century-old structure’s brown stone masonry.

On Monday, two of the four cupolas sat on the ground. Above, workers labored on staging that reached seven stories high.

And despite a schedule that calls for six more months of work, the chapel will remain open, Bates College spokesman Doug Hubley said. 

Despite tarp-covered work fences and hard hat warnings, the entrances to the chapel remain safe and open with the hours — open 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. — prominently posted.

It will remain a sanctuary, if not a quiet one.

Before the project is complete, all four of the cupolas atop the turrets will be removed, repaired and reinstalled, said Hubley in a prepared release. Masons will redo the joints between wall stones. The building’s walls also need similar work, but that will come in a second, as-yet-unscheduled phase of the project.

The first phase will cost a total of $3,000,080, Hubley said.

The Gothic chapel is one of the signature buildings at the campus.

Its design came from a Boston firm, but it was modeled after a chapel in Cambridge, England.

The chapel at King’s College, a part of Cambridge University, gave the Bates structure its overall look and style. Its front entrance was patterned after the Galilee Porch of a cathedral in Durham, England. And it was constructed of Quincy Granite, shaped in Quincy, Mass.

Construction began in 1913 and ended a year later.

Part of the renovation’s expense is due to the choice of replacing the building’s slate roof with more slate.

Though other materials are cheaper, the school is trying to maintain the chapel’s historic character.

When Bates replaced the roof on its Alumni Gym and the Gray Cage last year, the cost of replacing its slate roof was deemed to high. Instead, the school went with asphalt shingles, Hubley said.

Consigli Construction Co, based in Portland and Milford, Mass., was hired to do the work. The same company has done other campus projects, including the new dining commons.

Administrators hope the work will not interrupt too much of the chapel’s activities. Most of its organized uses, including concerts and lectures, are scheduled for nights and weekends, when the renovation will not be under way.

The rest of the time, people are encouraged to use the facility as a refuge for any religion.

Inside, banners display symbols of several faiths. Images in stained glass depict religious, philosophical and scientific scenes.

“The College Chapel is a house of prayer and meditation open to all on the Bates campus,” reads the chapel page on the school’s website. “Whatever your religious affiliation, you are always welcome to enjoy a few moments of solitude and serenity in the beauty of the chapel.”

dhartill@sunjournal.com

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