Caution, Construction Zone

The signs are in place, the sanctuary and Johnston Hall and the lower level are official construction zones and hard hat areas.

In the sanctuary, the pews are out and the carpet is up. Protective plastic on the stained glass windows give the scene a kind of "underwater" feel. There is mute testimony given by the wooden subfloor—an arc that shows the shape of the original 1890's chancel. (See the picture below and notice that curved line extending from the chancel steps that is carved in the floorboards).

As the carpet came up, it also revealed the patch made in the sub-floor after the fire in the chancel. The "new" boards are wider and—younger by many decades than the adjacent lumber—lighter in color. These things are reminders of what has been.

In the last few days, the final moveable bits have been relocated from Johnston Hall and workers have removed the ceiling tiles and carpet. Again there is much revealed about what has been, but here in Johnston Hall with its ceiling open to the rafters there is more, there is the promise of the shape of things to come.