Chapel Restoration
Why restore?
During the annual congregational meeting of St. Paul's United Church of Christ in November of 1995, approval was given for a committee to be formed that would study the future of St. Paul's chapel. The chapel had gone unused for many years and the time had to come to either restore it or demolish it. Harold (Butch) Boyer volunteered to be chairman of the committee along with the following members: Jean Barto, Ken Biles, Nancy Casner, Arlene Hafer, Louise Selwyn, Gary Steppler, Ruth Wiltraut.
Representatives of the Berks County Preservation Trust visited with the committee, encouraging the committee to restore the chapel since it is one of a kind in the area, with its placement adjacent to the church (a custom of our German forefathers). Unfortunately, grant money was unavailable from the conservancy. Six months later, the committee recommended that the chapel be restored rather than demolished. At the time, the historical value along with the estimated cost for restoration was $100,000.
Renewal
After the resignation of one committee member, four members (Ed Selwyn Jr., Brian Riker, Helen and Charles Carey) joined the committee. In June, it sent a letter to the congregation soliciting funds for the restoration project. Furthermore, local newspapers were used to publicize the history of the chapel in addition to soliciting contributions.
The first restoration area was completed in August. A new roof, at a cost of $8800, was in place atop the chapel while restoration work was done on the chapel's steeple. An auction was held in October with profits exceeding $6000. At the congregational meeting in November, the committee offered the sale of stained glass windows as memorials at a cost of $1500 per window. Furthermore, miniature wooden replicas of the chapel were purchased and sold at a cost of $20.
It was at this time that the consistory, seeing that the church's congregation was growing rapidly, began a capital funds campaign in January of 1997. After months of hard work, the chapel was finally complete. On June 6, 1998, a rededication program was held to commemorate the restoration of the Amityville Sunday School chapel.
Many thanks to everyone who helped make the chapel restoration possible!
About Our Church
The ground on which St. Paul's United Church of Christ is located was part of a tract of land granted by William Penn in 1704 to a Peter Bonn. In 1716, a gentleman named David Hary became the owner of this land and later sold 99 acres to a John Boyer, while one acre was set aside...read more
About Our Chapel
St. Paul's chapel dates back to 1794, when a log house was built on the site adjacent to the church. In 1839, the log house was demolished and a brick schoolhouse was erected on the site. Considering German frugality, the logs from the old school were used to build a horse stable...read more