King Chapel: Preserving an icon

When a derecho blew through the Cornell College campus with hurricane-force winds in 2020, the first thing people noticed were the hundreds of damaged or downed trees across campus. As the grounds were cleared, every building was inspected. 

The extent of the damage to King Chapel wasn’t visible at first. However, the costliest thunderstorm in U.S. history caused an estimated $8 million in damages to the 1882 chapel, the college’s most iconic building.

Three structural engineering firms and two architectural firms have investigated the building and reviewed its original plans. Among their findings were that the National Register building was designed to flex under 100 mph winds for 30 seconds. The derecho blasted up to 140 mph for 45 minutes, fracturing the chapel’s four main roof trusses, which in turn are causing progressive residual damage throughout the building.

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Follow the progress of King Chapel repairs

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Crews arrived in December to remove all 3,771 pipes and other components of the 1967 M.P. Möller organ. The instrument, valued at $2.9 million, is being stored in Champaign, Ill. 

Now that the organ is safe, shoring has been installed to support the building. Next, most of the ornate windows will be removed, followed by stone work where needed, and the roof repaired. The work is estimated to last from six months to 1.5 years. 

“As it stands, King Chapel has quite literally weathered the storm,” reported Jack Scodro ’24 in The Cornellian, “and while it has been left with a sizable amount of damages, there is an array of talented, dedicated people, all of whom deserve a great deal of gratitude, working vigilantly behind the scenes to undo the effects of the 2020 derecho. And we can rest assured that, when their work is complete, King Chapel will stand prouder atop Cornell College’s hilltop than ever before.”