2008 Woodie Awards
Time Takes Toll on Old Main Bell Tower
Lakeland history salvaged from a dumpster
Ramsay Crawford
Issue date: 11/6/03 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
A symbol of Lakeland College, the Old Main bell tower, is currently undergoing renovations. Along with the rotten boards and bee hives, some fear that signatures dating back as far as, and possibly farther than, the 1910s may also be lost.
On the walls and beams and other surfaces, students and professors who have been in the bell tower have been writing their names inside the tower for most of the past century.
This "historic graffiti" never came up when the renovation to the tower was originally planned, according to Director of Facilities Gary Bauer and Director of Facility Management and Planning Wayne Warnecke, and unfortunately there are names on some of the pieces being removed from the tower.
These pieces, depending on what they were, would go to one of two places. If the piece was just scrap, it would go in a dumpster in the parking lot by Krueger hall. If the piece contributed to the appearance of the tower it was sent off for duplication, after which it would be discarded.
Upon hearing about these soon to be discarded names, some faculty members have contacted Gary Bauer, director of facilities, and salvaged most of the removed names from the dumpster. However, the items sent out for duplication will still likely be discarded.
The bell tower, built in 1888, was very much in need of this renovation, according to Warnecke. Much of the material being removed from the tower had heavy rot and water damage, and a beehive completely occupied part of the northeast.
However, according to Bauer, the condition of the tower was much better than expected. Still, without this restoration work, the tower could continue to deteriorate and might eventually get to the point where it would be beyond repair.
After the deconstruction process, the new outer surface of Old Main will be put up in sheets, and will have the same appearance as the original. The new surface will come pre-painted, though a final coat of paint will likely be needed once spring rolls around. The renovation should also help with the bee problem Old Main has had in previous years.
Jos. Schmitt and Sons were hired to do the renovations because of their history with restoration work on historic buildings. The college has also hired them in the past for jobs like the renovation to the entrance and stairwell in the Campus Center and the showers in Krueger hall.
The project, which is budgeted at no more than $50,000, has no set deadline. The majority of the work should be done within the month, although the weather will be a big factor in the timeline of the project. When the work is done, Old Main should look exactly as it did on the outside before work started. However, on the inside, pieces of Lakeland's history will be absent.
On the walls and beams and other surfaces, students and professors who have been in the bell tower have been writing their names inside the tower for most of the past century.
This "historic graffiti" never came up when the renovation to the tower was originally planned, according to Director of Facilities Gary Bauer and Director of Facility Management and Planning Wayne Warnecke, and unfortunately there are names on some of the pieces being removed from the tower.
These pieces, depending on what they were, would go to one of two places. If the piece was just scrap, it would go in a dumpster in the parking lot by Krueger hall. If the piece contributed to the appearance of the tower it was sent off for duplication, after which it would be discarded.
Upon hearing about these soon to be discarded names, some faculty members have contacted Gary Bauer, director of facilities, and salvaged most of the removed names from the dumpster. However, the items sent out for duplication will still likely be discarded.
The bell tower, built in 1888, was very much in need of this renovation, according to Warnecke. Much of the material being removed from the tower had heavy rot and water damage, and a beehive completely occupied part of the northeast.
However, according to Bauer, the condition of the tower was much better than expected. Still, without this restoration work, the tower could continue to deteriorate and might eventually get to the point where it would be beyond repair.
After the deconstruction process, the new outer surface of Old Main will be put up in sheets, and will have the same appearance as the original. The new surface will come pre-painted, though a final coat of paint will likely be needed once spring rolls around. The renovation should also help with the bee problem Old Main has had in previous years.
Jos. Schmitt and Sons were hired to do the renovations because of their history with restoration work on historic buildings. The college has also hired them in the past for jobs like the renovation to the entrance and stairwell in the Campus Center and the showers in Krueger hall.
The project, which is budgeted at no more than $50,000, has no set deadline. The majority of the work should be done within the month, although the weather will be a big factor in the timeline of the project. When the work is done, Old Main should look exactly as it did on the outside before work started. However, on the inside, pieces of Lakeland's history will be absent.