Friends General Conference

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Progress of the New Meetinghouse

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Meetinghouse gets siding in early May 2014

This page will be used to post pictures of the new meetinghouse as the building goes up.  The goal is to update this page on a weekly basis until the meetinghouse is finished.  You can click on the arrows in the picture box on the right to scroll through a visual record of the building process.  To see a larger image of a particular picture, click on it

[Please Note: For a summary of the most recent progress on the new Meetinghouse (contributed by L. Jensen), please click on the link entitled "Meetinghouse Construction February Update--Raise the Roof!" under "Files" toward the bottom of this page.

Summer/Fall 2013:  A small group of Quakers held regular outdoor Meetings for Worship on the property at 512 Washington on Tuesday evenings, in anticipation of someday having a meetinghouse on this site.  Meanwhile, fundraising efforts continued. 

10/27/2013:  Ceremonial groundbreaking and (of course) a celebratory pot luck were held on the site

11/12/2013:  Heavy machinery began appearing on the site. We bid farewell to the Silver Maple tree but hope to incorporate its wood somewhere in the new building

11/13/2013  Digging began today

11/15/2013: By the end of this week, the main sewer pipe was laid

11/18/2013: Much of the initial excavation was completed.  Forms for the concrete footings that will support the building began being laid down today. We may have actual concrete by next week!

11/25/2013: Now that concrete footings are in place, the next step is to build forms into which concrete for the foundation will be poured.  Building the forms that will shape the concrete foundation is a precise undertaking.  Rebar is inserted into the forms to reinforce the concrete foundation. This will be significantly stronger than a cement block foundation and will be the basis of our hundred-year building.

11/27/2013: Concrete pouring day!  The bright blue boom from the concrete pumping truck took center stage on Washington Avenue this afternoon as the foundation of the meetinghouse took shape. Two truckloads of concrete kept the pumping truck working to fill the foundation forms (Photos by Kate S.)

11/27/2013: Construction workers laid down thermal blankets to keep the concrete warm through the night, as temperatures dropped to 10 degrees F.

11/30/2013: Over the past 3 days, the poured concrete hardened successfully and the forms were removed.  The concrete foundation of the new meetinghouse is now in place.  With a little imagination, we can begin to envision the entrance, gathering space, worship space, First Day School rooms, and porch.

12/6/2013: Thanks to help from Mother Nature during the first week of December, it was warm enough to allow our builders to finish the concrete foundation and backfill dirt around it.  Unfortunately, shortly after these tasks were finished, Mother Nature threw us a bit of a curve and temperatures plummeted below zero.  This made any further concrete installation impossible until either temperatures warm up or walls can be built to create a space that can be heated.

12/21/2013: No further progress on the meetinghouse in the past two weeks, due to snow and very cold temperatures.   On this Winter Solstice day, our building site seems to reflect the words of John Matthews: 

"The Solstice is a time of quietude, of firelight, and dreaming, when seeds germinate in the cold earth, and the cold notes of church bells mingle with the chimes of icicles. Rivers are stilled and the land lies waiting beneath a coverlet of snow. We watch the cold sunlight and the bright stars, maybe go for walks in the quiet land. . . . All around us the season seems to reach a standstill — a point of repose."

1/6/2014: The meetinghouse foundation continues its slumber under thermal blankets and a few inches of snow.  Sub-zero temperatures continued with a low this morning of -23 degrees F (with a windchill of -50 degrees F).  Forecasts are predicting a stretch of highs above zero (and above freezing temperatures beginning Jan. 10), for the rest of the month, which could allow our builders to begin framing the building.  As we focus on our meetinghouse, we are reminded to hold in the Light all who are homeless or without adequate shelter, especially during these bitterly cold days.

1/21/2014: Progress on the Meetinghouse has been subtle, but important, in January.  Dirt was leveled around the lot and the construction trailer was moved to the back of the lot, which opened up space for building materials to be delivered. The first big delivery was a pile of floor joists.  These have now been installed, along with a sub-floor, above the basement portion of the building.  With the basement enclosed, it creates a space that can be heated.  This allows the workers to build walls and other structures while we wait for the framing to be put in place. Meanwhile, Mother Nature decided to call another "time-out" this week with several inches of snow and sub-zero temperatures. (Adapted from an article by L. Jensen; thanks to K. Stuart for photos of the Meetinghouse site in the snow)

1/26/2014: A couple of above-zero days this past week allowed builders to begin framing outside walls.  What a sight to stir both the heart and the imagination, as we can begin to see where windows and doors will be.  Unfortunately, progress will have to be halted again today, as blizzard conditions sweep through Northfield today and temperatures are predicted to plummet again to -24 degrees F tonight.  Brutal windchill as low as -40 degrees F will likely force many school closures again tomorrow.  (Thanks to our stalwart photographer K. Stuart who contributed photos of the Meetinghouse walls).

2/5/2014: The sounds of hammers and nail guns filled the air at 512 Washington Street as more walls, window spaces, and door frames were installed at the Meetinghouse.  It stirs the heart to see the actual spaces where Meetings for Worship, potluck gatherings, and First Day School will be held.

2/19/2014: The crane and crews were active again this week installing rafters and the beginnings of outside walls.  The new Meetinghouse is really beginning to take shape. (Pictures courtesy of K. Stuart)

2/20/2014: [Note: The following update was contributed by Linne Jensen]: There was very little break in the winter weather in late January through mid-February. Everyone was talking about the worst winter in decades, broken weather records, schoolcancellations, dangerous driving conditions. The bitter cold continued, relenting enough for some snow to fall from time to time. Great piles of snow built up near driveways andat street intersections. Yet, working a day here and a day there, the workers were able to frame up the walls. The framing stood in silent testimony until there were a few days when the workers were able to put plywood over it. The outline of the walls, the openings for the windows and the doors, the shape of the porch -- all were visible for the first time. And then – there was a day that was above freezing, followed by a second day above freezing. A big truck with a tall crane arrived. The crane lifted the main parts of the roof trusses high, and workers scrabbled about, securing the roof trusses into their places. The presence of the meetinghouse is becoming palpable, and excitement for the future abounds.

3/20/2014: [Note: The following update was contributed by Linne Jensen]: Even though we still have snow, it is March now, and the weather is getting warmer.  Everything is wet and melting, and there is plenty of mud around. Soon winter will depart and make way for mud season. Work on the meetinghouse continues a day here and a day there. The construction crew has made steady progress on the roof since February. The tops of the roof trusses are being put in place, forming the roof peak. The roof overhangs are being built out, along with the eaves. More of the roof deck is in place each day. Soon we will be able to movefrom the outside to the inside work. The insulated tarps that were put in place last fall are still in place, and the extreme cold weather has resulted in additional construction costs. As expenses are incurred, the Development Committee is taking a careful look at exactly what funding will be needed to “walk in the door.” Many people have given generous donations of time, energy, and money for the meetinghouse project so far, but fundraising is still needed and continuing. You can help by holding all involved in building the meetinghouse in the Light, suggesting to others that they make a donation, and making a donation yourself. Thanks, sincerely, for your continuing commitment, generosity, and support.

4/19/2014: [Note: The following update was contributed by the Development Committee]: Construction on the new meetinghouse has continued through the winter –slowly yet steadily. The extreme cold is behind us now, the insulated tarps have been removed,and we made the glorious discovery that the foundation did not freeze! The frost is coming out of the ground, the snow is melting, the shingles have been put on the roof, and the windows have been installed. We see ourselves dancing to celebrate the doors opening soon!

We have received many generous donations of time, energy, and money from within our Meeting and from the wider community. We are well over half-way through the construction process. The Development Committee has undertaken a careful study of bills submitted and paid, donations received, cost variances, and projected expenses. We are close to our goal, but we find it necessary to embark on another fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $24,000.

The presence of the new meetinghouse honors those who have come before us, provides for those who gather together in this time, offers hospitality to those who are seeking, and will support those who will follow us. We are already more visible, taking our place and serving our community, but we must reach this new fundraising goal in order to complete construction and be able to “walk in the door.” Please take action by mailing donations to Cannon Valley Friends Meeting, PO Box 805, Northfield MN 55057.

5/3/2014: Siding was added to the Meetinghouse this week.

7/23/2014: Sorry for the gap between updates.  Summer vacation got in the way.  The following is the latest update on the Meetinghouse from Linne Jensen:

"The exterior of the meetinghouse is now painted: Quaker gray with white trim. The outside of the meetinghouse looks so neat and tidy! 

We look forward to plants softening where the walls meet the ground, brightening things up, and to a rain garden in our backyard.  

The workers are putting up drywall inside the meetinghouse and so we have a dumpster for the scraps in our side yard. 

It is very exciting to see the walls in place, and to imagine the doors, plumbing fixtures, and lighting soon to come. 

The wetness due to flooding last month delayed electrical work, and then other parts of the project were delayed as dominoes falling one against another. 

We are now looking at mid‐August before construction is finished and plan to complete landscaping and move in by fall. 

Fundraising continues and responses have been generous. 

We are especially thankful for contributions from Northern Yearly Meeting, Milwaukee Monthly Meeting, Rochester Monthly Meeting, and other Quaker Meetings across the country. We are very grateful for the faithfulness of those continuing to make ongoing contributions. 

Thanks so much to everyone for making this possible! "

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