Restoration work begins on historic Madison County chapel

Restoration work is beginning on the roof of a nearly 100-year-old chapel in Madison County.  What’s next for the building is still being discussed.  But as IPR’s Thomas Ouellette reports, county officials say the work is about protecting a historical site.

The chapel was part of the Bronnenberg Children’s Home, built in 1924. While local historians aren’t sure about the exact number, records indicate that more than 2,000 children went through the orphanage before it closed in 1994.

County Commissioner Rick Gardner hopes to preserve the chapel, not only for community use, but to honor one of the county’s last standing historical sites.

“Let me put it this way,” he said. “If we had zero use for it, it needs preserved because it’s a piece of history of Madison County.”

Last month, commissioners allocated $100,000 from the county capital asset fund towards renovations.  A use for the chapel has not been settled on just yet, but commissioners are considering using it as an event center or wedding venue.  A renovation timeline – which includes frame and interior work – also hasn’t been finalized.  But Gardner says he’s willing to carry out some work himself.

“There’s a walkway that needs poured out there to go from the sidewalk out to the chapel,” said Gardner. “And we were talking yesterday about maybe doing that in-house and us doing it ourselves.”

Gardner says he’s also looking for grants to provide additional funding.  And he hopes the work on the chapel will inspire people to donate to the Madison County Community Foundation and fund further historic landmark conservation efforts. 

Gardner hopes to have the chapel open by August.

Thomas Ouellette is our reporter and producer. Contact him at thomas.ouellette@bsu.edu