9/24/2007

Danforth Chapel reopens to new splendor

A storm that blew through the University of Kansas campus in March of 2006 destroyed the roof of Danforth Chapel. Ironically, the Kansas winds led to a restoration and expansion of the beloved campus building.

On Saturday, Sept. 22, Chancellor Robert E. Hemenway led a re-dedication ceremony to commemorate the completed project, followed by an open house.

Construction began in March of 2007, and the chapel was closed this summer while the work was completed. The project included adding 600 square feet on the southeast side of the building and restorative work throughout the chapel.

The project, which cost approximately $900,000, was made possible entirely through private gifts. Major donors include Linda and John T. Stewart III; Nancy and Larry Borden; Sara and Bob Dunne; Dru and Thomas Fritzel; Cindy and Tim Fritzel, and Diane and Andy Fritzel; Kay and Monte Johnson family; Robert H. Malott; Betty Muncy; the Sunderland Foundation; Patsy and Chet Vanatta; and the KU 2005 and 2007 graduating classes.

With the project completed, Danforth Chapel retains the charm that generations of KU students have loved. The chapel, which has been home to more than 5,000 weddings since it opened in 1946, now has a bride’s dressing room. It also has handicapped accessible restrooms, new flooring and an interior hallway to allow brides to make their entrances from the back of the chapel without having to walk outside.

In all aspects of the construction project, meticulous attention was paid to historic details. Original woodwork was refinished with care. New windows convey the original architectural theme of the building. And, for the exterior, a careful selection ensured that the new blocks of limestone seamlessly matched the original stones. To top it off, as the project neared completion, beautiful landscaping was planted.

Restoration touched every area of Danforth Chapel, including wood beams, stained glass windows, limestone window jambs, plaster walls, all of which have been restored to mint condition.

Danforth Chapel was one of 24 chapels on college campuses in which William H. Danforth, the founder of Ralston Purina, gave $5,000 initial gifts to start fundraising campaigns. At KU, donors quickly followed, adding about $20,000 to build and furnish the chapel.

Construction of the chapel was accomplished with help from German prisoners of war who were staying in a prison camp near Lawrence. Work began in April 1945 and KU held an all-school convocation in Hoch Auditorium in April 1946 to dedicate the chapel.

Danforth Chapel long has been known for its simple, yet elegant design. Edward Tanner, one of KU’s first architectural engineering graduates and a member of the class of 1916, volunteered his services to design the chapel in memory of his mother, Harriet Tanner. By then, Tanner was an established architect, known for having designed most of the major buildings on Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza.

The Danforth Chapel fundraising project is ongoing. Gifts for Danforth Chapel are welcomed by KU Endowment, the official fundraising and fund-management organization for KU. Founded in 1891, KU Endowment is the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.

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