A local monument with long ties to the County’s history, Glenwood Chapel, has been closed for the better part of a year. The ground beneath its foundations literally shifts, creating serious and continuing structural damage.

The ultimate cause is the failure of a water drainage system established over a century ago.

Local historian Peter Lockyer characterizes Glenwood Cemetery as “one of our greatest heritage treasures,” and its elegant stone chapel as “the jewel of the property.” It features six stained glass windows donated by community groups, including the Masons, the Imperial Order of Oddfellows, and the Independent Order of Foresters.

In a meeting hosted by the Glenwood Cemetery board last week, Chair Sandy Latchford described the challenges that must be met to save the chapel.

Glacial Till

That problems exist has long been known. In 2006 a major restoration was completed after the building was declared structurally unsafe after years of neglect. A water drainage system was installed without a full geotechnical survey of the surrounding land. The system was inadequate, and the chapel was not protected from the natural water flows in an area characterized as “glacial till,” a loose and moving soil deposit that lacks bedrock. 

Much of the County is glacial till — which accounts for the richness of its agriculture. But it presents a huge challenge for historic buildings, as the restorers of the Royal Hotel and the Macaulay Church also discovered. All of these buildings were constructed long before geotechnical exploration was possible.

Following the 2006 restoration, Glenwood Chapel unfortunately remained neither still nor dry. Water damage reasserted itself, rotting the framing of the stained glass windows, and bringing mold. The wet and mobile till upon which it is built was shifting the walls, causing leakage from above as well as pulling it up from the ground.

This past fall, a full geotechnical survey revealed that the chapel was built with only one corner pinned to bedrock. Three corners lack supportive footings and its foundations are falling apart. An historical clay tile drainage system dating to the late 19th century was also revealed. It ceased to function around the 1970s. It was also discovered that there is nowhere in the cemetery with enough bedrock to relocate the chapel.

Ms. Latchford, who grew up with the chapel as a part of her childhood in Picton, and has been involved as a volunteer with the non-profit Glenwood Cemetery since 2010, described her emotions upon realizing the extent of the problems.

 “We really thought we had only to do the gutters, and get the drainage unplugged. But it isn’t plugged, it is just crushed. So we’re just doing all this investigating, finding out and and saying, oh my, this is really more than I thought. Three of the windows are rotten. I can pull them out with my fingertips. I was absolutely angry, sad, horrified.”

Looking ahead, Terry Hardy of Hardy Corporate Contracting, who commissioned the geotechnical study and is in charge of removing the stained glass windows for preservation, was on hand to talk about options and costs. 

Because of the lack of bedrock in the area, a stabilizing foundation must be built. The historical rubble-stone foundation, “basically just shale and stone bits,” needs to be removed and replaced with an extensive concrete “island,” and drainage reconstructed to protect the new foundation.

Stabilization alone could cost between $350 and $500,000. Mr. Hardy estimates, “all in, my number is around $2 million in a worst-case scenario.” 

Ms. Latchford noted a fund will need to be in place to maintain the Chapel over the long term.

Fundraising is essential. The cemetery is a registered non-profit whose function limits the kinds of grants it can apply for, and many of them require matching funds in place in advance. 

The first element required in moving forward is a feasibility study, the foundation for further fundraising.

Nothing can be done without community support. Ms. Latchford hopes to raise sufficient funds for the feasibility study, which will make clear the nature of the project and better estimate its costs.

“Sometimes it takes a crisis to have folks focus on issues,” said Mr. Lockyer, who hoped not only that the community will rally around Glenwood Chapel and its treasured windows, but that a larger concern for sustaining our built heritage might follow.

Local resident and internationally renowned stained glass artist and historian Sarah Hall says, “that chapel is a gem – nothing else like it – anywhere!” As a part of the Ontario Heritage Conference on June 21st Ms. Hall will present on Glenwood Chapel’s stained glass. See the conference schedule for details.  

Donors wishing to support the chapel fund will find information here.