Baker Memorial columns replaced

Having weathered decades of history at the entrance to Baker Memorial Chapel, the towering white columns recently were replaced to reflect their original elegance.

The columns have graced the front of Baker Memorial Chapel for half a century, part of the structure when it was dedicated on April 20, 1958, in special ceremonies that included the singing of Brahms’ “How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place.”

The replacement columns, which are hollow and load-bearing, match the originals at 22 feet tall, are made of redwood and painted white. Designed in the stately Roman Ionic architectural style, the columns’ round, finger-joint shafts are made of a plaster composite and fiberglass bases. The grooved shafts are capped by ornate, carved moldings in keeping with the original styling.

R. L. Bryan Inc., the Baltimore-based restoration company completed the $85,000 project in time for the arrival of this year's new students, who were inducted during an Aug. 20 convocation ceremony in Baker.