Wednesday, June 15, 2011

6/15/2011 Chapel In the Hills

Before I get into this day’s adventure let me tell you this first….


WE ARE EMPTY-NESTERS!


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The littlest robin flew away today. The adult birds were on the ladder constantly trying to coax it out and finally it took to flight. As soon as we noticed it Bob ran out and took the nest down and removed the ladder.


So today we had a perfect day weather wise. The absolute bluest of blue skies, an occasional puffy WHITE cloud and the temps soared to a very comfortable 82 degrees.


We had a plan in place and after stopping to pick up our mail we were on our way.


First stop….Precision Eyeware to pick up my new prescription sunglasses. Wow! Trees aren’t just a green mass anymore, there are individual leaves!


Now to our day’s adventure. First up was….


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We drove up the tree lined lane and took in the perfectly manicured lawn. Not a dandelion to be found here. However, its said that the grounds are well maintained but not perfect because we are not a perfect people. The "unperfect" parts must on another part of the acreage because we sure couldn't see it.


Our first glimpse of the Chapel in the Hills.


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The parking lot was all but empty and we were greeted by Linda, dressed in Norwegian garb at the "Stabbur," which is an authentic grass-roofed store house, built in Norway and assembled on site. It serves as the visitor center and gift shop.


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Linda points out the intricate woodwork on the building to Bob.


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Linda was very informative and answered any question we threw her way. You can just tell she enjoys volunteering here. A peek inside the gift shop gave us a look at things, books and pictures with a Scandinavian theme. We didn’t see anything that was calling our name so we left without purchasing anything.


The next building we went to was the Museum.


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We were greeted at the door by Ole….


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….and Elena


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This log cabin was built and owned by Mr. Edward Nielsen of Norway was born in 1843. Mr. Nielsen came to the Black Hills in 1876 in hopes of striking it rich while prospecting for gold. His home was originally built in Palmer Gulch. He died in 1925 and is now resting in a cemetery in Hill City, not too far from Rapid City.


In 1987, the log cabin was bought at an auction and dismantled, moved to its present location and reassembled by volunteers.


The museum is dedicated to those of Scandinavian descent who brought a part of their heritage with them to America. By using their skills with wood, they designed and built the furniture and tools for use in their homes. While no home would have all the things displayed in the one room museum, everything is something that would be found in a village or settlement of Norwegian, Danish or Scandinavian immigrants.


A look inside….


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I bet with good padding on the seat this chair would comfortable.


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Now I don’t know who chose the mannequin in the picture below but somehow,,,it just doesn’t fit in. I don’t know if it’s the expression on its face, and maybe its just me, but this young guy looks to be having a real hissy fit to me. Do you see it?


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Did you catch in the beginning of this post that the gift shop building was described as grass roofed? Well, that’s how they built them back then, I’m assuming for insulation.


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I wonder if you have to water your roof in the summer? Would it have dandelions?


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It was now time to move on to the Chapel itself.


This beautiful Chapel is an exact replica of the 850 year old Borgund Stavkirke located near Laerdal, Norway. The Norwegian government gave permission and supplied the architectural drawings for the chapel.


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This Chapel was built as the home for the Lutheran Vespers radio program and was completed in 1969. The Chapel sits on 30 mostly treed acres along with the original house which housed the radio studio and traditional Norwegian stabbur, or storehouse for those of you not up on your Norwegian vocabulary.


In the picture below you see the front door or what is known in this culture, the men’s door. Women and children entered a door on the side of the building, and once inside, the men stood on one side and the women and children on the other. Just a sign of those times.


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The intricate carvings on the building were done by master carvers in Norway to match those of the original Stavkirke and shipped here.


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If you look carefully at the picture above you will notice the carving is of snakes and dragons representing the battle between good and evil. The Vikings, being pagans, considered dragons to be good luck and is why dragons are on the prow of their ships.


The dragon heads on the Chapel are also from the pagan beliefs. The newly converted Christians were not quite ready to leave all their beliefs behind but the fact that the crosses outnumber the dragon heads proves their confidence in Christianity.


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There are 16,000 shingles on this roof.


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The extraordinary amount of craftsmanship is evident in every shingle, carving and stave in place. The pieces were not only cut and put in place, each one was molded for its structural function. Even I could appreciate the talent that went into building this church.


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Inside? Wood. Nothing but wood.



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This is a close-up of the men’s door.


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The door locks are an exact replica of the original Borgund locks. The large ring on the front door served two purposes. First it was a doorknocker and it was also known as a Sanctuary Ring. At the time the Borgund church was built outlaws could be killed by anyone, but if the outlaws could get to the church and grip the ring no one could touch them. Folklore says many outlaws starved to death holding the ring!


Although this church has no congregation church services are held every night for anyone who wants to attend during the season. The church is only open from early to May to late September. During this short season about a hundred weddings will take place here. If you are inviting 250 guests this place is not for you. The church seats only 70 on low wooden benches. They do rent chairs if you are having a larger wedding on the beautiful grounds.


The bell tower in the back of the church.


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Random shots.


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Bob and I thoroughly enjoyed our time here at Chapel in the Hills.

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