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Gothic Chapel at
Crown Hill Cemetery
Award of Merit: Renovation/Restoration
The Gothic Chapel at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis was
built 1875 and used regularly for funeral services from that
time. The chapel was added to in 1917, and an interior remodeling
was completed in 1970.
Since then the structure had experienced significant accumulation
of grime on the limestone skin, some stone distress and the
deterioration of building systems. Revitalizing a Gothic Classic
Crown Hill wanted to rehabilitate the structure for funeral
rites, musical performance, services, private and public meetings.
An upgrade of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing system
was also sought.
The integration of the new systems was the single greatest
challenge. A section of the floor about 4 ft. wide was removed
on the centerline of the nave to provide the easiest distribution
of ducts and electrical lines from the western basement mechanical
room.
After the installation was complete, the floor was closed
with a structural slab on steel decking, and the nave marble
and carpeting were reinstalled.
Based on the anticipated uses, a 20-ft.-by-20-ft. vestibule
that mimics the building's existing vocabulary was added on
the east. The quality of materials in the vestibule addition
was held to exactly the same standards as the original construction.
Two types of limestone were specified: traditional Indiana
buff and a rock-face-dressed dolomitic stone. Finding the
dolomitic stone was tremendously difficult, but after much
research, a match was found.
The interior departs from strict adherence to Gothic vocabulary
by employing a stained wood ceiling that expresses the structure
of the roof framing and provides acoustical wood panels to
absorb sound and improve speech intelligibility.
A dedicated access stair to the basement mechanical room was
needed, and the existing western enclosure from 1917 was extended
about 10 ft.
The interior of each transept was gutted. The space in the
south transept was opened to provide a flexible area for seating
and tables. The original common brick ceiling vaulting was
exposed, cleaned and painted.
Jury Comments: "They don't make buildings like this anymore,
and the renovation was painstakingly done. It's a jewel. The
project was true restoration at its finest."
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