Updated December 10, 2021 – New photos added

Beginning in May 2021, construction kicked off to expand the Marie Macdonald Chapel, on the campus of New Covenant Schools, where All Saints Church has met and worshiped since the founding of the parish in 2012.

Check out this slideshow showing the construction, from demolition to remodel, over time circa May-December 2021.

The post continues after the slideshow.

First, crews from Lynchburg Stained Glass arrived to remove the large story windows along with the rose window over the altar. The process requires specialists with expertise in the safe handling and storage of stained glass. No doubt the students were interested to watch the windows be removed from their high perches. These windows are constructed with clear glass on the outside, which the workers left in place until the end of the school year, at which time they, too, were removed and saved for re-installation. 

Upon the start of summer break, the contractor built a temporary wall inside between the chapel and the corridor, to seal the existing space from dirt and debris. The next step was to commence demolition on the apse – the round part of the building which houses the platform and the altar. As part of the plan, the large Jerusalem crosses were cut out of the existing altar so that they may be re-purposed and re-used.

Construction phase of this exciting chapel expansion project is slated to continue through the summer and is expected to be complete by about October 1, resulting in a new worship space replete with a new altar, reredos and other beautiful chapel appointments.  Once finished, the chapel will accommodate about 170 occupants, and will be large enough for the growing All Saints parish and continued use by the school community, and other special purposes, such as small string ensembles or choir productions.

The slideshow below depicts the expected finished product. Captions provide some additional details.