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Major Financial Campaigns for Renovations
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The
First Capital Campaign: The Organ Fund
The
first major fund raising campaign was mounted by Carl McCleskey. In
the early 1980s, $35,000 was raised to have a new roof put on the
church by selling the duplex next door to the church. In 1984, $78,000
was raised primarily from member’s and friend’s donations
to have the 1925 W. W. Kimball Pipe Organ cleaned and refurbished.
This project was finished in 1986 by Dan Garland of Ft. Worth. The
organ originally contained 23 ranks of 8’ pitch, 19 in the main
organ and 4 in the Echo division. In the 1960s, the Echo Division
was removed because it had sustained heavy water damage. In 1986,
a new Principal Chorus was added, thus there was a total of 28 ranks.
Only four of the original ranks were removed. The organ now uses the
original windchest and wind supply, but is controlled by a new console.
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The Second Capital Campaign: Renvoations and Restorations
In 1988,
in a meeting with the trustees and Rev. William Bryan III, it was
decided to raise $20,000 to $30,000 to paint the sanctuary. It was
suggested that a grant be written to the “Partners for Sacred
Places”. A planning grant was received from the Meadows foundation
for $4,000 in 1989. This was used to devise a master plan with Craig
Melde and Gary Skotnicki from the Dallas architectural firm Architexas.
Since there was only about 350 church members at that time, not enough
to support the planned renovations, the Capital Campaign was divided
into phases - three and possibly four phases, and with hope for the
future. The first priority was to bring the structure to a livable
state, (e.g., fire safety, updating electrical systems, etc.). Then,
they would construct a choir room, a proper medical and legal clinic,
update the preschool, functional restrooms, then the sanctuary, and
finally, the big project - to renovate the parlor (Brotherhood Hall).
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Phase I:
The
Basics
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Member Dale McEowen
and fund-raising consultant Hugh Clark organized the next capital
campaign. A grant from the Meadows foundation was received for Phase
I in 1992 for $240,000 to have the electrical system upgraded and/or
replaced. The electrical systems had not been updated since the church
was built in 1903. In addition to the electrical systems upgrade,
the heating and air conditioning was upgraded, a new fire and smoke-sensing
alarm was installed, along with a new intruder-sensing security system,
updated lighting, and some plumbing upgrades. The nursery and the
administrative offices were also redone and a new phone system installed
on the main floor. The upstairs restrooms which had been built on
the arched porch in the 1960s were moved next to the administrative
offices. Additional funds for this work were obtained from the Eugene
Straus Charitable Trust, the Hoblitzelle Foundation, the Hillcrest
Foundation, and members donations.
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Phase II:
The
Basement |
Phase II was then embarked
on in 1995 and focused on renovations in the basement. One of the
reasons for the survival of Grace Church was the church’s
service to the neighborhood and the diversity of its congregation.
In 1983, a small medical clinic had been started called the Agape
Medical Clinic. Also added was the first free legal clinic in the
nation which held court hearings outside the courthouse called the
East Dallas Legal Clinic. Both were located in the basement of the
church and used the fellowship hall for their clinics. In Phase
II, the basement was updated, with improvements to the two clinics
along with the Open-Door Preschool. (This included the construction
of a small pharmacy and five medical examination rooms where there
had previously only been two exam rooms with shower curtains for
dividers and no running water.) Additionally, the restrooms in the
basement were updated; an emergency hall with fire exits was added;
and a choir rehearsal room was built.
| The dedication of the new Clinics with
Rev. Willam Bryan III. |
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Phase III:
The
Sanctuary |
Later in June 1995, Rev. Charles Cox
replaced Rev. Bryan, and the sanctuary soon became the focus of
the renovations. As mentioned previously, in the 1940s, the altar
woodwork had been painted white. Also, a neon sign had been attached
to the tower and part of the arched porch was enclosed for restrooms.
In Phase III, the wood was stripped and restored to its original
beauty and the sanctuary finally was re-carpeted and painted.
The cork floors in the sanctuary were refinished. Gratefully,
the neon cross on the front of the building was removed in 1996.
In this same period, the roof was again repaired and the playground
renovated.
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Phase IV:
The
Parlor |
What had been the Brotherhood hall
from 1903 to 1925 had been adapted into offices, the library,
and the classrooms for the East Dallas Cooperative Parish (an
association of local Methodist Churches). An 8 foot high dropped
ceiling had also been put in the parlor and the balcony had been
extended for classrooms. The area above the parlor was used for
storage. Thus, in the fall of 1998 the fourth phase of the Capital
Campaign was started to obtain the funds to restore the parlor
at an estimated cost of $650,000, but later downsized to between
$500,000 and $600,000. Plans were designed in 2000 by Architexas,
and a contractor was hired in January 2002. Restoration of the
parlor was completed in the fall of 2002.
During restoration, the dropped ceiling was
removed to reveal the original metal ceiling and chandelier (see
figures below). The balcony was reduced in size to that similar
to the original balcony. The floor was replaced. The Bryan Chapel,
a small chapel dedicated to the family of Sonny Bryan (famed BBQ
restaurateur and father of Rev. William Bryan III), was erected
in the corner where the pastor’s office had been previously.
Rather than having classrooms constructed, the balcony was left
open as was the downstairs area. Seating has been arranged around
the room to accent the stained glass windows and to promote fellowship.
Finally, new doors were placed at the entrance in a modern
version of the Gothic Revival Lancet style similar to the tower
windows and the design on the main entry to the church. The
parlor is used for weddings, receptions, recitals, cultural
performances, and meetings.
Approximately forty of the over one hundred
and forty stained glass windows have been re-leaded and the
plexiglas replaced. On the large window facing Haskell of “The
Marys at the Tomb”, the lead had corroded so badly that
the glass was bulging. After the lead was replaced, the new
plexiglas was affixed in such a way as to show the tracery windows
and the quatrefoil which had been previously hidden. The other
two large windows still have to be done as well as several of
the small windows. A sacristy was built behind the sanctuary
and dedicated to the memory of Rev. Charles McEowen (father
of Dale McEowen) formerly the pastor at the Dr. Fox Memorial
Methodist Church. The restrooms which had been constructed on
the arched porch facing Junius were removed in 2002 and the
porch opened as it had been originally. What was originally
going to be $40,000 paint job became more than a $2 million
restoration and renovation. Shown below is Grace United Methodist
Church as it stands today.
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