CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 02/04/20

Rock Eagle Chapel restoration nears completion after last year’s fire

By Sharon Dowdy

Just shy of a year after an electrical fire gutted the interior of the building, the restoration of the chapel at University of Georgia Cooperative Extension’s Rock Eagle 4-H Center near Eatonton, Georgia, is nearing completion.

A generous $200,000 gift from Illinois 4-H alumna and recently appointed U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler and an outpouring of support at the August 2019 Georgia 4-H Foundation Gala catapulted the restoration project’s fundraising effort past its $400,000 goal.

Loeffler, who grew up on a cattle farm, says her 4-H experience and 4-H mentors contributed significantly to her growth and development. The former CEO of Bakkt, a regulated, global ecosystem for digital currencies, Loeffler was also a member of the executive team at Intercontinental Exchange. She is also a co-owner of the Atlanta Dream, the first women-owned professional sports team in Atlanta.

Georgia 4-H State Leader Arch Smith said the goal was set to restore the chapel to its original state with guidance from the original 1953 blueprints.

“We wanted to put it back as close as we could to the original, which actually costs more to do today than new construction,” Smith said.

The project cost, he said, is roughly $600 per square foot for the 2,000 square foot chapel. Fortunately, the center had stored the original lighting fixtures, which are now being modified with LED lights.

The chapel’s chimes, which have not been heard across the center for the past year, will soon be delivered through a “much smaller system with smaller speakers in the chapel’s steeple,” Smith said.

The stone walls of the structure were repaired with stones collected from the center grounds, the same stones used to build the original walls. The stained-glass windows are being replaced with windows designed by a contractor who believes his father constructed the original windows, Smith said.

“And, I think everyone will be pleased to know the chapel now has a sprinkler system that will turn on in case of fire,” Smith said. “The chapel is one of the symbolic icons of Rock Eagle 4-H Center. We continue to be thankful for the 4-H agent who first spotted the fire and called 911 and appreciate the quick response from the Putnam County Fire Department and university officials who also assisted us in the clean-up and restoration of the site.”

Georgia 4-H plans to officially dedicate the newly restored chapel at a ceremony set for June 28, during Georgia 4-H State Council. Rock Eagle 4-H Center, the largest of the five Georgia 4-H centers, hosts more than 70,000 visitors each year. For more on the Georgia 4-H program, go to www.Georgia4H.org.

Sharon Dowdy is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Authors:
Sharon Dowdy
Experts/Sources:
Arch D. Smith
Georgia 4-H plans to officially dedicate the newly restored chapel at Rock Eagle 4-H Center during a ceremony set for June 28, during Georgia 4-H State Council. Just shy of a year after an electrical fire gutted the interior of the building, the restoration of the chapel is nearing completion.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
Seth McAllister and farmer Mark Daniel discuss crop production and agritourism. CAES News
UGA Extension supports agritourism through expert advice and collaboration 10/24/24 Emily Cabrera
On a sunny day with bright-blue skies, I arrive at Mark’s Melon Patch in Sasser, Georgia, and immediately spot the familiar white University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pickup truck, the Terrell County Extension logo prominently displayed on the door. Seth McAllister, the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Terrell County, greets me with a broad grin and a firm handshake. Terrell County alone has 60,000 acres of row crops, half in cotton. But what McAllister loves most about his role as an Extension agent is the diversity of his work.
Ropes course at Georgia 4-H camp CAES News
Campers create lasting memories of summer at Georgia's 4-H centers 10/07/24 Josie Smith
By the end of his first week at 4-H summer camp, fifth grader Cooper Hardy already had many memories of new and exciting experiences. “That was the first time I got in a canoe,” Hardy said. “It was a big deal for me.” Now, 10 years later, Hardy serves as a Georgia 4-H camp counselor at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton, Georgia. It’s a dream he’s held since the first time he set foot on the sprawling, wooded 1,500-acre campus as a camper.
Caroline Hinton is the director of experiential learning for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. (Photo by Peter Frey/UGA) CAES News
Director of experiential learning herds students toward new fields of education 10/02/24 Averi Caldwell
Caroline Hinton wants to foster a love of learning for all students who walk through her door. As the director of experiential learning for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Hinton helps students connect with their fields of study outside of the classroom. “I find joy and excitement in getting to watch students experience different parts of agriculture and find a place in our state’s own agriculture industry,” she said.
The University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel saw some damage from the winds and rain of Hurricane Helene. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA) CAES News
UGA weathers Hurricane Helene 09/27/24
The University of Georgia’s main campus was fortunate to emerge relatively unscathed after Hurricane Helene barreled through the state early Friday morning. However, the impact was more significant at our extended campus locations. While the UGA Griffin campus reported no major damage, UGA-Tifton was hit much harder, with dozens of downed trees and power outages, as well as flooding in several buildings. Damage to farm operations across south Georgia appears to be extensive.
Honorees at the 2024 State 4-H Congress included 4-H Green Jacket Award winner Jay Morgan, Master 4-H’er Vidhi Patel, Warnell Associate Dean for Outreach Nick Fuhrman for Warnell accepting the Friend of 4-H Award on behalf of the college, Georgia 4-H State President Kingston Ryals, William H. Booth Award winner Patrick Willis, and Ryles Rising Star Award Laura Mirarchi. CAES News
Outstanding youth, supportive adults celebrated at Georgia 4-H State Congress 08/14/24 Josie Smith
Accomplished 4-H youth and the adults who empower them gathered at the 81st Georgia 4-H State Congress in Atlanta July 23-26. The weeklong event for top 4-H’ers features state-level Project Achievement and Leadership in Action competitions and recognizes youth development professionals and community supporters contributing to the success of 4-H in Georgia. More than 200 youth delegates competed in 50 Project Achievement areas and eight youth delegates competed in the Leadership in Action contest during annual event.
Local 4-H students helped install more than 500 plants in the 400-square-foot plot below the mural. (Photo by Sara Ingram) CAES News
Public art helping to revive rural communities 07/26/24 Margaret Blanchard
In Buena Vista, a vibrant mural at the corner of North Broad Street and Fifth Avenue catches the eyes of passers-by with its bright blue border. Funded by Flint Energies, the mural tells the story of the longleaf pine forests that once dominated Marion County and the turpentine industry, flora and fauna that the trees supported — from gopher tortoises to bobwhite quail.