FEBRUARY 2024: The church hired Good People Tree Service to remove a large tree that died after its roots were damaged by the County's work to improve drainage from Road 205. Eric, Ivan and crew did a wonderful job! GoodPeopleTreeService.com
SEPTEMBER 23, 2013: This summer we finally finished our many-year restoration of
The Little Church in the Pines which included raising the church and installing a new foundation. It is a very special and rare mining camp church which is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. We believe that our work and divine intervention kept the church erect during the flood.
The chapel is intact with no mud or water damage inside, but the entire building's future existence is still in doubt for there is no earth under the front half. Peter Brady and Vernon Lawrence cut two trees to use as temporary support poles. Soon after, Burton Sloan, Derek Davis, James Holmes and Ed Tarleton added stronger metal supports, but they will not endure vibrations from trucks or be sufficient for winter. An engineer has looked at the church and plans are being made for the chapel's preservation. We are hoping to find some grant funds to help us protect it.
Sadly, the grand old pine tree that survived the 2010 fire, despite burned bark, was cut down on Sept. 25th. (You can see it above behind the steeple.) The roots in front were exposed, and if it were to fall, the damage to the church could have been catastrophic.
A longtime Salina friend, Sam Gibbens, contacted the
Home Depot in Broomfield which was quick to deliver a donation of wheelbarrows, shovels, and gloves; and they have promised to assist us with concrete. The moral support to our community from their generosity has been enormous.
OCTOBER 14, 2013: Peter Brady designed a temporary support system using redwood cribbing. Gebau Inc. was hired to help us design a permanent foundation and Engineer Stephen D. Pendergrast volunteered his services to design the final plan.
History Colorado (Colorado Historical Society) awarded us an emergency grant and we are now feel confident we can stabilize the chapel. Cribbing and steel posts now support the building. Concrete pads and larger steel posts will be constructed soon, then we will begin the process of procuring dirt and filling the void. The rock retaining wall and steps come next, and hopefully Boulder County will reconstruct the road (and our parking area) soon.
NOVEMBER 23, 2013: The permanent supports are done and backfill has begun, but now the icy road and debris cleanup have slowed us down a bit. Since we now have such easy access to underneath, we hope to do some floor insulation, and then complete the backfill. With the County planning to begin work on creating our temporary winter road soon, Salina could be a traffic nightmare.
NOVEMBER 25, 2013: The Mind's Eye film premiere, and benefit for our church, was a huge success! Both showings at the Boedecker Theater were sold out and it was a mind-bending experience for all. (Yes, that is
The Little Church in the Pines on fire in the poster below... but, not really.)
Many thanks to Meryem Ersoz (Producer) and Mark Steven Grove (Director) for offering the benefit and introducing the film; and congratulations - can't wait for your film to be released! Glenn Webb of the Boedecker Theater also gave us a big surprise by adding their portion of the ticket money to our recovery efforts. Truly uplifting generosity.
JANUARY 29, 2014: Foundation walls have been poured underneath the chapel, and earth has been moved up to the walls. It is starting to look almost normal again. Next, steel beams will be inserted underneath. When the weather is good, work will begin on rebuilding the rock retaining wall, steps, and front deck.
APRIL 16, 2014: The steel beams have been inserted and bricks are being laid to finish the foundation. (Before the bricks, we decided to take advantage of the easier access and put insulation under the floor - one positive aspect to this ordeal.) Once the bricks are finished, they will be faced with local rocks.
APRIL 19, 2014: Backfilling continues and work has begun on the stone facing.
JUNE 16, 2014: Peter Brady finished applying the stone facing to the foundation. Ezequiel Quintana started rebuilding the rock retaining wall in front of the chapel.
JULY 7, 2014: Ezequiel Quintana has finished the wall along Gold Run Road! He is now working on the side wall.
OCTOBER 2014: Ezequiel finished the wall and Marion Reynolds rebuilt the deck and steps. All we have left to do is install a railing and complete the landscaping next spring.
MAY-JUNE 2015: Vernon Lawrence fabricated and installed a railing just like the one he installed during the restoration (a few weeks before the flood). Jose Angel Quintana is landscaping the front yard and laying a flagstone walkway from the back door, around the front, to a garden seating area.
JULY 2015: It has been 22 months and we are finally done!!
CHS Grant $ 7,802.22
Total cash donations $ 3,477.00
Church contribution $17,037.87
Total cost of repairs: $28,317.09
All of the People and Organizations
who donated their time or money
James Anderson, Marti Anderson, Avnet (Pierce Brady, Steve Quigley, Hope Flynn, Martin Moran, Lindsay O'Brian & Wade Domier), Rick Benson, Boedecker Theater, Peter Brady, Russell Brockway, Doug Burger, Ellen Cadette, John Carroll Concrete, Talon Cinkovich, Colorado Historical Society Emergency Stabilization Grant, Kay Cook, Gail Culp, Derek Davis, Mereym Ersoz, Rolland Fischer, David Gatten, Sam Gibbens, Gold Hill Group (Joanne Cole, Martha Knapp, Maggie Sims, and unknown others), James Holmes, Home Depot of Broomfield, Jens Hybertson, Jubilate Singers, Sarah & Richard Kuyper, Vernon Lawrence, Doug Lipper, Steve Pendergrast, Thelma Robinson, Phil Rubin, Burton Sloan, Matt Smart, Ed Tarleton, Robert Vermillion, and Randy Walter.
If we missed anyone, please let us know!
You can email corrections to Marti Anderson at mmasalina@msn.com
In 2016, The Little Church in the Pines received a Stephen H. Hart Award from the Colorado Historical Society for the preservation of the church after the 2013 flood.
Thank you VERY much to everyone who helped!
