Walkway to new church finished

Kelly Thomas and Barry Brunette lay a cobble stone walk as part of the finishing touch to the entrance of the new Community Hall at Sisters Episcopal Church. Photo by Tom Chace

The laying of a walkway put the final touch to the entrance of the new Community Hall at Sisters Episcopal Church last week.

Dedication of the new building, located on Brooks Camp Road off the McKenzie highway west of Sisters, will take place on Monday, June 30 with the Bishop of Eastern Oregon, William Gregg, and other local dignitaries in attendance, according to Dick Kellogg, project coordinator.

Kevin Spencer Masonry did the elaborate walkway with concrete cobblestones each the size of a small brick.

"Over 2,000 were laid," according to one of the workmen, "and it took very exacting work to make the multiple curves come together.

"There isn't a straight section in the whole of the double curved walk," he said.

The newly-fashioned entrance will be between the present church and the new Community Hall. The church proper will be to the left upon entering a "Gallery," according to Kellogg, and the 5,000-square-foot addition will be to the right.

"This will be the only way to get to the church offices, the Community Hall, new kitchen or into the church itself," he said.

"The original red, double-door entry to the church on the eastern side of the building will still be there, but the door hardware will be removed so that there will be no access the old way. The door will still be usable for emergencies and ventilation, but will not be used to enter the church," Kellogg said.

There will also be a private entry atop a short flight of stairs directly into the rector's office and the secretary's office adjacent.

Kelly Thomas, one of Spencer's crew, said that the stones taken from the original walk between the parking lot and the church entrance, put down 20 years ago, "will be reused going into the new office entrance and around the side of the building.

"Not only is this a saving but a nice touch to keep the old cobblestones from the original walk in use," he said.