By Arthur E. Foulkes
POLAND — A June arson attempt did not destroy the charm, tranquility and welcoming feel of the Poland Historic Chapel in eastern Clay County.
The little chapel, which stands on the eastern edge of a wide valley, is the first sight a visitor to the small town of Poland will see when arriving from the west on Indiana 42.
“It’s an icon,” said Joyce Smidley, president of the Poland Chapel Historical Society Inc., an all-volunteer, not-for-profit group that takes care of the post-Civil War-era structure. “It’s especially pretty at night. In a full moon, it’s just gorgeous.”
Renovations of some kind to the old chapel, built in 1869, are practically always in the works. However, just before the June 9 arson, a major effort was under way to replace the 10 tall window frames that line the east and west walls of the building. Efforts also had begun to preserve as much of the original glass in those window frames as possible, Smidley noted.
Sadly, all 10 newly constructed window frames were inside the little chapel the night an arsonist set the historic building on fire. They were not yet installed, but were leaning against the inside walls of the chapel when the fire took place.
“We paid for the windows and then they burned up, and now we have to pay for them again,” said Wilmadean Baker, treasurer of the chapel historical society. The society raised nearly $8,000 to pay for the new window frames, all of which were destroyed in the early morning fire.
Fortunately, the chapel’s structure was covered by insurance. However, the chapel’s contents were not insured and it was still unclear early Friday whether the insurance policy would cover the window frames. Although they were soon to be a part of the chapel’s structure, they had not yet been installed.
A Clay County juvenile has been arrested in connection with the arson, which took place several hours before sunrise. The fire might have destroyed the historic building if not for Donna Wells and her black lab, Chas, who live across the street.
“He just woke me up at the right time,” Wells said of Chas, who had been sleeping on the front porch of their Poland home in the pre-dawn hours of June 9. Chas started scratching on the front door of Wells’ home about 3 a.m., which is why Wells happened to come to her front door and see the chapel on fire.
“I always look over that way” when letting Chas back in the house, Wells said. On that particular morning, she noticed flames licking up the west wall of the chapel, she said. “And you could see flames on the inside, too.”
Wells called 911 and in minutes the Poland Volunteer Fire Department was on the scene. Firefighters had the blaze contained in about 11 minutes, Wells said. “That’s pretty good for a little volunteer fire department.”
Firefighters also took care not to damage the building when battling the blaze, Smidley said. The volunteers are from the Poland community and care about the chapel as much as anyone, she noted.
“They really did save the building,” Smidley said.
Prior to the fire, the Poland chapel always was unlocked and provided a welcoming stop for visitors 24 hours a day. The chapel society has not made a formal decision, but it seems likely the chapel will no longer be open at all times, and plans already are in the works to install a security system, Smidley noted.
Several people had signed the chapel’s guestbook over the years, many writing notes expressing their appreciation for the peaceful sanctuary. A guestbook from the 1960s showed visitors at the chapel from Dayton, Ohio, Chicago and Indianapolis. The current guest book, which was not destroyed in the fire, lists visitors from as far away as Maine and South Carolina.
Church services took place in the chapel from 1869 until 1927, during which time the chapel was a Presbyterian church. One of the early attendees at the church was Samuel Ralston, who served as Indiana’s governor from 1913 to 1917. His picture, along with other memorabilia, has been on display in the chapel for many years.
After 1927, the chapel sat empty for several decades and fell into disrepair until people in the local community decided to revive it, Baker said. The floor of the building had collapsed to the ground below, and it appeared the structure might not survive.
Then, in the 1960s, Marie and Marion Sendmeyer, late owners of the former Poland General Store, led early efforts to restore the chapel. Baker also became involved in restoration efforts at that time, she said.
“It really was very dear to her,” Smidley said of Marie Sendmeyer’s interest in the old chapel. No church services, except for an annual Easter sunrise service, have taken place in the chapel since 1927, Baker said.
Now, mostly because of the fire, the price tag for immediate chapel renovations tops $60,000, Smidley said, noting that in all chapel renovations, careful efforts are made to preserve the historic integrity of the building.
Several area philanthropic organizations have expressed an interest in helping with restoration efforts at the chapel, Smidley said. The Clay County Community Foundation has committed to fund a new security and surveillance system for the chapel for one year. In addition, the Historic Landmarks Foundation, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the Clay Civic Memorial Foundation and the Wabash Valley Community Foundation all have indicated that funds could be available to help with the chapel, Smidley said.
Individual contributions also are gratefully accepted, Baker said. They can be sent to the Poland Chapel Historical Society, 112 Park Place Drive, Brazil, IN 47834. The chapel previously was available to rent for weddings, something that will resume once repairs are further along, Smidley said.
About three long pews inside the chapel were badly damaged by the fire, but the rest remain intact. The insides of the four walls and the ceiling all were black from smoke, and the former red carpeting in the building has been removed, exposing dark hardwood floors.
“We are going to fix it back the way it was,” Baker said. “It’s such a beautiful building. We’re just so thankful it didn’t burn down.”
Baker gives Chas much of the credit for the chapel’s survival.
“If it hadn’t been for that dog, it would have been burnt to the ground,” she said. “We want a picture of that dog, because he’s our hero.”
Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.
