Background: The Lawson Legacy buildings are structures including the Greenhouse, Boathouse, Tea House, towers, barns, walls and bridges constructed by Jessie and Victor Lawson, and mostly designed by architect William Merigold, between 1903 and 1916. They are of great architectural value and are central to what makes these grounds so special. In the Midwestern portion of the United States there is nothing else like it. The Lawson structures are owned by either Green Lake Conference Center (501c.3) or Lawsonia Inc. and Ben Mott is the President of both companies.
The structures are under threat because:
They are all over 100 years old.
They almost all do not produce revenue for the non-profit Christian conference center or Lawsonia Inc.
The Lawson Legacy initiative was sparked by the publication of the history book, “Just do it Jessie’s Way” by Kathleen Kleinpaste in 2003, detailing the vision, stories and dates behind the creation of the Lawson Estate. Momentum was also created by the restoration of the Lawson Greenhouse in 1999. The Lawson Legacy building stewardship programme has taken off since 2016 with the renovation of the four barns by the front gates, the restoration of the metal gates themselves, the saving of the “Spanish Steps” above the Grape Arbour pergola, and new roofs on the Tea House, Spurgeon Chapel, the Idris Jones Building and the World Mission building of Lawson vintage.
The Vision: To be great stewards of these buildings so that they can be preserved and enjoyed for generations to come.
Stewardship Premises and Values:
We seek humble people looking to advance this mission in the area they are called and gifted. These areas can include volunteer labour, construction research and management, financial gifts, social events, communications, administration and more. It is amazing what can get done when no one has to take all of the credit. Jessie Lawson is the graceful model for letting quality work tell the story while not drawing attention to herself (as an English lady would do).
Excellence in classical architecture and craftsmanship is what Jessie Lawson demanded.
Final say in all projects goes to the owner management team of Ben Mott, President of GLCC and Lawsonia Inc., and Robert Staricka, Architect for GLCC.
Where might we go next?
Restoring the Grape Arbour pergola upper beams. While the concrete support structure is in good condition, the wooden upper cross beams have failed in multiple places. GLCC and Robert Staricka are working with Justin Kutz of Wisconsin Reclamation Project on a long-term solution to this with douglas fir beams taken from a Lawson era warehouse, while keeping the existing grape vines. Estimated total project expense = $44,000. Already received $24,000 in gifts. Stone wall repairs all around the grounds. Recent repairs were done to the walls on the east side of Lawson Drive by the Combination Barn as you enter the front gates. Cost range varies from $1,000-$100,000 depending on how much work is being done and what the paid to volunteer ratio is. Repair work was done on the wall in front of the entrance barns by a trained volunteer for under $1,000 in 2021 as a low expense example.
Adopting the smaller Lawson towers on the grounds. Renovating these towers includes, by tower, some or all of:
Tree limbing or removal by an arbourist as needed.
Roof repair or replacement, whether with clay tiles in the original style or with asphalt terracotta tiles for a cheaper period appropriate solution.
Repairing the concrete work and drainage on the wall and deck surfaces with a recreation of the Lawson era aggregate mix.
Repairing the brick work at the front gates. Renovating the stairs from the conference center up to the base of Judson Tower.
Restoring the 1910 Boat House roof. This is the largest and most high impact of the top priority projects. This involves having Robert Staricka, architect, and a construction team, design a methodology in which the original tiles are all removed and mesh reinforced on the back side. All compromised decking and beams are repaired or replaced. A new underlay waterproof roofing system is installed and then the original tiles are put back. This creates a long-term solution so that the structure is protected even when tiles are damaged in the future. Cost estimate yet to be secured.
