February 2008

Digging the footers for the chapel

Constructing the cabins at Chestnut Ridge Log Cabins in Nebo NC. Inside their huge building they can build all four cabins at the same time which allows us to save money.

June 2008

Blake Mobile moving company brings the cabins from Nebo in Early June 2008

These guys can put a cabin almost anywhere

View from the hill overlooking the site

Foundation holes for the porches are dug

Cement footers being poured. Due to building regulations the porches have to be free standing and cannot be attached to the units.

Sandy Jones peeks in the window

Julia and Jim Banks come up for a visit










Chapel floor joists are going in.

Richard O'Brien installs the underground electric and what a job that is keeping everything straight




Chapel sub-floor goes down.







Chapel walls go up!

Porch on The Thomas Merton Hermitage goes up.

Electric meter box


Tom just has to be the first one to rock on the porch!

Mike Galleher checking out the chapel.

May 2008

Living room and bedroom. Hickory floors and built in cabinets

Lowered litchen counter and roll under sink in acessible unit

Sam Tallman gets a tour in May 2008

Our dear friend from Panama The Rev. Glenda McQueen visits with us and gets a tour.

Freeman Gas delivers the propane tanks which will be buried.

Our amazing crew from Warren Contruction Company have installed the septic system and buried all the untilities

The front door of one of the units

Three of the units are complete and awaiting delivery to Valle Crucis

The acessible shower

The Next Phase

John aqnd Faye Cooper visit the chapel in
March 2008






After much research and talking with local contractors it was decided the most cost effective building would be a Park Model Modular unit built by Chestnut Ridge Log Cabins in Nebo NC. We spent much of the winter months talking with Robert Gay and Byron Boyd about our needs for each cabin. They were wonderful to work with and never seemed to mind all the changes we asked for at each meeting. They had never designed an accessible unit and did a great job modifying one of their cabins. Since we did not identify a donor willing to sponsor the duplex accessible unit it was decided to build 3 of the units the same and the fourth unit as an accessible unit with wider hallways and doors, an accessible bathroom and lowered counter in the kitchen.











Wendell Seaver and Robert Gay in March 2008 watching our cabins being built
















Our cabins become a reality

Our board president Susie Morgan and Tom Eshelman visit in April 2008

We made an application to Watauga County for a road to be named after Bishop Weinhauer and his wife Jean. In April 2008 the county installed the sign and added our site to the county road maps and GPS Emergency 911 system.

Karen Kassinger visits in April 2008 on the day the road sign was installed by the county.

The chapel foundation gets its cement cap in May 2008

We identify and grade the sites for each hermitage in May 2008