The History
“The Monastery” In 1843, in his last public speech, President John Quincy Adams (77 yrs. old) opened the new Observatory on the property now occupied by The Monastery. To coincide with this, the neighborhood received the new name ‘Mt. Adams’ (previously Mt. Ida) to honor the president. However, by 1873, the telescope had to be moved to escape the excessive pollution coming up from the city. It was at this time, The Holy Cross Monastery & Chapel were built on the property. Ironically, after suffering from pollution a century and a half ago, the property is now focused upon having a positive impact on the environment by achieving environmentally friendly LEED certification in 2015. According to USGBC, “LEED-certified buildings save resources and have a positive impact on the health of occupants while promoting renewable, clean energy”.
The Challenge
It was, essentially, in ruins.
In the mid-1970’s the Passionists Monks decided to consolidate their operations to Chicago. They sold The Monastery and Church to a developer who in turn sold it to a second. Neither was able to find an appropriate reuse. Then in 1982 Towne Properties acquired the property, and made The Monastery its corporate headquarters. But the chapel was a different story. Being on the National Register of Historic Structures, redevelopment of the church was filled with challenges and every plan fell to the wayside. The chapel remained vacant for decades and the once grand structure slowly faded. Weather took its toll on the roof and leaks wreaked havoc on the wide plank hardwood floors, the ceiling, plaster walls and the paint. Inside, except for an occasional art exhibit, the building sat quietly abandoned.
The Transformation
In 2016 the chapel was brought back to life. As many of the original and existing elements, such as the enormous ceiling medallions and the exposed brick walls were painstakingly preserved while new, but historically appropriate renovations such as the 750-pound chandeliers were added. An all new state-of-the-art kitchen was added along with thoughtfully placed rooms for pre-event use. Throughout there are subtle references to the structure’s former use, from church-window shaped mirrors to historical photos of the weddings from long ago. A beautiful, locally crafted mosaic medallion anchors the lobby floor and celebrates the history of the church and its home in Mt. Adams. This wonderful blend of the old and the new create an inspiring venue for any event. We now call it Romantic Ruins.
