Green House / Powerhouse Area
Greenhouse
In 1904, the Lawsons built a fine barn to house their work horses in the area now occupied by the greenhouse. This was a large barn that included a brick-yard area covered in hay. In later years, when it was not necessary to keep the horses close to the residence, it was decided to tear down the barn and build a large greenhouse. The Lawsons decided to model their greenhouse after the fine greenhouses that they had seen in their travels through Europe. The greenhouse was designed in the “Curved E” style with a palm garden with plans to produce specialty fruits and vegetables year-round. Jessie passed away in 1914, before this project could be completed. To keep Jessie’s dream alive, Victor completed construction of the greenhouse in 1916. Herman Schultz. The Lawsons gardener, did his best to grow the produce Victor envisioned, however, Wisconsin weather would not allow the production of the quantity or quality of produce to make the greenhouse profitable.
In the years after the property was purchased by the American Baptist Assembly, the West Wing was dismantled, and the parts were used to rebuilt what was left. The greenhouse is still in use today to start and nurture plants used throughout the conference grounds.
Information from “Just Do It Jessie’s Way” Pages 48, 76
Powerhouse
To power this great estate, the Lawsons hired the Fairbanks Morse Company to build the power plant for the estate. Two large generators charged banks of batteries that in turn powered the estate. All the wires that powered the property were buried underground, a very innovative idea for the time. Large cables were run underground to the boat house to charge the 140 batteries that propelled the Lawsons yacht “No Hurry.”
After purchase by the ABA, the building was named the John Mason Peck Building, and it was used as the Administration and Check-in Center. With the completion of the Kraft Administration Building in 1963, it was used by the maintenance department until it was converted to the World-Wide Gift Shop.
Information from “Just Do It Jessie’s Way” Pages 48, 66, 76
A Short History of the Chapel Car Ministry and the Grace Chael Car
Dr. Wayland Hoyt, the pastor of the First Baptist Church in Minneapolis, suggested building the first Chapel Car in 1890 while riding in a private car through northern Minnesota. The idea was passed along to Mr. Boston W. Smith, a layman, to park a coach on a siding Saturday night so it could be used as a Sunday School Sunday Morning. Mr. Smith went on to become the Superintendent of the Chapel Ministries from 1891 to 1907.
The first Chapel Car, #1 Evangel, was bult and served in Oregon & Washington from 1891 to 1892, and was in service for 34 years.
One of the expenses that occurred in the operation of the Chapel car was the cost of moving a car from one town to another. This fee was called a trackage fee. When the question of this charge was first raised by Boston Smith in conversations with the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1891, the railroad responded with memo directing Superintendents and Conductors to move the Capel Car “Evangel” wherever Mr. Boston desires and sidetrack it whenever he wishes. Make it as pleasant for Mr. Smith as you can. Fortunately for the Society this practice was followed by the majority of the railroads. The policy of free transportation ended in 1914.
The final car to be constructed was Car number 7, Grace. It was built in 1915 at a cost of $21, 000. Grace served in the Western United States, mostly in Oregon, Nevada, Wyoming Colorado & Utah. Its final service was in Orem, Utah from 1943 to 1946 where it provided ministry to workers at a World War II Stell Steel Mill.
Grace arrived in Chiago on April 22, 1946, and the final service was held in the Burlington Northern yards before the car was moved to Green Lake by rail. The car was loaded on a truck and was transported along Hwy 23 to an area near the east gate and was located near the Abby until 1982, when it was moved to its present location in the Luther Wesley Smith Conference area.
This information was collected from “On The Rails with the Gospel” by R. Dean Goodwin,a brochure provided by the GLCC.
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