The long-term vision of one local church is coming to fruition.
Last month, dozens of volunteers spent two weeks erecting a timber framed pavilion on property owned by Orange Baptist Church. The 28-acre Rt. 15 adjacent parcel in the Town of Orange was purchased by the church in 1997. In 2008, the church body felt led to use the land to bless the community and in 2022, a capital campaign began to construct a pavilion that could be used for church activities and community gatherings.
About a year ago, a church member learned of the Timber Framers Guild, an educational nonprofit focused on traditional timber framing education which partners with organizations throughout North America to build timber frame structures for towns, nonprofits and community groups. The guild agreed to make the pavilion as its community build, bringing together approximately 50 volunteers from across the continent.
“They all come for one purpose: to hand-cut and raise a beautiful timber frame structure that will last for generations,” Timber Framers Guild Outreach Coordinator Valkyrie Liles said.
The build also helps volunteers learn more about timber framing instructors. The pavilion project had six instructors, all professional timber framers and Guild members. Kyle Murphy, local professional timber framer and Falling Acorn Timber Frames owner, served as the project manager. Liles said the instructors don’t actively work on the frame, but instead focus on educating the volunteers, some of whom have experience and others who have never held a chisel.
“Many of the volunteers were from the church and community,” pastor the Rev. Alan Miller said. “They didn’t know anything about [timber framing], but the instructors taught them and let them loose.”
As the partner organization, the church also provided the supplies including timber from a local sawmill and meals. Through a monetary donation, the church worked with local caterer Turner Gurlz Food to cater the build.
Miller said the entire process was a dream come true.
“It’s been a decades-long dream of doing this,” he said. “It’s exciting to see it come to fruition.”
Miller said the pavilion will allow the church to do even more on the land which has already been home to an annual Easter Egg Drop, Orange County High School Lacrosse Team practices, a community garden providing 4,200 pounds of food to the Love Outreach food pantry, weddings and a drive-through worship service location during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We want to use the land as much as we can to love our neighbors well,” Miller said.
With the frame finished, work is ongoing at the pavilion site with roof work imminent and future plans to add stonework and bathroom facilities. The project is being funded through donations including the sale of engraved bricks which will be used to construct a walkway leading to the entrance of the structure. Two sizes are available, 4×8 for $500 and 8×8 for $1,000. Engravings can be used to honor, remember or recognize individuals. For more information and updates on the pavilion, including purchasing a brick, visit https://www.obcpavilion.com/.
