Heritage Hall History Exhibit
The information below corresponds to the permanent History Exhibit installed in Heritage Hall as part of the Sesquicentennial. If you can help identify names or dates, or have additional information to share, email info@olccp.com. The exhibit is open during regular weekday office hours and on Sundays.
Section 1: The Story Begins
Museum Panel
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Colin and Caroline Linn Campbell
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Map of Apple Island in the era of the Campbells’ ownership. The map is attributed to Win Hamlin, son of the island caretaker. Learn more about the history of Apple Island at www.gwbhs.org.
Gallery Photos
1. The Campbell family gathers on the front porch of their home on Apple Island. Matriarch, Caroline Linn Campbell sits in the center of the photo. Daughter, Caroline E., nicknamed Tina (“Tine-ah”), sits on the step with her arm on her mother’s lap, in a patterned dress. Son Forrest is on the second step, just to the right of the little girl in the white dress. c. 1878.
2. The Apple Island house was sometimes referred to as “Smoketree Inn”, for the large smoketree visible in this photo. A garden laid out in the shape of a Maltese cross fills the yard where these islanders have gathered for the photo, c. 1878.
3. Map of West Bloomfield Township, 1896.
4. The island house parlor was decorated with city furniture including a Victorian horsehair sofa, upholstered rocking chair, velvet drapes, and printed wallpaper. Caroline L. held daily worship services in this parlor, until the chapel was completed on the mainland.
5. This aerial photograph (c. 1915) of Orchard Lake shows Apple Island with open spaces. A close inspection shows the white Campbell house in the center of the island. Orchard Lake Church is partially visible in the upper left of the photo. Since 1970, the island has been owned by the West Bloomfield School District to serve as a woodland sanctuary and educational resource.
Section 2: The Church in the Wildwood
Museum Panel
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The cornerstone can be found on the roadside face of the chapel, left of the entry doors. An economic depression around 1871 delayed the construction of the chapel for three years.
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Henry T. and Jeanie Campbell Brush donated the circular stained glass window for the original chapel. Mr. Brush was the architect of the chapel; Jeanie was Colin and Caroline’s eldest daughter. The inscription, I am the Way, The Truth, and the Life comes from John14:6. When the chapel was remodeled around 1955, the window was reinstalled on an interior wall above the new balcony. Artificial lighting was added behind the glass so it would glow as though the sun were shining through. In c.1990, the stained glass window became a central feature of the new Columbarium which had been an entrance to the building before renovation. The Columbarium provides a beautiful space for prayer and remembrance amid 288 niches.
Gallery Photos
6. Dr. Charles Louis Loos (L), a friend of the Campbell family and professor at Bethany College, gave the chapel dedication address on July 18, 1874. Bethany College was founded in West Virginia in 1840 by members of the Disciples of Christ. The identify of the man (R) standing with Dr. Loos is unknown.
7. Congregants gather in the church yard (c. 1949). Notice the bell tower includes loud speakers to amplify the tolling of the bell. By this time, the chapel had been raised off its original stone foundation, and new gathering spaces were being built underneath. You can see the basement’s ventilation stack at the back of the chapel.
8. The interior of the chapel as you entered c. 1949. Notice the dark carved pews arranged in two aisles, facing toward the lake. The Celtic cross on the alter is still in use today.
9. This snow in this photo illustrates how the little summer chapel had transitioned to a year-round house of worship.
10. The congregation (c.1949) fills the little chapel, awaiting the start of the service. The men’s hats are neatly lined up on the shelf against the back wall, near photographs of founders, Colin and Caroline Campbell. The bell rope hangs down, just barely visible just to the left of the door. The chancel choir members, accompanied by Pastor Barney Roepke wait their procession to the chancel. Fran Sarto is standing in the back row, center, wearing what looks like a corsage. Ole Sarto is in the back row, second from right. Sy Green who lived on Sweetwater Drive in West Acres is the gentleman in the very front, right corner. Can you identify any of the other congregants? Email info@olccp.com.
11. Glass communion cups were used until practicality and disposability made plastic cups the standard. Glass cups similar to these were found discarded in the Campbell family privy on Apple Island during archeological research in the early 2000’s. It is unclear if the cups in this exhibit were found on Apple Island.
12. These nails were recovered from the structure of the chapel during exterior maintenance work in mid 2024. The style of the nails suggest they could be original to the construction of the building.
Section 3: Establishing a Year-Round Church
Museum Panel
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Four women of the church, (Can you help identify? Email info@olccp.com) pose under a metal sign identifying ORCHARD LAKE COMMUNITY CHURCH (c. 1949). Components of the sign, which was a gift to the congregation in 1947, can be found in the large blue sign as you enter Heritage Hall.
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The second cornerstone of the facility marks the construction of the education wing.
Gallery Photos
13. Wedding viewed from the balcony, which is now known as the Upper Room, c. 1956. Can you identify this wedding, or any of the people in the photo? Email info@olccp.com.
14., 15., 16. The education wing was completed in multiple stages over several years beginning in 1952. First, the stone foundation of the chapel was replaced with construction blocks, and windows were added to the crawl space. Next, the basement was dug out to make space for Sunday School rooms. Access was by an exterior door which led directly downstairs (c. 1949). The next phase added a two-story extension to the south side of the chapel that included a new main entrance from the parking lot, offices, and a balcony overlooking the chapel. The chapel itself was extended by (XXX) feet to the south with a fifth pair of gothic windows and an additional ceiling rafter that are indistinguishable from the originals. The most significant change in this phase was the reversing of the chapel orientation. Originally, the pews were arranged with two side aisles, facing the lake. The pews were reversed and reoriented to accommodate a center aisle. A wall was built separating the sanctuary from the original vestibule, which thus served as a staging area for the chancel. This new wall also served as the backdrop of the chancel (c. 1952).
17. Music has been a core feature of worship at Orchard Lake from the very beginning with Caroline Campbell leading hymn sings on Apple Island. Over the years, hundreds of children and adults have served the Lord through song, handbells, and instrumental music. This group of Cherubs are joined by their accompanist, Mrs. Mary Kurzwell (L) and their director, Mrs. Ruby Welch (R). Young Fred Welch is in the back row, second from left (blond). Kathy and Chris Clark are the blond twins in the back center. Terry Ashby is back row, far right. Can you identify the year, or any of the children? Email info@olccp.com
18. In c. 1959, the bell tower and sleek steeple were added to the education wing. The bell was relocated from the Gothic tower to the new bell tower, and the Gothic tower was replaced with a simple cross. (c. 1959). This addition also included expanded office space, classrooms, and the kitchen with Fellowship Hall.
Section 4: On-going Mission and Ministry
Museum Panel
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We have a total of four cornerstones around our facility. Can you find them all? 1974 marks the beginning of the construction of the octagon sanctuary. 2008 is the date of the Faith Enrichment Center, the most recent addition to our facility.
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The view out over Orchard Lake and on to Apple Island is an inspiring reminder of the beauty of God’s creation and of our connection to the faithful who came before us.
Gallery Photos
19. The interior of the new octagon sanctuary c. 1974. Notice the modern chandelier. The organ had not yet been installed as evidenced by the lack of organ pipes in the chancel.
20. Easy does it. The steeple is installed on the octagon sanctuary. Orchard Lake Community Church has three steeples: the simple cross on Heritage Hall which represents the earliest days, the sleek steeple above the original education wing which represents our commitment to Christian Education, and the lighted octagon steeple which represents our focus on the light of Christ.
21. Genesis 9:16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.
22. Groundbreaking, octagon sanctuary c. 1973. Dennis Berry squats in front, talking with his son, Christopher. Christian Koch stands on the left, in the dark suit, Ted Cavin wears the brown and white sweater, white Stan Crater sports the red shirt and dark suit. Anyone know who the woman is with the shovel, or the woman behind her?
24. The bell was a gift to the congregation in 1940 from Mrs. R. D. Baker. It was first hung in the Gothic tower above the original chapel. According to the 1959 history of the church, “hanging the bell [in the Gothic tower] was an engineering feat.” In c. 1959, the bell was removed from the Gothic tower, relocated to the third floor space in the education wing. With the bell and its rope tucked away from view, ringing it on a regular basis has gone out of fashion. In celebration of the sesquicentennial, the bell will be rung at least 150 times on July 21, 2024.