Preservation of Winans Chapel Project

Main | Herb of the Year | Chapel | Lecture Schedule | Vendors | Music | Exhibitors | Volunteer | Directions | Contact Us | More Pictures

logo

The Baltimore Herb Festival, established in 1987, came into being as a fund-raising project to support the care, maintenance, and repair of the Winans Chapel while promoting the value of using and growing herbs through an annual festival.  The Baltimore Herb Festival Inc. has taken the leadership in stewardship of the Chapel and now, in close consultation with the City’s Department of Recreation and Parks and the Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP), is providing leadership for a major preservation project for the historic structure.		 Side view of chapel
Front view of chapel Description of the Project

The Baltimore Herb Festival is seeking capital funding to preserve and improve the exterior of the historic Winans Chapel, located in the Crimea estate portion of Leakin Park in West Baltimore.  Built in 1859, the chapel is a 990 sq. foot structure 1859 gothic revival wooden structure with board-and-batten siding.  In recognition of its historic importance, the Winan Chapel and other Winans-era buildings in Leakin Park, including the Orianda mansion house and stables, were placed on the Baltimore City Historic Landmarks List in 1982.

The focus of this project is preservation of the exterior of the building.  Constructive re-use or possible retrofitting of the interior of the structure into a public or community meeting space would be a separate project effort.		 Chapel woodwork deterioration
The Baltimore Herb festival is seeking funding for the urgent capital needs of the exterior of the Winans Chapel. Although the foundation and structural frame of the building are in good condition, major character-defining features of the chapel, such as the exterior trim, bargeboard scroll work and the board-and-batten siding are showing serious signs of deterioration. In 2009 the Baltimore Herb Festival organization funded a $30,000 replacement of the chapel roof with asphalt shingles as a first step in preserving the building.   The goal now is to raise the necessary funding to preserve the exterior of the historic Winans Chapel for future generations.

WINANS CHAPEL:
  • 1859 Carpenter Gothic wooden structure with board-and-batten siding
  • Considered the only extant example of Carpenter Gothic religious architecture in Baltimore City
  • Placed on the Baltimore City Historic Landmarks List in 1982

Baltimore Sun: Leakin Park chapel preservation effort recalls the philanthropy of its owner