We must say that it certainly doesn't look its age, primarily the result of a lot of TLC, beginning in 1942 by the Athletic Round Table and continued more recently by the Museum of North Idaho.
A small wood framed building with clapboard siding, the sanctuary is a simple rectangle. Side walls, however, are heavily buttressed; whether this is functional or decorative we can't say. At the front is a small portico with a gable roof matching that of the sanctuary. Over the entrance is a small wooden bell tower with a hipped roof and a cross at the peak. The open belfry reveals a single bell inside. Doors, windows and belfry vents are all Roman arched. Windows down the sides of the sanctuary are double while a triple window graces the end wall over the entrance portico.
The chapel is one of four buildings of the original fort which remain, all contributing to the historic district. A fifth, a 20' x 60' barn, has been lost since the original nomination was submitted in 1974.
As will eventually happen with essentially all historic buildings, 2016 became the year in which the chapel was due for a new roof - the third, fourth, fifth, who knows? The Coeur d'Alene Press was on the scene to cover the auspicious event, publishing the account reprinted below.
HISTORIC FORT SHERMAN CHAPEL GETS A NEW ROOF
September 29, 2016 at 5:00 am | By BETHANY BLITZ Staff Writer
COEUR d’ALENE — It’s 136 years old and it still looks good.
The Fort Sherman Chapel has stood the test of time as Coeur d’Alene’s oldest church, school, library and meeting hall.
Now the chapel is getting a new roof. The old roof, which was put on 26 years ago, rotted and had moss growing all over it. The building owned by the Museum of North Idaho is a nationally registered historic place, which means any construction or repairs on it have to stay as close to its original form as possible.
“Because it’s a historical site, we need to put cedar shingles on it, which is what it had when it was built,” said Alex Feierabend, one of the roofers working on the chapel. “The cedar is expensive and shingles take a lot longer to install, so cost of labor goes up.”
The new roof will cost the Museum of North Idaho $32,000.
The museum has already received a grant from the Idaho Heritage Trust for $7,500 and donations from Kootenai Electric and various individuals that total $2,100. The museum hopes to get more donations to cover the remaining $20,400.
The Fort Sherman Chapel is one of the three remaining original buildings from Fort Sherman. It still has its original old organ pipes in it, though all the interior has been replaced, such as the pews and the alter.
The building is still used today. Many weddings have been held there, as well as Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and other events and meetings. Money from these events goes to the maintenance and preservation of the chapel.
“It’s a treasure, this building,” said local historian Robert Singletary. “We don’t want to over use it, but we want to still be able to use it.”
Singletary said the chapel played a very important role at Fort Sherman, because it was the school building for the children of soldiers, as well as citizens of the forming town of Coeur d’Alene...
From the Coeur d'Alene Press