Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

ST. MICHAEL'S CHAPEL PEW

Date Range From

1970

Date Range To

1996

Materials

WOOD, STEEL

No. Pieces

1

Height

79

Length

183

Width

70

Description

PEW IS MADE UP OF TWO VERTICAL LEG STANDS WITH SEAT AND BACK FASTENED TO IT. STANDS HAVE SLIGHT ANGLE TO BACK. SEAT HAS CONVEX GROOVE ALONG LENGTH. AT BOTTOM OF EACH STAND IS STEEL SHAFT WHICH HAS KNEELER FASTENED TO IT. KNEELER HAS WOOD BASE AND PADDED TOP AND IS COVERED WITH BROW VINYL. WOOD HAS MEDIUM TO LIGHT FINISH.

Subjects

FURNITURE

CEREMONIAL ARTIFACT

Historical Association

FURNISHINGS

HEALTH SERVICES

History

PEW WAS MADE FOR THE REFURNISHING OF THE SECOND FLOOR CHAPEL AT ST. MICHAEL'S HOSPITAL IN 1965. THE REFURNISHINGS WERE DONATED BY MR. & MRS. R.D. GREUNWALD IN MEMORY OF MR. GREUNWALD'S PARENTS. PEW WAS CONSTRUCTED BY LOCAL ARTISAN JAKOB MARTENS. PEW WAS REMOVED FROM THE HOSPITAL BEFORE THE BUILDING WAS DEMOLISHED IN 1996. FOR MORE HISTORY ON HOSPITAL SEE P19960116001-GA. IN A STATEMENT MADE ON 16 FEBRUARY 2007, RICHARD (DICK) GRUENWALD, THE CHAPEL’S FINANCIAL SPONSOR, DOCUMENTED THE FOLLOWING: “IT MUST BE REMEMBERED THAT THIS WAS A CATHOLIC HOSPITAL, PRIVATELY OWNED BY THE SISTERS OF ST. MARTHA. THEREFORE, IT WAS EXPECTED THE CHAPEL WOULD BE INCORPORATED IN THE ORIGINAL BUILDING. IT (THE CHAPEL) WAS DECORATED AND UPDATED FOR GREATER USE BY THE STAFF AND PATIENTS … IN THE EARLY 1970’S. THIS (RENOVATION) WAS PAID FOR AND SPONSORED BY AN ESTATE LEFT TO BE USED FOR CHARITY. THE EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE (DICK) CHOSE TO USE THE MONEY TO REFURBISH THE CHAPEL. (MY) MOTHER (LUCY) LEFT MONEY FOR CHARITY (DECEASED 1 MAY 1970) AND ST. MICHAEL’S HAD NO MONEY FOR THESE TYPES OF THINGS.” DICK GRUENWALD CLAIMED HIS MOTHER’S ESTATE PAID OUT $5,500 FOR THE CHAPEL. LUCY, HE SAID, “WAS A GREAT FRIEND OF THE SISTERS OF ST MARTHA AND ST. MICHAEL’S HOSPITAL”. DICK SERVED ON THE HOSPITAL’S BOARD IN THE EARLY 70S. *UPDATE* IN 2010, NICOLE HEMBROFF, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF PALLET RACKING. SHE MET WITH JAKOB MARTENS (WHO HAD PURPORTEDLY MADE THE PEW) TO DISCUSS THE PEW. HE SAID THAT THE PEW WAS NOT HIS WORK.

Catalogue Number

P19960116279

Acquisition Date

1996-01

Collection

Museum

Less detail