Stroud Store & Bell Tower (2019)
Photos by Henry McCoy
(This is part of a series on the 11 projects designed and built by classes in the Louisiana Tech School of Design at MedCamps of Louisiana.)
MedCamps Executive Director Caleb Seney: In 2019 the students of Arch335 redisigned and resurrected the old concession stand at Camp Alabama. Originally built in the 1950’s, Stroud Store had served as a place where campers attending Presbyterian Youth Camps at Camp Alabama could get a cold drink and a candy bar. By 2019 the building was falling in on itself and used for little more than storage. Sitting at what was then the main entrance into camp, the store was an eye sore to everyone who drove by. As part of the design, the students built a bell tower to house a bell that was originally cast in 1858 and hung in Trinity United Methodist Church in downtown Ruston before it was eventually demolished.
Today Stroud Store has been revived and is a place where campers can get a cold drink, snow cone, ice cream treat and snack during camp. The old bell hangs in a beautiful bell tower out over the water and serves as a wake up call in the mornings, a call to assembly at Gibbs Pavilion prior to each meal, and a celebration of birthdays at camp. What was once old and unused has found new life in the Stroud Store and Bell Tower.
Tech Professor Brad Deal: This was the last of the 10 week Studios, our first renovation project, our first use of masonry, and our muddiest experience to date with that bell tower. On the night we installed the roof, one of our favorite students, Bill, was working on the tower foundation and sank to his hips in the mud. It took two hours and three mud soaked classmates to pull him out; we nearly called the fire department. Everyone who was there remembers that night and always tells the story with a smile.
Program Summary: The renovation of an existing summer camp building, including the design of a pier and bell tower, new camp signage and secondary entry gate.
Program Statement: A humble block building, built in the early 1950’s, served as a concession store for a children’s summer camp for nearly three decades. As the camp’s priorities evolved, and the store was no longer needed, the building assumed various roles since the mid-eighties. Time had taken its toll on the roof structure, but the foundation and walls were still strong, and willing. In 2018 camp leadership revived the idea of the camp store as a desired camp experience, and a central node around which the campers would pass. The new store would serve as camp concession offering refreshments during the week and as a camp gift store on the weekends. Additionally, a 36” solid bronze bell, cast in 1885, which once hung in one of the town’s first churches, was donated to camp. A new bell tower would serve as the morning greeting, and the call for campers to gather for meals. The roof was removed from the existing structure, and all salvageable material was reclaimed and re-used on the interior. Custom trusses were fabricated from discarded steel from the local gas industry. Fixed shelving and a movable partition/merchandise display were fabricated from new and reclaimed material. A 30’ tall bell tower was fabricated from the same repurposed steel, and placed near the center of a small pond, where it stands visible from most locations at the camp. Custom lighting allows the bell tower to serve as a beacon through the night, reassuring campers that all is well and good.
Project Team:
Professors: Robert Brooks, Brad Deal
Students: Cody Snellenberger, Nate Ackerman, Logan Blandino, Kade Brandon, Monica Buller, Wes Cagle, Zoe Collum, Ja’kyrin Conner, Jenna Daneshfar, Leslie Davis, Mehi Diallo, Corey Evans, Justin Franklin, Shelby Gifford, Jack Gustovson, Janie Issac, Courtney Kemp, Judy La, Jakob Mier, Sommer Page, Austin Parker, Nick Paventy, Traci Reyez, Trinity Smith, Tyler Thomas, Abbie White, Adrianna Wilbert
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MedCamps programs are completely free of charge to all campers with special needs. If you would like to support future projects at MedCamps, events, sponsor a campers attendance financially or volunteer please visit www.medcamps.org or email info@medcamps.org for more information.
