After many hours of heated debate about building a temple for my wife Barbara, I finally made a deal with her. If she worked shoulder to shoulder with me on this project, I agreed to build it, but the minute she stopped I would go back to my studio and work on my other projects.

During the summer of 2010 we started on the first phase of the project. Working a few hours each morning we built the deck and I was impressed with her tenacity. She was there every morning hammer in hand ready to go.

 

During that next winter in my shop I designed and welded the skylight and main structure that would hold the entire roof together. Barbara painted it this ugly blue, but it’s her building so she gets to choose the paint.

 

 

 

That next spring we started in with the framing and by mid summer things were looking pretty good. We had most of the frame in and the steel band around the top of the walls. What took so long? Well, if you notice the walls are raked out at an 8 degree angle and that kind of seat of our pants engineering took a lot of extra time.

By early autumn, with the help from a bunch of friends, we installed the roof.

and later that same years we were able to get the windows in and roofing on and, most important, the wood stove so Barbara could use it throughout the winter and she did.

 

 

The next spring we started in wiring, insulation and sheetrock then finishing the interior.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and by the end of the season we had an almost finished temple.

A few touches and a floor and we are complete. We might be able to build a better railing, but maybe not ’til next year. For now the rope railing will do.

Last summer we hosted our first Bridge Workshop in the new temple and though we realized we needed more room, the weekend came off wonderfully.

The trim is a slow process, but each day it gets more complete. Go to Barbara’s Wood Stove for a pictorial of building her wood stove from scratch.

We added some temporary stairs and she was ready to move in. . . finally.

There is always more to do, and soon we will be installing the flooring. Here is the star design for the middle of the floor. The flooring will continue that star to the walls.