Time to Pray

Miniature #12 – Constructed 12/2023

Fun Facts

New England was one of the first places in America to be substantially settled by Europeans. Many of these early settlers were deeply religious people, often seeking freedom of worship. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Cape Cod region is dotted with some of the oldest and most historic religious sites in the United States.

The city of New Bedford, approximately forty miles south of Boston and 9 nautical miles from the Cape Cod canal, is a port that played a major role in the early American whaling industry. It is also home to Seamen’s Bethel Chapel that was built in 1832.

This church, which has served the local maritime community for nearly two centuries, is closely associated with Herman Melville’s immortal novel, Moby-Dick. Seamen’s Bethel’s pulpit is built to look like a ship’s bow. The original pew where Melville sat remains.

Description

I was born in New Bedford and wanted the people living in the fictitious town of Capetown to have a special place to pray. This miniature was challenging to build because of the 3 components; vestibule, church, and pergola, all of which need to fit seamlessly together. I built this miniature in December which brought me great joy, peace, and closer to the true meaning of Christmas.

The church sits on a 12″x12″ plywood base. The overall piece stands at 12″ high and the time invested to design and build was approximately 65 hrs.

Materials Used

The structure of the church was built using 3mm thick craft plywood. The interior pews, altar, and floor, all made with popsicle sticks, were stained a Golden Oak color along with the walls. The altar cross was made of square balsa wood dowels and painted with white acrylic paint.

The exterior was constructed with square balsa wood dowels on all sides and painted with white acrylic paint. The inside of the cupola required the construction of a balsa wood structure to hold the solid brass bell while also allowing it to ring.

The roof shingles were made from black cardstock paper, sprayed with textured spray paint, and cut by hand to resemble actual roof shingles.

The stained-glass windows were decals cut to the needed size and affixed to clear plastic sheeting. The ground was made from Vallejo Earth Texture and covered with leaves fallen from the deciduous trees surrounding the church.

The entry walkway was made from a sheet of balsa wood cut and painted with various acrylic paint colors to look like cobblestones. The rocks surrounding the church were made from air dry foam clay and painted with acrylic paint.