The Extraordinary High-Tech Work Behind the Revival of Bainbridge Island’s Prayer Wheel on Halls Hill

By Jennifer Hemmingsen

On a serene hilltop overlooking Blakely Harbor, an unusual silence has fallen. The resonant chime of a 300-pound cast bronze bell, once a familiar sound to visitors of Halls Hill Lookout & Labyrinth, has been conspicuously absent. But that’s about to change, thanks to local artisans and modern technology.

“It’s something everyone loves and cares for, and it’s been such a challenge to repair,” says Mary Meier, Executive Director of the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation. She’s referring to the bronze prayer wheel that has stood as a centerpiece of contemplation at the lookout for over a decade.

Designed by the late sculptor Tom Jay, the prayer wheel is no ordinary monument. When spun nine times, it activates a bell inscribed with messages of faith and wisdom. But after years of use and damage sustained by a fallen tree, the intricate mechanism inside had worn down, leaving the wheel silent and still.

Enter the volunteers from BARN’s Metal Fabrication Studio. This group of skilled craftsmen led by Andy Dupree, Al Miller, and David Hays has taken on the Herculean task of restoring the prayer wheel to its former glory. “BARN kept coming up with the people we talked to, and all the people who do this kind of thing are already at BARN,” Meier explains.

The restoration is no simple feat. Hays describes the complexity: “The prayer wheel works by an internal mechanism – a set of gears that rotate when the wheel is spun, activating a clapper that rings the bell on the ninth turn.” The team has had to disassemble the wheel, reverse engineer its components, and design a new part using cutting-edge 3D modeling software.

This fusion of traditional craftsmanship and modern technology is at the heart of the restoration effort. The team is using Fusion 360 to design a new, sturdier “spider” – the crucial component that holds the drive gears. This piece will be machined from solid aluminum using a CNC mill, creating a more durable mechanism that should withstand years of use.

The prayer wheel is just one element of the Halls Hill Lookout, a sanctuary donated by IslandWood founders Debbi and Paul Brainerd. The site, with its labyrinth designed by Jeffrey Bale, inspired by the 13th-century Chartres Cathedral in France, is a place that fosters reflection and a deep connection with nature.

The team hopes to have the prayer wheel repaired by the end of August, with its reinstallation to follow sometime in the autumn.

For Meier and the Parks & Trails Foundation, this project exemplifies the spirit of Bainbridge Island. “We’re in good community together, and it’s always great when we can work together on something,” she says. “One of the things I really like about BARN is it’s creating a social infrastructure. It’s a place where you create community, and I think our parks spaces do that as well.”

As summer fades into fall, visitors to Halls Hill Lookout & Labyrinth will again be able to spin the wheel, hear the bell, and reflect on its inscribed wisdom: “Faith is the daring of the soul to go further than it can see.” 

Jennifer Hemmingsen is a writer, mom, and dabbler in many creative pursuits. She’s the Marketing Communications Coordinator at BARN. Contact her at jennh@bainbridgebarn.org.

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