�������ý��Ƶ

Like many visitors to ����ö������ܲԻ���, Thomas McKenzie ’95 came to �������ý��Ƶ’s “north campus” to learn … and fell in love with the rustic charm of the woodsy retreat. 

As a �������ý��Ƶ student, McKenzie was captivated by the infectious enthusiasm of his ecology teacher, Professor Maravolo, as he and his classmates explored the unique vegetation and natural beauty of the 441-acre lakeside campus in Door County, Wisconsin. 

Now serving as director of ����ö������ܲԻ���, McKenzie has found much to adore—like Jane’s Grotto, where he finds himself transported back in time to an ancient bluff-lined shore. Or a favorite ledge near the Memorial Grove that he says, “captures brilliant sunrise light across a low groundcover reddening with autumn’s progress.” 

In the 50 years since �������ý��Ƶ took stewardship of the land, ����ö������ܲԻ��� has provided a haven where students and the broader community come to seek knowledge, explore nature, and find respite from the breakneck pace of daily life. Today, ����ö������ܲԻ��� includes a two-story net zero carbon footprint lodge, an historic cottage, the handcrafted Boynton Chapel, a theatre in a garden, and 3.5 miles of hiking trails, all nestled along a mile of pristine Lake Michigan shoreline.

Whether it is the Door Shakespeare performers and their audiences in the garden, brides and grooms in the chapel, or students and educators in the Lakeside Seminar Room, ����ö������ܲԻ��� offers an ideal setting for connection and community.

Preserving the sanctuary 

����ö������ܲԻ��� vid Sjön (Swedish for Birch Grove by the Lake) was purchased in 1928 by Winifred and her first husband, Carleton Vail, as a summertime family retreat. Following Carleton’s death, Winifred spent time in Norway and wanted to bring a bit of it home.

After Winifred remarried, work began on building a chapel on the property modeled on a medieval stave church she had visited in Lillehammer, Norway. From 1939 to 1947, Winifred and her second husband, Donald Boynton, painstakingly added many beautiful details to the chapel, including 41 handpainted frescoes and its memorable carved wood altar, baptismal font, and other furnishings—a story she recounts in her book, Faith Builds a Chapel: The Story of an Adventure in Craftsmanship. 

Donald and Winifred Boynton bequeathed the property to �������ý��Ƶ in 1963 with the vision of preserving the site as a “sanctuary for all” and a place for peace and contemplation. They retained tenancy of the property during their lifetime.

After the Boyntons passed away �������ý��Ƶ began its stewardship of the property in 1975; seminar programming began in 1980. However, an August 1993 electrical fire that gutted the original home led LU leaders to reevaluate their use the property. 

�������ý��Ƶ’s president at that time, Richard Warch, recognized that ����ö������ܲԻ��� was a “once in an institution’s history gift” and that it needed to be incorporated into the full academic life of the university. 

In the aftermath of the fire, construction of a beautiful 37,000-square-foot lodge with guest rooms and dining and meeting spaces transformed ����ö������ܲԻ��� into the learning destination it is today.

Nourishing mind and spirit 

����ö������ܲԻ��� offers �������ý��Ƶ students space to retreat and focus. On weekends throughout the academic year, nearly 1,500 students have opportunities to join mentors and peers in group retreats focused on an aspect of their academic interests, athletic pursuits, or student life experiences. 

Additionally, ����ö������ܲԻ��� seminar program provides a vacation with a purpose for the general public, offering an array of three- and five-day learning opportunities for its public summer season, ranging from the arts and movies to history and science. Online seminars are also available on selected topics. 

As the founder of the program, Joe Hopfensperger, wrote: “Here people join together to share the human experience … to nourish mind and spirit.”

A living learning laboratory

Looking to the future, ����ö������ܲԻ��� has launched its net zero initiative with the creation of wind and solar energy infrastructure and research into the carbon sequestration of the vast forest of the property. 

This remarkable endeavor offers unique learning opportunities for �������ý��Ƶ students while also helping to ensure ����ö������ܲԻ���’s future by reducing energy costs and making positive contributions to the natural environment through carbon recapture. 

Today, 390 acres of the property are protected under a permanent conservation easement with the Door County Land Trust.

50 years and beyond

Since 1975, the north campus has grown to be an essential part of the �������ý��Ƶ experience, a destination for lifelong learners, and a blessing to the broader local community through music, theatre, performance, and other public events. 

�������ý��Ƶ half of ����ö������ܲԻ���’s annual budget comes from seminar program fees and one quarter comes from donations to support �������ý��Ƶ student retreats and to maintain the grounds and buildings. 

To participate in maintaining this �������ý��Ƶ treasure, please consider making a gift. Anyone who donates and/or volunteers becomes a Friend of ����ö������ܲԻ���. Those giving $500 or more are Boynton Society-level donors, which allows them early registration for the seminar program.