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AJ Move Sought For Elvis Chapel

August 07, 2004 | Other
The Elvis Presley Chapel, one of three buildings that survived a fire that devastated Apacheland on Valentine's Day, is headed for a new home. Ed and Sue Birmingham donated the chapel to the Superstition Mountain Historical Society when they decided to sell Apacheland to a California developer in June. He is heading a drive to raise money to move the chapel to the Superstition Mountain Museum at 4087 N. Apache Trail in Apache Junction.

Neither raising the money nor moving the chapel, which was named after Presley because he guarded it in the movie Charro!, will be an easy task. "We're seeking bids now from companies that specialize in moving historic buildings, but we know it won't be cheap. For one thing it's very tall and even if we remove the steeple it may not fit under some electrical lines.

"It also isn't a conventional building. It's a movie set and is pretty flimsy." Rauso said one alternative being discussed is dismantling the building piece by piece and using volunteer laborers to reconstruct it.

When it is moved, the chapel will become the centerpiece of the museum's Apacheland Movie Town exhibit, Rauso said. The museum already has a site for the chapel and is building a barn, he said.
Source:Elvis Information Network