Chapel

Union Chapel, Twilight Park // 1897

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The Union Chapel in the summer colony of Twilight Park in the Catskill Mountains of New York, is one of the finest late Victorian chapels in the region. The edifice was built in 1897, a year following the erection of the All Angels Episcopal Church, in Twilight Park, and was designed to complement the rustic character of the surrounding cottages. The chapel was built as a non-denominational, or Union church, for summer residents of the colony who preferred an alternative to Episcopal sermons down the dirt road. The church was designed by Alice Hands, of the New York firm Gannon & Hands, the first all-female architectural firm in the United States. The chapel was eventually closed in 1970 and converted to a private residence, with some stained glass windows donated to the Episcopal Church in Twilight Park.

Memorial Church of All Angels, Twilight Park // 1896

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The Memorial Church of All Angels is located in the center of the summer colony of Twilight Park, found in the town of Hunter in the Catskill Mountains. The founding of the church began shortly after the colony was established in 1888, when two years later, the Rev. H. M. Baum from Evanston, Pa., an early visitor to the Park, realized the need for an Episcopal Church, and funds were raised to build a small chapel, known as the St. Paul’s Church. The church was foreclosed upon in a matter of years. In 1895, church services were again reinvigorated when the Rev. Henry Yates Satterlee, the first bishop of Washington, then the Rector of Calvary Church, New York, had taken the cottage of his cousin, the artist Walter Satterlee, for his summer home. He set out to establish a summer chapel for Episcopalians in Twilight Park, and he hired architect Alexander Mackintosh, to furnish plans for the church. The church opened in 1896, and it would be expanded in 1909 with an addition and porch and again in 1915 with the belltower. The church opens every summer for services and is one of the finest Episcopal chapels in the Northeast.

Pine Grove Cemetery Mausoleum & Chapel // c.1875 & 1904

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Mausoleum

The mausoleum and the Jonas A. Stone Memorial Chapel are two historic structures located in the Pine Grove Cemetery of Westborough, Massachusetts. Land here was acquired in 1746 by the Reverend Ebenezer Parkman, and it comprised of a pine lot of sixteen acres on the road to Mendon (now South Street). Nearly 100 years later, in 1844, the lot was deeded to the town as a new cemetery, as the older cemeteries were quickly becoming crowded. It was named Pine Grove after the historic use of the grounds. Due to the rural cemetery movement, which sought to reimagine cemeteries as a beautiful park-like setting, not a simple burial ground, many Westborough families purchased plots here and some even moved their loved ones to the new family plot, in the “new” Pine Grove Cemetery.

Chapel

The Mausoleum was built sometime in the mid-19th century and is a modest, Greek Revival style structure of granite and brick construction. Four Doric columns support the portico and wooden roof which serves as a pediment above. The Jonas A. Stone Memorial Chapel was built in 1904 following a bequest to the town from the will of Jonas Adams Stone (1821-1900), and additional donation by his brother, Nymphas Stone. The Victorian Gothic chapel is built of brick and brownstone with a wooden gable and roof. The structure was damaged during the destructive 1938 New England Hurricane, but restored and is an important local landmark today.

Scotland Universalist Church – Shetucket Grange Hall // 1843

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This charming, Greek Revival style building near the town green in Scotland, Connecticut, was built in 1843 as a Universalist Church for area residents who split off from more Congregationalist beliefs. By the end of the 19th century, populations shifted heavily to industrial centers where work was more plentiful, the church appears to have lost much of its membership and the building became a local grange hall. The Shetucket Grange was organized in June 1887, and was a meeting place for local farmers and their families to promote the economic and political well-being of the community and agricultural pursuits. Today, the building is owned by the town, but it’s use is unclear. Greek Revival in style, the building retains much of its original architecture, from its simple form, facade with two entrances flanking a central hung window, and pilasters framing the bays.

Salem Christian Science Church – Witch Dungeon Museum // 1897

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This Shingle-style church building on Lynde Street in Salem, Massachusetts, was built in 1897 as a satellite chapel for the First Congregational Society in Salem. The chapel was constructed from designs by the Boston-based architect Edward B. Stratton. From 1908 to 1979, the building was owned by the Christian Science Church and was eventually sold to private ownership in 1979, where it has since been home to the Witch Dungeon Museum. The building has retained much of its original design, including the large Gothic sanctuary window, tower, and decorative trusses at the gable. Sadly, the original shingles have been replaced by later siding.  

Holyhood Cemetery Chapel // 1857

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Holyhood Cemetery in Brookline, Massachusetts, was laid out in 1857 under the direction of Father Joseph M. Finotti, pastor of Assumption Parish , which included Brookline and Brighton. The cemetery reflects the mid-19th century influence of the Rural Cemetery movement and the romantic landscape cemetery planning begun at Cambridge’s Mount Auburn Cemetery in the 1830’s. A plan of the cemetery was drawn up by Shedd & Edson and published in August 1857. It shows curvilinear avenues and paths named after former bishops of Boston and Biblical figures. All were welcome to be buried except those who “died in a state of Drunkenness, Duel, or by self-destruction, unbaptized, non-Catholic, or otherwise opposed to the Catholic Church.” In the 1857 Shedd & Edson plan for Holyhood Catholic Cemetery, a chapel was located at the center on the hill shown in a small drawing on the edge of the plan. Known as St. Joseph’s Chapel, the stone building was designed by Patrick Keely, the successful and influential New York architect of many mid-19th century Catholic churches. The chapel would be dedicated in 1862. Decades later, a cemetery office was planned and built across Heath Street from the cemetery gates, but was demolished sometime in the 20th century. The cemetery grew and it along with the mid-19th century chapel, has been lovingly maintained to this day.  

Spaulding Memorial Chapel // 1910

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Located within the Fairview Cemetery in Chicopee, Massachusetts, this lovely memorial chapel serves as an everlasting love letter from one spouse to another. Justin Spaulding (1838-1906) was a wealthy grocer who operated stores locally and amassed quite a sizable fortune. He and his wife, Sarah Elizabeth (Cooley) Spaulding, lived in a large Queen Anne home and would bequeath substantial funds to the City in their will. Justin died in 1906, and Sarah would die a year later, and as they do not appear to have had any children, they became benefactors to the town, partially funding the construction of the town’s first purpose-built library and this memorial chapel in the Fairview Cemetery. Over $6,000 was spent on this chapel, with plans drawn by architects Eugene Clarence Gardner and his son, George C. Gardner. The Classical Revival building is constructed of yellow brick with stone trim and ornament, with a notable eternal flame motif in the gable.

Wilson Chapel – Andover Newton Theological School // 2007

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The last building constructed on the former Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, Massachusetts, was Wilson Chapel, located at the edge of the campus. The building is a modern interpretation of the traditional New England meetinghouse, and was completed in 2007 from plans by Context Architecture. The limestone building is punctuated by a grid of square punched windows and raised panels with the primary facade dominated by a glass tower, resembling the more traditional steeple. To me, the building does an excellent job at respecting the basic forms of a New England chapel, while utilizing contemporary materials and design elements to distinguish it as a 21st century structure.

All Saints by-the-Sea Episcopal Church // 1905

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Possibly my favorite type of building in Maine are the historic Episcopal summer chapels that sprouted up along the coast in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This is the All Saints by-the-Sea Episcopal Church of Southport, Maine, an island community with many summer residents. This church had its beginnings when Reverend John Thomas Magrath of Gardiner, Maine, would visit Southport in the summers and hold services for rusticators under the oak trees or in the cottage living room if the weather was poor. Eventually, a member of the congregation purchased a lot on the east side of Southport on the rugged coastline, and planning began for a chapel. In 1905, the chapel was designed by architect, Albert Hall in a rustic blending of the Shingle and Tudor styles. The building exhibits shingle siding with half-timbering, the original diamond-pane windows, and a large entry porch off the entrance.

Highland Cemetery Chapel // 1903

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Tucked away in Highland Cemetery, a typical looking cemetery in Norwood, Massachusetts, you will find a masterpiece chapel designed by one of the great architects of the Arts & Crafts movement. The Highland Cemetery was established in 1880 becoming the town’s second and primary burial ground. The town’s first burial ground was the Old Parish Cemetery which is located in the center of town on a 3/4-acre hill and because of its limited size and the difficult terrain; there was no room for growth. The rapidly developing town required a second cemetery and laid out Highland View on the outskirts of the village. In 1903, the Chapel of St. Gabriel the Archangel, also known as the Day Memorial Chapel, was erected at the center of the cemetery. The Chapel, which also acts as a mausoleum, was donated to the town by Lewis and Anna Smith Day in memory of their parents. Their only stipulation was that the chapel be available for use free of charge for any resident who desired to do so, no matter their religion or race. Esteemed architect Ralph Adams Cram designed the chapel in the Neo Gothic Revival style. Fred Holland Day, a renowned photographer and publisher, was the only child born to Lewis and Anna and he was a close friend of Ralph Adams Cram and Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, likely leading to their commission here in Norwood. F. Holland Day lived in a Tudor mansion in town, modified from his childhood home. The Cemetery Chapel remains a seminal building for its genre and time.

Wildwood Baptist Chapel // 1910

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Tucked away on a wooded lot, away from the main villages of Kennebunkport, Maine, the Wildwood Baptist Chapel sits on the side of the road looking like a scene from a storybook. The chapel was built in 1910 for Baptists residing in the Wildes District of town, between the busier Kennebunkport Village and Cape Porpoise. The stone used in the construction of the chapel was taken from nearby properties and assembled on site by a skilled mason who built the walls with a Shingle style roof. Services here were limited and eventually ceased in earnest in 1935, as personal automobile allowed residents to travel to the church in the village for services. The poorly insulated chapel and small fireplace made the sanctuary inside difficult to heat in the cold winter months. The chapel is maintained well to this day, and is primarily used for summer services and special events.

Dutch Arms Chapel // 1875

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Tucked away on a side street in Saugerties, New York, this Victorian Gothic chapel has recently been given a new life for the arts. The chapel was constructed in 1875 as part of the Reformed Church of Saugerties (1852), designed by famed architect James Renwick, Jr., the architect of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan and the Smithsonian in D.C. The architect of the chapel is not clear, but it retains similar detailing and materials to the main church. The structure was used for smaller religious meetings and a sunday school for decades until it eventually closed. The chapel was recently acquired by Isabel Soffer and Danny Melnick, co-founders of Hudson Valley Live, and has been restored and transformed into The Local: a year-round, multi-arts venue, breathing new life to the building and culture to the artistic town.

Vesper Hill Children’s Chapel // 1960

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After the Tamarack Lodge hotel of Rockport, Maine, burned down in 1954, nearby resident Helene Bok began to envision what would be the best use of the charred landscape. Her project became the Vesper Hill Children’s Chapel, an absolutely stunning outdoor chapel that is open to the public. Her dream was to build a refuge that would be open for all people and “speak in and of itself of the beauty, goodness and truth of nature, life and God.” It is not clear to me who the designers were, but the structure and grounds are elegantly sited on the hill, overlooking the harbor in the distance. Helene planned the chapel to partially sit atop the rustic stone foundation of the former hotel on the site, with an open post-and-beam wooden structure above. After Helene’s death, Elmer Crockett, a designer for years on the Olmsted staff in Maine, oversaw the grounds and maintained a biblical herb garden. The chapel is today approached by a roofed stairway and surrounded by mature trees and locally harvested stones. It is truly a hidden gem in Mid-Coast Maine.

Card Memorial Chapel // 1898

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Cemetery chapels are fairly uncommon, but always a must-see when exploring a new place. These small charming buildings help bridge the gap between life and death and are often adorned with a permanence not seen in our lifetimes. This is the Card Memorial Chapel in the Spring Brook Cemetery of Mansfield, Massachusetts. The chapel was erected in 1898 as a memorial to 31-year-old Mary Lewis Card, who died in 1896. Mary’s parents, Simon W. Card and Mary J. Card, founded S.W. Card Manufacturing Company in 1874. The Mansfield-based company did very well and manufactured tap and die tools locally, shipping them all over the country. Before her abrupt death, Mary Lewis Card was set to marry architect Charles Eastman, who is credited with designing the memorial to his late-fiance. The chapel borrows from the Romanesque and Victorian Gothic styles, and is constructed of red brick laid with a tinted mortar atop a foundation of Quincy granite. The various roof sections are sheathed in green slate. The building displays a cross plan with a central tower rising forty-two feet from the ground to the apex, topped by a steeply pitched pyramidal roof. The building was restored years ago and still looks great!

Yale University – Battell Chapel // 1874

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As the Old Campus of Yale was being enclosed at its north and east by Farnam and Durfee halls, architect Russell Sturgis was again tasked to design a new building, but for a corner site; though this time, he would design a college chapel. Built between 1874–76, it was funded primarily with gifts from Joseph Battell. Succeeding two previous chapel buildings on Yale’s Old Campus, it provided space for daily chapel services, which were mandatory for Yale students until 1926, which were all-male and mostly Protestant. The large stone chapel is constructed of New Jersey brownstone with decorative elements in sandstone. The design of the Victorian Gothic chapel is great, but how it sits with the entrance unceremoniously dumping out to the end wall of Durfee Hall leaves much to be desired.