Boone's Chapel facts for kids
Boone's Chapel is a special old building in London. It was built in 1683 and many people believe the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren designed it. The chapel is quite small, about the size of a classroom, and is made of red bricks. It has fancy details made from Portland stone around the windows and corners. The roof is shaped like a pyramid with a small, open tower called a cupola on top.
This chapel is considered very important. It is a "Grade I listed building" on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is one of the most important historic buildings in the country. Boone's Chapel is in Lewisham, London, and is one of only two Grade I listed buildings in that area.
History of Boone's Chapel
The chapel was built for a man named Christopher Boone. He was a member of a group called the Merchant Taylors’ Company. Christopher Boone asked Sir Christopher Wren to design the chapel. The Boone family used money from their land to help people. They built special homes called almshouses for older people in Lee. They also helped pay for twelve poor children to go to school.
Even though Sir Christopher Wren might have been asked to design the buildings, it seems his friend and fellow member of the Merchant Taylors’ Company, Robert Hooke, actually oversaw the building work.
The original almshouses next to the chapel were taken down in 1877. But the chapel itself was saved. It was used as a reading room for many years. Some other almshouses from 1825, which are also historic, are still nearby. After World War II, the chapel was not used much and started to fall apart.
Burial Place
Christopher Boone, who lived from 1616 to 1686, is buried inside the chapel. His wife, Mary Boone, who lived from about 1638 to 1722, is also buried there.
Saving the Chapel: Restoration Work
By the late 1990s, Boone's Chapel was in bad shape. It had been neglected for many years. It was even put on a list of "Buildings at Risk" by English Heritage. To help save it, a new charity was started in 1999. It was called The Blackheath Historic Buildings Trust.
This charity worked hard to get money for repairs. They received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund. They also got help from the local government in Lewisham. Many local groups and people also supported the project.
Thanks to all this help, over £500,000 was raised. Boone's Chapel was completely renovated in 2008. During the renovation, a small "physic garden" was also added. A physic garden is a garden with plants used for medicine.
Today, an architecture company uses the chapel as their office. But it is still open for the public to visit about 30 days each year.
