Chapel of the Cross (Mannsdale, Mississippi) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Chapel of the Cross
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 Location in Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Location | 674 Mannsdale Road Madison, Mississippi |
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| Area | 10 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Built | 1850–52 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Website | http://chapelofthecrossms.org/ |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000698 |
| Added to NRHP | June 13, 1972 |
The Chapel of the Cross is a historic Episcopal church in Madison, Mississippi. This beautiful brick church was built between 1850 and 1852. It is famous for its Gothic Revival style, which was inspired by English country churches from the 1300s.
The chapel was built by enslaved African Americans. Because of its beauty and importance, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. This is a special list of America's most important historic buildings.
Contents
History of the Chapel
A Family's Vision
The idea for the chapel came from the Johnstone family. They lived on a large farm called the Annandale Plantation. John T. Johnstone moved to Mississippi from North Carolina in 1819 and started the plantation. He wanted to build a chapel for his family, but he passed away in 1848 before he could start.
After his death, his wife, Margaret, decided to build the church to honor his wish.
Building the Church
There are not many records about how the church was built. However, many experts believe it was designed by an English architect named Frank Wills. A drawing of a very similar church by Wills appeared in a magazine in 1849.
Margaret Johnstone had the chapel built using the labor of people she enslaved on her plantation. These workers were forced to make all of the bricks by hand right there on the property. Other skilled workers were hired to help with the construction. The total cost to build the chapel was $3,000, which was a lot of money at the time.
In 1851, Margaret gave the church and 10 acres of land to the Episcopal Church in Mississippi. The chapel was officially blessed and opened on September 19, 1852.
Years of Change
Margaret Johnstone passed away in 1880. The family's huge 40-room mansion on the plantation later burned down in 1924.
After Margaret's death, the chapel was sometimes used and sometimes closed. In 1911, one of Margaret's granddaughters worked to have the church reopened. Since then, it has been an active church.
Starting in 1956, the chapel went through a major restoration to repair and preserve it. In 1979, the U.S. government gave a $50,000 grant to help finish the work, making sure the historic building would be safe for years to come.
Ghost Stories of the Chapel
Like many old places, the Chapel of the Cross has a few ghost stories connected to it. These spooky tales have been told in several books.
The most famous story is about Helen Johnstone, the youngest daughter of the family, and her fiancé, Henry Grey Vick. They were deeply in love and planned to get married on May 21, 1859.
Sadly, just four days before the wedding, Henry was killed in a duel in Mobile, Alabama. His body was brought back to the chapel and buried in the cemetery behind it.
The legend says that Helen was heartbroken. People have claimed to see the ghost of a sad woman, believed to be Helen, weeping at Henry's grave. This story has made the chapel a famous spot for people interested in ghost stories.
Another story is about a ghost named Annie Devlin, who was a teacher for the Johnstone children. Some believed her spirit haunted the family's mansion until it burned down.
