Chapel of the Resurrection (Valparaiso, Indiana) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chapel of the Resurrection |
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Nave and chancel, including altar and stained glass, in the Chapel
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| 41°27′47″N 87°02′30″W / 41.463105°N 87.041723°W | |
| Location | Valparaiso, Indiana |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Lutheran |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Memorial Chapel |
| Dedicated | September 27, 1959 |
| Consecrated | September 27, 1959 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Charles Stade and Associates |
| Architectural type | Chapel |
| Style | Modern |
| Groundbreaking | October 28, 1956 |
| Completed | 1959 |
| Construction cost | $7.5 million |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 2000 |
| Height | 58 feet (18 m) |
| Dome height (outer) | 98 feet (30 m) |
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Valparaiso University Chapel of the Resurrection
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| NRHP reference No. | 100007172 |
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| Added to NRHP | November 16, 2021 |
The Chapel of the Resurrection is a very important building at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana. It's a central spot on campus.
This chapel is mainly used for Lutheran worship services for students and staff. But it's also a place for many other events. You might see musical shows, special talks, or even graduation ceremonies here.
The main part of the chapel, called the chancel, is about 98 feet (30 meters) high. It has a cool circular shape. The roof above the altar looks like a nine-pointed star. The long main hall, called the nave, is 58 feet (18 meters) high and 193 feet (59 meters) long. About 2,000 people can fit inside, depending on how the chairs are set up.
Near the chapel is the Brandt Campanile. This is a tall bell tower with 12 bells. It stands about 143 feet (44 meters) high. The chapel is built on the highest point of the university campus. You can easily see it from U.S. Route 30. It's a famous landmark in Northwest Indiana.
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History of the Chapel
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Work on the Chapel began in 1956. The main design came from an architecture company called Stade, Dolan, Anderson. However, many special parts were designed by other artists. For example, the stone area for baptisms and the beautiful stained glass windows were created by different people.
Art and Design Details
Peter Dohmen Studios designed the huge stained glass windows. These windows are about 95 feet (29 meters) tall! They also created the marble altar and a mosaic at the chapel's entrance. Adalbert Raphael Kretzmann helped design the building too. He was a pastor and the brother of the university president.
The altar is 20 feet (6.1 meters) long and made from different kinds of Italian marble. Peter Dohmen designed special marble stands on the altar. These stands show symbols for the four evangelists, who wrote parts of the Bible. Matthew is shown as an angel, Mark as a lion, John as an eagle, and Luke as an ox.
Peter Dohmen was a very talented artist from Europe. He became famous in Germany in the 1930s for his stained glass, mosaics, and paintings. He moved to the United States in 1951. One of his other major works is the stained glass in the library at the University of Notre Dame.
Building the Chapel
The Chapel cost about $7.5 million to build. Much of this money came from donations by many different people.
The building was officially opened in 1959. This was part of Valparaiso University's 100th birthday celebration. It was officially named the Chapel of the Resurrection ten years later, in 1969.
In 2005, a special medieval-style prayer labyrinth was built on the east side of the chapel. It is 64 feet (20 meters) across. In 2014, the university added a new section to the building called the Helge Center. This added about 11,000 square feet (1,022 square meters) of space.
The Chapel Organ
The large organ in the chapel is called the Reddel Organ. It was built by Herman Schlicker from Buffalo, New York. The university agreed to pay $68,000 for the organ in 1957. This covered most of the cost, which would have been $98,000 for the full design.
A music expert named Paul Bunjes helped with the organ's design. The organ was officially used for the first time during a morning service on September 27, 1959. That evening, a famous organist named E. Power Biggs played a concert. Over 2,000 people came to listen, which was a record! The organ was updated and made bigger in 1995-1996. This work was done by Dobson Pipe Organ Builders.
More to Explore
- Coventry Cathedral: A church in England that looks very similar to the Chapel of the Resurrection.
- Christ Church Lutheran (Minneapolis, Minnesota): This church influenced the design of the Chapel. Its pastor later became the Dean of the Chapel at Valparaiso.
- First Unitarian Society of Madison Meeting House: A church designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that also influenced the chapel's look.
