Ira Allen Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Ira Allen Chapel
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Front entrance of the Ira Allen Chapel
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | Burlington, Vermont |
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| Built | 1925–26 |
| Architect | McKim, Mead & White (William Mitchell Kendall, Supervising Architect) |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Part of | University Green Historic District (ID75000139) |
| Added to NRHP | April 14, 1975 |
The Ira Allen Chapel is an important building on the campus of the University of Vermont (UVM). It stands on the northeast corner of the "University Green" in Burlington, Vermont, at the intersection of Colchester Avenue and University Place. This beautiful chapel was built between 1925 and 1926 and officially opened on January 14, 1927. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 1975, as part of the University Green Historic District.
Contents
History of the Chapel
The Ira Allen Chapel is named after Ira Allen, who founded the University of Vermont. The money to build the chapel came from a generous gift of $200,000 in 1924. This gift was from James Benjamin Wilbur, a kind person from Manchester, Vermont.
Building the Chapel
The first stone of the Ira Allen Chapel was placed on June 22, 1925. This happened exactly 100 years after General Lafayette laid the first stone for the Old Mill building. A special ceremony took place with a prayer and a hymn. An important message carved into the granite reads: "Dedicated to the service of God erected in memory of the founder of this university Ira Allen - 1925".
The chapel was designed by William M. Kendall from the famous architecture firm McKim, Mead & White in New York. This same firm also designed other buildings at UVM, like the Waterman Building and the Fleming Museum. The building was put together under the guidance of O.S. Nichols.
Before the chapel could be built, a house called Angell Hall had to be taken down. This house was built in 1869 and first served as the President's house. Later, it became a dormitory for women.
In May 1926, a large bell weighing about 2,063 pounds (936 kg) was put into the chapel's bell tower. This bell was made by the McShane Bell Foundry Company in Baltimore, Maryland.
During the building of the tower, some people worried it might not be strong enough. However, engineers checked it and said the tower was very stable. They explained that the inside corners of the tower had strong wooden columns filled with reinforced concrete.
James B. Wilbur: The Generous Donor
James Benjamin Wilbur was a very rich businessman who loved American history. He made his money in banking and ranching. After he retired and moved to Vermont in 1909, he collected many historical documents about Vermont.
Mr. Wilbur became very interested in Ira Allen, the university's founder. He felt it was his duty to write Allen's life story. In 1928, he published a two-volume book about Ira Allen. Some historians have pointed out that his book mainly used English documents, missing some French ones that might have shown a different side of Allen's actions in certain historical events.
In 1921, Mr. Wilbur first gave the university a bronze statue of Ira Allen. This statue was placed on the University Green. The statue of General Lafayette, which was there before, was moved to a different spot near where the chapel now stands.
In 1924, Mr. Wilbur offered to build a chapel for UVM. He had two main conditions: it had to be named the "Ira Allen Chapel," and it had to be designed by the university's architects, McKim, Mead & White. Even though he first thought the plans might be too expensive, he later pledged more money. He officially announced his plans for the new chapel on June 21, 1924.
"I do all this out of respect for the memory of the one whom I consider Vermont's greatest and most neglected citizen, Ira Allen."
—James B. Wilbur, Proposal to the UVM Board of Trustees, 1924
By 1929, Mr. Wilbur had also created a $3 million scholarship fund for the university, which still helps students today. He also gave his large collection of Vermont historical items to the university. This collection is now known as the Wilbur Collection. He also helped fund the Robert Hull Fleming Museum. He became the largest private donor in the university's history. It's interesting because Ira Allen himself had not fulfilled his original promise to donate money for the university's buildings. Mr. Wilbur's generosity helped make up for that, many years later.
During the time of Mr. Wilbur's donations, UVM's president, Guy Winfred Bailey, worked closely with him.
The Chapel's Pipe Organ
When the Ira Allen Chapel first opened, it had a special pipe organ called a Welte-Mignon Philharmonic Pipe Organ. This organ could even play recorded music rolls, showing off the skills of famous organists.
During the chapel's opening ceremony in 1927, a well-known organist named Dr. T. Tertius Noble played the organ. He performed classical music and a new piece that showed how amazing the instrument was.
"The work was a study in harmony and scanty use of solo stops. A few arpeggios with the harp stop were most effectively used."
In 1985, the original pipe organ was taken out because the building needed renovations. Installing a new pipe organ would have cost millions of dollars and faced challenges with temperature changes. So, in 2004, a new digital electronic organ was installed instead, costing about $100,000. Some organ fans argue that digital organs don't sound as real as traditional pipe organs.
Why a New Chapel Was Needed
For many years, chapel services at the university were held in the Main College building. But as the number of students grew, that space became too small. Also, the heating system wasn't good enough for early morning services, which students had to attend.
By the early 1900s, fewer students were attending chapel, which worried the university president, Matthew Henry Buckham. Even though he didn't like the idea of forcing attendance, he felt it was important for everyone to come together. In 1910, the university made a rule that all students had to attend services at least three times a week. The university believed this rule helped bring all departments together. They hoped that one day, a new, larger chapel would allow daily attendance for everyone.
After President Buckham passed away in 1910, some people suggested building a memorial chapel named after him. Although that specific idea didn't happen, the Ira Allen Chapel was built on the very spot where President Buckham had lived and worked for almost 40 years. The new chapel was designed to hold the entire student body, which was about 1,146 students in 1923.
Chapel Design
The chapel's shape is like a Latin cross. It has a tall bell tower on one corner, which is 170 feet (52 meters) high. This tower has four clocks, one on each side, that are eight feet (2.4 meters) wide. At night, the light from the top of the tower can be seen from far away, from Mount Mansfield in Vermont to Mount Marcy in New York.
The main part of the building, called the nave, is about 135 feet (41 meters) long and 50 feet (15 meters) wide. The arms of the cross, called transepts, extend out about 20 feet (6.1 meters) on each side. This makes the total width of the main structure about 90 feet (27 meters). The building has a total floor area of about 39,141 square feet (3,636.3 square meters). The main part of the chapel is 40 feet (12 meters) high and has a slate roof. In the center of the building, where the cross arms meet, there's a dome that rises another 40 feet (12 meters) above the roof, topped with a golden cupola.
The chapel was built with bricks made locally in Vermont. These bricks were laid in a special pattern called Flemish bond, with ivory-colored trim. The front of the building looks like a Greek Revival style temple, with a large porch supported by six tall Ionic columns. Wide Barre granite steps lead up to the main entrance, which has three big doors. Inside, the main auditorium can seat about 1,100 people, including 200 in the balconies.
The design of the building, largely by William M. Kendall, used a clear and balanced style. It reminds some people of the University of Virginia campus, but with a unique New England feel.
Changes and Upkeep
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In 1945, a smaller "Little Chapel" was built in the basement of the main chapel. It had special features like stained glass and a beamed ceiling. It was updated in 1954-55. This smaller chapel could seat about 40 people and was used by many groups on campus. However, in 1957, the university decided to stop weekly chapel services. This was because UVM receives state funding, and using tax money for religious services could be seen as forcing taxpayers to support a place of worship, which goes against the Constitution of Vermont. The university decided that its facilities should mainly be used for education. Religious groups could still use the spaces, but they would be charged for costs like heat and lighting.
In 1953, an electronic carillon was added to the Ira Allen Chapel. This was a special instrument that could play bell sounds with different musical tones. It had large speakers in the tower and a keyboard at the base. This carillon was given to the university by student groups to honor UVM students who died serving their country. However, the money for it came from a controversial annual event called the "Kake Walk," which was a problematic tradition that ended in 1969. The carillon was replaced in 1986.
In 1954, some workers doing repairs got stuck in the tower for four hours because of strong winds!
In 1966, the outside of the chapel was repainted, and new gold leaf was put on the dome, costing $6,000. In 1971, the inside was renovated to improve the sound, enlarge the stage, and add new seating.
In 1972, the ashes of John Dewey, a famous American philosopher and educator who was from Burlington, were buried next to the north side of the chapel. His wife's remains are also there. This is the only known grave site on the UVM campus.
In 1981, parts of the chapel's decorative trim had rotted and needed to be rebuilt. In 1982, the clocks on the tower were showing different times, so a UVM graduate helped fix them and made the clock hands lighter.
From 1984 to 1986, major improvements were made, connecting the Ira Allen Chapel to the Billings Library to form the Ira Allen–Billings Student Center. A new wing was built next to the chapel's south side, and a new building called the Campus Center Theatre was added. These additions were designed by the architectural firm Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson, and Abbott.
After these changes, the chapel's basement was used for student publications like the Vermont Cynic newspaper. The chapel also got new lighting and a larger stage. A new carillon was installed during this time.
In 1990, the bell tower was repaired and repainted to make it stable.
In 2018, the original wooden columns on the front of the chapel had to be removed because they were rotting. The university tried to replace them with steel pillars covered in fiberglass. However, because of Vermont's land use laws, the state stopped the work. After an agreement was reached, the project was finished in 2020 using wooden covers around the steel pillars to match the original look.
Today, the Ira Allen Chapel is no longer used for regular religious services. Instead, it hosts many special campus events, ceremonies, and has welcomed many famous speakers from around the world.
Famous Visitors
The Ira Allen Chapel has hosted many well-known people over the years:
- Senator Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator (May 22, 2022)
- Michele Norris, American radio journalist (January 25, 2016)
- Al Gore, Former U.S. Vice-President (October 6, 2015)
- Salman Rushdie, Author (January 14, 2015)
- Billy Collins, Poet (October 2, 2013)
- Slavoj Zizek, Philosopher (October 16, 2012)
- Bill McKibben, Environmental Journalist (October 13, 2012)
- Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, Musical band (April 6, 2010)
- Senator Barack Obama, U.S. Senator (March 10, 2006)
- Matt Nathanson, Singer/Songwriter (January 20, 2006)
- Mike Gordon and Leo Kottke, Musicians (November 5, 2002)
- Widespread Panic, Rock band (March 9, 1994)
- Turtle Island String Quartet, Jazz string quartet (March 30, 1990)
- Spike Lee, film director, producer, writer, and actor (February 2, 1990)
- Pearl Williams-Jones, Gospel singer (October 6, 1989)
- Jesse Jackson, Politician and civil rights activist; and Mayor Bernie Sanders, Politician (February 11, 1988)
- Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, writer, and activist (October 13, 1987)
- Russell Means, American Indian Movement Leader (September 11, 1986)
- Jerry Brown, Politician (November 27, 1979)
- Angela Davis, Political activist and author (September 28, 1979)
- Jerry Rubin, Social activist (September 28, 1978)
- Gary Graffman, Classical pianist (July 8, 1970)
Images for kids
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Front view of Ira Allen Chapel from the University Green: Dec 2012
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Southeastern view of Ira Allen Chapel from the University Green: Dec 2016
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(Northeastern) Frontal view of Ira Allen Chapel: Jul 2015
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Statue of General Lafayette in front of the Ira Allen Chapel
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Bell Tower of the Ira Allen Chapel: Dec 2012
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Cornerstone of the Ira Allen Chapel
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View of the Ira Allen Chapel Bell Tower from Converse Hall (to the east): Oct 2005
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Eastern view (across the University Green) of Ira Allen Chapel: Dec 2012
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Southeastern view of Ira Allen Chapel: Dec 2012
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Southeastern view of Ira Allen Chapel: Nov 2009
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Ira Allen Chapel: Jul 2009
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Northern view of Ira Allen Chapel: circa 2010
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Ira Allen Chapel (B&W): 2006
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Vintage interior view of the Ira Allen Chapel (undated)
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Panorama taken of the UVM Green (from the west). Ira Allen Chapel is located on the far left of the image: Dec 2012
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