St. Mary's Chapel (Raleigh, North Carolina) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Mary's Chapel
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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St. Mary's Chapel, 2014
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 Location in North Carolina
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| Location | 900 Hillsborough Street Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| Built | 1855 |
| Architect | Richard Upjohn |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Part of | St. Mary's College |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000477 |
| Added to NRHP | November 20, 1970 |
St. Mary's Chapel is a historic church building located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It stands on the grounds of St. Mary's School, a special school for girls that started in 1842. This chapel was designed by a famous architect named Richard Upjohn in a style called Gothic Revival. It was built in 1855 and later had some parts added. Because of its history and design, St. Mary's Chapel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
Contents
The Chapel's History
The land where St. Mary's Chapel is today was first home to a school for boys. This school was started in 1833 by the Episcopal Church in North Carolina. Buildings for the school began in 1834. However, by 1837, the school had to close because of money problems.
A rich and important person from Raleigh, Duncan Cameron, bought the property. He and Reverend Aldert Smedes reopened the school on May 12, 1842. This time, it was called St. Mary's School for Girls. Reverend Smedes was the school's first leader. At first, church services for the school were held in a large room in the main building, which is now called Smedes Hall. Later, services moved to another building, East Rock, which had pews and an organ.
Building the Chapel
In 1855, the Cameron family gave money to build a special chapel for the school. They chose Richard Upjohn to design it. Upjohn was a very well-known architect in the 1800s. He also designed other famous churches, like Trinity Church in New York City.
When the chapel was finished, the Episcopal Bishop of North Carolina, Thomas Atkinson, visited it in 1858. He was very happy with its beauty and how well it fit its purpose. In 1905, some parts called transepts were added to the chapel. These additions changed its shape slightly, but most of the original building stayed the same.
The chapel was recognized as a Raleigh Historic Landmark in 1969. Then, on November 20, 1970, it was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's considered a very important historical site in the United States.
Chapel Design and Architecture
St. Mary's Chapel is built in the Gothic Revival style. This style often includes pointed arches and tall windows, like those found in old European cathedrals. The chapel has a steep, pointed roof called a gable roof. When it was first built in 1856, it was a rectangular building. The transepts (side sections) added in 1905 made the building look like a cross from above.
Key Features of the Chapel
The front of the chapel has two tall, narrow windows called lancet windows, one on each side of the main entrance. Above the entrance, there's a small roof-like cover supported by curved brackets. This cover has a special three-leaf design called a trefoil. Higher up, there's a round window known as a rose window. At the very top of the roof, there's a decorative cross-shaped ornament called a finial.
On the long sides of the chapel, there are four more triangular-headed lancet windows. The east transept (one of the side sections) looks similar to the front of the chapel. It has a covered walkway that connects it to the Smedes building. The west transept has a large lancet window and two smaller ones. On the north side of the chapel, there's a large stained glass lancet window with a four-leaf design above it.
See also
