Unity Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Unity Chapel
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Wisconsin
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Spring Green, Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Built | 1886 |
| Architect |
|
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000092 |
| Added to NRHP | July 18, 1974 |
The Unity Chapel is a historic building found in the town of Wyoming, which is in Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. This means it's recognized as an important place in American history.
The Chapel's Story
Unity Chapel was designed in 1886 by an architect named Joseph Lyman Silsbee. His office was in Chicago. Silsbee was well-known for a building style called Shingle style architecture. He designed the chapel to be a simple example of this style.
Even though he wasn't officially working for Silsbee yet, a young 18-year-old named Frank Lloyd Wright helped with the inside of the chapel. This makes Unity Chapel the earliest known building that Wright worked on!
The chapel was built for Wright's uncle, Jenkin Lloyd Jones. It was meant to be a private chapel for his family, the Lloyd Joneses, who lived nearby. The land around the chapel also has a cemetery where many family members are buried. This includes the famous Hollywood actress Anne Baxter.
After Unity Chapel was finished, Frank Lloyd Wright moved to Chicago. He then started working for Joseph Lyman Silsbee. The National Park Service officially recognized the building on July 18, 1974. They added it to the National Register of Historic Places.
How the Chapel Looks
The chapel is a small building shaped like a reversed letter "L". The shorter part points north, and the longer part points east. The short part is the entrance, and the long part is the main chapel hall.
The roof is very steep and has a special tower called a belfry. This belfry is where the two parts of the roof meet. It's square and has a bell-shaped roof on top. Each of its four sides has a round opening.
The building is covered in wood shingles, just like the roof. This is a key feature of the Shingle style. The chapel sits on a strong foundation made of rough stone. You can see groups of three windows on the north, south, and west walls. The top part of these windows has twelve small glass panes, and the bottom part has one large pane.
The chapel's graveyard is where many of Frank Lloyd Wright's family members, the Lloyd Joneses, are buried. Wright himself was first buried there. However, his remains were later moved to his winter home, Taliesin West, in Arizona. This happened after his widow, Olgivanna Lloyd Wright, passed away in 1985.
More to Explore
- List of Frank Lloyd Wright works
