princeton university chapel history

In addition to the various denominational services held throughout the week, an ecumenical service is offered by the Dean and the Associate Dean of Religious Life each Sunday at 11:00 am (10:00 am during summer). Milliner ("The Princeton University Chapel", p. 5), identifies one of these, the Belgian cardinal. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered a sermon there in 1960. Extraordinarily beautiful is the Princeton Museum of Art. Latin: Universitas Princetoniensis: Former names. The James Forrestal Campus is split between nearby Plainsboro and South Brunswick. [16], On the western end of the chapel is the narthex, which has entrances on the north, west, and south walls. Cram sought to build a crown jewel for the Collegiate Gothic motif he had championed on the Princeton campus. Now with new color photos throughout, The Chapel of Princeton University traces the history of the chapel and describes its architecture, sculpture, woodwork, and furnishings. [68] Friend was known for delivering popular lectures on Job, and Milliner speculates that Friend had these windows included to address the problem of evil. [55][56], The chapel's iconography consists of over 10,000 square feet (930 m2) of stained glass[57] as well as stonework and wood carvings. )[37] A sculptor who worked on the chapel during its construction placed small carvings of his face and Cram's at the bottoms of crockets flanking the main entrance; Cram is identifiable by his glasses. [25] Running west to east, the main sanctuary consists of a narthex, a gallery, a nave, two transepts joined by a crossing, and an elevated choir;[38] it seats almost 2,000. Albert M. Friend, a faculty member in Princeton's Department of Art and Archaeology and an expert on medieval art, was the primary planner of the iconography, with the support and assistance of Hibben, Cram, and others. Among the stained glass are four "great windows", one facing each cardinal direction, and four "Christian epic" windows in the walls of the choir. The doorway to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel on the north wall of the nave is topped by carvings of shields representing three Christian religious centers, Jerusalem, Rome, and Canterbury, and flanked by carvings representing the seven virtues and corresponding seven vices. Princeton University's Chapel is amazing! It changed hands several times before Hibben obtained it for the chapel. A devout Christian, Friend shared Hibben's goal of persuading Princeton students to choose lives of Christian observance and sought with the chapel's iconography, in Milliner's words, "to carefully dismantle materialist objections to Christian faith and to articulate Princeton's synthesis between Christian faith and modern thought. It is a strikingly beautiful building with stained glass windows. Online Worship Service Sunday - view chapel.princeton.edu - with Alexandra Miller-Knaack, Chapel Intern Special Events , Religious , Featured Event , Worship , Sacred Text Study The service will have magnificent music provided by Penna Rose, Director of Chapel Music and Eric Plutz, University Organist and soloist Gregory Loshkajian ’16. University President, John Grier Hibben, issued an appeal for funds to construct a chapel in an architectural style based on the fourteenth century English Gothic and appointed Ralph Adams Cram as the University’s supervising architect for this project. [41] It is divided into three vertical levels: an arcade at ground level, a triforium beneath the roofs of the aisles, and a clerestory. Milliner, "The Princeton University Chapel", pp. Pamphlet. Contact UsThe Rev. The chapel's extensive iconography consists of stained glass, stonemasonry, and wood carvings. [6] The building's southeast corner houses a vestry. Tel: (609) 258-3047  | Fax:  (609) 258-2686, © 2021 The Trustees of Princeton University, Today, enhanced by its elegant beauty and charm, the Chapel has been an attractive site for frequent weddings and memorial services for alumni, faculty, and many other friends of the University. The chapel is cruciform and is built on the scale of a large parish church or a small cathedral. "[33] Ardolino is credited as executing all of the building's stone carving. [12] The construction cost about $2.3 million and was completed in 1928. At its founding in 1746, Princeton University (then known as the College of New Jersey) was first located in the parsonage of the Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth; when the College moved to Princeton, New Jersey in 1756, the chapel was located in Nassau Hall. The Princeton University Archives consists of over 15,000 linear feet of records including administration records (presidents, provosts, deans, and department records, faculty files, undergraduate and graduate alumni files); photographs and other audiovisual materials; and publications that document the history of Princeton University. * African Americans and Princeton University: A Brief History, 1/7/2019, Princeton University Library ... University Chapel (right) was opened in 1928 and seats nearly 2,000, making it the third largest university chapel in world. [2] It was built by Matthews Construction Company,[7] which worked on several projects on Princeton's campus. The chapel also hosts several annual special events. In the sermon he called for universal brotherhood and a life of spiritual richness. An additional door on the chapel's north side opens onto the Hibben Garden, named in recognition of John Grier Hibben's role in the chapel's construction and dedication. Milliner notes that images of historical and legendary people carved into the choir's woodwork "reflect the intended seating during a Chapel ceremony". The chapel was rededicated in an interfaith ceremony in 2002 following a major two-year restoration. The University has been led by 20 presidents, spanning colonial times to the 21st century. [25], The foundation is made of poured concrete. A downspout on the east wall features a relief of a bulldog head; a decades-old[36] myth relates that Cram placed it there to recognize Yale University, whose mascot is the bulldog.

In Princeton, you can see Princeton University Chapel, a gothic town church. Princeton University's Chapel is amazing! [67], Stained glass windows telling the story of the Book of Job are set into the walls of the staircases between the narthex and the gallery. Stillwell knew the building from its planning stages through its construction, dedication, and long use. In an ecumenical touch, the north and south are symbolically united by "The Love of Christ" in the Great East Window. When the College relocated to Princeton in 1756, a chapel was located in what would become the Faculty Room in Nassau Hall. in American Culture from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. in History from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The foundation is poured concrete, and the superstructure is sandstone and limestone. [31], Each of the three narthex entrances sits below a tympanum. [3] The location for the new chapel was chosen for two reasons: symbolically, the new chapel would rise from the ashes of the old one, and practically, it would locate the new chapel centrally as the campus expanded eastward. [14] A plaque on the interior south wall of the chapel's nave commemorates the occasion. Now with new color photos throughout from photographer Noel Valero, "The Chapel of Princeton University" traces the history of the chapel and describes its architecture, sculpture, woodwork, and furnishings. Princeton University built the chapel to replace the Marquand Chapel, which stood between where the present chapel and McCosh Hall stand until it burned to the ground in 1920. Martin Luther King Jr., delivered a sermon there in 1960. [39], Three doorways lead from the narthex into the nave,[39] which is 74 feet (23 m) high[25] and named for Hibben. Princeton Weekly Bulletin P29.737.12, Oversize P11.73.2f The Princeton Weekly Bulletin is a weekly events listing for the Princeton campus. University Chapel - Its Collegiate Gothic architecture makes the Chapel one of the most beautiful buildings on campus. History One of the great religious edifices in the United States It is in the Chapel that the University comes together as a community. [2], Cram designed the chapel with the assistance of Alexander Hoyle, a member of his firm. "[51], An oak made pulpit stands in front of the choir facing the nave. The only university chapel of its size at the time it was built was King's College Chapel at the University of Cambridge. The chapel is beautiful and very large. [50] According to Stillwell, the woodwork "represents an outstanding example of American craftsmanship. She taught at Duke University for twenty years before coming to Princeton. The Orthodox Chapel of the Transfiguration, located on the campus of Princeton University, is a unique facility of the Orthodox Church in America's Diocese of New York and New Jersey. (Cram was not a Yale alumnus and in fact did not attend college, so it is unclear what interest he might have had promoting Yale. Milliner, "The Princeton University Chapel", p. 5. It also hosts several annual special events, such as baccalaureate services and commencements. The chapel seats almost 2,000 people. [23] The south aisle features five window bays, while the north has four;[42] where the easternmost bay would be is the entrance to a side chapel called the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Two staircases on the east and west of the narthex lead to an upper gallery, which looks out upon the nave. Our History. [52], The chapel's organ has 7,897 pipes in 135 ranks and 109 stops. [2] The university's president, John Grier Hibben, also had a stake in the project: student hostility toward Princeton's brand of mainline Presbyterianism was on the rise. Princeton University Chapel | Closed due to COVID-19 Princeton, New Jersey 08544 Tel: (609) 258-3047 | Fax: (609) 258-2686 Princeton's religious heritage is exemplified in the imposing and elegant University Chapel, the third largest college chapel in the world. The Princeton University Chapel is located on that university's main campus in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. List of 1 items. While it is quiet, as it should be, it is anything but small. Measured on the exterior, it is 277 feet (84 m) long, 76 feet (23 m) wide at its transepts, and 121 feet (37 m) high. Our Chapels. In this week’s installment of our ongoing series bringing you the history of Princeton University and its faculty, students, and alumni, the University Chapel is dedicated, a professor spirits a Chinese dissident to safety, and more. Milliner, "The Princeton University Chapel", p. 6. In 2011, the main campus was named by Travel+Leisure as one of the most beautiful in the United States. 2000s; 1900s; 1800s; 1700s; 1600s; 2018. Dr. Alison L. Boden is Dean of Religious Life and of the Chapel at Princeton University, a position she has held since August 2007. The main campus sits on about 500 acres (2.0 km ) in Princeton. The chapel underwent a two-year, $10 million restoration between 2000 and 2002. Princeton University built the chapel to replace the Marquand Chapel, which stood between where the present chapel and McCosh Hall stand until it burned to the ground in 1920. While it is quiet, as it should be, it is anything but small. Today, enhanced by its elegant beauty and charm, the Chapel has been an attractive site for frequent weddings and memorial services for alumni, faculty, and many other friends of the University. Stillwell describes the iconography around the Blessed Sacrament Chapel but makes no mention of it per se. [25] Most of the interior is limestone, but the aisles and the central area of the choir are Aquia Creek sandstone. When the College moved to Princeton in 1756, the chapel was located in what eventually became the Faculty Room in Nassau Hall. "[58], The stained glass windows of the nave's north and south aisles represent one aspect of this synthesis. [43][44] The pews in the nave are constructed from wood originally intended for Civil War gun carriages; over 100 carvers spent more than a year producing the intricate carvings. "[6], The chapel is approximately the size of a small medieval English cathedral. The Deans are also joined by an array of nationally known guest preachers throughout the year and Princeton University students act as Chapel Deacons, assisting the Deans in leading the weekly worship. XII", "A Princeton Companion: Chapel, The University", "Keeping the faith: When Martin Luther King Jr. spoke in the Chapel 50 years ago", "Features: Chapel gets facelift and new dean", "Restoration secures chapel at Ivy League campus", "Making 10,000 miles of stained glass gleam", "Evergreen beauty of campus gardens thrives year round", "A Princeton Companion: Mather Sundial, The", "Some Architectural and Spiritual Aspects of the Chapel", "Interesting Details of the Chapel Stone Carving (photo caption)", "Letters to the editor: Tales of Orange Key", "Veterans Day event includes flag rededication", "Connick Windows in Princeton, New Jersey 2011", "A Princeton Companion: Stevenson, Adlai Ewing", "Westminster Choir College commencement information", "A Princeton Companion: Baccalaureate Address, The", "The Princeton University chapels: an architectural and religious history", The Aquinas Institute: Catholic Campus Ministry at Princeton University, official website, School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Public and International Affairs, Julis-Rabinowitz Center for Public Policy and Finance, Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination, Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, 1869 New Jersey vs. Rutgers football game, Witherspoon Street School for Colored Children, Princeton International School of Mathematics and Science, Princeton Community Japanese Language School, National Register of Historic Places listings in Mercer County, New Jersey, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Princeton_University_Chapel&oldid=1001496449, University and college chapels in the United States, Historic district contributing properties in Mercer County, New Jersey, Short description is different from Wikidata, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. 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