The Chapel at Duke University

Several weeks ago, Elder Walters sent pictures of The Chapel at Duke University I wanted to share with you. Following is a little information about The Chapel.

Built in 1930-35, Duke University Chapel stands at the heart of the University West Campus. The Chapel measures 291 feet long by 63 feet wide by 73 feet high, not counting the tower. The 210-foot tower makes it one of the tallest buildings in Durham County, North Carolina. The Chapel seats about 1,600 people, and its 77 stained-glass windows depict over 800 figures. The Chapel has three world-class pipe organs, and the tower houses a 50-bell carillon.

When James B. Duke selected the site for Duke University’s West Campus, in 1925, he chose to locate the Chapel on the site’s highest ridge. The Chapel was the first building planned for the new campus, but the last one to be completed. Construction started in 1930, was completed in 1935, and cost nearly $2.3 million. The Chapel began to be used before its stained-glass windows and other details were finished; commencement was held in the Chapel in 1932.Although the Chapel was inspired by other buildings, including English cathedrals and the chapels of other American universities, it is not a copy of any other specific building.

“I want the central building to be a church, a great towering church which will dominate all of the surrounding buildings, because such an edifice would be bound to have a profound influence on the spiritual life of the young men and women who come here.”
— James B. Duke