Chapel History
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Chapel History |
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To understand fully the history of All Saints' Chapel, one must first have a grasp of the history of the founding of the University of the South and the town of Sewanee. The name Sewanee is at least five hundred years old, coming from the name of a Native American tribe that once inhabited the area. The Sewanwee, as they were called, were once part of the Lenni Lenapes who migrated eastward and settled in this area of Tennessee in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The town which we know today lies between two Native American trails running along the Cumberland Plateau. It was first settled in 1852 by coal miners and several farming families.
The history of the founding of the university begins on July 1, 1856 with a letter that Bishop Leonidas Polk wrote to other bishops in the south concerning his desire to create a joint educational center which he envisioned to be "our common property, under our joint control, of a clear and distinctly recognized church character, upon a scale of such breadth and comprehensiveness, as shall be equal in the liberality of its provisions for intellectual cultivation to those of the highest class at home or abroad." Bishops from North and South Carolina,Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas met that year for the General Convention in Philadelphia and agreed upon the idea. (Note in the picture to the right Polk at his desk drafting the letter to the bishops and below, the bishops in Philadelphia.) The following year at Polk's family home in Beersheba, Tennessee these bishops signed the constitution for the university.
In January of 1858, the State of Tennessee gave the university its charter under which the institution, as a political as well as an educational entity, could shape the environment to meet its needs. The Vice-Chancellor was given the rights of "mayor" for the town of Sewanee as well as acting president of the university. The conerstone was laid on October 10, 1860 among a gathering of some 5000 people. However, the university's development was brought to a sudden halt with the outbreak of the Civil War. As General Rosencrans pushed the Army of Tennessee in the direction of Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge, the Federal Army passed through Sewanee and left few remains of the university behind.
It was during the re-establishment of Sewanee in 1866 that our chapel began its part in the history of the university. The original chapel for the university was built in time for the re-opening in 1868. It was named St. Augustine's after the school in Canterbury, England. The site of this building is marked by a stone marker in the north lawn of All Saints' today. The original St. Augustine's was enlarged nine times between 1867 and 1910 to meet needs of a growing student body.
Eventually it was decided to abandon St. Augustine's for a larger structure, All Saints' Chapel. The groundbreaking took place in 1904 with anticipation for its completion to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of its founding. Architectural plans were drawn up by noted architect Ralph Adams Cram of New York. Construction began in 1905 but was halted in 1907 due to the failure of the Bank of Winchester during the great financial panic of that year. In 1910 a wooden floor and ceiling were installed to make the chapel available for use. It was not until 1957, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the university, that Vice-Chancellor Edward McCrady initiated the completion of the chapel. (To the right is Dr. McCrady in the red cloak, and in the back, Shapard Tower being constructed.) Using Cram's original plans and designs created by Dr. McCrady in 1937, construction began anew and the chapel was completed by July of 1959. His designs were inspired by numerous architectural masterpieces. The tower is primarily based upon that of the University Church at Oxford University, England known as Saint Mary the Virgin. The vaulted ceilings are designed principally from the models of the medieval French cathedrals Chartres and Amiens. The rose window is based upon that of the south transept of Notre Dame de Paris in France.
Today All Saints' Chapel continues to represent the geographical and symbolic center of campus. It stands 61 feet high and 233 feet long. Shapard Tower is 134 feet tall. To view this beautiful place of worship, please take the Virtual Tour.
Welcome to the Virtual Tour of All Saints' Chapel. You may either take the full tour, or click on the various points of interest indicated on the map below. All images on the tour that have a blue frame around them can be double clicked for enlargement.
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Sewanee is located between Nashville and Chattanooga in the southeastern area of Tennessee. For directions by Yahoo from surrounding cities, please click here.
The Chapel is located in the heart of Sewanee. If you are coming from Monteagle, take your first right past the gates onto University Avenue. All Saints' is located on the south side of the quad just past the stop light at Georgia Avenue. Parking is available either in front, along the street, or in the visitor parking area across the street behind Fulford Hall.
Chapel tours may be arranged through the Office of Communications at 931-598-1286.