We at Jack Home Construction have a combined interest in both architecture and in the history of Southern Illinois, where our family has lived since the early 1800’s. Today we’d thought we’d take a look with you at one of the historical buildings of the area, Goddard Chapel.
Goddard Chapel is located in Rose Hill Cemetery in Marion, IL. In 1917, the Marion Women’s Club asked Leroy A. Goddard for his help in building a chapel. Goddard had served two terms as the Mayor of Marion from 1879 to 1882. It was his donation that made the construction of the chapel possible. He hired architect John N. Nyden of Chicago to design the building, and in June of 1918 the cornerstone of the chapel was laid. A time capsule was placed in the cornerstone which contains, among other articles, the story of the chapel’s construction, a biography of Goddard, weekly newsletters that were current at that time, a book about the city of Marion, and information about Williamson County’s contribution to World War I. In 1919, a Memorial Day ceremony was held at the chapel to celebrate the return of Williamson County soldiers from World War I. As many as 5,000 people attended, including President H. W. Shryock of Southern Illinois University, who gave a speech during the ceremony. Later, in 1986, the chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic places.
Goddard Chapel was built in the Gothic Revival style. You can see elements of the Gothic style in the kinds of arches above the doors and windows. There are pointed arches above the side, back, and front windows, called lancet arches. Each door is set inside a shouldered, or flat arch. Another name for a flat arch is a jack arch! Sounds good to us! The building was constructed with Bedford limestone and a red clay roof. Flemish oak was used for the front door as well as for the wood on the inside. The walls on the inside were made of pressed brick. The windows are art glass. You can find an Easter lily pattern in the windows and also in the wood of the pulpit and ceiling. Goddard Chapel is still used today for various ceremonies, including weddings.
If you want to know more about Goddard Chapel, see these sites:
Marion Illinois History Preservation – Leroy A. Goddard
City of Marion Cemetery – Goddard Chapel