All-Faith Chapel

All-Faith Chapel

All-Faith Chapel West Virginia Collection within the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
1959, Henry Elden and Associates

A group of Methodist laymen initiated the idea of building a small chapel on the knoll where camp vespers were traditionally held. Donations from various denominations throughout the state are reflected in the chapel's name. The modest building, designed by a Charleston architect, seats only forty, and is a simple rectangular structure with a rudimentary spire and an overhanging gable roof. West Virginia materials were used throughout: the flagstones in the floor came from Hardy County, randomrange, quarry-faced stones of the walls from Preston County, and the windows from the Blenko Glass Company in Cabell County.

The window that fills the chancel wall contains abstract patterns of glass in autumn colors, with yellows and oranges predominating. Side windows, filled with clear glass, are hinged so they can be opened or removed to provide for large groups. Laminated arches supporting the wooden roof are said to be the first of their type in the state. The chapel verges on being a mundane A-frame, typical of 1950s ecclesiastical design. Fortunately, the diminutive scale, careful proportions, and natural materials and colorings prevent it from being humdrum in any way.

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