Tuskegee Institute in Macon County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Tuskegee Chapel
Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site
— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
Photographed By Mark Hilton, November 16, 2016
1. Tuskegee Chapel Marker
. . . I always make it a rule to read a chapter [in the Bible] or a portion of a chapter in the morning, before beginning the work of the day.
—Booker T. Washington, Up From Slavery
The chapel, designed by Paul Rudolph and former Tuskegee Institute professors John Welch and Louis Fry, is known architecturally for its lack of right angles and its astonishing acoustics. Built in 1969, it replaced architect Robert R. Taylor's original chapel, built in 1896-98 with 1,200,000 bricks made and laid by Tuskegee students.
Religion has always played a major role in the life of the school. For many years students were required to attend daily vesper services and two Sunday services. In the chapel they also attended major cultural events, such as concerts by W. C. Handy, John Philip Sousa, and Duke Ellington and speeches by Mary McLeod Bethune, Martin Luther King, Jr., and four U.S. Presidents.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Churches & Religion. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Mary McLeod Bethune series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1969.
Location. 32° 25.833′ N, 85° 42.433′ W. Marker is in Tuskegee Institute, Alabama, in
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lifting the Veil of Ignorance (within shouting distance of this marker); Booker T Washington (within shouting distance of this marker); Tuskegee Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); George Washington Carver (within shouting distance of this marker); Dorothy Hall (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Tuskegee Institute Advancement League (about 400 feet away); Julius Rosenwald (about 600 feet away); Tuskegee Civic Association (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tuskegee Institute.
More about this marker.
[Photo captions]
Top right: The present-day chapel contains
reproductions of the original chapel's
stained glass "Singing Windows" that
portray Negro spirituals.
Main photo: The original chapel, which stood on this
site, was the first building in the county
to have electric lights. It was struck by
lightning and destroyed by fire in 1957.
Also see . . . Bhamwiki (Birmingham Wiki) article on the newer chapel. (Submitted on December 3, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Photographed By Mark Hilton, November 16, 2016
2. The rebuilt Tuskegee Chapel.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 21, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 3, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 623 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 3, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
