Near Lenoir in Caldwell County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Chapel of Rest

Photographed by Mark Parker, March 23, 2025

1. Chapel of Rest Marker

Inscription. This property has been
placed on the
National Register of
Historic Places
by the
United States
Department
of the Interior

Erected by United States Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures.

Location. 36° 0.487′ N, 81° 31.469′ W. Marker is near Lenoir, North Carolina, in Caldwell County. It can be reached from North Carolina Route 268 east of Indian Grave Road, on the left when traveling east. From NC highway 268, take the gravel road up the hill to the chapel. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1964 NC-268, Lenoir NC 28645, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Mountains. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Collett Leventhorpe (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Patterson School Foundation (approx. 0.4 miles away); Revolutionary War Patriots (approx. 1.8 miles away); A Storied Trail (approx. 1.8 miles away); William Lenoir (approx. 1.8 miles away); Charles Gordon Jr. (approx. 1.8 miles away); Patterson Mill (approx. 2.2 miles away); Fort Defiance (approx. 2.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lenoir.

More about this marker. The chapel is open to the public during daylight hours.

Regarding Chapel of Rest. Chapel of Rest is a contributing building to the Patterson School District, which located a half mile east of the chapel. Excerpts about Chapel of Rest from the Patterson School District Nomination Form (#04001386)

(pg. 17). Located on the north side of NC 268 approximately a half-mile southwest of the Patterson School core campus, the Chapel of Rest is reached by a winding drive that
Photographed by Mark Parker, March 23, 2025

2. Chapel of Rest. Marker is to the right of the main entrance
leads.from a curve in NC 268 to its hilltop site. The chapel faces south, overlooking a broad expanse of the fertile bottom lands of the Yadkin River and the mountains beyond. Under the leadership of Patterson School headmaster and priest Hugh A. Dobbin, the chapel was built in 1918 as a near copy of the original 1886 chapel that had burned in 1916. The original chapel had been built through the generosity of Samuel Legerwood Patterson and Rufus T. Lenoir and others and had been erected according to the plans and direction of the Reverend Johannes A. Oertel, artist and rector of St. James Episcopal Church in Lenoir. When the first church burned, the Reverend Dobbin pushed for its reconstruction, because at the time it was the only church within three miles and was used as a place of worship not only by Patterson School but also by the people of the neighborhood. For years the Chapel of Rest was used by Patterson School for Sunday church services and commencement exercises. Although it has been deconsecrated by the Episcopal Church, the chapel is still used for community Christmas and Thanksgiving eve services and for occasional weddings
Photographed by Mark Parker, March 23, 2025

3. Chapel of Rest interior
and concerts.

Also see . . .
1. Patterson School District Nomination Form (pdf). Nomination Form prepared by Laura A. W. Phillips, Architectural Historian, Winston-Salem (Submitted on December 9, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)

2. Chapel of Rest. The Chapel of Rest is situated on a grassy knoll overlooking the Yadkin River in Happy Valley, in the foothills of western North Carolina. Made possible by a gift from Samuel Legerwood Patterson, the Chapel was built in 1887, and originally served as the chapel for the Patterson School for Boys. In 1922, a new chapel was built on the Patterson School campus, and the Chapel of Rest fell into disrepair. The Chapel of Rest Preservation Society was created in 1984 to preserve the historical integrity of the Chapel and to maintain the building and grounds. Open to the public daily during daylight hours, the Chapel of Rest is a place to pause, meditate and enjoy an extended view of the beautiful Happy Valley. (Submitted on December 9, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)

Chapel of Rest Exterior image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, September 4, 2022

4. Chapel of Rest Exterior

Chapel of Rest cemetery and chapel image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, September 4, 2022

5. Chapel of Rest cemetery and chapel

Overlooking Happy Valley from Chapel of Rest image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, March 23, 2025

6. Overlooking Happy Valley from Chapel of Rest

Credits. This page was last revised on December 15, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 9, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 117 times since then and 91 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on December 9, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.