Chapel construction underway, expected to reopen late August
Chapel construction underway, expected to reopen late August
Details regarding the removed plaques and closed museum remain uncertain
(Chapel Renovation Plan, Quinn Evans Architects)
Implementing plans announced over two years ago, the university began its long-contested construction on Lee Chapel, National Historic Landmark, last month.
According to a Columns post from June 8, 2023, “University Chapel is receiving several updates to the interior and exterior of the facility.”
“The exterior maintenance began on May 30 with the W&L grounds crew performing significant pruning of the building’s iconic ivy vines on its façade,” the post continued.
The ivy vines — pictured below — were brought to the chapel in the late nineteenth century from George Washington’s Mt. Vernon.
(Lee Chapel, NHL. June 14, 2023. Photo by Author)
W&L grounds crew estimate that the vines will “support some initial green growth by this fall.” But, The Columns noted, “[t]he speed with which the ivy recovers is dependent upon the current condition of the vines.”
Interior construction began shortly after the pruning.
According to The Columns, “The indoor renovation will include the installation of a screen wall in the anteroom located between the original 1868 chapel and the 1883 annex containing the Lee memorial sculpture and family crypt. The screen wall provides a visible barrier between the chapel and the sculpture chamber, while allowing for freedom of movement between the two spaces.”
“The chapel was closed to the public June 5 for the interior work to be performed and is expected to reopen in time to host university events scheduled for late August 2023. Once completed, all parts of the building will remain accessible to the public[,]” the post concluded.
Following the June 4, 2021 announcement to renovate the chapel, university officials removed twenty plaques and two portraits from the chapel sanctuary.
Despite numerous requests from The Spectator, university officials have refused to provide a list of the removed plaques or their location, excluding the three installed on the Memorial Gateway last year.
The chapel’s main museum exhibition, which was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, has yet to reopen. A smaller exhibit replaced the chapel gift shop last year.
The Spectator reached out to Lynn Rainville, director of Institutional History and Museums, with several questions regarding the renovations, the chapel museum, and the plaques on June 24.
On June 30, Rainville responded:
“The university continues to update the campus community on ongoing construction projects – including those in University Chapel – through a series of stories posted on The Columns. The two most recent stories are “Early Summer Update On Campus Construction Projects,” published on June 8, and “W&L Announces Upcoming Campus Construction Project,” published on March 16. We’re still finalizing the exhibits that are part of the summer renovation project, and will continue to provide updates as there is new information to share.”
According to that March 16 Columns post, “The portraits, plaques and artifacts once housed in the chapel will be moved to new exhibits in the Chapel Galleries and the future Museum of Institutional History.”
There is no official timeline for the future museum, which was removed from the W&L master plan last spring following local pushback.
The Spectator also asked Rainville if changes would be made to Traveller’s grave, which rests outside the Lee Family Crypt.
Neither Rainville nor the recent Columns updates have announced any proposed changes to that site.
Other ongoing campus construction projects include renovations to the dining venues in John W. Elrod Commons, a new Turf Field, and repairs to the roof of Sydney Lewis Hall.
