[MassHistPres] UMass Old Chapel on National Register

[SCeccacci at aol.com]

This is wonderful news.  The architect was Stephen Carpenter Earle,  
Worcester's premier 19th century architect, who designed many outstanding  
churches in the city.
 
Susan McDaniel Ceccacci
Preservation Worcester
 
 
In a message dated 6/3/2015 11:36:27 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
larson at tei.umass.edu writes:

 
News from Preserve  UMass                                                   
                                      Contact: Joseph  Larson 
413-256-8256 
Cell: 413-530-0829      
UMass Amherst’s Old Chapel  Placed on National Register of Historic Places 
Amherst, June 3, 2015.   The 1885 Old Chapel, iconic image of the 
University of Massachusetts Amherst  campus, was placed on the National Register of 
Historic Places by the U. S.  National Park Service on May 11, 2015, 
according to information received from  the Massachusetts Historical Commission and 
a posting on the Park Service’s  National Register web site. “The Old 
Chapel is the first UMass building placed  on the nation’s list of the most 
important buildings and landscapes” according  to Max Page, UMass Professor of 
Architecture and Design and Director of  Preservation Initiatives in the 
Department of  Architecture. 
The nomination of Old Chapel  to the National Register was first drafted 
and submitted to the Massachusetts  Historical Commission (MHC) in August 2014 
by the private historic  preservation organization Preserve UMass (PUMA). 
UMass Chancellor Kumble R.  Subbaswamy supported the nomination as one of the 
projects he undertook to  mark the 150th Anniversary of the University. 
Designed by prolific  Massachusetts Architect Philip Carpenter Earle, the 
building is a richly  detailed and beautifully preserved example of the 
Richardsonian Romanesque  style. The first floor initially served as the library 
for the Massachusetts  Agricultural College (now UMass Amherst) and the 
second floor as an auditorium  for academic meetings and public performances.  
After a new campus  library building was built in 1936, the first floor was 
re-purposed to provide  class rooms and academic offices, but the second 
floor auditorium retained its  original roles. Today it remains almost intact 
with its vaulted, beamed  ceiling and most of its original features. 
In 1999 a complete renovation  was done to the Chapel exterior when the 
clock and bell tower was found to be  unsound. Great care was taken by the 
Project Manager, UMass alumnus, Richard  Nathhorst, to return the exterior to 
its original appearance, going so far as  to replace broken granite stones 
with stone from the original source, a quarry  site in Pelham, Mass. still 
owned by the university. As part of the renovation  Nathhorst arranged to have 
the original 10 carillon bells re-cast in the  Netherlands and increased in 
number to 42. The separate tower bell, “Old  Aggie”, originally hung in 
1892, was restocked as a swinging bell and remains  in service. 
“Chancellor Subbaswamy  deserves the credit for putting the Old Chapel on 
the National Register” says  Professor Emeritus Joseph S. Larson, 
Corresponding Secretary of PUMA. “He  recognized the significance of this building when 
he arrived on the campus and  became determined to see it put back in 
service after being closed since 1996.  In addition to his endorsement, the 
Chancellor has secured funds to  renovate the interior of the Chapel to meet 
current building codes and serve  today’s needs on the campus.” Larson adds “We 
are also grateful to the staff  of the Massachusetts Historical Commission 
who took our draft, did more  research on the architecture and history of 
the Chapel, and put it in final  form to meet the standards of the 
Massachusetts Historical Commission and the  National Park Service.” 
Work on the interior  renovation of the Chapel has started. The first floor 
will become a place for  small meetings and displays by students, faculty, 
staff, and campus  organizations. The second floor will be renovated to its 
original appearance  and used for special meetings and events. A new 
practice carillon has already  been acquired for the building so that students can 
take instruction and  eventually play the 42 bell tower carillon itself. 



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