Battell Chapel — 1876

History

Built as a University Chapel and Civil War Memorial between 1874 and 1876, Battell Chapel has long been the center of religious services on campus. Today, it holds weekly services for the University Church and serves as the home to religious groups from a variety of faiths. Yale’s second largest auditorium, Battell Chapel also serves as a venue for many concerts and lectures on campus. Located on the corner of College and Elm Streets, this High Victorian Gothic style structure made of sandstone was designed by architect Russell Sturgis, Jr. (designer of Durfee and Farnam Halls). Much of the interior is made of solid oak with intricately decorated designs on the pews and colorful panel work on the walls and ceilings. Enlarged in 1893 by architect J. Cleaveland Cady and renovated in 1927, the building was restored by Herbert S. Newman in the late 1980s. Battell Chapel features forty stained glass windows, some of which were produced by La Farge and Tiffany, that memorialize Yale’s luminaries. The apse is dedicated to the sixteen undergraduate deacons who died in the Second World War.

Did You Know?

If you want to learn more about Battell Chapel and its history, visit the website of the University Chaplain's Office and take a virtual tour.