The Ernesto Memorial Chapel, also known as the (Stone Church) and the (Methodist Stone Church) is located in Abra Honda, a rural barrio in

Camuy Camuy () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Lares and San Sebastián; east of Quebradillas; and west of Hatillo. Camuy is spread over 12 barrios and Camuy Pueblo (the downtown area and the admini ...

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

. After the Kiplinger family lost their 21-year-old son, Ernesto, they donated money for the building of the church. The unique, stone chapel was designed by architect Albert Munson in a

Craftsman style American Craftsman is an American domestic architectural style, inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, which included interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts, beginning in the last years of the 19th century. Its ...

. The church took five years to build and was completed in 1912. The chapel measures about eighty square meters and has a pitched, wooden roof. Its most striking element is that it's made of limestone stones, and built by hand. Except for around the windows, the mortar used as an adhesive between the stones is practically imperceptible, creating the impression that the stones are supported by their own geometric tie and weight. The building lacks a foundation. The main facade of the building is dominated by an impressive

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

on which the belfry is supported. It houses the original bell of 1912. The property was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on July 8, 2010.

References

Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Puerto Rico Churches completed in 1912 1912 establishments in Puerto Rico Methodist churches in Puerto Rico Camuy, Puerto Rico Stone churches Chapels in the Caribbean American Craftsman architecture in Puerto Rico Chapels in North America {{PuertoRico-NRHP-stub

See also

References