Knowles Memorial Chapel, built between 1931 and 1932, is an historic

Mediterranean Revival Mediterranean Revival is an architectural style introduced in the United States, Canada, and certain other countries in the 19th century. It incorporated references from Spanish Renaissance, Spanish Colonial, Italian Renaissance, French Colonia ...

building located on the campus of

Rollins College Rollins College is a private college in Winter Park, Florida. It was founded in November 1885 and has about 30 undergraduate majors and several graduate programs. It is Florida's fourth oldest post-secondary institution. History Rollins Colle ...

in Winter Park,

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, in the

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. On December 8, 1997, it 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 ...

. On April 18, 2012, the

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's Florida Chapter placed the Knowles Chapel at Rollins College on its list of ''Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places''.

History

Knowles Memorial Chapel was given to Rollins College by Frances Knowles Warren in memory of her father, Francis Bangs Knowles (1823–1890), one of the founders of both Rollins College and the city of Winter Park. It was designed by noted church and collegiate architect,

Ralph Adams Cram Ralph Adams Cram (December 16, 1863 – September 22, 1942) was a prolific and influential American architect of collegiate and ecclesiastical buildings, often in the Gothic Revival style. Cram & Ferguson and Cram, Goodhue & Ferguson are partne ...

, who considered it his favorite of the more than 75 churches and cathedrals he had designed. In the summer of 2007 it underwent a masonry restoration paid for by a trust set up by Frances Knowles Warren.

Organ

The chapel organ was built in 1932 by noted organ builder,

Ernest M. Skinner Ernest Martin Skinner (January 15, 1866 – November 26/27, 1960) was an American pipe organ builder. His electro-pneumatic switching systems advanced the technology of organ building in the first part of the 20th century. Biography Skinner ...

. In the mid 1950s it was renovated by Skinner's firm, Aeolian-Skinner. Between 1999 and 2002 the organ was completely overhauled and renovated by Randall Dyer & Associates. At the same time the Dyer firm also built and installed a "completely new, free-standing antiphonal organ at the rear of the balcony and surrounding the Rose Window." Deeply involved in the work by the Dyer firm was its associate, John J. Tyrrell, former president of Aeolian-Skinner.

Stained Glass

The rose window at the rear depicts the seven liberal arts and is a collaboration between Cram and stained-glass artist William Herbert Burnham.

Current use

Knowles Memorial Chapel continues to be used as the Rollins College Chapel and its dean is the pastor of the college. The chapel is also the venue for many musical events, especially during the annual Bach Festival of Winter Park.Bach Festival of Winter Park
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Gallery

Image:Rollins College Knowles Chapel01.jpg, Knowles Chapel detail over entrance Image:Rollins College Knowles Chapel02.jpg, Knowles Chapel side view

References

External links

Knowles Memorial Chapel homepageKnowles Memorial Chapel organKnowles Memorial Chapel historyFlorida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs listing for Knowles Memorial ChapelRollins College's 2007 renovation of Knowles Memorial Chapel
* {{National Register of Historic Places National Register of Historic Places in Orange County, Florida Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida Churches in Orange County, Florida Rollins College Buildings and structures in Winter Park, Florida Ralph Adams Cram church buildings University and college chapels in the United States Historic American Buildings Survey in Florida 1932 establishments in Florida