ALL IN A DAY’S TRIP

Duke Chapel

The Duke Chapel is a beautiful icon not just Duke University, but for North Carolina. The Chapel was completed in 1932 and dedicated in 1935. Washington Duke and his family were Methodist, but the chapel is interdenominational.

This recently renovated building is one for the community, and has been the venue for beautiful weddings, millions of visitors and world-renowned speakers and musicians.

Philadelphia architect Julian Francis Abele designed Duke Chapel, and also designed the entire Duke University campus, a project that spanned more than a decade and helped him survive the Great Depression.

Despite his vision and design on the Duke Chapel, he never saw his project in person because, as an African American, he was not allowed on campus during that time.

In 2016, Abele Quad was dedicated in memory and honor of his work on campus. Abele Quad goes up north to Chapel Quad with the Duke Chapel looming in the background. There is also a dedicated space in Duke Chapel with Abele’s history and contributions to the Duke community.

The 77 stained glass windows in Duke Chapel were the first in the United States to tell the complete story of both Testaments in the Bible. The completed chapel would cost over $30 million in today’s currency with all of its details in the woodworking, Guastavino tile, and the over 1 million pieces of stained glass that went into the interior of the Chapel.

Duke Chapel has three choirs: the Chapel Choir, the Vesper’s Ensemble, and the Evensong choir. The Evensong choir is the most recent addition and hosts a traditional Anglican Evening service every Sunday.

The Vesper’s Ensemble leads a Thursday evening service. The longest standing choir is the Chapel Choir. The Choir performs every Sunday morning and hosts an annual concert of Handel’s Messiah. This tradition of Handel’s Messiah dates back to 1933.

When I was a senior in high school, my aunt and I went to hear the concert, and it was an outstanding performance. It is performed annually during Advent and is a beautiful way to kick off the holiday season. The performance is free to the public. Be sure to check the calendar on the website for the exact date.

Another feature of the Duke Chapel are its four organs. These organs are designed to provide a powerful soundscape in the Chapel, but also feature beautiful sounds on their own. The carillon, made up of 50 bells, one of which weighs 11,000 pounds, was a gift from the president and vice-president of the Duke Endowment in 1930, making it one of the first carillons in the South.

The bells ring every weekday at 5 p.m. and on special occasions.

There also are carillon recitals that are free and open to the public. The University Carillonneur, J. Samuel Hammond, performs carillon recitals each week and keeps notebooks of every piece he plays from the Chapel. He has played for over the last 50 years and began playing while he was in undergrad at Duke.

The exterior of the Duke Chapel was created using local stone from the Duke quarry, located near Hillsborough. There are

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approximately 17 different colors of “Hillsborough bluetone” that make up the exterior.

Despite the Duke Chapel being interdenominational, there are several sculptures of prominent Methodist leaders, including John Wesley and Francis Asbury.

The tower at Duke Chapel is a whopping 210 feet high.

A point of interest is that the Dukes - Washington, Benjamin and James - are all buried in tombs in the Memorial Chapel housed in the Duke Chapel. This is located off to the side in the Duke Chapel behind iron gates. Buried in the Duke tombs below the chapel are previous university presidents and their wives.

The Chapel is free and open to the public with the exceptions for weddings or other private events. A calendar of events can be found at https://chapel.duke.edu/events, with information on recurring events and BIble studies, dinner opportunities, concerts, and guest speakers.

While you’re on campus, be sure to stroll the grounds and check out Abele Quad. There is also excellent dining options at the Brodhead Center or off campus in downtown Durham.

Look for parking at the Bryan Center, 125 Science Dr. for a $5 fee.

Meghan Grant is the author of the blog I’m Fixin’ To… and a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

There are docentled tours that are free and open to the public. If you’d like to join the tour, meet the docent on the lawn in front of the Chapel. Tours begin at 12:15 p.m., or immediately following the 11 a.m. service on Sundays. The tours focus on the interior of the Chapel and last for approximately 45 minutes. Tours are not a requirement for visiting Duke Chapel, but if you’d like to schedule a tour on a different day, email dukechapel@duke.edu or call (919) 681-9488.

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