King Memorial Chapel

King Memorial Chapel is located on the Cornell College campus in Mount Vernon, Iowa. The chapel was completed in 1882 and is built of Anamosa Limestone quarried in nearby Stone City, Iowa, and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.

King Memorial Chapel
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Cornell College campus Mount Vernon, Iowa
Coordinates	41°55′30″N 91°25′25″W
Built	1876-1882
Architect	Chapman, Cass
Architectural style	Gothic
NRHP reference No.	76000782[1]
Added to NRHP	November 7, 1976

History

The cornerstone was laid in 1876, but one month later, with the walls half up, the contractor went bankrupt and skipped town.[2] The main tower, with its Seth Thomas clock, is almost 130 feet high and can be seen from miles away as it shoots up from the hilltop campus. King Chapel is the site of the annual convocation at the commencement of the school year as well as the baccalaureate service in the spring for graduating students. The chapel has a Moller organ with 3,800 pipes and is often the site of musical performances.

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-11-08.
2. http://www.cornellcollege.edu/about-cornell/buildings-tour/hubs/king-chapel.shtml