Ira Allen Chapel
Ira Allen Chapel is a secular chapel on the campus of the University of Vermont, which is located on the northeast corner of the "University Green" in Burlington, Vermont.
The building was constructed during 1925–26, and dedicated on January 14, 1927. It was added to National Register of Historic Places as part of University Green Historic District on April 14, 1975.
History
Named after the University's founder, Ira Allen, construction was made possible by a $200,000 endowment from James Benjamin Wilbur, LL. D of Manchester, Vermont in 1924.Construction
The cornerstone of the Ira Allen Chapel was installed on June 22, 1925 as part of the commencement activities that year, coincidentally occurring exactly one-hundred years after the cornerstone was laid for Old Mill by General Lafayette. The ceremony was officiated with an opening prayer by the Reverend John Lowe Fort, followed by the hymn “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken". An inscription which was carved into the granite reads; "Dedicated to the service of God erected in memory of the founder of this university Ira Allen - 1925".Image:UVM IraAllenChapel ConstFront 19251123.jpg|thumb|left|Construction of the Ira Allen Chapel in 1925
The building was designed by the architect William Mitchell Kendall of McKim, Mead, and White of New York; the same architectural firm which designed the university's Waterman Building, Fleming Museum, Southwick Building, Slade Hall, as well as Burlington City Hall. The building was erected under the supervision of builder, O.S. Nichols.
Angell Hall, originally built in 1869 to serve as the President's house was demolished to make way for construction of the chapel.
In May 1926, the chapel's bell, manufactured by the McShane Bell Foundry Company, Inc. of Baltimore, Maryland was installed in the belfry.
During the construction of the chapel's tower, rumors had been circulated that it was unstable. After some investigation engineers reported that the tower's structure was more than sufficient, explaining that the tower's interior corner wooden columns and their connecting castings over the top of the open arches were filled with reinforced concrete.
James B. Wilbur: Benefactor
James Benjamin Wilbur was a wealthy businessman and American history enthusiast who had made his fortune in ranching and banking in Colorado, and serving as president of the Royal Trust Company of Chicago until his retirement and move to Vermont in 1909. During his retirement years he had amassed a substantial collection of documents pertaining to Vermont history. In this time Wilbur discovered and developed keen intrigue in the historically controversial character of Ira Allen, subsequently resolving that it was "a sacred duty to undertake the writing of his life." By 1920, Wilbur's collection of "Vermontiana" assisted him to begin writing Allen's biography, which was eventually published in 1928 as a two-volume work entitled: "Ira Allen: Founder of Vermont, 1751–1814". The work has been criticized as it purportedly relied solely upon the English language correspondence that Wilbur found while undertaking his research in Paris during the 1920s; thence missing sixteen french-language documents that refute Allen's long-standing claims of his motives pertaining to the Olive Branch affair.Image:UVM IraAllenMonument 20150718.jpg|thumb|left|Ira Allen monument on the UVM Green
In 1921, Wilbur first donated to the university a bronze statue monument of Ira Allen upon a foundation of Barre Granite that was installed on the University Green in front of the university's "Old Mill" building facing west toward College Street and Lake Champlain. The monument to General Lafayette, which was originally installed at this location in 1883 was moved to the north end of "the Green".
In 1924, Wilbur proposed an offer to UVM's board of trustees to build a chapel on conditions; that it be named the "Ira Allen Chapel", and that the chapel be sited and designed by the university's consulting architects at the time; McKim, Mead & White of New York City. Of the preliminary plans for the chapel, Wilbur had expressed pause, stating that the "plans are artistic, but I am afraid too expensive for me.” Nevertheless, after reviewing them with other university administrators who felt that the plans were satisfactory, President Bailey placed an advertisement in the university’s Alumni Weekly newspaper intended to generate revenue to meet the possible shortfall. Wilbur hence pledged an additional $150,000, contingent upon the successful sale of a commensurate stock of timber from a property he owned on Vancouver Island. Wilbur officially announced the plans for the new chapel during a speech to the university’s board of trustees on June 21, 1924.
Image:UniversityRowRearAerial 1931.jpg|thumb|right|Aerial view of the rear facade of the Ira Allen Chapel and the Fleming Museum of Art, circa 1931
By 1929, Wilbur had also established a $3 million endowment scholarship for the University, and donated his personal Vermontiana collection to the university, today known as the Wilbur Collection, as well as a $100,000 provisional contribution for the construction of the Robert Hull Fleming Museum, and an additional $150,000 to construct the Wilbur room within the museum intended to house his collection. Up until this point in time he had become the largest private benefactor in the university's history. An ironic twist of fate lies in the fact that Ira Allen had left behind a damaged reputation with the university, having never followed up on his founding pledge of 4,000 pounds that was intended for the construction of the university's buildings. However, Wilbur's ineffable devotion to Allen over a century later suggests that compensation was made for his fiduciary lapses, at least within the context of the university's history.
During the years of Wilbur's contributions, university president Guy Winfred Bailey served as Wilbur's principal handler.
Pipe organ
The original organ installed in the Ira Allen Chapel was a three-manual, electro-pneumatic Welte-Mignon Philharmonic Pipe Organ. The manual compass was CC to C4. The pedal compass was CCC to G. The wind chests of the manuals featured super-octave couplers, which extended the compass of the keyboards to 73 notes. There was also installed a reproducing console, which played recorded rolls in detail utilizing pedals, swells, and tempo characteristics of renown organists.During the chapel's dedication ceremony of January 14, 1927, the organ was played by Dr. T. Tertius Noble, the organist of St. Thomas' Church of New York, who concluded the event with two organ recitals composed of classical pieces, and an original piece that was said to have demonstrated the capabilities of the instrument.
In 1985, the pipe organ was removed due to building renovations requiring the installation of a new airshaft in place of the organ's pipes. The installation of a new pipe organ was estimated to cost in the millions of dollars, and was further anticipated to have complications due to the effect of varying temperature and humidity on the organ's intonation system. The prospect was thus determined to be cost-prohibitive. However, in August 2004, a new Rogers Trillium 3 digital electronic organ was installed. Organ enthusiasts have argued against the authenticity of the digitally re-created pipe organ sound.
The University's desire for a new Chapel
Chapel services on the university's campus from the 1830s onward were held in the chapel of the Main College building underneath its formerly erected central dome, in what is today known as the John Dewey Lounge. Although the chapel was enlarged during the 1882–83 modernization and renovation of the Main College building, throughout the ensuing 45 years the student population continued to grow beyond its capacity. Furthermore, the inadequate heating system of the facility could not sufficiently heat the room for an "8:00 or 8:30 am service", which up to that point in time was a compulsory obligation.By the early 1900s, attendance at the chapel services had become greatly reduced much to the dismay of the sitting university president of the day, Matthew Henry Buckham. Although the president was said to have hated the word "compulsory", he nevertheless felt that everyone should attend chapel services. However, this was impossible due to the chapel's limited capacity. In 1910, a compulsory chapel attendance rule was enacted by the university, which mandated that all students attend services at least three times per week. The rule was seen by the administration as a benefit to the school because all of the departments were regularly brought together. Further, the administration had an intention that someday daily attendance would be made possible by the fulfillment of what was then viewed as "one of the university's greatest needs"; a new chapel.
Soon after Buckham's passing in November 1910, it was reported in a university periodical that a memorial to Matthew Henry Buckham ought take the shape of a chapel; "It would be fitting, however, if in the coming years there shall be erected by the side of Morrill Hall, commemorating the service of a son of Vermont whom he loved, a memorial chapel bearing his name..."
Although this vision was never realized, it was decided that Ira Allen Chapel would be built on the same spot where for almost 40 years, president Buckham had lived and worked. By the time of Ira Allen Chapel's design, it was intended that it serve as a meeting place to accommodate the entire student body, using reported figures from 1923 totaling 1,146 students.
Architecture
The building's footprint was constructed in the shape of a Latin cross. There is a 170 ft. high bell tower offset to the northwest corner of the nave of the main structure that is fitted with four clocks measuring eight feet in diameter. At night, the beams from the electric lamp on the top tier of the tower are said to be visible from Mount Mansfield to the east ' to Mount Marcy from the west '.Image:UVM IraAllenChapelInterior 1900s.jpg|thumb|right|Historical interior view of the Ira Allen Chapel from the balcony
The length of the nave runs roughly east–west for 135 ft. at a 50 ft. width. The 46 foot wide transepts of "the cross" extend perpendicular from the nave structure for 20' 6". Hence, the width of the main structure totals about 90 ft. The floor area of the building is 39,141 ft2 and 26,532 ft2. The main structure is 40 ft. high and has a slate roof. Extending an additional 40 ft. above the roof and from the center of the building is a low octagonal dome topped with a lantern and golden cupola.
The building was constructed using locally manufactured brick laid in Flemish bond with ivory colored trim and topped with a gray-green slate roof. The face of the main structure was fashioned in Greek Revival style with a portico installed with six 32 ft. Ionic columns. The portico's pediment has a central traced elliptical window and flanking white swags. Barre granite steps ascend to the front entrance, which consists of three large doors leading to the inner vestibule. The auditorium seats about 1,100 people, including 200 in the balconies. The eastern facade of the building has a basement level which is five bays wide.
Much of the design of the building credited to William M. Kendall, a senior partner in the firm McKim, Mead & White, which utilized a "Palladian clarity of massing" and design elements reminiscent of the University of Virginia campus at Charlottesville, augmented with a New England thematic character of an ''"inventive eclecticism; flattened, linear crispness; and light decorativeness."''