The Chapel An enduring symbol of Mercersburg’s spiritual identity, the Chapel is the culmination of the ideals and goals of Dr. William Mann Irvine, the Academy’s founder and first headmaster (1893-1928), and his wife, Camille. Ralph Adams Cram, of Cram and Ferguson, one of the period’s most eminent ecclesiastical architects, was chosen in 1916 to prepare plans for the exterior of the Chapel. World War I delayed the building, but the groundbreaking occurred on June 6, 1922; in June 1924, First Lady Grace Goodhue Coolidge, wife of the 30th U.S. President and mother of two Mercersburg alumni, laid the cornerstone. The Chapel was dedicated on October 13, 1926, Dr. Irvine’s 61st birthday, in memory of the 55 Mercersburg alumni killed in World War I. It was rededicated in 1993 in memory of Dr. Irvine. The Chapel spire, a 150-foot replica of that of St. Mary the Virgin Church in Oxford, England, holds one of 163 traditional carillons in the United States.
The Windows Dr. Irvine and Mr. Cram were resolute that the Chapel should be filled with light, making the windows central to the concept of the building. Mr. Cram selected the window makers, and Dr. Irvine determined the subject of each window. They selected the themes and color scheme, using blue glass for unity throughout, and assigned windows to nine glassmakers from England, Ireland, and the United States. Each window is rich in symbolic figuration—Dr. Irvine consulted leading theologians on each subject—and invested with thoughtful design. The largest supplier of stained glass was D’Ascenzo Studios in Philadelphia, a firm that created the 10 largest nave windows. Other windows were made by Charles J. Connick of Boston; Reynolds Francis Rohnstock of Boston; Guthrie and Davis of New York City; Thomas William Camm Studios, Smethwyck, England; H.J. Butler, New York City; James Powell and Sons, Ltd., London; Harry Wright Goodhue, Boston; and Irish Stained Glass Works, Ltd. The windows depict the life and teaching of Christ, the Archangels, the Saints, King Arthur and the round table, heroic Christianity, and Christian ideals and missions. The windows are designed in a medieval Gothic style and include biblical history, U.S. history, and local history. Two windows also feature the pet dog of Dr. Irvine, a lighthearted nod to his domestic life at the Academy.