Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel (Washington, D.C.)
Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel | |
Contributing Property | |
Georgetown Historic District (ID67000025) | |
NRHP reference No. | 72001429[1] |
---|---|
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | March 16, 1972 |
Designated NHLDCP | May 28, 1967[2] |
Designated DCIHS | November 8, 1964 |
The Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel, also known as the Renwick Chapel or James Renwick Chapel,
History
On June 7, 1848, businessman and philanthropist William Wilson Corcoran (1798–1888) purchased Parrott's Woods, a 15-acre (6.1 ha) forest overlooking Rock Creek Park, from Lewis Washington, great-grandnephew of President George Washington. Corcoran organized a company to establish a cemetery, and on March 3, 1849, the Oak Hill Cemetery Company was chartered by an Act of Congress.[4][7]
Architect James Renwick Jr. (1818–1895) was chosen to design a small chapel for the new cemetery. Renwick, whose best known works include
On March 16, 1972, the National Park Service added Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel to the National Register of Historic Places.[2]
Architecture
Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel is considered an excellent example of Gothic Revival architecture, and often called a "miniature Gothic gem".
The building materials consist of Potomac gneiss, sandstone, and wood. A cornerstone, inscribed with the date "1850", is located in a buttress on the chapel's northwest corner. The chapel is accessible by a large, painted door on the west side. The door is protected by a padlocked, wrought iron gate; the padlock bears the inscription: "Presented/Oak Hill Cemetery Co./By/James L. Norris/March 19, 1895." A rose window with wooden mullions is located above the door.[4][6]
Influence
The design of Grace Episcopal Church, a Gothic Revival church built in 1867, is very similar to that of the nearby Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel. Although the architect of Grace Episcopal Church is unknown, there is reason to believe Renwick may have designed the building. If this isn't the case, the person who designed the church was greatly influenced by Renwick's work.[11]
See also
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
- ^ a b c "District of Columbia - Inventory of Historic Sites" (PDF). District of Columbia: Office of Planning. Government of the District of Columbia. September 1, 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2009. Retrieved July 19, 2009.
- ^ Tischler, Gary (November 3, 2005). "Georgetown tour offers gentry's look at history; Period architecture, names, lifestyles come alive". The Washington Times. Goliath. Archived from the original on June 20, 2008. Retrieved July 19, 2009.
- ^ OCLC 63660484. Retrieved July 19, 2009.
- ^ a b c "Oak Hill Cemetery, Chapel, & Gatehouse". National Park Service. Archived from the original on May 31, 2009. Retrieved July 19, 2009.
- ^ a b c Raiff, Daniel D. (September 1969). "Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel: HABS No. DC-172". Historic American Buildings Survey. Library of Congress. Retrieved July 19, 2009.
- ^ OCLC 2276711. Retrieved July 19, 2009.
Oak Hill Cemetery Georgetown.
- ^ "Architectural History of the Renwick Gallery". Renwick Gallery. Smithsonian American Art Museum. Archived from the original on August 1, 2009. Retrieved July 19, 2009.
- OCLC 223851856. Retrieved July 19, 2009.
- OCLC 3456096. Retrieved July 19, 2009.
Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel Renwick.
- ^ Noffsinger, Dr. James Philip; Thomas R. Martinson (September 7, 1966). "Grace Protestant Episcopal Church: HABS No. DC-101". National Park Service. Library of Congress. Retrieved July 19, 2009.