A Brief History of the Chapel of the Cross

1848: William Mercer Green proposed the building of an Episcopal Church in Chapel Hill at the Diocesan Convention in 1840. According an article in The NC Churchman: “The people of Chapel Hill subscribed about one-third of the necessary funds, and Mr. Green appealed to the Diocese for the rest. His appeal was warmly seconded by Bishop Ives. But it is sad to relate that the Diocese responded in a very lukewarm manner. The building was soon begun with pledges of $1,200, but for lack of funds it stood for many years in a half-finished condition. It was not completed until 1848, using money donated by Professor Green himself. The final cost was probably around $5,400, twice the original estimate of $2,400.

1891: The Gothic Revival style of architecture was popular when Edward M. Gushee was appointed Rector. Although he served for only six months, he undertook revisions using funds he personally raised from “friends in the North” to modernize the Chapel. He rearranged the pews to create a center aisle and cut an arch through the south wall to create a sanctuary for the altar. A new office and vesting room with a fireplace was built at the southwest corner.

1916: Immediately following his arrival in 1911, the Rev. Homer Starr began promoting plans for construction of a Parish House. After five years of planning and fundraising that included contributions from the Diocese, a one-story structure was completed at a cost of ~$6000. It had single classroom and a Fellowship Hall that continues to serve as our current dining room. The loan secured during construction carried a 2.8% rate of interest. The loan was paid in April 1918 by members of the family of the recently deceased Kemp Plumber Battle.

1925: A resolution passed at the 1920 North Carolina Episcopal Convention called for enlargement of the Chapel of the Cross to better serve the University community. In 1921, William Erwin pledged $50,000 for construction of a new Church provided the congregation raised $35,000 to improve and enlarge the Parish House linking the new structure with the existing Chapel. The new facilities were dedicated in May, 1925. A fundraiser was hired to canvass other parishes in the diocese to help pay the remaining mortgage (estimated at ~$10,000). Unfortunately, his salary consumed most of what he raised. The payments on the mortgage subsequently required 13% of our operating budget until the debt was paid in a Retire the Debt campaign in 1942.

1950: The Chapel was closed for a year when engineers declared it unsafe following discovery of major structural damage from roof leaks and foundation deterioration. A Restoration Fund drive was undertaken to pay the $21,000 repair cost. Initially, $11,000 was raised. The subsequent $10,000 debt was not fully retired until 1962.

1958: A Planning Committee report in 1955 called for creation of a new wing on the Parish House to provide additional classrooms and space for our college student program. The Our Appointed Tasks campaign was established to raise $184,000 for construction and to pay the remaining Chapel debt. The dedication service for the new addition was held in September 1958. A Chapel Restoration Fund drive in 1961 was successful in retiring all outstanding debt by August 1962.

1973: The Vestry authorized a loan and established the Cornerstone Campaign to raise $114,000 to pay for extensive repairs to the Parish House and Church caused by leaks from deteriorated roofing. The campaign raised 91% of the required funds in one year with the remainder paid through sale of donated property and the use of operating funds.

1979: The Committee on the Renewal of the Parish House documented the need for numerous improvements, and particularly underscored the absence of a “Great Hall” where parishioners could gather. The Remember, Proclaim, Serve campaign raised funds for significant improvement to the facilities. The Church was closed for three months in 1980 to complete $105,000 of interior renovations and install the new $220,000 Kleuker pipe organ. $70,000 was spent on Chapel repairs, and $78,000 on Parish House repairs. The construction loan of $13,000 was paid in 1984.

1993: A report to the Vestry by the Christian Education Committee in 1984 again called for the construction of a sizeable Fellowship Hall, along with enhanced office and storage space. A sequence of fundraising efforts began with the From Generation to Generation campaign with a goal of $1.4M of which $1.1M was raised from 1990-92. The money was spent in 1993 for a slate floor and rewiring in the Church, and for major renovations and expansion of the Parish House which included enclosing the courtyard, adding extensions to the west end, installing an elevator, and the creation of ramps and bathrooms suitable for individuals with disabilities. A stairwell added to the east end enhanced emergency egress while providing access to the attic. The project required more than a year to complete. To raise the remaining funds, a Capital Needs Campaign was undertaken from 1992 to 1995. In 1996, the discovery of an embezzlement estimated at $450,000 explained why our financial goals were not achieved. A subsequent Retire the Debt campaign closed in 1998 when the Vestry used parish reserve funds to pay the mortgage from NationsBank. Those funds were later replenished from the operating budget.

Current Events: Due to continued challenges encountered in operating parish programs, a Space Use Study Committee was convened in the fall of 2001. The report again underscored the need for a large Fellowship Hall, and called for additional revisions of classrooms and offices. In response, the Vestry established a Long Range Planning Committee which met from October 2002 until May 2004. The committee report depicted significant programmatic expansions anticipated in years to come, and suggested the congregation consider replacing the existing Parish House with an entirely new facility. The Next Steps Committee met from September 2004 through May 2006 and presented the Parish with drawings of a Parish House capable of supporting our needs for the next century. In April 2006 a Capital Giving Committee began work to implement that vision.

Rob Sullivan
For the Master Plan Steering Committee
Chapel of the Cross, July 30, 2007