An Iconic Identity: Stories and Voices of Duke University Chapel

Architectural Blueprint, Reproduction
Rolled Items Collection, circa 1924-ongoing, Duke University Archives

Chancel Woodwork and Windows
Photograph by Brian Mullins Photography

Julian Abele
Julian Abele Collection, Duke University Archives

The Bodies of Three Great Dukes
Photograph Collection, Duke University Archives

Damage caused by the 1971 fire in the Chapel.
Photograph courtesy of Duke University Chapel.

Julian Francis Abele (1881-1950), a Philadelphia-based architect, was the primary architect responsible for the realization of Duke University’s neo-gothic architecture. As an African-American, he faced discrimination under the South’s harsh Jim Crow laws. Consequently, despite being responsible for the vision and execution of the designs for the Chapel, Abele never saw his completed vision.

Many visitors question whether or not Washington Duke (1820-1905), Benjamin Newton Duke (1855-1929), and James Buchanan Duke (1856-1925) really rest in Duke Chapel. The phpto above depicts the tombs in which the Dukes are buried. So, yes, they are really there.

On January 22, 1971, a fire sparked by one of the chandeliers destroyed several of the carved wooden pews near the front of the Chapel. The pews were replaced with rows of wooden chairs, which can be rearranged for special events and to accommodate risers and orchestra set-up for concerts. Today, Ed Karolak, a longtime member of the Congregation at Duke Chapel, uses wood from the old burnt pews to carve crosses for children who have completed their confirmation classes.

Charles Harold Crowther (1882-1961) carved all of the woodwork inside Duke Chapel. Tragically, one of his daughters-in-law burned all of the original plans for the carvings when she discovered them in her attic. A few architectural blueprints of the woodwork remain in the Duke University Archives.