Kirkpatrick Chapel

The Kirkpatrick Chapel was built in 1873, and was named after Sophia Kirkpatrick of New Brunswick, who donated $61,054.57 to Rutgers College to fund the planned chapel. It was designed by New Brunswick-born architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh (1847-1918); it was the third building Hardenbergh designed for Rutgers. Hardenbergh planned the structure in the Gothic Revival style popular during the High Victorian period. This means that the inspiration comes from medieval architecture, rather than the classical architecture of ancient Greece and Rome. The Kirkpatrick Chapel was originally used as a chapel and a library. In 1904, the chapel was expanded because the library was moved to the newly built Voorhees Hall. Over the years, the Chapel became less of a place for worship and used more for lectures, events, and classes. Kirkpatrick Chapel is not open to the public, but hosts special events.