St. Paul's Chapel
St Paul's Chapel is Columbia's non-denominational religious space. It was built between 1904 and 1907, and dedicated in 1907.
Architecture
St. Paul's is one of the few early campus buildings not designed by McKim, Mead, and White; instead, it was designed by the far more obscure firm of Howells & Stokes at the request of its donors, the Stokes sisters. A mixture of Italian Renaissance, Byzantine, and, to some extent, Gothic styles, it is referred to in the Eyewitness Guide to New York as "Columbia's most spectacular building".
St. Paul's has a number of interesting architectural features, including a number of inscribed Latin phrases on the exterior. The University motto, In lumine tuo videbimus lumen, is carved above the main door. The larger motto, above the church's front columns, is Pro ecclesia dei, "for the church of God".
The torchieres in front of the building were donated and originally from Venice.
The interior of the chapel, one of the prettiest on campus, features a Guastavino tiled roof and John LaFarge stained glass windows behind the altar. The stained glass windows in the roof rotunda features the coats of arms of prominent New York families from the early 20th century.
One of the more curious and overlooked feature of St. Paul's interior are the marble memorial plaques installed throughout the interior, recognizing various administrators and teachers after their deaths. If there's someone you'd like to honor with such a plaque, feel free to contact facilities and get a quote; the most recent plaque was installed in 1988. Alternatively get a tree planted on campus with a bronze and granite marker for $3,500.
Ceremonial uses
The Class of 1893 Bell, located outside roughly above the left column of the front portico, rings at 9:30am on the day of University Commencement to signal the beginning of the student procession. If you enter St Paul's and turn left to the stairway in corner, you'll find the bell rope hanging from the ceiling, attached to the bell through a small hole in the ceiling. A plaque recognizing the gift is installed on the stairway.
During commencement, the church is also the location of the Baccalaureate Ceremony.
Other popular uses include concerts and, of course, religious ceremonies. It is also popular for weddings and memorial services.
The crypt
St. Pauls' crypt (basement) is used by a number of student groups. The Postcrypt Coffeehouses take place in a small intimate space, and the Postcrypt Art Gallery is located in the Guastavino Room, a well lit space distinguished by its strange acoustics thanks to its vaulted Guastavino tiled ceiling. Also located in the crypt is the Choir Room a beautiful somewhat semi-circular space located under the chapel altar and with small stained glass windows. The Blue and White holds formal weekly meetings in the crypt, as do various student religious groups holding studies and discussions. This led to a minor controversy in 2005 when the University Chaplain installed canvas curtains in the room that could be pulled by religious groups who were using the space when tasteful nudes and blown-up genitalia were featured on the walls. This led to Postcrypt crying censorship, although everyone eventually calmed down and agreed the decision was a sensible compromise in order to maximize the utility of the space.[1][2][3]
The crypt is accessible by going through the entry door on the far right and then down the stairs.
In film
The 1996 film The Mirror has Two Faces was filmed at an organ recital at St. Paul's. The chapel's Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ is reknown for its sound.
Map
<googlemap lat="40.807902" lon="-73.961184" type="map" zoom="16" width="500" height="300" controls="small"> 40.807902, -73.961184, St Paul's Chapel </googlemap>
References
- ↑ Curtains Drawn at Postcrypt Gallery, Columbia Spectator, February 9, 2005
- ↑ Curtain Drawn on Free Speech, Columbia Spectator, February 11, 2005
- ↑ STAFF EDITORIAL: Don't Be Ridiculous, Columbia Spectator, February 15, 2005
