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{{good article}}
{{Infobox church
| name = Princeton University Chapel
| image = Princeton University Chapel 2003.jpg
| imagesize = 300px
| imagealt = 
| caption = The exterior of the Chapel seen from the southeast, with the Mather Sundial in the foreground
| location = [[Princeton, New Jersey]]
| country = [[United States]]
| denomination = [[Ecumenism|Ecumenical]]
| website = {{URL|http://www.princeton.edu/religiouslife/chapel/|www.princeton.edu/religiouslife/chapel/}}
| consecrated date = 1928
| status = 
| functional status = Active
| heritage designation = 
| architect = [[Ralph Adams Cram]]
| architectural type = Cathedral
| style = [[Collegiate Gothic]]
| groundbreaking = 1924
| completed date = 1928
| construction cost = US$2.3 million
| capacity = almost 2,000
| length = {{convert|277|ft|m|0}}
| width = {{convert|76|ft|m|0}}
| height = {{convert|121|ft|m|0}}
| materials = [[Sandstone]], [[limestone]]
| dean = Alison Boden, Dean of the Chapel
| organist = Eric Plutz
| embedded = {{Infobox NRHP
 | embed = yes
 | name = Princeton University Chapel
| partof = [[Princeton Historic District (Princeton, New Jersey)|Princeton Historic District]]
| partof_refnum = 75001143<ref>{{cite web|title=Princeton Historic District|url={{NRHP url|id=75001143}}|website=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
 | nrhp_type = cp | nocat = yes
 | image = 
 | alt = 
 | caption = 
 | coordinates = {{coord|40|20|56.0|N|74|39|24.8|W|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin = USA New Jersey Mercer County#New Jersey#USA
 | map_alt = A map of Mercer County, New Jersey
 | area =
 | architect= 
 | added = 27 June 1975
 | governing_body = 
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}}
}}
The '''Princeton University Chapel''' is a [[Collegiate Gothic]] [[chapel]] located on that university's main campus in [[Princeton, New Jersey]], United States. It replaces an older chapel that burned down in 1920. Designed in 1921 by [[Ralph Adams Cram]] in his signature style, it was built by the University between 1924 and 1928 at a cost of $2.3 million. The chapel was rededicated in an [[Interfaith dialogue|interfaith]] ceremony in 2002 following a major two-year restoration.

Its size and design evoke a small [[Architecture of the medieval cathedrals of England|cathedral of the English Middle Ages]]. The only university chapel of its size at the time it was built was [[King's College Chapel, Cambridge|King's College Chapel]] at the [[University of Cambridge]]. The [[Foundation (engineering)|foundation]] is poured [[concrete]], and the [[superstructure]] is [[sandstone]] and [[limestone]]. The main sanctuary consists of a [[narthex]], a gallery, a [[nave]], two [[transepts]] joined by a [[Crossing (architecture)|crossing]], and an elevated [[Choir (architecture)|choir]].

The chapel's extensive [[iconography]] consists of [[stained glass]], [[stonemasonry]], and [[wood carvings]]. Among the stained glass are four "great windows", one facing each [[cardinal direction]], and four "Christian epic" windows in the walls of the choir. The iconography was planned by Albert M. Friend, a faculty member in Princeton's Department of Art and Archaeology, with the goal of portraying, in one scholar's words, a "synthesis between Christian faith and modern thought."<ref name="milliner-pip">Milliner, ''Primus inter pares''.</ref>

The chapel seats almost 2,000 people. A [[nondenominational]] chapel, it hosts weekly [[Ecumenicism|ecumenical Christian]] services and daily [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] [[Mass (Catholic Church)|Mass]]es. It also hosts several annual special events, such as [[baccalaureate services]] and [[Graduation|commencement]]s.

==History==
{{see also|History of Princeton University}}
[[Princeton University]] built the chapel to replace the Marquand Chapel, which stood between where the present chapel and McCosh Hall stand until it burned to the ground in 1920.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://etcweb.princeton.edu/Campus/text_Marquand.html |title=Princeton University: An Interactive Campus History, 1746-1996. Marquand Chapel |publisher=Princeton University |access-date=5 Jun 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314021932/http://etcweb.princeton.edu/Campus/text_Marquand.html |archive-date=14 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The location for the new chapel was chosen for two reasons: symbolically, the new chapel would rise from the ashes of the old one, and practically, it would locate the new chapel centrally as the campus expanded eastward.<ref name=bush>{{cite web |url=http://etcweb.princeton.edu/Campus/text_univchapel.html |first=Sara |last=Bush |title=The University Chapel |publisher=Princeton University |access-date=6 Jun 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314021940/http://etcweb.princeton.edu/Campus/text_univchapel.html |archive-date=14 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>Rhinehart, p. 50.</ref>

[[Ralph Adams Cram]], the university's supervising architect, designed and oversaw construction of the new chapel. Cram sought to build a crown jewel for the [[Collegiate Gothic]] motif he had championed on the Princeton campus.<ref name=milliner-pip /> The university's [[President of Princeton University|president]], [[John Grier Hibben]], also had a stake in the project: student hostility toward Princeton's brand of mainline [[Presbyterianism]] was on the rise. An ordained minister, Hibben hoped the new chapel's majesty would inspire students to attend services of their own volition. Cram, a convert to [[High Church]] [[Anglicanism|Episcopalianism]] from [[Unitarianism]],<ref name=bush-kemeny /> also lent support to this aim.<ref name=milliner-pip />

Cram designed the chapel with the assistance of Alexander Hoyle, a member of his firm.<ref name=bush-kemeny /> Albert M. Friend, a faculty member in Princeton's Department of Art and Archaeology, played a central role in planning the iconography.<ref name=milliner-pip /> It was built by Matthews Construction Company,<ref name=stillwellp11 /> which worked on several projects on Princeton's campus.<ref>{{cite book |first=William Starr |last=Myers |title=Prominent Families of New Jersey |volume=1 |chapter=William Robinson Matthews |page=388 |publisher=Genealogical Publishing |year=2000}}</ref> Among those who contributed to the design of [[stained glass]] windows were [[Charles Connick]], Henry Lee Willet (of the studio that would become [[Willet Hauser Architectural Glass|Willet Hauser]]), and [[Philadelphia]]-based stained glass artist [[Nicola D'Ascenzo]].<ref name=milliner-pip /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jlsloan.com/list.htm |author=Julie L. Sloan, LLC |title=Consultations (Selected List) |access-date=9 Jun 2011}}</ref>

The plans for the new chapel were made public in 1921.<ref name=bush-kemeny /> Hibben called replacing the Marquand Chapel "an immediate necessity";<ref>Quoted in Bush & Kemeny.</ref> nonetheless, the project encountered financial problems early on. The insurance money from the Marquand Chapel was insufficient, and fundraising for the chapel competed with an ongoing general capital campaign for the university. Ground was broken during Princeton's commencement ceremonies in June 1924, and in the following year Cram and Hibben laid the cornerstone.<ref name=bush-kemeny /> The construction received considerable media attention,<ref name=warneck>{{cite web |url=http://etcweb.princeton.edu/CampusWWW/Studentdocs/Cram.html |title=Ralph Adams Cram: The man, his work, and his legacy. XII |first=Stephen |last=Warneck |date=10 Jan 1995 |publisher=Princeton University |access-date=10 Jun 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080223142334/http://etcweb.princeton.edu/CampusWWW/Studentdocs/Cram.html |archive-date=23 February 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> as it promised to be the largest university chapel in the United States and the second largest in the world after [[King's College Chapel, Cambridge]].<ref name=time1928>{{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,881074,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121033514/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,881074,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 21, 2010 |title=Religion: Princeton's chapel |magazine=TIME |date=11 Jun 1928 |access-date=6 Jun 2011}}</ref> The construction cost about $2.3 million and was completed in 1928.<ref name=bush-kemeny /> Hibben led the dedication ceremony on May 31 of that year, in an elaborate ceremony covered by ''[[TIME]]''.<ref name=time1928 /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://etcweb.princeton.edu/CampusWWW/Companion/university_chapel.html |title=A Princeton Companion: Chapel, The University |first=Ernest |last=Gordon |author-link=Ernest Gordon |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=1978 |access-date=2 Dec 2011}}</ref>

On March 13, 1960, less than six weeks after the first of the [[Greensboro sit-ins]], [[Martin Luther King Jr.]], delivered a sermon at the chapel. In the sermon he called for universal brotherhood and a life of spiritual richness.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2010/03/17/pages/1450/index.xml |title=Keeping the faith: When Martin Luther King Jr. spoke in the Chapel 50 years ago |first=Gregg |last=Lange |journal=Princeton Alumni Weekly |date=17 Mar 2010 |access-date=13 Jul 2011}}</ref> A plaque on the interior south wall of the chapel's nave commemorates the occasion.

The chapel underwent a two-year, $10 million restoration between 2000 and 2002.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.princeton.edu/paw/archive_new/PAW01-02/11-0313/features1.html |first=Kathryn Federici |last=Greenwood |title=Features: Chapel gets facelift and new dean |magazine=Princeton Alumni Weekly |date=13 Mar 2002 |access-date=21 Aug 2011}}</ref> Despite the complexity of the work, the chapel remained open throughout the restoration.<ref name=stone-world-2006 /> The project earned a New Jersey Historic Preservation Award in 2002,<ref name=njhp>{{cite web |url=http://www.nj.gov/dep/hpo/4sustain/awds2002.htm |title=2002 Award Recipients |author=New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Historic Preservation Office |access-date=9 Jun 2011}}</ref> and the stone work won the 2004 Tucker Award for Renovation and Restoration from ''Stone World'' magazine.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.stoneworld.com/Articles/Feature_Article/be07bb91616f7010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720200004/http://www.stoneworld.com/articles/2004-tucker-awards |archive-date=2011-07-20 |title=2004 Tucker Awards |first=Michelle |last=Stinnard |date=10 Sep 2004 |magazine=Stone World |access-date=7 Jun 2001}}</ref> At the time, two experts working on the stained glass restoration called it the largest such project that had ever been undertaken in the United States; too large for a single studio, it was divided among studios in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New York.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/03/nyregion/making-10000-miles-of-stained-glass-gleam.html |first=Anne |last=Ruderman |title=Making 10,000 miles of stained glass gleam |newspaper=The New York Times |date=3 Jun 2001 |access-date=7 Jun 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.princeton.edu/~compub/pwb/01/0326/ |author=Princeton University Office of Communications |newspaper=Princeton Weekly Bulletin |date=26 Mar 2001 |title=No pane, some gain! |access-date=7 Jun 2011}}</ref>

Following the restoration, the chapel was rededicated in an [[Interfaith dialogue|interfaith]] ceremony in which people belonging to [[Buddhism]], [[Christianity]], [[Islam]], and [[Judaism]] gave prayers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Breidenthal leads chapel rededication ceremony |first=George |last=Spencer |newspaper=The Daily Princetonian |date=11 Feb 2002 |page=1}}</ref> Leading the ceremony, then-Dean of Religious Life Thomas Breidenthal said, "This edifice is unmistakably Christian, [but] this chapel is meant to belong to all of us."<ref>Quoted in {{cite news |url=https://www.princeton.edu/paw/archive_new/PAW01-02/11-0313/features1.html |first=Kathryn Federici |last=Greenwood |title=Features: Chapel gets facelift and new dean |magazine=Princeton Alumni Weekly |date=13 Mar 2002 |access-date=21 Aug 2011}}</ref>

==Description==
The chapel's [[Collegiate Gothic]] design evokes an [[Architecture of the medieval cathedrals of England|English church of the Middle Ages]],<ref name=bush-kemeny>Bush & Kemeny.</ref><ref name=stillwellp7>Stillwell, p. 7.</ref> although several aspects of it, including the [[vault (architecture)|vault]] and its supports, recall French churches. The chapel is [[cruciform]] and is built on the scale of a large parish church or a small cathedral. The only precedent for a university chapel of this size was King's College Chapel, and only a small part of that chapel was used regularly.<ref>Stillwell, pp. 5-7.</ref> Stillwell cites [[Exeter Cathedral]] and the Octagon tower of [[Ely Cathedral]] as precedents for the architectural detail, but notes that the Princeton chapel's detail nonetheless differs significantly from these.<ref name=stillwellp9>Stillwell, p. 9.</ref>

The [[Foundation (engineering)|foundation]] is made of poured concrete. When the chapel was built, the rest of the structure above the [[Land grading|grade level]] was masonry, and the only metal reinforcement was some structural steel in the framing of the roof.<ref name=stillwellp9 /> During the 2000–2002 restoration, some [[pinnacle]]s were reset with stainless steel anchors.<ref name=njhp /> The arches of the [[Crossing (architecture)|crossing]] were designed to support the addition of a central tower,<ref name=stillwellp9 /> but this option has not been exercised: in Bush and Kemeny's words, "Cram felt that Princeton already had enough towers."<ref name=bush-kemeny />

===Exterior===
[[File:Pu-chapel-front.jpg|thumb|The exterior, seen from the west]]

The chapel is approximately the size of a small [[medieval]] English [[cathedral]]. Measured on the exterior, it is {{convert|277|ft|m|0}} long, {{convert|76|ft|m|0}} wide at its [[transepts]], and {{convert|121|ft|m|0}} high.<ref name=stillwellp11>Stillwell, p. 11.</ref> These dimensions make it about the same size as [[Ripon Cathedral]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Ditchfield |first=P. H. | author-link=Peter Ditchfield |date=1902 |title=The Cathedrals of Great Britain |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43402/43402-h/43402-h.htm#Page_308 |url-status= |location=London |publisher=[[J._M._Dent|J. M. Dent & Company]] |pages=308 |isbn= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240708070738/https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43402/43402-h/43402-h.htm#Page_308 |archive-date=8 July 2024 |access-date=5 August 2024}}</ref> The exterior is constructed largely from [[Pennsylvania]] [[sandstone]], with [[Indiana]] [[limestone]] used for the trim.<ref name=stone-world-2006>{{cite news |first=Michelle |last=Stinnard |title=Restoration secures chapel at Ivy League campus |magazine=Stone World |date=10 Feb 2006 |url=http://www.stoneworld.com/CDA/Archives/34eb208f75559010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517051132/http://www.stoneworld.com/CDA/Archives/34eb208f75559010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____ |archive-date=2008-05-17 |access-date=7 Jun 2011}}</ref>

On the western end of the chapel is the [[narthex]], which has entrances on the north, west, and south walls. An additional door on the chapel's north side opens onto the Hibben Garden, named in recognition of John Grier Hibben's role in the chapel's construction and dedication.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/53/05E86/index.xml?section=featured |first=Ushma |last=Paterl |title=Evergreen beauty of campus gardens thrives year round |publisher=Princeton University |date=4 Feb 2010 |access-date=9 Jun 2011}}</ref> The garden of [[evergreen]]s was designed by H. Russell Butler, Jr.<ref>Rhinehart, p. 52.</ref> On the chapel's south side are an additional door at ground level to the east and an exterior pulpit, designed after one at [[Magdalen College, Oxford]],<ref name=bush-kemeny /> and named ''Bright Pulpit'', in honor of [[John Bright]].<ref>Stillwell, p. 129.</ref> The chapel is connected on its eastern side to Dickinson Hall by the Rothschild arch, symbolizing a connection between religion and scholarship.<ref name=milliner-tpuc-p4 /> Cram resigned as Princeton's supervising architect over the inclusion of the arch, which he disliked;<ref>Rhinehart, p. 53.</ref> nonetheless, he participated in the chapel's 1928 dedication ceremony.<ref name=time1928 /> Nearby is the Mather Sundial, a replica of the Turnbull Sundial in the courtyard of [[Corpus Christi College, Oxford]]. A statue of a [[pelican]], a [[Pelican#Religion, mythology, and popular culture|religious symbol]] associated with Corpus Christi, sits atop the sundial, which was presented to Princeton in 1907 by [[William Mather]], then the governor of [[Victoria University of Manchester]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://etcweb.princeton.edu/CampusWWW/Companion/mather_sun_dial.html |title=A Princeton Companion: Mather Sundial, The |first=Alexander |last=Leitch |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=1978 |access-date=13 Jul 2011}}</ref>

Each of the three narthex entrances sits below a [[Tympanum (architecture)|tympanum]]. The model for the tympanum above the main, west entrance was designed and sculpted in clay by John Angel and carved in stone by [[Edward Ardolino]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Modern Architectural Sculpture|publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons|year=1930|editor-last=Amonier|editor-first=W.|publication-place=New York|pages=77}}</ref> Cram shared credit for the chapel's quality with Ardolino in particular, saying his stone carving was "the best of its kind."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Cram LITT D|first=Ra;ph Adams|date=May 25, 1928|title=Some Architectural and Spiritual Aspects of the Chapel|url=http://www.torrelenocelle.com/artisti/ArdolinoEdward%20Princeton%20Cram%20%201928.pdf|journal=Princeton Alumni Weekly|volume=28|issue=32|pages=988|access-date=February 4, 2020}}</ref> Ardolino is credited as executing all of the building's stone carving.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=May 25, 1928|title=Interesting Details of the Chapel Stone Carving (photo caption)|url=http://www.torrelenocelle.com/artisti/ArdolinoEdward%20Princeton%201016.pdf|journal=Princeton Alumni Weekly|volume=28|issue=32|pages=1016}}</ref>

The tympanum above the west entrance depicts [[Christ|Jesus]] as described in the [[Book of Revelation]], together with the four beasts and other relevant iconography.<ref name="stillwellp11" /> It resembles the tympanum of the Royal Portal of [[Chartres Cathedral]].<ref name="milliner-tpuc-p4" /> Beneath the figure of Christ is Princeton University's shield, illustrating the university's motto, ''Dei sub numine viget'' ("Under the power of God she flourishes"). The tympana above the north and south entrances depict the [[Annunciation]] and the [[Baptism of Jesus|Baptism of Christ]], respectively.<ref name="stillwellp11" /> The latter was sculpted by Robert Baker.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Modern Architectural Sculpture|publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons|year=1930|editor-last=Aumonier|editor-first=W.|publication-place=New York|pages=76}}</ref>

The exterior iconography includes two notable whimsical elements. A [[downspout]] on the east wall features a relief of a bulldog head; a decades-old<ref>{{cite news |url=http://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2010/02/03/sections/letters/9733/index.xml |first=Frank C. |last=Strasburger |title=Letters to the editor: Tales of Orange Key |magazine=Princeton Alumni Weekly |date=3 Feb 2010 |access-date=9 Jun 2011}}</ref> myth relates that Cram placed it there to recognize [[Yale University]], whose mascot is the bulldog. (Cram was not a Yale alumnus and in fact did not attend college, so it is unclear what interest he might have had promoting Yale.)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2009/11/18/pages/3650/index.xml |first=W. Barksdale |last=Maynard |title=An hour-long view of paradise |magazine=Princeton Alumni Weekly |date=18 Nov 2009 |access-date=9 Jun 2011}}</ref> A sculptor who worked on the chapel during its construction placed small carvings of his face and Cram's at the bottoms of [[crockets]] flanking the main entrance; Cram is identifiable by his eyeglasses.<ref name=milliner-tpuc-p4 />

The Office of Religious Life calls the chapel the third-largest university chapel in the world.<ref name=chapel-homepage>{{cite web |url=https://www.princeton.edu/religiouslife/chapel/ |title=Home page - University Chapel |author=Princeton University Office of Religious Life |access-date=11 Jun 2011}}</ref> According to Milliner, it also ranks among the tallest in height.  In maximum height Princeton's chapel, which does not have a tower or other appendages, is exceeded only by the belltower of the [[Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Notre Dame|Basilica of the Sacred Heart]] at the [[University of Notre Dame]], the tower of the [[Duke University]] [[Duke Chapel|Chapel]], the tower of the [[University of Chicago]]'s [[Rockefeller Chapel]], and the [[campanile]] of [[Valparaiso University]] in [[Indiana]]'s [[Chapel of the Resurrection]]. In height of the nave at the crossing it is second only to [[King's College Chapel, Cambridge|King's College Chapel]] at the [[University of Cambridge]].<ref>Milliner, "The Princeton University Chapel", endnote 13.</ref>

===Interior===
[[File:Chapel Princeton University.jpg|thumb|The interior, looking east from about halfway through the [[nave]]. The [[Choir (architecture)|choir]] and the east window, titled "The Love of Christ", are in the background.]]
Measured in the interior, the chapel is {{convert|249|ft|m|0}} long, {{convert|93.5|ft|m|0}} wide at its [[transepts]], and {{convert|78.5|ft|m|0}} high at the crossing.<ref name=stillwellp9 /> Most of the interior is limestone, but the aisles and the central area of the choir are [[Aquia Creek sandstone]]. Sound-absorbing tile is mounted on parts of the wall and [[Vault (architecture)|vault]].<ref name=stillwellp9 /> Running west to east, the main sanctuary consists of a [[narthex]], a gallery, a [[nave]], two [[transepts]] joined by a [[Crossing (architecture)|crossing]], and an elevated [[Choir (architecture)|choir]];<ref name=stillwellp8>Stillwell, p. 8.</ref> it seats almost 2,000.<ref name=bush-kemeny /> The building's southeast corner houses a [[vestry]].<ref name=stillwellp8 />

Inscribed on the narthex wall facing the nave is "A Prayer for Princeton",<ref name=stillwellp12>Stillwell, p. 12.</ref> which as of 2008 was still used in services at the chapel.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2008/12/17/pages/9539/index.xml |first=Merrell |last=Noden |title=Keeping the faith |magazine=Princeton Alumni Weekly |date=17 Dec 2008 |access-date=10 Jun 2011}}</ref> Another inscription, from [[Psalm 100]], refers to [[Westminster Choir College]], which holds its commencement ceremonies in the chapel. Two staircases on the east and west of the narthex lead to an upper gallery, which looks out upon the nave.<ref name=stillwellp12 />

Three doorways lead from the narthex into the nave,<ref name=stillwellp12 /> which is {{convert|74|ft|m|0}} high<ref name=stillwellp9 /> and named for Hibben.<ref>Rhinehart, p. 51.</ref> It is divided into three vertical levels: an [[Arcade (architecture)|arcade]] at ground level, a [[triforium]] beneath the roofs of the [[Aisle#Cathedral architecture|aisles]], and a [[clerestory]]. The configuration and its proportions are typical of English churches, but the nave's vaulted ceiling and the [[Wiktionary:colonnette|colonnettes]] supporting it recall French churches. The gallery above the narthex is at the level of the triforium. The aisles are narrower than in medieval churches and are used for passage rather than seating.<ref name=stillwellp7 /> The south aisle features five window bays, while the north has four;<ref name="Stillwell, p. 15">Stillwell, p. 15.</ref> where the easternmost bay would be is the entrance to a [[side chapel]] called the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.<ref name=milliner-tpuc-p5 /><ref>Stillwell describes the iconography around the Blessed Sacrament Chapel but makes no mention of it per se. Milliner ("The Princeton University Chapel", p. 5) writes that the space was once a broom closet.</ref> The pews in the nave are constructed from wood originally intended for [[American Civil War|Civil War]] [[Limbers and caissons|gun carriages]]; over 100 carvers spent more than a year producing the intricate carvings.<ref name=milliner-tpuc-p5>Milliner, "The Princeton University Chapel", p. 5.</ref>

The northern transept is named for [[Henry Gurdon Marquand]], the benefactor of the Marquand Chapel, which burned to the ground in 1920 and which the present chapel was built to replace.<ref>Stillwell, p. 18.</ref> An [[American flag]] flown by the [[USS Princeton (CVL-23)|USS ''Princeton'']] hangs from the transept's north wall.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.princeton.edu/pr/pwb/04/1108/3a.shtml |author=Princeton University Office of Communications |date=8 Nov 2004 |title=Veterans Day event includes flag rededication |access-date=10 Jun 2011}}</ref> The southern transept is named for Chester Alwyn Braman, the first donor to the University Chapel Fund. A staircase leads from the Braman Transept to the Bright Pulpit.<ref>Stillwell, p. 21.</ref>

The choir, named ''Milbank Choir'' for [[Elizabeth Milbank Anderson]]<ref>Stillwell, pp. 15-6.</ref> is elevated by several steps. An altar stands at the far east end. The altar and the choir stalls were built and carved by [[Irving and Casson|Irving and Casson, A. H. Davenport Company]], in [[Sherwood Forest]] oak;<ref>Stillwell, pp. 15-7.</ref> Cram speculated that the wood may have dated from the time of [[Robin Hood]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Ralph Adams |last=Cram |date=31 May 1928 |title=Construction, craftsmanship of chapel discussed |newspaper=The Daily Princetonian |page=2}}</ref> According to Stillwell, the woodwork "represents an outstanding example of American craftsmanship."<ref>Stillwell, p. 17.</ref>

A [[pulpit]] of [[oak]] stands in front of the choir facing the nave. It originated in the north of France, probably in the mid-1500s. Its [[French Renaissance]] style suggests that it was made during the reign of [[Henry II of France|Henry II]]. The [[lectern]] is also oak and dates from the 1600s. It had been used in a church near [[Avranches]], France, for 200 years. A private individual purchased it shortly before the [[Dechristianisation of France during the French Revolution|confiscation of church property]] during the [[French Revolution]]. It changed hands several times before Hibben obtained it for the chapel.<ref>Stillwell, pp. 17-8.</ref>

The chapel's [[pipe organ|organ]] has 7,897 pipes in 135 ranks and 109 stops.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://mander-organs.com/princeton-university-chapel/ |title=Portfolio |publisher=Mander Organs |access-date=7 Jun 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://chapel.princeton.edu/chapel/chapel/mander-skinner-organ|title=Organ Specifications |author=Princeton University Office of Religious Life |access-date=7 Jun 2011}}</ref> It was designed by [[Ernest M. Skinner]] and installed in 1928. Skinner invented the ''Contra Fagotto'' stop for the Princeton chapel organ in response to a request by Princeton's director of music. In 1990 the organ was dismantled and shipped to [[England]] for a major restoration by [[Mander Organs]]. [[Thomas Trotter (musician)|Thomas Trotter]] gave the re-opening recital on the restored organ in 1992.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2010/04/28/pages/8564/index.xml |first=Merrell |last=Noden |magazine=Princeton Alumni Weekly |date=28 Apr 2010 |title='Most miraculous organ' |access-date=7 Jun 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mander-organs.com/portfolio/princeton.html |title=Princeton University Chapel |publisher=Mander Organs |access-date=7 Jun 2011}}</ref>

===Iconography===
[[File:Pu-chapel-nave-glass.jpg|thumb|The interior south wall of the [[nave]]. [[James Madison]] is shown in brown and royal blue in the rightmost panel of the upper right window.]]
The chapel's [[iconography]] consists of over {{convert|10,000|sqft|m2|-1}} of stained glass<ref name=oconnell>{{cite news |url=http://www.architectureweek.com/2002/1204/building_1-1.html |first=Kim A. |last=O'Connell |title=Stained glass restored at Princeton |magazine=ArchitectureWeek |date=4 Dec 2002 |access-date=10 Jun 2011}}</ref> as well as stonework and wood carvings. Albert M. Friend, a faculty member in Princeton's Department of Art and Archaeology and an expert on [[medieval art]], was the primary planner of the iconography, with the support and assistance of Hibben, Cram, and others. A devout Christian, Friend shared Hibben's goal of persuading Princeton students to choose lives of Christian observance and sought with the chapel's iconography, in Milliner's words, "to carefully dismantle [[materialist]] objections to Christian faith and to articulate Princeton's synthesis between Christian faith and modern thought."<ref name=milliner-pip /> Kessler calls the stained glass "a ''summa'' of the heritage of Christianity up to the early twentieth century."<ref>{{cite news |first=Ben |last=Kessler |title=Cover note |journal=The Princeton University Library Chronicle |volume=60 |number=3 |year=1999 |pages=463–5 |url=http://libweb5.princeton.edu/visual_materials/pulc/pulc_v_60_n_3.pdf}}</ref>

The stained glass windows of the nave's north and south aisles represent one aspect of this synthesis. The north windows depict Biblical figures and scenes,<ref>Stillwell, pp. 24-30</ref> while the south windows contain images associated with human knowledge.<ref name=milliner-pip /> The lower of these, at the triforium level, depict the teachings of Christ, while the six upper windows at the clerestory level depict influential figures in [[Philosophy]], [[Theology]], [[Chivalry]], [[Poetry]], [[Law]], and [[Science]], as read from east to west.<ref name=stillwellpp92-7>Stillwell, pp. 92-7.</ref> The Science window faces a window due to Willet on the north wall with scenes from [[Genesis creation narrative|Genesis]], symbolizing harmony between the Christian story of the Creation and the modern means of understanding it.<ref name=milliner-pip />

Four large stained glass windows are found in the main sanctuary.
*The '''Great East Window''', "The Love of Christ": Milbank Choir. Due to [[Charles Connick]],<ref name=milliner-pip /> it is richly decorated with scenes from the life of Christ, culminating with an image of the [[Crucifixion of Jesus]] in the [[Rose window|great rose]].<ref>Stillwell, p. 40.</ref> The process of selecting the scenes for this window was contentious, pitting the preferences of the conservative [[Presbyterian]] Hibben and his colleagues against those of the Milbank family, the window's donors and liberal [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalians]]. The final compromise paired the [[Works of Mercy]] with Gospel scenes complementing each of them.<ref name=milliner-pip />
*The '''Great West Window''', "The Second Coming of Christ": the gallery.<ref>Stillwell, pp. 97-9.</ref> Due to Nicola d'Ascenzo of [[Philadelphia]],<ref name=oconnell /> this window epitomizes Friend's iconographical argument. To students who would complain of the burdens of religion in daily life, the window answers with [[John 10]]:10: "I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly."<ref name=milliner-pip />
*The '''Great North Window''', "Christ the Martyr": Marquand Transept. A verse from [[Mark 13]]:13, "He who shall endure to the end shall be saved", is carved below the window, declaring the theme. The lower part of the window shows historical Christians noted for their perseverance.<ref name=milliner-tpuc-p5 /><ref>Milliner ("The Princeton University Chapel", p. 5), identifies one of these, the Belgian cardinal [[Désiré-Joseph Mercier]], as "a chief resister to the Nazi occupation in World War II". In fact Mercier was a symbol of resistance against German occupation during World War I and died in 1926, 14 years before the Nazi invasion of Belgium. {{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/375755/Desire-Joseph-Mercier |title=Désiré-Joseph Mercier |author=Enclyclopædia Britannica Online |year=2011 |access-date=11 Jun 2011}}</ref><ref>Stillwell, p. 32.</ref>
*The '''Great South Window''', "Christ the Teacher": Braman Transept. Here again the theme is declared by a Gospel verse, this time [[John 8]]:32, "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." Noted Christian writers and teachers are depicted at the bottom with the seven liberal arts.<ref>Stillwell, p. 35.</ref>

The doorway to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel on the north wall of the nave is topped by carvings of shields representing three Christian religious centers, [[Jerusalem]], [[Rome]], and [[Canterbury]], and flanked by carvings representing the [[seven virtues]] and corresponding [[Seven deadly sins|seven vices]].<ref name="Stillwell, p. 15"/> The other door leaving the Blessed Sacrament Chapel is topped by carvings of shields representing three medieval universities, [[University of Oxford|Oxford]], [[University of Paris|Paris]], and [[University of Salamanca|Salamanca]], and flanked by carvings representing the seven liberal arts (the [[Trivium (education)|Trivium]] and the [[Quadrivium]]) and the [[seven gifts of the Holy Spirit]].<ref name=milliner-tpuc-p5 />

Large stained glass windows due to Connick<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cjconnick.org/sgtour2011.php |author=The Charles J. Connick Stained Glass Foundation, Ltd. |title=Connick Windows in Princeton, New Jersey 2011 |access-date=13 Jul 2011}}</ref> in the walls of the choir retell four "Christian epics": [[Divine Comedy|the ''Divine Comedy'']] and ''[[Le Morte d'Arthur]]'' on the north wall and ''[[Paradise Lost]]'' and ''[[Pilgrim's Progress]]'' on the south wall. Milliner notes that images of historical and legendary people carved into the choir's woodwork "reflect the intended seating during a Chapel ceremony".<ref name=milliner-tpuc-p5 /> Images of figures connected to music are carved into the front (west), where the choir would sit, and images of scholars are carved into the back (east), where faculty would sit. Behind the altar are carved images of eight religious figures: four [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] [[saints]] to the north, and four leaders of [[Protestantism]] to the south. The epic windows reinforce the idea of a "Catholic north" and a "Protestant south": Catholics wrote the north epics and Protestants the south epics. In an ecumenical touch, the north and south are symbolically united by "The Love of Christ" in the Great East Window.<ref>Milliner, "The Princeton University Chapel", pp. 5-6.</ref>

Stained glass windows telling the story of the [[Book of Job]] are set into the walls of the staircases between the narthex and the gallery.<ref>Stillwell, pp. 101-4.</ref> Friend was known for delivering popular lectures on Job, and Milliner speculates that Friend had these windows included to address the [[problem of evil]].<ref name=milliner-pip /> Connick designed the windows in consultation with Friend, but they were made by others after the former's death.<ref name=milliner-pip />

The chapel's iconography pays tribute in places to the other [[Abrahamic religions]]. [[Abraham]] himself is depicted in a stained glass window on the north side of the nave, together with a [[Star of David]], a [[Christian cross]], and a [[star and crescent]].<ref name=milliner-pip /> Other windows show [[Baruch Spinoza]]<ref name=milliner-tpuc-p6>Milliner, "The Princeton University Chapel", p. 6.</ref> and [[Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi]];<ref name=milliner-tpuc-p4>Milliner, "The Princeton University Chapel", p. 4</ref> both images were planned before the chapel was built.<ref name=milliner-pip />

In several places the chapel's iconography includes images of figures associated with Princeton University:
*'''[[Jonathan Edwards (theologian)|Jonathan Edwards]]''', Princeton's third [[President of Princeton University|president]]:<ref name=presidents>{{cite web |url=https://www.princeton.edu/pr/facts/presidents/ |title=The Presidents of Princeton University |publisher=Princeton University |date=September 2005 |access-date=19 Aug 2011}}</ref> in the Theology window in the nave's south wall<ref>Stillwell, p. 92.</ref> and again among the Protestant leaders carved into the woodwork in the choir behind the altar.<ref name=milliner-tpuc-p5 />
*'''[[Joseph Henry]]''', a professor and [[Trustees of Princeton University|Trustee]] of Princeton:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://etcweb.princeton.edu/CampusWWW/Companion/henry_joseph.html |title=A Princeton Companion: Henry, Joseph |first=Alexander |last=Leitch |access-date=19 Aug 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812130355/http://etcweb.princeton.edu/CampusWWW/Companion/henry_joseph.html |archive-date=12 August 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> in the Science window in the nave's south wall.<ref>Stillwell, p. 95.</ref>
*'''[[James Madison]]''', a 1771 graduate of Princeton and its first graduate student:<ref>{{cite journal |title=#1: James Madison 1771 |first=George |last=Will |author-link=George Will |journal=Princeton Alumni Weekly |date=23 Jan 2008 |url=http://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2008/01/23/pages/4557/index.xml |access-date=19 Aug 2011}}</ref> in the Law window in the nave's south wall.<ref name=stillwellp94>Stillwell, p. 94.</ref>
*'''[[Adlai Stevenson II]]''', a 1922 graduate of Princeton:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://etcweb.princeton.edu/CampusWWW/Companion/stevenson_adlai.html |title=A Princeton Companion: Stevenson, Adlai Ewing |first=Alexander |last=Leitch |year=1978 |access-date=29 Aug 2011}}</ref> in a dedicated stained glass window near the vestry.<ref name=milliner-tpuc-p4 />
*'''[[John Witherspoon]]''', Princeton's sixth president:<ref name=presidents /> in the Great South Window, among the Christian teachers.<ref name=stillwellp94 />

==Current use==
The chapel operates within university's Office of Religious Life.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.princeton.edu/religiouslife/activities-and-programs/ |title=Activities & Programs |author=Princeton University Office of Religious Life |access-date=7 Jun 2011}}</ref> It is overseen by the Dean of the Chapel. The current Dean of the Chapel is Theresa S. Thames, who is also Dean of Religious Life at Princeton.<ref>{{cite web |author=Princeton University Office of Religious Life |title=Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel |url=https://religiouslife.princeton.edu/people/rev-dr-theresa-s-thames |access-date=5 Jun 2025 |website=Princeton University Office of Religious Life}}</ref>

The Office of Religious Life calls the chapel "the home of regular religious services for many of the university's faith groups, including the 264-year-old [[Ecumenicism|ecumenical Christian]] worshiping community [...] that founded Princeton in 1746."<ref name=chapel-homepage /> Though the university was once closely associated with the [[Presbyterian Church]], it has never been affiliated with any religious denomination.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.princeton.edu/pr/facts/revolution.html|title=Princeton in the American Revolution|publisher=Princeton University Office of Communications|access-date=2011-05-24}} The original [[Trustees of Princeton University|trustees]] "were acting in behalf of the evangelical or New Light wing of the Presbyterian Church, but the College had no legal or constitutional identification with that denomination. Its doors were to be open to all students, 'any different sentiments in religion notwithstanding.'"</ref> In keeping with this tradition, the chapel hosts ecumenical Christian services each Sunday.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.princeton.edu/religiouslife/chapel/ |title=University Chapel |publisher=Princeton University Office of Religious Life |access-date=7 Jun 2011}}</ref> [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] [[Catholic Mass|Mass]] is celebrated daily, [[Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation|Reconciliation]] is offered several days a week, and there is [[Eucharistic Adoration]] twice weekly.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://princetoncatholic.org/prayer/ |title=The Aquinas Institute: Prayer |publisher=Aquinas Institute |access-date=1 May 2016}}</ref>

The chapel also hosts several annual special events.
*'''Opening Exercises''': The ceremony marking the beginning of the university's academic year has been held in the chapel since 1929.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.princeton.edu/mudd/2010/03/history-of-opening-exercises.html |title=History of opening exercises |first=John |last=DeLooper |publisher=Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University |date=14 Mar 2010 |access-date=7 Jun 2011}}</ref>
*'''Service of Remembrance''': On Alumni Day, the chapel hosts a service remembering members of the Princeton University community who died during the preceding calendar year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://alumni.princeton.edu/main/goinback/alumni_day/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725075631/http://alumni.princeton.edu/main/goinback/alumni_day/ |archive-date=2011-07-25 |title=Alumni Day: Service of Remembrance |author=Princeton University Alumni Association |access-date=7 Jun 2011}}</ref>
*'''[[Westminster Choir College]]''': The nearby conservatory holds many major performances and ceremonies each year in the chapel. These events include the annual Evening of Readings and Carols in December and the Westminster [[Graduation|commencement]] ceremonies in May.<ref name=stillwellp12 /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rider.edu/offices-services/commencement/westminster-choir-college-commencement-information |title=Westminster Choir College commencement information |publisher=Rider University |access-date=10 Jun 2011}}</ref>
*'''Baccalaureate''': Princeton University's graduating senior class attends an interfaith [[baccalaureate service]] in the chapel on the Sunday prior to Commencement.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://etcweb.princeton.edu/CampusWWW/Companion/baccalaureate_address.html |title=A Princeton Companion: Baccalaureate Address, The |first=Alexander |last=Leitch |year=1978 |access-date=7 Jun 2011}}</ref>

The [[Princeton University Chapel Choir]] rehearses, provides music for the weekly service, and performs occasional concerts in the chapel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.princetonchapelchoir.com/ |title=Princeton Chapel Choir |author=Princeton Chapel Choir |access-date=7 Jun 2011}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=26em}}

==Works cited==
*{{cite news |first1=Sara E. |last1=Bush |first2=P. C. |last2=Kemeny |title=The Princeton University chapels: an architectural and religious history |journal=The Princeton University Library Chronicle |volume=60 |number=3 |year=1999 |pages=317–52 |url=http://libweb5.princeton.edu/visual_materials/pulc/pulc_v_60_n_3.pdf}}
*{{cite news |first=Matthew J. |last=Milliner |title=''Primus inter pares'': Albert M. Friend and the argument of the Princeton University Chapel |journal=The Princeton University Library Chronicle |volume=70 |number=3 |pages=470–517 |date=Spring 2009 |url=https://princeton.academia.edu/MatthewJMilliner/Papers/232514/Primus_inter_pares_Albert_M._Friend_and_the_Argument_of_the_Princeton_University_Chapel}}
*Milliner, Matthew J. (2007). "The Princeton University Chapel". Pamphlet. The Educational Technologies Center of Princeton University. [https://web.archive.org/web/20071123063514/http://web.princeton.edu/sites/chapel/history.html Hypertext]; [http://web.princeton.edu/sites/chapel/printTour/chapeltour.pdf PDF].
*{{cite encyclopedia |title=University Chapel |encyclopedia=Princeton University: An Architectural Tour |first=Raymond |last=Rhinehart |publisher=[[Princeton Architectural Press]] |location=New York, N.Y. |year=2000 |pages=49–53}}
*{{cite book |first=Richard |last=Stillwell |title=The Chapel of Princeton University |location=Princeton, N.J. |publisher=[[Princeton University Press]] |year=1971}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://www.princeton.edu/religiouslife/chapel/ Official website]
*[http://princetoncatholic.org/ The Aquinas Institute: Catholic Campus Ministry at Princeton University, official website]

{{Princeton}}
{{Princeton, New Jersey}}

[[Category:Princeton University buildings]]
[[Category:University and college chapels in the United States]]
[[Category:Ralph Adams Cram church buildings]]
[[Category:Churches completed in 1928]]
[[Category:Churches in Princeton, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Sandstone churches in the United States]]
[[Category:Limestone churches in the United States]]
[[Category:Historic district contributing properties in Mercer County, New Jersey]]