Thorncrown Chapel
National Register of Historic Places

Thorncrown Chapel

Eureka Springs, Carroll County, Arkansas
Listed
April 27, 2000
Type
Building
Period
Modern
Ref No.
97000452

About this property

Thorncrown Chapel was designed by E. Fay Jones and constructed in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, in 1980. The design recalls the Prairie School of architecture popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright, with whom Jones had apprenticed. The chapel was commissioned by Jim Reed, a retired schoolteacher who envisioned a non-denominational pilgrimage chapel set apart for meditation. The design was inspired by Sainte-Chapelle, a Gothic church in Paris pierced by numerous stained glass windows. It held some of King Louis IX's medieval Christian relics, including the Crown of Thorns believed to have been worn by Christ. This relic inspired the name of the American chapel. The chapel's unusual artistry has been recognized. It was selected for the 2006 Twenty-five Year Award by the American Institute of Architects. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 2000, three decades before the 50-year cutoff required of most NRHP listings. It was included in Budget Travel's list of "12 Most Beautiful Churches in America" and Bored Panda's list of "50 Most Extraordinary Churches Of The World."

Location

Eureka Springs, Carroll County, Arkansas
36.41712, -93.76982

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Mulladay Hollow Bridge
Industrial
1.3 mi
Tall Pines Motor Inn
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1.3 mi
Lake Leatherwood Recreational Facilities
Early Republic
1.3 mi
Lake Leatherwood Park Historic District (Additional Documentation)
Listed
1.5 mi
Crescent Hotel
Industrial
1.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Thorncrown Chapel listed on the National Register?

Thorncrown Chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 27, 2000.

What type of historic resource is Thorncrown Chapel?

Thorncrown Chapel is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Thorncrown Chapel?

The period of significance for Thorncrown Chapel is recorded as the modern era, specifically around 1980.

Can I research the history near Thorncrown Chapel?

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