National Register of Historic Places

Knowles Memorial Chapel

Winter Park, Orange County, Florida
Listed
December 8, 1997
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
97001448

About this property

Knowles Memorial Chapel, built between 1931 and 1932, is an historic Mediterranean Revival building located on the campus of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, in the United States. On December 8, 1997, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. On April 18, 2012, the AIA's Florida Chapter placed the Knowles Chapel at Rollins College on its list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places. Knowles Memorial Chapel was given to Rollins College by Frances Knowles Warren in memory of her father, Francis Bangs Knowles (1823–1890), one of the founders of both Rollins College and the city of Winter Park. It was designed by church and collegiate architect, Ralph Adams Cram, who considered it his favorite of the more than 75 churches and cathedrals he had designed. In the summer of 2007 it underwent a masonry restoration paid for by a trust set up by Frances Knowles Warren. The chapel organ was built in 1932 by organ builder, Ernest M. Skinner. In the mid 1950s it was renovated by Skinner's firm, Aeolian-Skinner. Between 1999 and 2002 the organ was completely overhauled and renovated by Randall Dyer & Associates. At the same time the Dyer firm also built and installed a "completely new, free-standing antiphonal organ at the rear of the balcony and surrounding the Rose Window." Deeply involved in the work by the Dyer firm was its associate, John J. Tyrrell, former president of Aeolian-Skinner. The rose window at the rear depicts the seven liberal arts and is a collaboration between Cram and stained-glass artist William Herbert Burnham. Knowles Memorial Chapel continues to be used as the Rollins College Chapel and its dean is the pastor of the college. The chapel is also the venue for many musical events, especially during the annual Bach Festival of Winter Park. List of Registered Historic Places in Orange County, Florida Media related to Knowles Memorial Chapel at Wikimedia Commons Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs listing for Knowles Memorial Chapel Rollins College's 2007 renovation of Knowles Memorial Chapel Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. FL-407, "Knowles Memorial Chapel, 1100 Holt Avenue, Winter Park, Orange County, FL", 27 photos, 10 data pages, 2 photo caption pages

Location

1000 Holt Ave.
Winter Park, Orange County, Florida
28.59237, -81.34801

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
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

Russell, Annie, Theatre
Industrial
0 mi
Woman's Club of Winter Park
Industrial
0.2 mi
All Saints Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Polasek, Albin, House and Studio
Industrial
0.4 mi
Interlachen Avenue Historic District
Listed
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Knowles Memorial Chapel listed on the National Register?

Knowles Memorial Chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 8, 1997.

What type of historic resource is Knowles Memorial Chapel?

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

What is the period of significance for Knowles Memorial Chapel?

The period of significance for Knowles Memorial Chapel is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Knowles Memorial Chapel?

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