Alberts Chapel
Encyclopedia
Alberts Chapel is an unusual octagonal Methodist
church located near the settlement of Sand Ridge, West Virginia
. Built in the Carpenter Gothic
-style, the simple, sparingly ornamented church rises to an octagonal cupola, with lancet window
s and board-and-batten siding. The chapel was built in 1903 under the direction of Albert Poling by his uncle Charles Poling with materials provided by his brothers Asbury and Wesley. The church was named for Albert in recognition of his efforts.
The chapel seats as many as 300, a surprising number for such an apparently small building. A possibly apocryphal account of the origins of the octagonal design suggests that the form was chosen "so that the devil couldn't corner you in it." Suffering from advanced deterioration the chapel was entirely rebuilt in 2004, with little of the original fabric remaining.
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
church located near the settlement of Sand Ridge, West Virginia
Sand Ridge, West Virginia
Sand Ridge is an unincorporated community in Calhoun County, West Virginia, United States. It lies along U.S. Route 33 to the south of the town of Grantsville, the county seat of Calhoun County. Its elevation is 1,168 feet ....
. Built in the Carpenter Gothic
Carpenter Gothic
Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic, and Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures built by house-carpenters...
-style, the simple, sparingly ornamented church rises to an octagonal cupola, with lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s and board-and-batten siding. The chapel was built in 1903 under the direction of Albert Poling by his uncle Charles Poling with materials provided by his brothers Asbury and Wesley. The church was named for Albert in recognition of his efforts.
The chapel seats as many as 300, a surprising number for such an apparently small building. A possibly apocryphal account of the origins of the octagonal design suggests that the form was chosen "so that the devil couldn't corner you in it." Suffering from advanced deterioration the chapel was entirely rebuilt in 2004, with little of the original fabric remaining.
