Chapel of the Transfiguration
Encyclopedia
The Chapel of the Transfiguration is a small log chapel in Grand Teton National Park
, in the community of Moose
. The chapel was sited and built to frame a view of the Cathedral Group
of peaks in a large window behind the altar. The chapel, which was built in 1925, is owned and operated by St. John's Episcopal Church
in Jackson
.
style, also called Western Craftsman. The entrance canopy aligns the approach on the desired axis to the Cathedral Group and provides shelter to the chain-operated bell. Access to the chapel is by boardwalk, leading to a beveled plank door with decorative ironwork. The 22 feet (6.7 m) by 50 feet (15.2 m) T-shaped chapel has exposed log interior walls with stained glass windows on either side. Behind the altar on the chapel's axis, a picture window that would be anachronistic in another setting frames a spectacular view that substitutes for a stained glass composition. A sacristy stands to one side.
es that stretched north of Jackson along the base of the Teton Range
. The land was donated by Maud Noble, owner of nearby Menor's Ferry
, predating the establishment of Grand Teton National Park in 1929 and its expansion into the Moose area in 1950. The design was based on Our Father's House in Ethete
on the Wind River Indian Reservation
. Construction materials, labor and funds were provided by local ranchers.
It played a primary role in the movie "Spencer’s Mountain", which was filmed in Jackson Hole in 1963, and featured Henry Fonda and Maureen O’Hara.
The chapel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
on April 10, 1980 The somewhat larger Chapel of the Sacred Heart was built in the park in similar rustic style near Signal Mountain
by the Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church of Jackson in 1958.
Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming, U.S. The Park consists of approximately and includes the major peaks of the long Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Only south of Yellowstone...
, in the community of Moose
Moose, Wyoming
Moose is an unincorporated community in Teton County, Wyoming, United States, in the Jackson Hole valley. It has a US Post Office, with the zip code of 83012. The town is located within Grand Teton National Park along the banks of the Snake River...
. The chapel was sited and built to frame a view of the Cathedral Group
Cathedral Group
The Cathedral Group is a term applied to a collection of most of the tallest mountains of the Teton Range, all of which are located in Grand Teton National Park, in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The collection of mountains known as the Cathedral Group are classic alpine peaks, with pyramidal shapes...
of peaks in a large window behind the altar. The chapel, which was built in 1925, is owned and operated by St. John's Episcopal Church
St. John's Episcopal Church and Rectory (Jackson, Wyoming)
St. John's Episcopal Church and Rectory form a small complex of log structures in Jackson, Wyoming. The rectory was built first: in 1911 it was a hostel and community center under the supervision of Episcopal Bishop Nathaniel Thomas. Church services were held there until 1916, when the church was...
in Jackson
Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson is a town located in the Jackson Hole valley of Teton County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 8,647 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Teton County....
.
Description
The chapel complex is composed of the chapel itself, an entrance canopy that incorporates a small bell tower, and a storage shed. The chapel and accessory buildings were designed by C.B. Loomis in a rusticNational Park Service Rustic
National Park Service rustic, also colloquially known as Parkitecture, is a style of architecture that arose in the United States National Park System to create buildings that harmonized with their natural environment. Since its founding, the National Park Service consistently has sought to provide...
style, also called Western Craftsman. The entrance canopy aligns the approach on the desired axis to the Cathedral Group and provides shelter to the chain-operated bell. Access to the chapel is by boardwalk, leading to a beveled plank door with decorative ironwork. The 22 feet (6.7 m) by 50 feet (15.2 m) T-shaped chapel has exposed log interior walls with stained glass windows on either side. Behind the altar on the chapel's axis, a picture window that would be anachronistic in another setting frames a spectacular view that substitutes for a stained glass composition. A sacristy stands to one side.
History
The chapel was built to serve guests and employees of the dude ranchDude ranch
The guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism.-History:...
es that stretched north of Jackson along the base of the Teton Range
Teton Range
The Teton Range is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. A north-south range, it is on the Wyoming side of the state's border with Idaho, just south of Yellowstone National Park. Most of the range is in Grand Teton National Park....
. The land was donated by Maud Noble, owner of nearby Menor's Ferry
Menor's Ferry
Menor's Ferry was a river ferry that crossed the Snake River near the present-day Moose, Wyoming. The site was homesteaded by Bill Menor in 1892-94, choosing a location where the river flowed in a single channel, rather than the braided stream that characterizes its course in most of Jackson Hole. ...
, predating the establishment of Grand Teton National Park in 1929 and its expansion into the Moose area in 1950. The design was based on Our Father's House in Ethete
Ethete, Wyoming
Ethete is a census-designated place in Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,455 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ethete is located at ....
on the Wind River Indian Reservation
Wind River Indian Reservation
Wind River Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation shared by the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes of Native Americans in the central western portion of the U.S. state of Wyoming...
. Construction materials, labor and funds were provided by local ranchers.
It played a primary role in the movie "Spencer’s Mountain", which was filmed in Jackson Hole in 1963, and featured Henry Fonda and Maureen O’Hara.
The chapel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on April 10, 1980 The somewhat larger Chapel of the Sacred Heart was built in the park in similar rustic style near Signal Mountain
Signal Mountain
Signal Mountain may refer to:*Signal Mountain, Tennessee, a town in Hamilton County, Tennessee**Because of the proximity of this town to it, Walden Ridge is often mistakenly called Signal Mountain....
by the Our Lady of the Mountains Catholic Church of Jackson in 1958.
External links
- Chapel of the Transfiguration at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office