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Coordinates: 42°16′6.10″N 88°50′59.62″W / 42.2683611°N 88.8498944°W / 42.2683611; -88.8498944
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{{short description|Historic building in Belvidere, Illinois}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NRHP
{{Infobox NRHP
| name = Pettit Memorial Chapel
| name = Pettit Memorial Chapel
| image = Belvidere Il Pettit Chapel1.jpg
| image = Belvidere Il Pettit Chapel1.jpg
| caption =
| caption =
| location = 1100 N. Main St., [[Belvidere, Illinois]]
| location = 1100 N. Main St., [[Belvidere, Illinois]]
| coordinates = {{coord|42|16|6.10|N|88|50|59.62|W|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|42|16|6.10|N|88|50|59.62|W|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin = Illinois#USA
| locmapin = Illinois#USA
| architect=[[Frank Lloyd Wright]]
| architect = [[Frank Lloyd Wright]]
| architecture=[[Prairie style]]
| architecture = [[Prairie style]]
| built = 1907
| built = 1907
| visitation_num = 50-100
| visitation_num = 50–100
| visitation_year = 2003<ref name=rrstar/>
| visitation_year = 2003<ref name=rrstar/>
| added = December 1, 1978
| added = December 1, 1978
| area = {{convert|1|acre}}
| area = {{convert|1|acre}}
⚫
| refnum = 78001112<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>
| governing_body = Private
⚫
| refnum = 78001112<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>
}}
}}


'''Pettit Memorial Chapel''' or simply, '''Pettit Chapel''', is one of the few chapels ever designed by architect [[Frank Lloyd Wright]]. The Pettit Chapel is located in the Belvidere Cemetery in [[Belvidere, Illinois]], [[United States]], which is in [[Boone County, Illinois|Boone County]]. It was listed on the U.S. [[National Register of Historic Places]] on December 1, 1978. The chapel is an early example of Frank Lloyd Wright's famed [[Prairie style]]. It is one of only two structures<ref>{{cite web|last=Forest Lawn|first=Cemetery|title=Blue Sky Mausoleum|url=http://www.blueskymausoleum.com/the-story/}}</ref> meant for a cemetery settings that Wright ever created.
'''Pettit Memorial Chapel''' or '''Pettit Chapel''' was designed by architect [[Frank Lloyd Wright]] and constructed in 1907. The Pettit Chapel is located in the Belvidere Cemetery in [[Belvidere, Illinois]], [[United States]], which is in [[Boone County, Illinois|Boone County]]. The cemetery was chartered in 1837 and contains 13,000 known graves.<ref name=rrstar>Baxter, Robert. "[http://www.rrstar.com/localnews/your_community/belvidere/20040103-5471.shtml Restored chapel: Making things Wright]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}," ''[[Rockford Register Star]]'', 3 January 2004. Retrieved 1 June 2007.</ref> The chapel was listed on the U.S. [[National Register of Historic Places]] December 1, 1978.<ref name=nrhp>[http://www.nr.nps.gov/nrloc1.htm NRIS Database] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080923080753/http://www.nr.nps.gov/nrloc1.htm |date=2008-09-23 }}, National Register of Historic Places, ''National Park Service''. Retrieved 1 June 2007.</ref> The Pettit Chapel is an example of Frank Lloyd Wright's famed [[Prairie Style]]. It is the only funerary structure designed by Wright to be built in his lifetime.


==History==
==History==
Emma Pettit commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design the Pettit Chapel as a memorial to her deceased husband, Dr. William H. Pettit. The building was built in 1907 for [[United States dollar|US$]]3,000 and stands next to the grave of Mr. Pettit in Belvidere Cemetery. Doctor William H. Pettit was a beloved physician and humanitarian who had the largest private medical practice in northern [[Iowa]]. His sudden passing in 1899 was mourned across the state of Iowa and newspaper accounts from the time indicate that perhaps only the [[Leslie M. Shaw|governor of Iowa]] was more well-liked.<ref name=nrhp/> After Pettit's death his wife, Emma, deliberated over a suitable memorial to her late husband. She chose a site in Belvidere, Illinois, William Pettit's hometown, and selected a [[chapel]] as the memorial. Emma Pettit was led to Frank Lloyd Wright by her brother, William A. Glasner, whose [[William A. Glasner House|1905 home]] in [[Glencoe, Illinois]] was designed by Wright.
The Pettit Memorial Chapel is named in honor of Dr. William Henry Pettit (1850-1899) and was donated to the Belvidere Cemetery Association by his widow Emma Glasner Pettit (1855-1924) who commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design the structure in 1906, seven years after the death of her husband. The building was constructed in 1907 at a cost of approximately [[United States dollar|US$]]3,000 and stands near the graves of Dr. and Mrs. Pettit. W.H. Pettit received his medical degree from the Hahnemann Medical College in Chicago in 1874 and established a medical practice as a homeopathic physician in [[Cedar Falls, Iowa]]. Having himself been raised in Belvidere, Dr. Pettit married Belvidere native Emma Glasner in 1877. Following his sudden death in March 1899, his remains were returned to Belvidere for internment. His widow, Emma Pettit, soon returned to Belvidere to live with her mother. In 1906, the cemetery association set aside land for a future funeral chapel. Emma Pettit decided that this would be a suitable memorial to her deceased husband and donated the structure to the cemetery. Construction was begun in spring 1907 and completed later the same year. Emma Pettit was led to Frank Lloyd Wright by her brother, William A. Glasner, whose [[William A. Glasner House|1905 home]] in [[Glencoe, Illinois]] was designed by Wright.


Pettit Chapel has undergone two periods of restoration during its history. In 1977, the Belvidere Junior Women's Club raised $60,000 to save the chapel, which had deteriorated. The restoration work was matched to Wright's original work through his drawings of the chapel. On June 8, 1981 (Wright's birthday) the chapel was rededicated.<ref name=rrstar/> From June until November 2003 the chapel underwent its second period of restoration and repair. $40,000 worth of repairs included a new roof, new floorboards for the porch, new steps and painting. The repairs were paid for through a state of Illinois tourism grant and money from a trust fund set up through the cemetery.<ref name=rrstar/>
Pettit Chapel has undergone two periods of restoration during its history. Beginning in 1977, the Belvidere Junior Women's Club raised $60,000 to save the chapel, which had deteriorated. Restoration work was completed in 1981 and the chapel was rededicated June 8, 1981 (Wright's birthday).<ref name=rrstar/> From June until November 2003 the chapel underwent a second period of restoration and repair. The $40,000 worth of repairs included a new roof, new floorboards for the porch, new steps and painting. The repairs were paid for through a state of Illinois tourism grant and money from a trust fund set up through the cemetery.<ref name=rrstar/>


==Architecture==
==Architecture==
[[Image:Belvidere Il Pettit Chapel6.jpg|thumb|right|A large porch occupies the cross of the Pettit Chapel's T-shaped plan.]]
[[Image:Belvidere Il Pettit Chapel6.jpg|thumb|right|A large porch occupies the cross of the Pettit Chapel's T-shaped plan.]]
Original design drawings by Wright show that the front facade of the chapel was to be decorated with a modest [[fountain]] and pool, which, along with a small plaque was meant to mark the chapel as a [[memorial]]. The sanctuary area of the chapel was labeled as a "recess with memorial" in the original drawings as well. These elements integrated to characterize the chapel as a memorial to Dr. Pettit.<ref name=wright1>Wright, Frank Lloyd. ''Drawings and Plans of Frank Lloyd Wright: The Early Period (1893-1909)'', Plate XLI.</ref> The T-shaped building is about 57&nbsp;ft (17.37 m) by 42&nbsp;ft (12.8&nbsp;m), with the cross section being the shorter of the two. The building sits well within the cemetery grounds and is accessible in a car only by [[cemetery]] roadways. Its cemetery location is unique among Frank Lloyd Wright buildings as this is the only example of its type.<ref name=nrhp>"[http://gis.hpa.state.il.us/PDFs/200183.pdf Pettit Memorial Chapel]," ([[PDF]]), National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, HAARGIS Database, ''Illinois Historic Preservation Agency''. Retrieved 1 June 2007.</ref>
Preliminary design drawings by Wright show that the front or northeast side of the chapel was to be decorated with a modest [[fountain]] and pool, which, together with a bas relief plaque identify the structure as a memorial to Dr. Pettit.<ref name=wright1>Wright, Frank Lloyd. ''Drawings and Plans of Frank Lloyd Wright: The Early Period (1893–1909)'', Plate XLI.</ref> The building has a T-shaped plan which is about 57&nbsp;ft (17.37 m) by 42&nbsp;ft (12.8&nbsp;m), with the meeting room forms the stem of the T and the two open porches form the cross bar. The building sits well within the cemetery grounds and is accessible in a car only by [[cemetery]] roadways. Its cemetery location is unique among Frank Lloyd Wright buildings as this is the only example of its type to be constructed within Wright's lifetime.<ref name=nrhp/>


The interior of the T shape's "stem" is adorned with a fireplace at the T's crossing point. The cross of the T is an open-air, covered [[porch]]. The porch not only incorporates the open [[Terrace (building)|terrace]] common to other Wright designed buildings of the era but also has an explicit functionality. Wright meant for the porch to be used by those attending funerals while they waited for cars.<ref name=wright2/> The placement of the columns on the porch, pulled back from the open corners is found on other Wright buildings such as the [[Coonley House]] and the [[Darwin D. Martin House|Martin House]]. The column placement and Wright's drawings may have influenced European architects after 1910 such as, [[Le Corbusier]].<ref name=turner>Turner, Paul Venable. "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/989921 Frank Lloyd Wright and Young Le Corbusier]," ([[JSTOR]]), The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 42, No. 4, December, 1983, pp. 350-359. Retrieved 1 June 2007.</ref> The [[balloon framing|balloon framed]] building's basement contains [[Public toilet|restrooms]], storage and a furnace room.
The interior is adorned with a fireplace at the T's crossing point. The cross of the T is an open-air, covered [[porch]]. The porch not only incorporates the open [[Terrace (building)|terrace]] common to other Wright designed buildings of the era but also has an explicit functionality. Wright meant for the porch to be used by those attending funerals while they waited for cars.<ref name=wright2/> The placement of the columns on the porch, pulled back from the open corners is found on other Wright buildings such as the [[Coonley House]] and the [[Darwin D. Martin House|Martin House]]. The column placement and Wright's drawings may have influenced European architects after 1910 such as [[Le Corbusier]].<ref name=turner>Turner, Paul Venable. "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/989921 Frank Lloyd Wright and Young Le Corbusier]," ([[JSTOR]]), The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 42, No. 4, December, 1983, pp. 350–359. Retrieved 1 June 2007.</ref> The wood framed building's partial basement contains [[Public toilet|restrooms]], storage, and a furnace room, although the building was originally unheated.


The design of the building is such that depending upon how it is viewed it can alternate between [[symmetrical]] and [[asymmetrical]]. Those angles from which it appears symmetrical express a solemn formality.<ref name=nrhp/> The low-pitched hipped roof presents the skyline as quiet and unbroken, a feature typical of some Wright's important early Prairie buildings such as the [[Heurtley House]], and the [[Winslow House (River Forest, Illinois)|Winslow House]].<ref name=wright2>Wright, Frank Lloyd. ''Drawings and Plans of Frank Lloyd Wright: The Early Period (1893-1909)'', "Studies and Executed Buildings," essay by Frank Lloyd Wright.</ref> It embodies the very essence of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie building: the roof and its overhanging eaves, the abstract geometric art glass windows, the raised functional floor and the "plastic expression" of the stucco exterior and its contrasting wood trim.<ref name=nrhp/>
The low-pitched hipped roof presents the skyline as quiet and unbroken, a feature typical of some of Wright's important early Prairie buildings such as the [[Heurtley House]], and the [[Winslow House (River Forest, Illinois)|Winslow House]].<ref name=wright2>Wright, Frank Lloyd. ''Drawings and Plans of Frank Lloyd Wright: The Early Period (1893–1909)'', "Studies and Executed Buildings," essay by Frank Lloyd Wright.</ref> It embodies the very essence of Frank Lloyd Wright's [[Prairie style]] buildings: the roof and its overhanging eaves, the abstract geometric art glass windows, the raised functional floor and the "plastic expression" of the stucco exterior and its contrasting wood trim.<ref name=nrhp/>


==Significance==
==Significance==
[[Image:Belvidere Il Pettit Chapel15.jpg|thumb|right|Pettit Chapel is the only structure Frank Lloyd Wright ever designed for a cemetery setting.]]
[[Image:Belvidere Il Pettit Chapel15.jpg|thumb|right|Pettit Memorial Chapel]]
Pettit Memorial Chapel was added to the U.S. [[National Register of Historic Places]] on December 1, 1978.<ref name=nris>[http://www.nr.nps.gov/nrloc1.htm NRIS Database] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080923080753/http://www.nr.nps.gov/nrloc1.htm |date=2008-09-23 }}{{NRIS dead link|date=January 2012}}, National Register of Historic Places, ''National Park Service''. Retrieved 1 June 2007.</ref> Its nomination form for that listing stated its significance for inclusion as [[architecture]].<ref name=nrhp/> As the only example of Frank Lloyd Wright's work intended for a cemetery setting it is the only one of his works which can be directly compared with some of Louis Sullivan's acclaimed early modern work meant for a cemetery setting.<ref name=nrhp/> The [[Carrie Eliza Getty Tomb|Getty Tomb]], designed while Wright was a draftsman in Sullivan's office, and the [[Martin Ryerson Tomb|Ryerson]] and [[Wainwright Tomb]]s were all designed by Sullivan for a cemetery setting. The Getty Tomb was Sullivan's earliest move toward modern architecture while the Ryerson and Wainwright Tombs brought him further acclaim.<ref name=nrhp/> Each of the buildings expresses the architect's concept of pure design, Wright's makes the building serve a purpose, while Sullivan's relates directly to the large scale of his commercial works.<ref name=nrhp/>
The Pettit Memorial Chapel was added to the U.S. [[National Register of Historic Places]] on December 1, 1978,<ref name=nrhp/> Although the National Register nomination discusses Wright's work in relation to several significant monuments designed by [[Louis Sullivan|Louis H. Sullivan]], it is important to note that the Pettit Chapel is not a tomb or mausoleum but a functional building. As such, it is not especially useful to compare Wright's chapel to Sullivan's [[Carrie Eliza Getty Tomb|Getty]], [[Martin Ryerson Tomb|Ryerson]], or [[Wainwright Tomb|Wainwright]] tombs. It is more productive to view the Pettit Chapel and its architectural significance in the context of Wright's [[Prairie School|Prairie-style]] residential work of the period. The residential character of the chapel is consistent with its intended use as a place for funeral services and gatherings as well as a shelter for visitors to the cemetery. The chapel was used for funerals until the 1920s when the use of commercial [[Funeral home|funeral parlors]] became more popular.


==See also==
The chapel is considered one of the earliest example of Wright's prairie period and was used for funerals until the 1920s when the rise of [[Funeral home|funeral parlors]] overtook funerals in churches and chapels. The cemetery itself opened in 1847 and contains 13,000 known graves.<ref name=rrstar>Baxter, Robert. "[http://www.rrstar.com/localnews/your_community/belvidere/20040103-5471.shtml Restored chapel: Making things Wright]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}," ''[[Rockford Register Star]]'', 3 January 2004. Retrieved 1 June 2007.</ref>
* [[List of Frank Lloyd Wright works]]


==References==
==References==
{{commons|Pettit Memorial Chapel}}
{{commons|Pettit Memorial Chapel}}
*Wright, Frank Lloyd. ''Drawings and Plans of Frank Lloyd Wright: The Early Period (1893-1909)'', Dover Publications, New York: 1983, ({{ISBN|0486244571}}). Originally published as ''Ausgehrführte Bauten und Entwürfe'', E. Wasmuth, Berlin: 1910.
*Wright, Frank Lloyd. ''Drawings and Plans of Frank Lloyd Wright: The Early Period (1893–1909)'', Dover Publications, New York: 1983, ({{ISBN|0486244571}}). Originally published as ''Ausgehrführte Bauten und Entwürfe'', E. Wasmuth, Berlin: 1910.
* Storrer, William Allin. ''The Frank Lloyd Wright Companion''. University Of Chicago Press, 2006, {{ISBN|0-226-77621-2}} (S.116)


==Notes==
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

{{National Register of Historic Places}}
{{National Register of Historic Places}}
{{Frank Lloyd Wright}}
{{Frank Lloyd Wright}}
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[[Category:Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois]]
[[Category:Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Boone County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Boone County, Illinois]]
[[Category:Funeral chapels]]
[[Category:Death in Illinois]]

Latest revision as of 11:01, 30 July 2024

Pettit Memorial Chapel
Pettit Memorial Chapel is located in Illinois
Pettit Memorial Chapel
Pettit Memorial Chapel is located in the United States
Pettit Memorial Chapel
Location1100 N. Main St., Belvidere, Illinois
Coordinates42°16′6.10″N 88°50′59.62″W / 42.2683611°N 88.8498944°W / 42.2683611; -88.8498944
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1907
ArchitectFrank Lloyd Wright
Architectural stylePrairie style
Visitation50–100 (2003[2])
NRHP reference No.78001112[1]
Added to NRHPDecember 1, 1978

Pettit Memorial Chapel or Pettit Chapel was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and constructed in 1907. The Pettit Chapel is located in the Belvidere Cemetery in Belvidere, Illinois, United States, which is in Boone County. The cemetery was chartered in 1837 and contains 13,000 known graves.[2] The chapel was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places December 1, 1978.[3] The Pettit Chapel is an example of Frank Lloyd Wright's famed Prairie Style. It is the only funerary structure designed by Wright to be built in his lifetime.

History

[edit]

The Pettit Memorial Chapel is named in honor of Dr. William Henry Pettit (1850-1899) and was donated to the Belvidere Cemetery Association by his widow Emma Glasner Pettit (1855-1924) who commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design the structure in 1906, seven years after the death of her husband. The building was constructed in 1907 at a cost of approximately US$3,000 and stands near the graves of Dr. and Mrs. Pettit. W.H. Pettit received his medical degree from the Hahnemann Medical College in Chicago in 1874 and established a medical practice as a homeopathic physician in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Having himself been raised in Belvidere, Dr. Pettit married Belvidere native Emma Glasner in 1877. Following his sudden death in March 1899, his remains were returned to Belvidere for internment. His widow, Emma Pettit, soon returned to Belvidere to live with her mother. In 1906, the cemetery association set aside land for a future funeral chapel. Emma Pettit decided that this would be a suitable memorial to her deceased husband and donated the structure to the cemetery. Construction was begun in spring 1907 and completed later the same year. Emma Pettit was led to Frank Lloyd Wright by her brother, William A. Glasner, whose 1905 home in Glencoe, Illinois was designed by Wright.

Pettit Chapel has undergone two periods of restoration during its history. Beginning in 1977, the Belvidere Junior Women's Club raised $60,000 to save the chapel, which had deteriorated. Restoration work was completed in 1981 and the chapel was rededicated June 8, 1981 (Wright's birthday).[2] From June until November 2003 the chapel underwent a second period of restoration and repair. The $40,000 worth of repairs included a new roof, new floorboards for the porch, new steps and painting. The repairs were paid for through a state of Illinois tourism grant and money from a trust fund set up through the cemetery.[2]

Architecture

[edit]
A large porch occupies the cross of the Pettit Chapel's T-shaped plan.

Preliminary design drawings by Wright show that the front or northeast side of the chapel was to be decorated with a modest fountain and pool, which, together with a bas relief plaque identify the structure as a memorial to Dr. Pettit.[4] The building has a T-shaped plan which is about 57 ft (17.37 m) by 42 ft (12.8 m), with the meeting room forms the stem of the T and the two open porches form the cross bar. The building sits well within the cemetery grounds and is accessible in a car only by cemetery roadways. Its cemetery location is unique among Frank Lloyd Wright buildings as this is the only example of its type to be constructed within Wright's lifetime.[3]

The interior is adorned with a fireplace at the T's crossing point. The cross of the T is an open-air, covered porch. The porch not only incorporates the open terrace common to other Wright designed buildings of the era but also has an explicit functionality. Wright meant for the porch to be used by those attending funerals while they waited for cars.[5] The placement of the columns on the porch, pulled back from the open corners is found on other Wright buildings such as the Coonley House and the Martin House. The column placement and Wright's drawings may have influenced European architects after 1910 such as Le Corbusier.[6] The wood framed building's partial basement contains restrooms, storage, and a furnace room, although the building was originally unheated.

The low-pitched hipped roof presents the skyline as quiet and unbroken, a feature typical of some of Wright's important early Prairie buildings such as the Heurtley House, and the Winslow House.[5] It embodies the very essence of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie style buildings: the roof and its overhanging eaves, the abstract geometric art glass windows, the raised functional floor and the "plastic expression" of the stucco exterior and its contrasting wood trim.[3]

Significance

[edit]
Pettit Memorial Chapel

The Pettit Memorial Chapel was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 1, 1978,[3] Although the National Register nomination discusses Wright's work in relation to several significant monuments designed by Louis H. Sullivan, it is important to note that the Pettit Chapel is not a tomb or mausoleum but a functional building. As such, it is not especially useful to compare Wright's chapel to Sullivan's Getty, Ryerson, or Wainwright tombs. It is more productive to view the Pettit Chapel and its architectural significance in the context of Wright's Prairie-style residential work of the period. The residential character of the chapel is consistent with its intended use as a place for funeral services and gatherings as well as a shelter for visitors to the cemetery. The chapel was used for funerals until the 1920s when the use of commercial funeral parlors became more popular.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pettit Memorial Chapel.
  • Wright, Frank Lloyd. Drawings and Plans of Frank Lloyd Wright: The Early Period (1893–1909), Dover Publications, New York: 1983, (ISBN 0486244571). Originally published as Ausgehrführte Bauten und Entwürfe, E. Wasmuth, Berlin: 1910.
  • Storrer, William Allin. The Frank Lloyd Wright Companion. University Of Chicago Press, 2006, ISBN 0-226-77621-2 (S.116)

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d Baxter, Robert. "Restored chapel: Making things Wright[permanent dead link]," Rockford Register Star, 3 January 2004. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
  3. ^ a b c d NRIS Database Archived 2008-09-23 at the Wayback Machine, National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
  4. ^ Wright, Frank Lloyd. Drawings and Plans of Frank Lloyd Wright: The Early Period (1893–1909), Plate XLI.
  5. ^ a b Wright, Frank Lloyd. Drawings and Plans of Frank Lloyd Wright: The Early Period (1893–1909), "Studies and Executed Buildings," essay by Frank Lloyd Wright.
  6. ^ Turner, Paul Venable. "Frank Lloyd Wright and Young Le Corbusier," (JSTOR), The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Vol. 42, No. 4, December, 1983, pp. 350–359. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
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