The Hamilton chapel has stood on the Hill since 1827
The three-story chapel was built of Oriskany stone and has held a library, a chemistry lab and decades of commencements.
By Priya Nadler
The Hamilton College Chapel was finished in 1827. That makes it one of the oldest buildings on College Hill that people still use every week.
The facade was designed by Philip Hooker, the Albany architect known for public buildings in that city and for Hyde Hall in Springfield Center. The three-story body and the interior are credited to John H. Lothrop, a Hamilton trustee. The orange stone is Oriskany stone, quarried and laid by Reuben Wilcox of Whitestown, and the corner quoins are Trenton limestone. Deacon Isaac Williams of Clinton did the interior carpentry.
The quill weathervane on top of the white cupola stands for the college’s emphasis on teaching students to write.
The building has done a lot of jobs. Until 1872 the college library took up more and more of the top floor. From 1830 to 1855 the chemistry lab was in the cellar. Commencement was held there from 1898 to 1946.
John Wanamaker of Philadelphia gave the three-faced clock in 1877. The steeple was restored in 1893, the current bell was installed in 1902, and electric lights came in 1907. Today the chapel is used for services, lectures, concerts and assemblies.