{"nrhp_refnum":"10000582","name":"Chapel of the Centurion","other_names":["Building 166"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"134 Bernard Rd","address_restricted":false,"city":"Fort Monroe","county":"Hampton","state":"VA","lat":37.004268721000074,"lon":-76.30763019299997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2011-03-28","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A small Carpenter Gothic wooden military chapel at 134 Bernard Road, inside the walls of Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia, completed in 1857 and adapted from a design by Richard Upjohn.","why_significant":"The form describes it as the oldest continually used wooden military structure for religious services in the United States and the only religious structure within the fort walls. It is also noted for its stained glass, including three Tiffany windows that are a rare example of Tiffany work in their original Virginia setting. The nomination presents it as an outstanding example of mid-century small-church construction with a high level of integrity.","narrative":"Built in 1857 at a cost of about $6,000, this wooden chapel sits at the edge of the parade ground inside Fort Monroe in Hampton, Virginia. It is the only religious building within the fort's walls and is described as the oldest continually used wooden military structure for worship in the United States. Its board-and-batten walls, high slate-covered gable roofs and lancet windows follow a small mission church design by Richard Upjohn, though the tower was omitted and a narthex and organ loft were added later. Lieutenant Julian McAllister, the sole survivor of an arsenal explosion, gave most of the construction funds. The original plain glass was gradually replaced from 1879 with memorial stained glass windows, including three by the Tiffany Glass Company and others by studios such as John Bolton, Lamb and Geissler. A fire damaged the ceiling and organ loft in 1933, and the building was raised nearly two feet in 1967-68 to fit a basement heating system.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Adapted from designs by Richard Upjohn (Rural Architecture pattern book); no original drawings exist","architectural_style":"Mid-19th Century: Carpenter Gothic","criteria":[],"status_note":"Still used as a religious facility; the form lists religious use as both its historic and current function.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:03.465131-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/91/6810/41681091/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/10000582.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/10000582/36c4706e38-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/10000582/36c4706e38-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Unknown authorUnknown author","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fort_Monroe,_Chapel_of_the_Centurion,_Off_Ruckman_Road,_Hampton,_Hampton,_VA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Unknown authorUnknown author</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fort_Monroe,_Chapel_of_the_Centurion,_Off_Ruckman_Road,_Hampton,_Hampton,_VA.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"66000912","name":"Fort Monroe","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/fort-monroe-66000912/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41681091","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapel_of_the_Centurion","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5073095"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/hampton/chapel-of-the-centurion-10000582/"}