{"nrhp_refnum":"98001367","name":"Decker's Chapel","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Jct. Earth Rd. and PA 255","address_restricted":false,"city":"St. Marys","county":"Elk County","state":"PA","lat":41.40086215700006,"lon":-78.56055800099995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1998-11-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Religion","European"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Decker's Chapel is a one-story, gable-end-oriented wood frame Roman Catholic chapel measuring 12' by 18' on State Route 255 in the City of St. Marys, Elk County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1856 by Michael Decker.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the chapel is significant for its role in the religious and Bavarian ethnic heritage of St. Marys and as the last surviving of several mid-nineteenth-century wayside chapels in the community. It is also associated with Monsignor Michael Joseph Decker, the builder's son, a religious leader in northwestern Pennsylvania, and with a 1928 commemorative monument on the site.","narrative":"Decker's Chapel is a small wood frame Catholic chapel on Route 255 south of St. Marys, Pennsylvania, built in 1856 by Michael Decker. The building measures about 12 by 18 feet, has a single plastered room, a sandstone foundation, asphalt shingles, and a steeple with an open belfry topped by a cross. Decker erected it in fulfillment of a vow made after a serious neck injury from a fall from a tree. The chapel is regarded as the last survivor of several wayside chapels that Bavarian Catholic settlers built on private land around St. Marys in the mid-nineteenth century. It is also linked to Monsignor Michael Joseph Decker, the builder's son, who celebrated Mass there and was a noted priest in northwestern Pennsylvania. A granite monument dedicated in 1928 by the Knights of Columbus stands on the grounds. Pilgrims from the area also came to the chapel to pray for rain and good harvests.","period_of_significance":"1856-1948","architect_builder":"Michael Decker (builder)","architectural_style":"MID-19TH CENTURY/Greek Revival (vernacular adaptation)","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"The chapel is described as in high integrity and pristine condition; the property was transferred to the Elk County Historical Society in 1990.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:38.099335-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/98001367.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98001367/8c2962c7f2-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/98001367/8c2962c7f2-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Matthew D. Wilson (LtPowers)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Deckers_Chapel.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Matthew D. Wilson (LtPowers)</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Deckers_Chapel.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71998254","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decker%27s_Chapel","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5249286"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/elk-county/deckers-chapel-98001367/"}