Chapel by the Tree

Chatham Hall Circle, Chatham, Virginia

Saint Mary's Chapel and its ancient companion oak contribute significantly to the stately ambience of the Chatham Hall campus.

The chestnut oak, Chatham's oldest living "resident," is listed as a champion in the Social Register of Native Big Trees in Virginia. The trunk of this 350-year-old oak is more than 20 feet in circumference and its crown is more than 100 feet across.

The chapel was designed in the Jacobean Revival style by architects Joseph E. Fauber, Jr. and H. Truehart Poston of Lynchburg. Built in 1939, it contains stained glass windows depicting figures from the Bible and Christian tradition.

Note: We are sad to report that the tree was removed during late June 2001.

For further information, see:

Frances Hallam Hurt, Self-Guided Walking Tour: Chatham, Virginia, "The Prettiest Little Town in Southside," Chatham First, Chatham, VA, 1999, p. 6.
Social Register of Native Big Trees in Virginia, Virginia Forestry Association, Richmond, VA.
John E. Wells and Robert E. Dalton, The Virginia Architects 1835-1955: A Biographical Dictionary, New South Architectural Press, Richmond, VA, 1997, pp. 138, 162.

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