Buies Creek—The foundation has been poured, the basement completed and the structure of Campbell University’s Robert and Anna Gardner Butler Chapel is beginning to take shape, said David Martin, head of construction for the chapel and director of the Physical Plant at Campbell.Anchoring a corner of the Academic Circle adjacent to the Taylor Hall of Religion, the chapel will be the heart and soul of the university, said President Jerry M. Wallace.The 450-seat chapel was designed by Little and Diversified Architectural Consulting.“I feel pretty good about the progress of the project,” Martin said. “We’ve had a few setbacks in the form of some heavy rainfall, but they weren’t severe enough to throw us off schedule.”With an architectural style that blends Gothic design with spare contemporary lines, the chapel complex will be a setting for worship, meditation, study and special events. The $7.8 million edifice will include a sanctuary that is open to the entire university community; a bell tower, the tallest point on campus; a prayer room and surrounding gardens.Dr. Michael G. Cogdill, dean of the Campbell Divinity School, said the presence of the new chapel will greatly enhance worship and teaching opportunities at Campbell. “Ask any one of our student to name one of the best experiences of our school and they will respond, ‘the chapel services’,” Cogdill said.Until plans were set to build the Butler Chapel, student chapel services have been confined to the large fellowship hall on the first floor of the Taylor Hall of Religion. Campbell has not had a university chapel since its establishment in 1887.“The University Chapel will reflect the Campbell mission and stand as a reminder that worship is central to the life of the University,” said CogdillButler Chapel is scheduled for completion in May 2009.Photo Copy: Construction on schedule for Campbell University’s $7.8 million Butler Chapel. Photo by Shannon Ryals.
A firm foundation: Butler Chapel taking shape