Auburn Players Theater
Auburn University Chapel in 2011
Auburn University Chapel is located in Alabama
Auburn University Chapel
Auburn University Chapel is located in the United States
Auburn University Chapel
LocationCollege St. at Thach Ave., Auburn, Alabama
Coordinates32°36′16″N 85°28′53″W / 32.60444°N 85.48139°W / 32.60444; -85.48139
Built1851
ArchitectEdwin Reese
Architectural styleGothic Revival
NRHP reference No.73000351[1]
Added to NRHPMay 22, 1973
The Auburn University Chapel in Auburn, Alabama as it appeared in 1982

The Auburn University Chapel is the second-oldest building and oldest building in its original location on the campus of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama.

History

The chapel was built in 1851 as a Presbyterian church, using slave labor, in the Greek Revival style. During the Civil War, the building briefly served as a Confederate hospital for wounded soldiers, and later in the century was temporarily divided into classrooms when the main building of the nearby Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical College burned in 1887.[2]

Around 1900, the church was renovated in a Gothic style. The building was sold to the college in 1921, where it became the YMCA/YWCA center for a few years. From 1927 to 1973, it housed the Auburn Players Theater, the college's acting troupe.[3] Between 1973 and 1976, the structure underwent a significant renovation for conversion to the Auburn University Chapel, an interdenominational, multipurpose building, a function it still serves today. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Auburn Players Theater on May 22, 1973.[1]The Auburn University Chapel is believed to be the oldest public establishment in Auburn. It often held weddings and dinners on the lawn. Between 1850 and 1976, the Auburn University Chapel has transitioned from church, to hospital, to classroom, to theatre, and then finally back to a church.[4]

The Auburn University Chapel is believed to be haunted. While treating war soldiers, death was inevitable. One death that particularly stands out is the death of Sydney Grimlett. Grimlett was fighting in the Civil War when he suffered an injury and had a procedure to amputate his leg; he did not survive this procedure. The Troupe Theatre group took over in the 1920s, soon audience members began noticing orbs near actors, during state productions. Performers in the group soon noticed objects and props missing from the set. However, Grimlett gained a reputation as a kind ghost and obeys when given candy as an incentive. When the Troupe Theatre group moved they invited Sydney Grimlett to come with and has resided wherever the Troupe may travel.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ↑ "Auburn University Chapel is the oldest building in its original location on the campus of Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  3. ↑ Floyd, W. Warner (March 19, 1973). "Auburn Players Theater". National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form. National Park Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 12, 2014. Retrieved March 11, 2014. See also: "Accompanying photos". Archived (PDF) from the original on March 12, 2014. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  4. ↑ Belk, Mary (September 12, 2012). "Auburn University Chapel has stories to tell Column". Opelika-Auburn News (AL). Retrieved September 20, 2023.

Further reading

  • Historic Chattahoochee Commission and Auburn Heritage Association (1994). Auburn University Chapel. Historic Marker. Located 139 South College Street, Auburn, Ala.
  • Logue, Mickey & Simms, Jack (1996). Auburn: A Pictorial History of the Loveliest Village, Revised. Auburn, Ala. ISBN 1-885860-08-0
  • Windham, Kathryn Tucker (1982). Jeffrey's Latest 13: More Alabama Ghosts. Tuscaloosa, Ala., University of Alabama Press. ISBN 0-8173-0380-4
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