Opening hours for Thorncrown, Cooper and Anthony chapels vary depending on the schedule of weddings and other private events, as well as the time of year. Calling ahead to check is wise.
Thorncrown Chapel, 12968 U.S. 62 W, Eureka Springs, (479) 346-0245
Cooper Chapel, 504 Memorial Drive, Bella Vista, (479) 855-6598
Anthony Chapel, 550 Arkridge Road, Hot Springs, (501) 262-9604
E. Fay Jones’ legacy includes structures shaped for love
Arkansans can take pride in our state being home to a chapel proclaimed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to be the nation’s fourth best building design of the 20th century.
Thorncrown Chapel, dedicated in 1980 on Eureka Springs’ western fringe, was designed by Pine Bluff native E. Fay Jones. Earlier an apprentice of the legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Jones later worked with partner Maurice Jennings to design a similarly soaring place of worship and reflection, Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista. Jennings and a colleague then created a third glass structure, Anthony Chapel on Hot Springs’ periphery.
All three chapels, brightened by bountiful use of glass, are popular venues for weddings — on Valentine’s Day and the rest of the year. They are always an ethereal joy to visit. Their similar vertical profiles stretch toward the sky, shaded by sylvan settings. All are free to visit when not hosting a wedding or other special event.
Glass sanctuary
Best known of the three is Thorncrown, whose other honors include the AIA’s 25-Year Award in 2006 for the design that had best stood the test of time for a quarter-century. The all-star chapel attracts more than 100,000 visitors annually.
Thorncrown was built for Jim Reed and wife, Dell, who had bought the wooded acreage in 1971 to build a retirement home. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas reports that “because so many people admired the view of the beautiful Ozark countryside, the Reeds decided to provide a small chapel where travelers could relax and meditate.”
While designing the chapel, Jones offered to suggest its name. He and wife, Gus, “drew up two columns of words and tried many pairs from each column, finally arriving at the pair (thorn) and (crown) that sounded most poetic.” That suited the Reeds.
“The simplicity of the chapel’s basic organization belies the elegant refinement and detailing,” according to the encyclopedia. “Eighteen wood columns line each of the long sides. The columns are connected overhead by a lattice-like diagonal web of light wood pieces, creating the building’s most important visual features. The chapel is like an open pavilion, a perfect example of uniting a building to its site.”
Influential architect Bob Berkebile told Architect Magazine that Thorncrown is one of his favorite buildings “because it celebrates nature and is an integral part of it. Jones designed it that way. Because it was in the middle of a pine forest, he was concerned about heavy equipment destroying the forest. So he designed a structure of light components that two men could carry into the woods without any equipment.”
Hillside haven
Jones and Jennings designed Cooper Chapel, dedicated in 1988 on an 8-acre site atop a wooded hillside in Bella Vista. It was named for the late wife of developer John Cooper Sr.
The design is similar to that of Thorncrown Chapel. But the entrance differs slightly from those of Thorncrown and Anthony chapels because of the rounded window above the doors.
Cooper Chapel is described by the Encyclopedia of Arkansas as “constructed around 15 main arches towering 50 feet high. It was built using 31 tons of steel and 4,460 square feet of glass. It has a seating capacity of 120. Visitors have a clear view of the surrounding woods, and a view in wintertime of Lake Norwood below.”
Garden gem
Anthony Chapel, outside Garvan Woodland Gardens’ main entrance, was designed by Jennings and associate David McKee. Opened in 2006, the chapel is bypassed by many visitors who don’t spot its directional sign while heading into the gardens.
This is the largest of the three glass chapels. Its 57-foot-high ceiling is supported by an intricate system of cross beams and massive yellow pine columns. Its windows total
nearly 10,000 square feet of glass. There are 5,300 square feet of flagstone sidewalks, 4,800 square feet of stone walls, 62,500 square feet of lumber and 11,000 square feet of roof. The 16 electronic bells of an adjacent carillon chime on the hour.
Anthony Chapel has earned at least one digital accolade. The website Buzzfeed once named it as one of the 22 “Coolest Places to Get Married in America.”
Legacy by Design
Of the 129 projects built from designs by E. Fay Jones, 84 are located in Arkansas. Along with Thorncrown Chapel, the following structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: