Built in 1882, the chapel was a gift to the City of Burlington from local philanthropist Hannah Louisa Howard (1808-1886). A native of the city, she was the daughter of John Howard, a successful Burlington hotelkeeper. Most of Howard's philanthropy was focused on helping Burlington's poor, including gifts to the Home for Destitute Children, the Louisa Howard Mission, scholarships at the University of Vermont for disadvantaged students, and the Burlington Cancer Relief Association.
The chapel was used for memorial services until the 1940s, when it fell into disuse except for the storage of caskets. In the early 1990s, a "Friends of the Chapel" organization began fundraising efforts with the intention of rehabilitating the structure and returning it to use for services.
Donations and grants paid for extensive repairs and improvements, including new heating and electrical service, repointing the stonework, repairs to the roof and windows, repainting of the interior woodwork, repairs to the interior plaster, and repainting of the intricate stenciling on the interior of the building. Work was completed and the chapel rededicated in 2006.
The chapel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.