Yosemite Valley Chapel - Yosemite National Park, CA
Posted by: 
heringermr
N 37° 44.477 W 119° 35.497
11S E 271646 N 4180273
This New England style church is the oldest public use structure in the Yosemite Valley.
Waymark Code: WM7MKW
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 11/09/2009
Views: 14
In the spring of 1878, the California State Commissioners of the Yosemite Grant received an application for permission to erect a chapel in the Yosemite Valley. The application was granted and church was erected the following year near where the present Four Mile trailhead is located today.
The chapel, which is the oldest structure in Yosemite Valley, was designed by Charles Geddes, an accomplished church architect from San Francisco. Mr. E. Thomson, also of San Francisco, erected the building at a cost of between three and four thousand dollars.
Originally the chapel, designed in a New England style that seated 250 people. It consisted of only one room, 26-by-50 feet long, with inside stud walls and rafters left exposed. Eventually an addition was added to the back of the church.
By 1901, the surrounding Lower Village had nearly disappeared, so the chapel was relocated to its present location in the Old Village.
In 1965 some interior restoration was completed, and the foundation was raised 3 feet to help protect the structure from periodic flooding. In spite of these efforts, the chapel sustained damage during the 1997 flood and required further restoration.
Street address:
CA 140
Yosemite National Park, CA USA
95389
County / Borough / Parish: Mariposa
Year listed: 1973
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Periods of significance: 1875-1899
Historic function: Religion, Religious Structure
Current function: Landscape, Religion - Park, Religious Structure
Privately owned?: no
Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2009 To: 12/31/2009
Hours of operation: From: 12:00 AM To: 12:00 AM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.