Thorncrown Chapel | |
 | |
  Location in Arkansas  Location in United States | |
| Nearest city | Eureka Springs, Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 36°24′59″N 93°46′22″W / 36.41639°N 93.77278°W |
| Area | 7.6 acres (3.1 ha) |
| Built | 1980 |
| Architect | E. Fay Jones |
| Architectural style | Modern |
| MPS | Arkansas Designs of E. Fay Jones MPS AD |
| NRHP reference No. | 97000452[1] |
| Added to NRHP | April 28, 2000 |
Thorncrown Chapel is a chapel located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, designed by E. Fay Jones, and constructed in 1980. The design recalls the Prairie School of architecture popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright, with whom Jones had apprenticed. The chapel was commissioned by Jim Reed, a retired schoolteacher, who envisioned a non-denominational pilgrimage chapel set apart for meditation. The design of Thorncrown Chapel was inspired by Sainte-Chapelle, a Gothic church in Paris, France, pierced by numerous stained glass windows. It held some of King Louis's medieval Christian relics, including the Crown of Thorns believed worn by Christ. This relic inspired the name of the American chapel.
The chapel's unusual artistry has been recognized. It was selected for the 2006 Twenty-five Year Award by the American Institute of Architects. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000,[1] a status not granted to buildings fewer than fifty years old unless exceptionally significant.[2] It was included in Budget Travel's list of "12 Most Beautiful Churches in America"[3] and Bored Panda's list of "50 Most Extraordinary Churches Of The World."[4]
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ "How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation," (PDF), National Register Bulletins, National Park Service, 6. Accessed 2009-12-06.
- ^ "12 Most Beautiful Churches in America". January 21, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
- ^ "50 Most Extraordinary Churches of the World". Retrieved July 31, 2016.