Plattsburgh Memorial Chapel, a small structure with a big history

Oct. 21—PLATTSBURGH — Many wheel or walk past the Plattsburgh Memorial Chapel and appreciate its timeless beauty.

Its history is revealed as the Clinton County Historical Association (CCHA) presents: "Lest We Forget — The Story of the Plattsburgh Memorial Chapel with Kate Chilton and Helen Nerska," on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 6:30 p.m., at the Chapel located on the Oval in Plattsburgh.

To many, it is the most beautiful building on the Old Base, and former Base Chaplain Maj. George Mennen described it as "the most beautiful chapel of my military career."

Nerska, director of CCHA, and Chilton, Chapel trustee and secretary, will share its story in a free program open to the public.

UNIQUE STORY

The chapel holds a unique story of its own in the history of military posts at the time and in the Plattsburgh community.

The story of how this chapel became such a distinguished landmark starts with the New York City Episcopal Church Churchwomen's Committee for Patriotic Service, according to Nerska's research (See Box, page A7).

"Formed in 1922 to recognize the sacrifices of American soldiers and to work on related projects, the Churchwomen's Committee was poised to be receptive when approached by then Plattsburgh Army Barracks Commander Colonel James W. Graham and Base Chaplain J. Burt Webster who identified the need for a chapel on their base to provide religious services for Catholics, Protestants and Jews.

Plattsburgh had been the home of the 'Plattsburgh Idea' which sent thousands of newly trained civilians into World War I, had been a garrison for American armies since 1814 and was without a chapel.

The Churchwomen's Committee saw this as a spiritual opportunity which presented itself with great force' and in 1925 it was agreed to pursue the building of the chapel as a memorial to the graduates of the Plattsburgh Military Training Camps who had died in the Great War."

Chilton has served on the Chapel's board of directors since 2019.

"I retired and felt like I wanted to do something to at least occupy my time," she said.

"I loved the Oval and the whole history of the area, so I thought it would be kind of fun."

The fun has been laced with challenges.

"Mainly COVID and having to shut down our main source of income, which is weddings," she said.

"Typically, we have between 20 and 25 weddings a year and that pretty much keeps the lights on. Fundraising, of course, because it is a not-for-profit.

There aren't a lot events that happened there because of the size of it. Because of the nature of the beast, the size and configuration of the pews, etc., we can only have certain events there — weddings, memorials and some musical events. The challenges are trying to make enough money to pay the bills."

CHAPEL TOURS

Chilton conducts tours during the Battle of Plattsburgh Commemorations or previously when the CCHA gave Oval tours.

"I guess I've become the point person for opening the chapel to the public," she said.

"(Helen's) done a lot more research. There's not a lot of research on the chapel. I think that a lot of it has been lost due to the base closing. Maureen Moll was the wife of Col. Robert Moll, she led the pack for it becoming a not-for-profit."

During Chapel tours, Chilton talks about when it was built, who it was built by, why it was built, the fixtures, the pews, the significance of the building itself.

"The pews were donated by the 26th infantry of the U.S. Army," she said.

"They were one of the first American soldiers to arrive in France and immediately left for the front in World War I. They lost quite a few people there from their regiment. The whole theme behind the chapel was to honor of the dead of World War I, specifically those who trained at Plattsburgh."

In 1928, the Church Women's League for Patriotic Services secured permissions from the base commander and chaplain fundraise to build a chapel.

"So, they did," she said.

"They fundraised during the Depression all over the United States. They were able to raise the funds to build the chapel. So consequently, the 26th Infantry was contacted and they donated the pews."

SHIP SHAPE

The Chapel's wedding reservations are back up to snuff.

"It's always a struggle to continue the monetary needs that we have," Chilton said.

"We would like to repair some of the stained-glass windows. The bell currently is inoperable. It's an odd little thing. We have to get a lift to actually repair that, and that's something we keep talking about."

There were some basement issues that have been rectified.

"We put in a new alarm system in the last couple of years," she said.

"So, it's in good shape. Everyone once in a while, we come across a review. This one gentleman said that his wife and he were married in the Chapel in 1966.

"His quote always gets to me, he says, 'It was a beautiful day, and she was the most beautiful woman in the world when she walked up that aisle. She passed away a few years ago, but seeing this church again brought a tear to my eye. It's such a lovely, simple and iconic chapel, and we were lucky to have it.' His name was Ron Cicotte."

Email: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com

Twitter@RobinCaudell