Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel
{{Short description|Church in Bella Vista, Arkansas}}
{{Infobox church
| name = Cooper Chapel
| fullname = Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel
| image = Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel.jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| imagelink =
| imagealt = Interior of the chapel
| caption = Exterior of the chapel
| pushpin map = Arkansas#USA
| pushpin label position =
| pushpin map alt =
| pushpin mapsize =
| map caption = Location in Arkansas
| coordinates = {{coord|36|28|40|N|94|14|43|W|display=inline,title}}
| osgraw =
| osgridref =
| location =
| country = United States
| membership =
| attendance =
| website = {{URL|http://www.cooperchapel.com}}
| founded date = {{start date|1991}}
| founder = Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel Foundation
| dedication =
| dedicated date =
| status = Open
| functional status =
| heritage designation = Nominated to NRHP, June 5, 1996
| designated date =
| architect = Fay Jones
| architectural type = Moderne
| style = Gothic (influences)
| groundbreaking = 1988
| completed date =
| construction cost =
| capacity =
| length = {{convert|84|ft|m}}
| width = {{convert|24|ft|m}}
| width nave =
| height = {{convert|54|ft|m}}
| floor count = One
| floor area = {{convert|2016|sqft|sqm}}
| materials = Steel, glass
| logo =
| logosize =
| logolink =
| logoalt =
}}
Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel is a chapel in Bella Vista, Arkansas, designed by E. Fay Jones and Maurice Jennings and constructed in 1988.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cooperchapel.com/about.html|title=About Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel|website=www.cooperchapel.com|access-date=2018-05-05}} The chapel was commissioned by John A. Cooper, Sr. to honor Mildred Borum Cooper, his late wife.{{Cite web|url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=12005|title=Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel - Encyclopedia of Arkansas|website=www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net|access-date=2018-05-05}} The chapel was designed to celebrate both God and his creations.{{Cite web|url=http://beautifulbellavista.com/chapel.htm|title=MILDRED B COOPER MEMORIAL CHAPEL, BELLA VISTA, ARKANSAS|website=beautifulbellavista.com|access-date=2018-05-05}}
Located on a wooded site along Lake Norwood, the chapel has become a popular tourist destination in Northwest Arkansas. It is also popular as a venue for wedding ceremonies.
Architecture
File:Mildred B. Cooper Chapel interior.jpg
Jones apprenticed with Frank Lloyd Wright, and designed a building with numerous windows open to the landscape.
Jones used 31 tons of steel and 4,460 square feet of glass to create a series of tall, vertical Gothic arches that run the length of the chapel.{{ cite web |last1= Barry |first1= Helen |last2= Nichols |first2= Cheryl |publisher= Arkansas Historic Preservation Program |title= The Arkansas Designs of E. Fay Jones 1956-1997 |pages= 63–66 |location= Little Rock, Arkansas |url= http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/pdf/publications/faye_jones.pdf |access-date= December 17, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120529174432/http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/pdf/publications/Faye_Jones.pdf |archive-date= May 29, 2012 }} Though it looks like an open-air structure, the chapel is glass-enclosed and air conditioned.
Soon after completion, the chapel was praised; a critic said that it "quietly commands a dignity and presence uncommon among buildings of our era."{{Cite journal|last=Cordes|first=Karen|date=October 1988|title=Encore Delivered with Strength and Delicacy|url=http://www.usmodernist.org/AJ/A-1988-10.pdf|journal=Journal of the American Institute of Architects|pages=52–57|via=Archive at US Modernist}}
About Mildred Borum Cooper
Mildred Borum Cooper, born and raised in Arkansas, spent much of her life in service to her people and community. She was president of United Methodist Women's organizations, served in the Girl Scout organization, worked as postmistress, and organized the first garden club, home extension club, and library in Cherokee Village.
See also
- Thorncrown Chapel (1980), designed by Jones in nearby Eureka Springs, Arkansas
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel}}
- [http://www.cooperchapel.com/ Cooper Chapel] official website.
Category:Chapels in the United States
Category:Churches completed in 1988
Category:Churches in Benton County, Arkansas
Category:Tourist attractions in Benton County, Arkansas
Category:Buildings and structures in Bella Vista, Arkansas
Category:Wedding chapels in the United States
Category:1988 establishments in Arkansas
Category:E. Fay Jones buildings
{{Arkansas-church-stub}}