Chapel on the Hill

Just west of the Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Townsite the army built one of three chapels in the new town. It was completed late in 1943 for use by Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish congregations, all of whom participated in the dedication. Services were scheduled for different times among the users. According to reports, a Protestant minister at the dedication referred to "this chapel on the hill" and the name stuck.

One of the congregations worshiping in the chapel was a non-denominational group that had been organized before the first chapel was built in the town. Known as the United Church, the group bought the building in 1955 and continues to meet there. Our older son attended a nursery school operated by the United Church before starting public school.

The Chapel on the Hill remains one of the best-maintained Manhattan Project structures in Oak Ridge, despite having had heavy, continuous use for 68 years. Remember, these were built as temporary structures. Hats off to the United Church for their excellent preservation of this historic structure.