Battell Chapel – Old Campus

Battell Chapel, completed in 1876, was Yale’s first large-scale Victorian Gothic chapel and quickly became the spiritual heart of campus life. Designed by the prominent architectural firm Russell Sturgis & Co., it was funded by the Battell family in memory of Yale benefactor Joseph Battell. For decades it hosted daily chapel services—mandatory for undergraduates well into the early 20th century—as well as concerts, lectures, and major University ceremonies. Its stained-glass windows, added gradually through the late 1800s, include some of Yale’s finest examples of American Gothic Revival glasswork. Today, Battell Chapel remains a landmark anchoring the corner of Old Campus and continues to serve as a space for worship, for performances, and for other events for the Yale community.