Institutional History Museum and Galleries at Washington and Lee University

Each year, thousands of people enter the Chapel through the main level vestibule. Whether for a daily tour, as a first-year student during orientation, a community member attending a lecture, or a returning alum, the new Chapel sign will greet you at the National Historic Landmark!

Today, a crew is repointing bricks surrounding the front facade of the Chapel steeple. This work will continue over the next few days as they make repairs and perform preventive maintenance to address water intrusion from downspouts.

Access to the Chapel for tours should not be impacted this week, but be on the lookout for signs pointing you toward the lower-level entrance if needed for the safety of visitors and crew.

The University Chapel is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10am until 5pm. See you soon!

As winter ended, the crew turned their attention to some much-needed cleaning and repair on the exterior of the Chapel. The crew shared these aerial images taken from the top of the crane. (Special thanks to our friends at Kjellstrom & Lee for their hard work and the photos!)

In the next few months, the crews will be back to continue with some needed brick repointing and roof repairs. During this additional work, the Chapel will maintain its normal operating hours.



Image 1: View from the crane above the University Chapel steeple.

Image 2: View from the front of the Chapel during the steeple roof cleaning. Look closely to see the before and after in progress!

Image 3: View from the crane of the University Chapel and Colonnade.

Throughout the project, W&L Facilities and IHMG staff had the chance to examine the various levels of the building’s history. Following the removal of a modern plaster patch, a section of the building’s interior brickwork was exposed during the project.

As originally constructed, the building had walls that were plastered over the brick and decorated with thin carved lines and painted to mimic stonework, in a process known as trompe l’oeil, or “trick of the eye,” which was a common decorative practice of the nineteenth century.

Through these efforts, we have gained a better understanding of the building’s history and added a new “layer” to the chapel's history.



Image 1: Repairs to the left side wall of the stage show both the historic brickwork, previous repairs, and the installation of a conduit
in the bricks for electricity from the 1960s renovation.

Image 2: Oldest view of the Chapel stage
during the funeral of Robert E. Lee by Michael Miley (1870), cropped to show area repaired during renovation.

Image 3: Close view of the plaster trompe l’oeil.

Image 4: Interior work on the Auditorium wrapped up just in time for Alumni Weekend in May.

During the recent Chapel renovations, sprinklers were installed in the Auditorium for the first time. Following this installation, work was conducted to evaluate the plaster and paint, and to conduct other maintenance in keeping with the Secretary of the Interior's standards for National Historic Landmarks.

Scaffolding stretched from the Auditorium floor all the way up to the barrel ceiling, offering an opportunity for close inspection of the plaster arches that span the curved ceiling.



Image 1: Protective measures in the Auditorium during renovation

Images 2 & 3: Close views of the arched plaster decorations in the Auditorium ceiling.

Renovations to the University Chapel began in October 2025. Completed in the spring of 2026, the Chapel's HVAC and life safety systems were updated. The Chapel's attic door was the access
point for the project, and the attic's internal infrastructure was strengthened to ensure safety so the crew could remove the 1960s HVAC system. In the long run, this permanent improvement will ease access for future repairs.



Image 1: View of the Chapel's slate roof, looking towards the steeple and Washington Hall

Image 2: Interior view of the slate roof tiles

Image 3: Stone details on the gable peak of the 1882 addition, rear-facing N. Jefferson Street.

Want to go behind the scenes of the University Chapel’s recent renovation? Tune in to IHMG’s social channels over the next week or so for photos from each chapter of the project!👀

If you've visited our updated galleries lately, you've seen the many ways the University Chapel has served the W&L community over the years. Since its completion, the Chapel has functioned as a classroom, allowing generations of students to study history, art, architecture, tourism, and religion without leaving campus.

This week, students working under the supervision of Dr. Erich Uffelman in W&L's Chemistry Department conducted non-invasive scientific analyses of two paintings featured in the Chapel's "Setting the Stage" exhibition.

We're excited to share what they discover in the coming weeks and to continue partnering with Dr. Uffelman and his students to uncover new insights into W&L's history.

One of the most popular new activities in the reopened University Chapel's galleries is using the vintage typewriter. In Setting the Stage, visitors can type their own exhibit label caption about an artifact or painting in the space.

The activity was inspired by our own imaginings of what it might have been like for the Chapel's 1960's exhibit designers to reopen the museum following another major renovation. Give it a try on your next visit!

The University Chapel & Galleries is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10am until 5pm. Admission is free for all visitors, and there's plenty to see and do for learners of all ages and abilities.

After months of anticipation, the Chapel reopened last month—and we were delighted to welcome our very first visitor. By a happy coincidence, it was none other than Dr. David Cox, professor at Southern Virginia University and author of the award-winning "Lee Chapel at 150."

It felt especially fitting for that honor to go to someone who has devoted so much time to researching and documenting the Chapel's history. Dr. Cox was an invaluable resource throughout the exhibition development process, making it especially meaningful to share the completed galleries with him and to see his research featured in "Foundations & Frameworks."

Originally published in 2018, "Lee Chapel at 150" is available for purchase at the W&L University Store.

Come see the refreshed museum spaces for yourself and explore the stories that make this National Historic Landmark so special. The Chapel is open Wednesday through Saturday. Please note: we will close early on Friday and Saturday this week for a private event (see pinned post on our page for this week's schedule updates).

Photos: IHMG Staff welcomes Dr. Cox to the new exhibition in 2026; Dr. Cox presents in the Chapel (2018)

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