Lakewood Cemetery Memorial Chapel Then and Now
2010
This Byzantine-style building alone is worth a trip to Lakewood Cemetery. Built in 1908/09, the chapel was designed by pioneering Minneapolis architect Harry Wild Jones and was modeled after the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. The little church has brilliant interior mosaics that were artisan-created in Italy from Venetian glass. Art Nouveau windows and floor lamps, copper doors and marble floors add warmth and richness to the glittering rainbow of color from 10 trillion tiny tessalle of glass that cover the walls and dome. The chapel and administration building provide free pamphlets, with beautiful photography, that explain the symbolism behind the patterns, angels and other figures illustrated in the mosaics. The Lakewood Cemetery Memorial Chapel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The chapel is usually open during regular Lakewood Cemetery hours but as it’s used for funeral services, you may want to call ahead for that day’s visiting schedule.
Lakewood Cemetery Chapel in 1910
1910
