Chapel

Fort DuPont’s chapel was constructed in 1941 to meet the spiritual needs of soldiers preparing to go abroad. Its spire indicates its non-denominational status. The Army considered wooden structures temporary, and most of the wooden buildings at this location were torn down after World War II, but the chapel may have been spared because of the important role it played in the life of the fort. Its interior was set for a Catholic service, but it also offered Protestant and Jewish services. At the rear of the altar was a triptych, a three-sided panel painted by American artist Nina Barr Wheeler and dedicated to Saint Barbara, patron saint of artillerymen, as a nod to Fort DuPont’s origin as an artillery post.

Delaware City, Delaware · United States