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Aug 30, 2009 10:46 pm US/Central
Finding Minnesota: Stunning Mpls. Cemetery Chapel
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
The next time you have to give an out-of-town guest a tour of Minneapolis, there's a place in Uptown you should consider adding to the list. And it's in an unlikely location: a cemetery.
There are few places in the Twin Cities that can literally take your breath away when you walk through the doors, but this architectural gem and art lover's dream is one of them.
The Lakewood Memorial Chapel is located at 36th Street and Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis. Ron Gjerde, the president of Lakewood Cemetery, says the chapel is the centerpiece of the cemetery.
"They come in the door usually and they look and usually just say 'Wow.' They didn't know it was here and when they see it they are just taken aback. They love it," Gjerde said.
The chapel still looks like it did in 1910 when it first opened, mostly because of how it was built and the materials used to construct it.
"So here you have a building," Gjerde said. "The exterior is entirely red granite, 12-inch thick walls, mosaic tiles, marble floors, bronze and copper window and door frames. These are materials that will last through the ages and need very little maintenance."
Minneapolis architect Harry Wild Jones designed the chapel, modeling it after the Hagia Sophia in Instabul, Turkey. He collaborated with New York designer Charles Lamb, who was inspired by the mosaic design in the San Marco Cathedral in Venice, Italy.
Together they created what many art critics have called the most stunning example of Byzantine art in the United States.
"The windows represent the 24 hours of the day and that goes in keeping with the 'until the day break and the shadow flee away' quote. That all kind of works together," said Gjerde. "You've got the 12 angels. That goes along with the significance of the number 12 in the Bible -- the 12 books, 12 Apostles, 12 sons of Jacob. Notice the angels, their feet never touch the ground and their wings represent their protective spirit."
About 10 years ago, Lakewood Cemetery started using the chapel for something other than funerals, something more celebratory: weddings.
"We opened it up," said Gjerde. "It's been very popular. As I mentioned earlier, (in) Minnesota Bride magazine in 2006, we were the editor's pick for the favorite place to have a discreet wedding."
They now hold about 12 weddings at the Lakewood Memorial Chapel every year between April and October, making it a place where tears flow freely, both tears of sadness as well as tears of joy.
Gjerde said the only other place in the U.S. that rivals Lakewood Chapel's artwork is the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
The staff at Lakewood offers free tours of the chapel. You should call in advance to make sure there is not a service taking place when you want to come.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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