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Discovering Marsh Chapel

Interactive tour, video, audio, and 360° photography reveal a captivating history

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Marsh Chapel stands at the heart of Boston University. You may have worshiped in the chapel as a student, or walked by it a thousand times, but never learned about its unique history. Start in Vermont, add a fire, a swamp, and a ghost tower, and you’ve got some of the elements of this captivating tale.

The story of the chapel is the story of Boston University’s progressive principles. Honored in stained glass are religious figures, but also educational reformers and social justice warriors, with one especially unconventional pair in the eighth window. Did you know that one of the chapel’s first deans had a significant influence on leaders of the Civil Rights Movement? Or that the chapel itself underwent a significant physical turnaround in its early days?

Now, you can take a virtual tour, featuring video, audio, archival photos, and 360° photography. Brother Larry Whitney (STH’09,’18), University chaplain for community life, explains how Marsh Chapel came to be, and some of the creative challenges, controversial choices, and intriguing twists along the way.

“The story of this chapel is the story of the University’s values,” Whitney says. “From the cornerstones to the stained glass windows to the unexpected layout inside, Marsh Chapel embodies the progressive ideals that lie at the heart of BU.”