Naval Academy Chapel

The Naval Academy Chapel is a building featuring Beaux-Arts and Renaissance Revival style that rises above the academy grounds. The copper dome extends to a considerable height and is supported by walls of brick, concrete, terracotta, and granite.

The cornerstone was laid in 1904, and two notable architects completed the building within a few years. The construction shaped the academy's visual character for decades to come.

The chapel serves midshipmen as a gathering place for major transition ceremonies, with each class holding its graduation exercises here. These occasions mark important moments in the academy's community life and connect cadets across generations.

Visitors can view the building from outside and explore the architecture from the academy grounds. It is wise to check beforehand whether interior visits are permitted, since the site is part of a military academy.

Beneath the chapel rests a famous naval officer in a sarcophagus of Italian marble, with his name and ships eternized in the crypt. This burial place transforms the building into more than a place of prayer.

Location: Annapolis

Inception: 1908

Architects: Ernest Flagg, Paul Philippe Cret

Architectural style: Beaux-Arts, Renaissance Revival architecture

Capacity: 2500

Made from material: concrete, brick, terracotta, copper, granite

Part of: United States Naval Academy

Website: https://usna.edu/Chaplains

GPS coordinates: 38.98139,-76.48639

Latest update: December 7, 2025 19:31