Goddard Chapel, Religious building at Tufts University in Medford, United States

Goddard Chapel is a Lombard Romanesque building of 1883 at Tufts University, designed by J. Phillip Rinn with a hundred-foot bell tower and a cloister porch on the east side. Its walls are laid in blue-gray slate quarried locally in Somerville, and Rinn originally intended ivy to soften the stonework. Inside, ribbed ceilings, arched woodwork and stained glass follow Romanesque motifs, with cherry pews, pulpit and ceiling ribs, oak floors and spruce paneling.

Mary Goddard gave $25,000 toward the chapel in 1882 in memory of her husband, Tufts trustee Thomas Goddard, and alumni donations brought total construction costs past $40,000. Before it stood, the College Chapel was the Coolidge Room on the second floor of Ballou Hall. Student attendance at Protestant services was mandatory until 1907; after Crane Theological School closed in 1969, a wing became the Office of the University Chaplain.

The interior displays medieval Romanesque elements with ribbed ceilings, cherry pews, and oak floors that create a traditional worship setting. The stained glass windows show religious figures in university colors and shape how light fills the space.

The chapel is open throughout the academic year for religious services, student gatherings, and campus events. Visiting hours vary based on programming, so it is best to check ahead before planning your visit.

The large window behind the pulpit honors trustee Thomas Goddard and shows St. Paul in brown and blue robes, the Tufts colors. Opposite it, a window commemorates Tufts' first president Hosea Ballou II with a depiction of St. John the Evangelist. Tommaso Juglaris etched the colors into the glass rather than painting them, letting more light enter.