Oakland Memorial Chapel, Greek Revival chapel in Claiborne County, United States.
Oakland Memorial Chapel is a three-story brick structure with a gabled roof and a colonnade of brick piers situated on the Alcorn State University campus. The building combines classical proportions with functional design elements that make it stand out within the university grounds.
The building was constructed in 1838 as part of Oakland College and became part of Alcorn State University in 1871, marking a transition from a Presbyterian institution. This transformation represented a significant shift in higher education access and purpose within the state.
The chapel's name honours Oakland College, the Presbyterian school founded in 1828 whose campus Alcorn State took over in 1871. Its 1851 founder, the abolitionist Jeremiah Chamberlain, was assassinated by a supporter of slavery. The building later served as the home gymnasium for the Alcorn State Braves basketball team, a use visitors would not guess from its Greek Revival portico.
The chapel is located southwest of ASU Drive on the university campus and is best reached on foot. Since the building remains in active use, it is helpful to check visiting hours in advance before planning a trip.
The chapel doubled as the home gymnasium for the Alcorn State Braves basketball team, so a religious and academic building also hosted college basketball. Its two-stage square wood-frame tower carries a second stage with fluted Doric columns, triglyphs, metopes and mutules, crowned by a low balustrade.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,805 contributors worldwide.