Kumler Chapel

Kumler Chapel is a building of architectural interest located on the Western Campus for Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. It was built in 1917-18 for what was then the Western College for Women by the architect Thomas Hastings, in a "Transitional Gothic" style with both Gothic and Romanesque influences. It is now a venue for church services and weddings.HistoryKumler Chapel was constructed beginning in 1917, suffered from a structural collapse, and was then rebuilt beginning in June and completed in September 1918. Kumler Chapel was built on the Western College for Women campus, which is now a part of the Western Campus for Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Kumler Chapel replaced an older chapel. The building became to be due to the beneficence of Mrs. Anna Kumler Wright, an alumna of Western College for Women, and her sister Ella Kumler McKelvy, also an alumna of Western College for Women. The sisters decided to have Kumler Chapel built in honor of their parents: their father, Reverend J.P.E. Kumler and their mother, Mrs. Abbie Goulding Kumler.Kumler Chapel was originally dedicated on November 10, 1916 yet it was not finished being built until September 1918. November 28, 1918 became the official Dedication Day for Kumler Chapel; this site was completed and a piece of ivy was removed from a neighboring building, Peabody, and was attached to the east side of Kumler Chapel. The building’s arch and mortar collapsed on February 26, 1918 at 4:20pm. This collapse was a major setback for the construction of Kumler Chapel. The cost of Kumler Chapel was never revealed, and the total cost was divided between the Kumler sisters as well as the architect, Thomas Hastings of New York.