The image above is a photo of a mid-1900 postcard. Read more about the Chapel. For young and young at heart, enjoy the coloring sheet.
Emmanuel Chapel on the campus of Penn State Mont Alto reaches back more than 165 years to a time when the campus was part of the Mont Alto Ironworks, which operated from 1807 to 1893.
The corner stone of Emmanuel Chapel was laid June 23, 1854 and the chapel was dedicated on November 3, 1854. It was at this time that the Mont Alto Ironworks was a prime producer of iron ore and the largest employer on the South Mountain.
From spring through fall of 1859, John Brown traveled throughout Franklin County. He presented himself as an owner of a mining operation and used the alias of Isaac Smith. During Brown’s time in Franklin County, he attended services at Emmanuel Chapel, and it is believed to have been the last place he worshipped before leading the Raid on Harpers Ferry.
Rev. William Parker Neal wrote a publication about the Chapel and its historical connections. Penn State purchased Emmanuel Chapel from the Episcopal Diocese of South-Central PA in 1992 for $1. The chapel was rehabilitated at a cost of $325,000, retaining the structure as an artifact of American history.