Freedom Trail: King's Chapel

by Midnight Freemasons Contributor

Gregory J. Knott

This is the sixth installment of Gregory Knott's Freedom Trail Series

King's Chapel

King’s Chapel was founded in 1686 as an Anglican congregation with loyalty to the King of England and over the years it grew and needed a new building.  In 1754 the current building was completed and was made of Quincy granite.  Over the years it went dark, converted to a Unitarian Congregation and finally to the current independent congregation affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association.  The governance system consists of elected officers, Senior and Junior Wardens, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer (sound familiar?).

Entering the Chapel you appreciate the efforts at preservation

The bell in the Church tower was forged in England was hung in 1772 and developed a crack in 1814 and was recast by Brother Paul Revere and rehung in 1816.  You can hear the bells on You Tube.

This Chancel Table was a gift from King William and Queen Mary (1696)

As one would expect in a chapel of this historic nature, many famous persons have worshiped here including:  Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin and General Joseph Warren who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill.

By visiting King’s Chapel, one sees the importance that religion played in the founding of America.  This history of this church illustrates the sacrifice that so many of its members made over the last 300+ years in helping shape the American culture.

Next up on the Freedom Trail the Old South Meeting House.

WB Gregory J. Knott is the Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), and Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL). He's a member of both the Scottish Rite, and the York Rite, and is the Charter Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club in Champaign-Urbana. He's also a member of the Ansar Shrine (IL) and the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. Greg is very involved in Boy Scouts--an Eagle Scout himself, he serves the Grand Lodge of Illinois A. F. & A. M. as their representative to the National Association of Masonic Scouters.