About Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel
Near Lake Norwood in Bella Vista, a narrow chapel rises through the forest in repeating layers of steel and glass. The Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel resembles a Gothic cathedral stripped down to its structural skeleton. Its pointed arches frame trees, sky, and changing light instead of heavy stone walls.
The chapel was designed by Arkansas architect E. Fay Jones and his partner Maurice Jennings. Jones had studied under Frank Lloyd Wright and became known for buildings that merge geometry with natural settings. Completed in 1988, Cooper Chapel followed the success of Jones’s Thorncrown Chapel near Eureka Springs.
Fifteen main arches support the building, while smaller Gothic forms repeat down the length of the interior. Clear glass walls dissolve the boundary between the quiet sanctuary and the surrounding woodland. The floor and low walls use native stone, grounding the otherwise light and intricate structure.
The chapel was commissioned by the family of Mildred B. Cooper as a memorial honoring her life and faith. It is non-denominational and welcomes visitors for reflection as well as weddings and other ceremonies.
Admission is free, although the chapel may close temporarily for private events. It sits just off Memorial Drive in Bella Vista. Visitors should check the official calendar before traveling specifically to see the interior.
Cooper Chapel is an architectural oddity whose effect comes from repetition. Each steel arch is simple, but together they form a tunnel of patterns that seems almost impossible to separate from the forest behind it.