About Thorncrown Chapel
Hidden among the trees outside Eureka Springs, Thorncrown Chapel looks less like a conventional building than a geometric extension of the forest. Its narrow timber framework, soaring roof, and 425 windows allow the surrounding woods to remain visible from almost every point inside. Sunlight and shadows continuously change the appearance of the interior.
Retired teacher Jim Reed commissioned the chapel after purchasing the wooded property in 1971. Architect E. Fay Jones, a former apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, designed the structure. Completed in 1980, it combines Prairie School principles with the vertical drama of a Gothic chapel.
The building stands 48 feet tall but is only 24 feet wide and 60 feet long. Its windows contain roughly 6,000 square feet of glass. To protect the site, Jones required that construction materials be small enough for two workers to carry through the woods. Native stone and Arkansas pine help the chapel blend into its setting.
Despite appearing open to the weather, Thorncrown is fully enclosed and air conditioned. It seats about 100 people and is used for quiet visits, services, and weddings. The chapel is generally open from March through December, but special events may cause early closures.
Admission is free and donations are welcomed. The chapel sits along Highway 62 West, about a mile and a half outside Eureka Springs. Visitors should check the official schedule before making a special trip.
Thorncrown received the American Institute of Architects Twenty-five Year Award and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places unusually early in its life. It is an oddity built from restraint rather than spectacle, creating an unforgettable structure from glass, wood, light, and trees.