Cathedral of the Air - Lakehurst, NJ

The chapel has served served our military & public for years. The chapel served our military & public for years. Now, it is only used for baptisms, weddings & funerals of active duty & retired military. The “Cathedral of the Air” can be visited as part of the Navy Lakehurst Historical Society tours in cooperation with the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst & NSA Public Affairs Office. Everyone wishi

ng to take the tour must adhere to strict security requirements and must pre-register by calling (732) 600-8055 or contacting [email protected]. All guests must be registered two weeks before the date of their tour. No walk-ins or additions to the group will be accepted on the day of the tour. Tours may be canceled due to military operations, security issues or weather without notification. Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is an active military installation. The “Cathedral of the Air” is located outside of the perimeter security fence of the base; however, security is provided by the base as the chapel is on government property. For further information go to the Navy Lakehurst Historical Society website at:
https://www.nlhs.com

“Cathedral of the Air” history:

In 1928 Herbert H. Blizzard Department Commander of the American Legion NJ became aware of inadequate facilities for religious services at Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, NJ. Edel where the idea of a memorial chapel was conceived. The “Cathedral of the Air” was the idea of Rev. Gill Robb Wilson of Trenton, NJ . He was a former WWI French & American pilot; Pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Trenton, NJ; National Chaplain of the American Legion; Director of Aeronautics for the State of NJ; & founder of the Civil Air Patrol. Late in 1928 the American Legion Department of NJ began the plan to construct a nonsectarian chapel at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, as a tribute to the self-sacrifice & devoted service of flyers. In January of 1929 Curtis Wilbur, Secretary of the Navy submitted a letter & proposed bill to the Chairman Committee on Naval Affairs with a copy to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The purpose of the bill was to authorize the Secretary of the Navy to permit the American Legion, Department of NJ, to erect at the Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, NJ a memorial chapel in commemoration of those whose lives were lost in aviation & particularly in lighter-than-aircraft activities. The bill passed the House of Representatives & was sent to the Senate which also passed it in February 1929. The bill was presented to President Calvin Coolidge who signed it into law as one of his last official acts as President on March 2, 1929. The American Legion Memorial Chapel Association was incorporated & the financial campaign began in February, 1930. The stone Norman-Gothic chapel was designed by famed Architect Paul Phillipe Cret of Philadelphia, PA & his associate John Harbison agreed to manage & supervise the construction. Edwin E. Hollenback contracted to build the Cathedral for an incredibly low cost of $60,000. The groundbreaking for the chapel at Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, NJ was on June 26th, 1932. The cornerstone was laid on November 6, 1932 by the Secretary of the Navy Charles F. The exterior of the chapel was completed in 1933 with its first stained glass window, “The Chancel Rose”, the emblem of the American Legion. Other stained-glass windows were added from 1933 to 1957 which depict actual & imagined flight, such as Airships, Leonardo Da Vinci’s model plane, Wright Brother’s flight at Kitty Hawk to a magic carpet ride from Arabian Nights, Elijah riding a flaming chariot to heaven, flight of Icarus who flew too close to the sun & fell from the sky. Also included are stained glass depicting Abraham Lincoln praying for God’s guidance to end slavery & General George Washington praying for guidance at Valley Forge. Stained glass was also added for the “Four Chaplains” of World War II who lost their lives ministering & giving up their own lifejackets to troops during the sinking of the S.S. Dorchester when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat on February 3, 1943. Most of the stained glass was created by the Willet Company originally based in Philadelphia, now Willet Hauser located in Minnesota. Two sections were created by Nicola D’Ascenso Studio’s of Philadelphia which is no longer in business. After completion of the exterior, there were no funds to purchase interior equipment, so the chapel was not used regularly. The government eventually provided $7,000 for the interior & the chapel was opened for divine services on February 16, 1941. The station Chaplain at the time was LCDR J.V. Claypool (USNR). On October 26, 1947, the US Navy accepted the chapel as an unconditional gift to the United States from the American Legion, Department of NJ. There are also memorials to Soldiers, Sailors & others who lost their lives in the tragic crashes of the USS Akron & the USS Shenandoah Airships, both based at Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, NJ. The altar inside the chapel is built from the structure of the USS Shenandoah. The location of the “Cathedral of the Air” is also near the area (within the base perimeter security fence), where the German passenger airship Hindenburg crashed on May 6, 1937.