WILLIAM A. FRASER MEMORIAL CHAPEL

These grounds were originally outside the city of San Antonio and the site of a college owned by the Oblate Fathers.  In 1923, the Woodmen of the World (a fraternal organization dedicated to sheltering their families with life insurance and other benefits) purchased the property.  Here they built a hospital dedicated to the care and research of tuberculosis, nestled in a beautifully landscaped park, surrounded by 235 acres of virgin Texas land, and including a dairy and chicken farm, an orchard, and a large garden to provide fresh food for the hospital.

The Chapel was built near the hospital to provide a universal church and sanctuary for people of all religious faiths and of all nationalities.  It was composed of the Chapel proper, a library, and reading rooms (which could quickly be converted to a social center for the patients), and a Carillon Tower connected by Gothic arched cloisters which enclosed a landscaped courtyard.  The buildings were designed in a modified Norman Gothic style similar to the rural churches of England.  The grounds surrounding the Chapel and the inner courtyard were landscaped as a bird sanctuary.  The Chapel was named for William A. Fraser, the Sovereign of the Woodmen, and dedicated to all deceased members and war dead who had no monuments erected at their graves.

The San Antonio architectural firm, Phelps & Dewees & Simmons, was chosen to design the buildings and all of the construction work was executed by San Antonio contractors and craftsmen.  Construction began on September 29, 1930, and the dedication ceremony was held on November 22, 1931.  The basic construction costs - not including the Tiffany windows, the bronze plaques, or the landscaping - was $89,180, paid by donations from the various chapters of the Woodmen.

THE EXTERIOR

The exterior is composed of native limestone with carved limestone trim and tracery around the windows and openings.  The stone was hand-quarried at Boerne, Texas, into huge blocks and then shipped by flat car to San Antonio.  The actual stone facings were chiseled with mallets and hammers and laid in the Random Ashler style, much as work of this character was performed a century ago.  It is considered to be the best example of Random Ashler masonry in this area.

The roof is of natural slate tile.  All roof framing members are oak.  The trusses are so large that oak lumber of sufficient size was not available at the time.  The suppliers ordered the material from trees in the forest.  The oak was cut to size from single trees and cured to insure that the trusses would never warp or crack.

The cloister flooring is of mosaic cement tile in Gothic designs brought from Mexico.  The cloister ceiling is Medieval Norman ribbed vaulting.

THE TOWER

The Carillon Tower, a massive structure rising 60 feet in the air, contains Deagan chimes, considered to be the finest make of tower chimes ever built.  The particular system consists of 25 notes with a roll player, a Westminster clock, and a keyboard installed in the Chapel at a cost of $20,000.  It is equipped with amplifiers so that either chimes, organ, or religious services may be broadcast throughout the surrounding community.  Unfortunately, due to the antiquity of the equipment and the expense of maintaining it in its historic condition, we are not currently able to use the chimes.  Memorial bronze plaques bearing the names of the deceased Woodmen who were entitled to monuments for their service during World War 1, but for various reasons had been deprived of the monument benefit (a number of whom were killed in action and buried in France) were affixed to the inside walls of tower.

THE COURTYARD

Enclosed by the cloistered walks and walls of the buildings is the small courtyard, intended as a restful spot for prayer and reflection.  The tiled centerpiece was originally a goldfish pool with a bird bath and fountain rising from the center.  The landscaping of this courtyard and the surrounding grounds was intended to create a bird sanctuary as well as a human sanctuary.  In 1982, after the loss of Dene Osborne, the wife of the church's minister and a dearly loved member of the congregation, the courtyard was re-landscaped and dedicated to her memory.  The pool was cleaned and a new fountain installed.  A plaque commemorating Mrs. Osborne was placed in the southeast corner of the courtyard.  It is still a much-loved portion of our building, often filled with the laughter of children and the sounds of the long-resident birds.

INTERIOR OF THE CHAPEL

The interior of the entire grouping is finished in oak: the roof trusses, beams, etc. being constructed of heavy dark oak timbers, each cut from a single tree, with bolts and pins exposed.  The Chapel library floors are a mastic tile.

The marble baptismal font is more than 400 years old and was bought for the Chapel by Sov. Fraser from a church in Rome, Italy, that had fallen into decay.  It is believed that the bronze candlesticks on the altar may have come from the same church.

The pulpit, raised and to the side of the congregation, is indicative of the Anglican (Church of England) style.  All of the furniture within the Chapel is original to the building.

The arched roof and the density of the stone walls create a nearly perfect acoustical condition that enhances the sound of any music performed within the interior.

The Chapel is intended to seat around 200 people.  It has been designed to be non-denominational in nature so that all religions may hold services within.  Today, the Chapel is used for special services for the church and the surrounding community.  It is most often the happy scene of weddings and holiday festivities.

When Sunset Ridge purchased the property from the Woodmen, it was agreed to maintain the Chapel in as close to the original condition as possible. To date, the only changes made have been to protect the windows from damage, cushion the pew seats and prayer benches, improve the lighting, and repaint the interior walls.

THE TIFFANY WINDOWS

All of the stained glass windows in the Chapel were produced by Tiffany Studios in New York.

The Altar Window

The original design called for a Gothic Rose window behind the altar.  During the construction period, Sov. Fraser purchased from Mr. Louis Comfort Tiffany an extraordinary window of great beauty, dated in 1913.  The purchase price in 1930 was $10,000 (at the height of the Great Depression), and today this window is known as the "River of Life."  It represents one of Mr. Tiffany's favorite religious themes: that of God in nature.  The unique beauty of this window was created using methods pioneered and perfected by Mr. Tiffany.  As light moves across the window, the integration of the colors sets the scene in motion, capturing the feeling of constant change that pervades the natural world.

The Side and Porch Windows

The lancet windows along the sides of the Chapel were each contributed by one of the state chapters of the Woodmen, and each bears the state seal of the contributing chapter.  In the circular top portion of each window is the symbol and motto of the Woodmen of the World, "Dum Tacet Clamat," translated as "We shout in silence" or "Our actions speak louder than words."

Mounted in the southern entrance porch are four smaller windows with the state seals of Florida, Kansas, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

The West Window

At the west end of the Chapel is the large cathedral-type window which carries the state seals of Texas and Alabama.  This window bears the signature of Louis Tiffany in the extreme lower right corner.  (Please do not touch the signature.)

THE LIBRARY AND READING ROOMS

This area of the building has been converted to classrooms which may be used as dressing rooms for bridal parties, etc.

ETIQUETTE

For your safety, the comfort of others, and the protection of the buildings and grounds:

• Use only designated walkways

• Children (under 12) visiting the Chapel must be accompanied by an adult

• Children should not play in the fountain or climb the trees

• No pets, other than guide dogs, are allowed on the grounds or in the buildings

• View and smell the flowers, but leave them for others to enjoy

• The William A. Fraser Memorial Chapel is a smoke-free facility - indoors and outdoors

• No alcoholic beverages are allowed

• Keep food within the kitchen and fellowship areas

• Use the recycling and garbage containers as provided

• Wedding photography is allowed only for those weddings that are being held in our chapel.  Please contact the church office to schedule. 

To schedule an appointment, call the church office at (210) 824-4568.

Click here for information about reserving the chapel for weddings.

Chapel Narrative:  Lynn Rutland

Photography: Joe Harber

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