Dahlgren Chapel

 

 

John Vinton Dahlgren, C’1889 and L’1891, and his wife Elizabeth Drexel Dahlgren funded the construction of Dahlgren Chapel which was the first building on Georgetown’s campus to be financed entirely by outside philanthropy.

John was the son of Admiral John Dahlgren who headed the Union Navy's ordnance department during the Civil War. His mother, Madeleine Vinton, the daughter of a congressman and a well-known author in her own right, was educated at the Visitation Convent. 

John graduated from Georgetown University in 1889 as valedictorian and married Elizabeth Drexel of the Philadelphia banking family four days later in St. Patrick’s in New York. Their wedding was a notable social event.  

John became a well-known lawyer, whose work as attorney of the New York Department of Buildings, culminated in his book, "Dahlgren's Building-Law Manual" (1897).  

John and Elizabeth’s first child, Joseph, was born in 1890 but died in 1891. Because of John’s connection to Georgetown, the Dahlgrens asked permission to build a small mortuary chapel on the college grounds. Georgetown President J. Havens Richards pressed them to amend their plans and instead build a chapel that would serve as a devotional center of the College. They pledged $30k for the project. After the architect produced plans with an estimated cost of $42-45k, the College borrowed $15k to complete the work which the Dahlgrens agreed to repay in the future. 

Work began on the Chapel in April 1892. Elizabeth had very specific ideas about the layout and décor – she preferred the gothic style – and she took a particular interest in the stained glass windows, working closely with the fabricators in Munich.

After John’s death in 1899, Elizabeth remarried twice – first to Harry Symes Lehr of New York who died in 1929 and later to John Graham Beresford, Lord Decries, an Irish peer. She died in New York in 1944. Her cousin, Katharine Drexel, was canonized in 2000.

The following sources provide additional information about John Vinton and Elizabeth Drexel Dahlgren. Remember when searching on Elizabeth that she had a variety of names: Elizabeth Drexel, Mrs. John Vinton Dahlgren. Mrs. Harry Lehr, Lady Decries, etc.

 

 

• Articles in the Georgetown College Journal, 1872-1920 (Available online)

The College Journal was the first printed newspaper produced by Georgetown students. A monthly publication, it is a combination of student newspaper, literary publication, and alumni bulletin. It contains articles about the Chapel’s construction, as well as events held in it.

Physical volumes are available for use in the Booth Family Center for Special Collections; request them via the Aeon request system. Digitized issues can be browsed and searched via DigitalGeorgetown. The Date Created facet in blue on the right side of the screen (scroll down to see it) can be used to limit to a particular time period. To search within any item in a list of search results: click on the title in blue, then click on the blue ViewOpen link at the top of the screen, then hold down the control and f keys on the keyboard at the same time, and enter a search term in the box which appears in the top right corner. Note that you can use quotation marks around the phrase you are searching on, i.e. “John Vinton Dahlgren” to create searches on phrases and get more relevant results.

An obituary for John Vinton Dalgren appears in the October 1899 issue (click on the blue View/Open link below the title and scroll to page 2. This includes an image of Elizabeth Drexel Dalhgren. Researchers can explore additional College Journal articles via the DigitalGeorgetown link above.

• Articles in The Washington Post (Available online - GU login required)

The Washington Post provides surprisingly detailed coverage of happenings on campus, particularly in the late 19th and early to mid 20th centuries. It includes articles about Dahlgren Chapel’s construction, as well as about events held in the building, with mentions of the Dahlgrens. The Georgetown University Library offers digital access to the Post’s historic archives (scroll down and select that publication from the list) which cover the period 1877 through 1994. 

See the note about Elizabeth Dahlgren's various names above. When searching, use the Advanced Search option and enter “Georgetown University” in one search box and your search term in another. The Sorted By dropdown list (on the left side of the screen) can be used to sort the results in chronological order or you can use the bar graph below to limit results to a specific decade or even year within a decade. 

Note that off-site access to the Post’s digital archives is limited to those who can authenticate via their netid. If you do not have a GU netid, you cannot access the Post archives from off-campus. 

• Articles in The New York Times (Available online - GU login required)

The New York Times contains articles about events in the lives of John and Elizabeth Dahlgren, including their marriage, Elizabeth’s two subsequent marriages and their deaths. The Georgetown University Library offers digital access to the Time’s historic archives (scroll down and select that publication from the list) which cover the period 1851 through 2009. 

See the note about Elizabeth Dahlgren's various names above. The Sorted By dropdown list (on the left side of the screen) can be used to sort the results in chronological order or you can use the bar graph below to limit results to a specific decade or even year within a decade. 

Note that off-site access to the Times’ digital archives is limited to those who can authenticate via their netid. If you do not have a GU netid, you cannot access the Times archives from off-campus. 

• Serials: "Georgetown Record", GTA000153.

Number 3, December 1964. Includes an  announcement of the gift of Shakespeare's first folio by Mrs. John V. Dahlgren, Jr.  Request issue for use in Booth via the Aeon request system

 

 

The University histories listed below are available in the general collection of Lauinger Library; links to their call numbers are included. They are also available in the Booth Family Center for Special Collections. The Booth copies do not circulate; request them via the Aeon request system.  

• Easby-Smith, James Stanislaus. Georgetown University in the District of Columbia, 1789-1907, its founders, benefactors, officers, instructors and alumni.  New York, Lewis, 1907

Volume 2 contains brief biographical sketches of  founders, benefactors, officers, instructors and alumni. A sketch of John Vinton Dahlgren is found on pages 255-257 

• Curran, Robert Emmett. A history of Georgetown University.  Washington, D.C. : Georgetown University Press, 2010 

A three volume set, this is the most comprehensive University history. Volume 1 covers 1789-1889, volume 2 covers 1889-1964, and volume 3 covers 1964-1989. Use the index to volume 2 to navigate to references to John Vinton Dahlgren. Note that page 65 of volume 3 contains a brief mention of the 1964 bequest of John Vinton, Jr. 

• Nevils, W. Coleman. Miniatures of Georgetown, 1634-1934; tercentennial causeries.  Washington, D.C., Georgetown University Press, 1934

This work was published by Father Nevils towards the end of his presidency. He served as University President from 1928-1935 and his association with Georgetown began in 1918 when he was appointed Dean of the College of Arts and Science. His book contains detailed and colorful stories about aspects of the University’s history but has no footnotes or bibliography. Use the index to navigate to passing references to donations by John and Elizabeth Dahlgren. This publication is available in Lauinger Library's general stacks as well as for use in the Booth Family Center for Special Collections; request it for use in Booth

 

 

Request the source listed below for use in Booth via the Aeon request system. 

• Alumni Files, GTA.000847

These files were created by University archivists through the late 1960s. The archivists removed materials (mainly correspondence or clippings) relating to current students or alumni from groupings of records transferred to the Archives and filed them alphabetically by name of student/alumnus. Included are four folders for John Vinton Dahlgren

• Presidents’ Correspondence and Other Materials (Richards, Whitney, Daugherty), 1888-1904. GTA-000010.  Donations book listing major donations to Georgetown University during this period [50.6], 1891-1898 includes multiple entries relating to gifts from John and Elizabeth Dalhgren towards the Chapel. Letterpress copy books in this collection include letters from Georgetown President J. Havens Richards to  John and Elizabeth Dahlgren about donations and the construction of the Chapel

• Madeleine Vinton Dahlgren papers, GTM-GAMMS122

Madeleine Vinton Dahlgren was John Vinton Dahlgren’s mother. The inventory for this collection contains two references to John: 

Box 1 Scrapbook I., 11/28/1885-10/28/1888. For a description of the relevant material, click on the search more option in blue at the end of the Container Summary section.

Box 1 Scrapbook I., 11/28/1885-10/28/1888. For a description of the relevant material, click on the search more option in blue at the end of the Container Summary section

• Old Archives: Museum, GTA000691

444-1. GU Museum: Includes a letter from Elizabeth Drexel Dahlgren

• Old Archives: Paintings in Georgetown Collection,  GTA000655

Contains correspondence, clippings and photographs. Includes information about a portrait of Elizabeth Dahlgren

 

 

University Archives Photographic Collection. GTA.000109

Contains two folders for John; two for Elizabeth; one with a photograph of them together; and one labeled “Dahlgren Infant - No Date.” Request them for use in Booth via the Aeon request system.