The Pettit Chapel was a surprise find for me. In all my Frank Lloyd Wright in Illinois searches, I somehow missed this little gem.
The Pettit Chapel
This little memorial chapel was built in 1906 in Belvidere, IL. It was commissioned by William Pettit’s wife as a public memorial. You can read more about it on the official Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation page and the cemetery’s site.
Small Prairie style
It’s not a large chapel, but it shows off Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie style as you wander around it. The chapel is located in the Belvidere Cemetery which is always open to the public.
While the cemetery is open, to tour the inside of the chapel call or email to see if it is available. We visited on a Sunday and were told that if someone was there they would open it for us. Unfortunately, no one was on site when we were there.
Peeking inside
The best we could do was look through the windows on the doors to see inside. The iconic prairie-style chairs and windows are about all we could see. There isn’t much more to it, but I will be back to go inside.
If you’re a Frank Lloyd Wright fan and working on crossing his buildings off your list, it’s worth a quick stop here. Especially if you are visiting other properties in the area. Both the Laurent House and Muirhead home are near by.
