Historic Russel Chapel

History of the Russell Chapel

In 1867, Middletown’s Frances Russell donated the Gothic Revival Chapel in memory of her late husband Samuel Russell. Samuel Russell was an American entrepreneur and trader who founded Russell & Company in Canton, China. While he was in China, Samuel's first wife Mary died, leaving their sons, George and John Russell. Mary's sister, Frances Osborne, cared for the children for several years until their father's return. When he returned to Middletown, Samuel married Frances. Later, the family increased when Samuel and Frances were blessed with a son, Samuel Wadsworth Russell.

For nearly a century, the Russell Chapel was used for funerals. This Gothic Revival architecture was constructed of Portland brownstone and embellished with small brownstone carvings. The chapel is adorned with stunning stained glass windows and notably houses its original working Meneely Bell, forged in Troy, New York, in 1868. This historically significant building is listed on the Connecticut Register of Historic Places.  

You are welcome to visit these beautiful grounds and to see the Russell Chapel exterior during daylight hours.  The Chapel today is available for rent for services including funerals, weddings, lectures, community organization meetings and other events. 

Chapel Restoration

After nearly 150 years of service, aging, termites, water damage, and vandalism, the expertise of Kronenberger & Sons Restoration of Middletown, CT, was retained to repair and restore the Russell Chapel interior back to its original refined beauty. The interior repairs and restoration, including its elegant hand-carved woodwork and wainscoting, plaster, ash and chestnut hardwood flooring and pews, as well as the ornate original entry doors, won a 2023 Excellence in Construction Award from the Association of Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Connecticut which celebrates the best in the industry!

In 2014, with a matching grant from the CT State Historic Preservation Office and the expertise and work of Kronenberger & Sons Restoration, this historic structure’s windows, interior embellishments and its soul was fully restored!

We thank all who have supported the important historic preservation of the Russell Chapel’s rich history and greatly appreciate the efforts of those who continue to do so.

frontdoorihc20230723

Interior Restoration of The Russel Chapel

Kronenberger & Sons Restoration (KSR)  took great care to seamlessly blend reproduced woodwork with original materials. Custom profile knives were made to match the existing historical profiles. The species of wood was determined to be chestnut which was as plentiful as pine back in the late 1800s. Unfortunately, the chestnut tree was hit by a blight accidentally brought in from Asia, killing almost every tree in New England. The only chestnut available at restoration was reclaimed from old mill buildings. The millwork was recreated and installed in such an order as to ensure the transition from plaster to wood was seamless and matched the original for historical accuracy. The original topcoat finish on the chestnut was orange shellac which KSR was able to successfully reproduce and use on all the woodwork for a seamless restoration.

The eight-foot original, gothic-style doors were removed and transported to KSR’s shop for a full restoration, including reproduction hardware. Miscellaneous pieces and parts were also replaced with like-kind materials. Six coats of marine varnish were applied to the exterior, and the doors were reinstalled.

During the project, memorial tablets of John and George Russell were discovered in the crypt of the Chapel by superintendent Norm Emond. Long thought to be lost or damaged beyond repair, the tablets underwent a total restoration. Over 50% of the tablets had been lost due to age, moisture, and insect damage. The cemetery wanted the pieces to be restored to their original state. KSR identified the wood species as chestnut and sourced chestnut to mill new replacement pieces. Custom painting completed the memorial tablet restoration.

The large ornate chandelier was completely rewired and reconditioned.

The pews were inspected, cleaned, refinished by KSR with the finishing touch of coats of pre-catalyzed lacquer. The pews were adorned with  decorative medallions that also needed to be repaired and restored. KSR developed a new technique for making an intaglio-negative mold out of pure latex to create reproduction decorative medallions. Marine epoxy tinted with aniline dye was poured into the intaglio and left to cure. The result was a remarkable replication that is nearly impossible to tell from the original medallions.

The Chapel today is available for rent for services including funerals, weddings, lectures, community organization meetings and other events. 

Detail photos below by Kronenberger & Sons Restoration

Skip to content