Goodfellow's 1940's chapel torn down

  • Published
  • By Airman Anne Gathua
  • !7th Training Wing Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AFB, Texas --  Tuesday saw the demolition of the old chapel in an event presided over by Col. David Rearick, 17th Training Wing vice commander. 
Some historical facts about the chapel: 
· Construction of Goodfellow's chapel was completed on Nov. 20, 1941, about two and a half weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor. 
· Before 1941, only 17 Army posts in the U.S. had chapels on other posts, religious services were expected to be constructed within whatever free space was available on station.
 · All of that changed in spring 1941, when Franklin Roosevelt signed legislation (inspired by his wife, Eleanor) authorizing the construction of 604 new chapels within the next half year. Goodfellow's chapel was one of those 604. 
· The final cost of the chapel was just over $17,000 - that's equal to about $240,000 today. 
· A lightning rod rather than a cross was affixed to the finial above the roof of the steeple. The basic form of the chapel appeared to be closely based on the New England Protestant meeting house.