Do you ever wander through a particularly old area and think about all the things that the buildings there have seen? Every structure has a story, and it’s easy to lose yourself daydreaming about all the people and events that have been inside of those walls. One historic church in Kansas that has a particularly interesting backstory is located in Baldwin City, on the Baker University campus. Here you’ll find the Clarice L. Osborne Memorial Chapel, which is one of the oldest churches in Kansas. This beautiful structure wasn’t always a resident of the Sunflower State, however. Check it out:
The Osborne Memorial Chapel now holds weekly nondenominational services at Baker University, but it wasn’t always located here. When it was constructed in 1864, the building was known as the Sproxton Methodist Chapel and resided in Sproxton, England.
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The Sproxton Methodist Church thrived in the small village of Sproxton for more than a century, but it was shuttered in 1988 due to declining congregation numbers.
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A Baker University professor who was teaching at Britain’s Harlaxton College in 1995 discovered the abandoned church and thought it would look great on Baker’s campus. A Kansan named Robert Osborne agreed to donate the necessary funds to move the chapel to Baker if it was renamed in memory of his wife, Clarice.
Baker University
A year later, the church was purchased by Baker University and shipped to Kansas. The trip was made by train, boat, and truck and contained 25,000 stones and 19,000 roof tiles in 200 crates. All of this was painstakingly used to recreate the church just as it had been in England.
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The church’s pews had been sold, but new ones were custom-made by a local Kansas company. The organ was not working at the time of transport, but has since been repaired.
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When the chapel was finally dedicated at Baker University in 1996, former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was in attendance. Her father had occasionally preached at the church back in Sproxton and she would attend to hear his sermons.
Baker University It’s wild to think that this old church in Kansas once stood in England and was visited by a Prime Minister during her childhood!
This place certainly has a fascinating story! For more information about the Clarice L. Osborne Memorial Chapel, check out the Baker University website.
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Baker University
It’s wild to think that this old church in Kansas once stood in England and was visited by a Prime Minister during her childhood!
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Address: Clarice L. Osborne Memorial Chapel, 515 6th St, Baldwin City, KS 66006, USA
