This historic place of worship’s existence can be dated back to as early as 1420. It’s traveled internationally throughout the years, and now you’ll find this chapel in the one and only Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

St. Joan of Arc Chapel is located in Milwaukee, but it wasn't always here.
Marquette University Facebook
It was originally it was named Chapelle de St. Martin de Seyssuel and was first built around 1420 in France, in the village of Chasse in the Rhone Valley. It served the community for centuries before it was put out of commission due to decay.
A devotee of St. Joan of Arc named Gertrude Hill Gavin, the daughter of an American railroad mogul, learned of the little chapel and purchased the structure.
Bluebarb11 / Wikimedia Commons
Gavin arranged for the chapel to be dismantled stone-by-stone and shipped overseas to her property in Long Island, which was a French Renaissance chateau that she had acquired and relocated to America.
Gavin dedicated the chapel to St. Joan of Arc.
Stephanie R. / Yelp
Joan of Arc, the famous French heroine of the Hundred Years War, was captured and convicted of heresy, then burned at the stake at the age of 19. After her death, she was considered a martyr and later canonized as a Roman Catholic saint.
Shortly after Gavin transported and reconstructed the chapel in America, France made a law banning the export of such treasures.
Cory D. / Yelp
Gertrude Gavin sold her chateau and the chapel to Marc Rojtman in 1962.
Just five days before Rojtman and his wife were planning to move in, the chateau burned to ground in a fire; however, the chapel survived miraculously undamaged.
Flickr / Joseph Kranak
The Rojtmans, seeking a new home for the chapel, wrote to the president of Marquette University in Milwaukee to offer the historic structure, believing it would be fully appreciated at the Jesuit college.

Related Stories

These 10 Churches In Milwaukee Will Leave You Absolutely Speechless

These 10 Churches In Milwaukee Will Leave You Absolutely Speechless

 Hidden Underneath This Milwaukee Bridge Is A Park Only Locals Know About

Hidden Underneath This Milwaukee Bridge Is A Park Only Locals Know About

 There's Nothing More Milwaukee Than The Iconic Gas Light Building And We Love It

There's Nothing More Milwaukee Than The Iconic Gas Light Building And We Love It
Marquette accepted the gift and, once again, the chapel was disassembled carefully over the course of nine months.
Marquette University Facebook
The construction workers needed to label each of the stones before loading them onto a convoy of trucks bound for the chapel's present home in Milwaukee.
Marquette University Website
It took works another eight months to reassemble the chapel on the Marquette campus.
Some small renovations were made to the chapel, like adding new floors and electric lights, but otherwise, it has all it's original components.
Yelp / Christina S.
In 1966, the chapel doors were reopened to the public.
The chapel has returned to its roots as a community gathering place, and has been the site of both candlelight vigils and political protests.
Marquette University Facebook
Although it hosts regular Catholic masses, this fascinating historic chapel draws visitors of all faiths and backgrounds to see it's divine beauty.
Despite all of the changes and all that the chapel has been through in the past 600 years, it still serves as a center for the Catholic community and Jesuit university that surrounds it.
Facebook / Marquette University

Have you been to the St. Joan of Arc Chapel at Marquette? Share your experience and photos in the comments

For more historic Wisconsin fun, check out this renaissance faire that’s unlike any other.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Related Articles