The History of Sainte Chapelle

First of all, there is its new name, Sainte Chapelle of Dallas. It is French, and just in case you did not know, it is

 

pronounced San Cha-pel. It is named after the

 

Gothic cathedral of the same name in Paris

 

(That is France…not Texas).

This Church’s architecture is

 

Gothic Revival and the original Goths were French;

 

 therefore the French name seems appropriate.

 

It means “Holy Chapel.”

 

When Constance Montfort was asked by

 

Josiah and Angela Cleveland

 

to become the acting artist on this church, Constance felt

 

that the walls of the sanctuary should be some

 

value of red. It took approximately ten samples on the walls

 

of varying tonalities before Josiah saw one that he loved.

The irony of this story is that

 

Just after the sanctuary walls were painted, Constance’s

 

daughter, Devera, returned from a trip to Paris, where she

 

had photographed the original Sainte Chapelle.

 

Incredibly, its walls were the same colour.

The similarities did not end there.  The columns of

 

Sainte Chapelle had finials of the same jewel tones as the

 

ones Constance had painted.

 

 

Sainte Chapelle in Paris was built about

 

1248 c.e. and was originally a Roman Catholic Church.

 

Since the French Revolution and the establishment

 

of France’s secular government, it has had no particular

 

religion attached to it. Such is the case with our

 

Sainte Chapelle today, but at one time it did.

On October 23, 1902, the First Congregational Church of

 

Dallas was established by a group of 107 people.

 

 

They established their first church at the corner of

 

Commerce and Preston Streets in what is now downtown

 

Dallas. This magnificent structure was torn down

 

by the City of Dallas in 1944 to make way

 

for the widening of Preston Street.

 

Dr. Gonzales

 

In 1915 Pastor John Brosius Gonzales accepted the call to

 

ministry for the Church. Under his direction,

 

 on August 6, 1917, a certain Mr. A. L. Ruebel was

 

appointed chairman  of a church committee to

 

relocate the fledgling church. Rev. Gonzales was never able

 

to see the new church, because he resigned on December

 

21, 1919 to become superintendent of Congregational

 

work in Kansas.

 

Church Council 1922

 

None the less, two lots, here at the corner of

 

Carroll and San Jacinto  Streets were purchased in October

 

 of  1917, and construction was begun. However, because

 

 of the uncertainty created by the onset of World War I and

 

business depression, the progress of

 

building the new Church was temporarily handicapped.

Gothic Revival was a very popular architectural trend

 

around the turn of the century and thereafter.

 

This period was just after the “Victorian Era,” and Queen

 

Victoria of Great Britain had a great deal of influence on

 

architecture and interior design.

 

Perhaps you noticed the beautiful 18” wide crown molding

 

 in the entry. It is a prime example of “High Victorian.”

A gentleman by the name of Thomas H. Harper became the

 

 first minister of the new Church.

 

The Church’s historical documents tell us

 

that because of his due diligence, the Church grew and

 

prospered in its new location.

 

Dr. Thomas H. Harper

 

The Church was also blessed with the benevolence

 

of one Mrs. Mary Knox, (Knox/Henderson perhaps?)

 

 who, in her will, was so kind

 

 as to leave a lot at the corner of Carroll and Bryan Streets.

 

The Church eventually sold it to Mrs. Baird’s Bakery. It is

 

now the home of --------------- Bindery.

 

In 1941, the Church merged with the Junius Heights

 

Congregational Church, and their congregation was

 

increased by ninety-six persons! Then came World War

 

Two, and the Church once again struggled.

After the War, in 1947, the Rev. Authur G. Swartz began a

 

long and successful ministry  of twenty-five years.

 

Dr. Swartz and Family

 

 He initiated the practice of utilizing Perkins Theological

 

 Students (SMU) as assistant ministers. Their contribution

 

 to youth and educational work was most significant.

Sadly, in 1955 the peculiar institution called “white flight”

 

enveloped the city of Dallas. The Church was sold and the

 

last service was held on Sunday, March 31, 1957. The new

 

Church location was a 61/2 acre plot on Royal Lane.

During the ensuing years, the building was used by the

 

Salvation Army and, later, it became

 

the Bethel Methodist Church.

Theirs was an all Black congregation. The Church’s

 

sanctuary must have been filled with the glorious sounds of

 

Gospel singing. However, by 2003, the Church had fallen

 

upon hard  times and had to abandon the structure

 

 because of  lack of  funds.

This beautiful building sat empty for over seven months, its

 

foundation crumbling, its roof leaking, and its only

 

inhabitants cats and pigeons. It was condemned by the city.

Then Josiah Cleveland discovered it. Joe had always had an

 

appreciation for buildings of antiquity, and this Church

 

exemplified just that. Josiah Cleveland fell in love!

When Joe showed Constance Montfort the Church,

 

Constance was incredulous. She asked Joe, “Why did you

 

buy this?” Joe’s answer was, “Constance, I couldn’t not

 

buy it…it was just too beautiful!”

 

Josiah Cleveland, 2006

 

Such are the words of a very unique man, who has a great

 

sense of beauty, and possesses the talent, drive, and

 

ambition to save this priceless example of both art and

 

architecture for the posterity of future generations

 

of the City of Dallas, Texas.

 

                                                             

 

                                                               Constance Montfort

                                                               April 7, 2006