Wesleyan’s Pierce Chapel Site Receives Blessing

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – It’s been a while since Wesleyan college has had a chapel on campus.

And that’s saying something, especially for a college that is directly affiliated with the Methodist Church.

85 years is a long time to wait.

“At our original campus downtown on college street, Pierce Chapel was the heart of that campus,” said Doug Macmillan, Vice President of Institutional Advancement.

And now finally, the Pierce Chapel at Wesleyan College in Macon is coming back to campus.

Thursday afternoon, the college held the Blessing of the Ground ceremony–taking place of the normal groundbreaking ceremony because construction had already begun.

“Here, when we designed this new campus–85 years ago–a chapel was always designed to be a part of it, and just now we’re getting around to building it,” said MacMillan.

Recitals, baccalaureates and other school events took place in the old building–and the goal with the new Pierce Chapel is to have a building just like it.

But what took so long? The answer starts with timing.

“When this campus was originally constructed, the Great Depression began, and after that, World War II and many many other things,” said MacMillan. “And for a number of reasons we’ve not been able to build a chapel until now.”

So construction has begun.

The site lies near the back of campus, between Jones and Hightower Halls.

“History is important to Wesleyan,” said MacMillan. “The Methodist Church has worked to encourage our mission. They helped to found Wesleyan College–we’re grateful for that. And there have been families and leaders in Georgia who for generations and generations have helped to guide and steer and support Wesleyan College.”

And the college is hoping resurrecting a new heart of campus will bring a new beat to Wesleyan College.