One woman's gift. One mason's last winter. One bell, raised in 1897. The doors have been open ever since.
This beautiful chapel was designed in the late nineteenth century by Frederick Dellenbaugh at the request of Eliza Hartshorn, as a memorial to her late husband, Dr. Isaac Hartshorn.
Work began in 1895 under the direction of local mason John Keir, and was completed the following year — despite Mr. Keir's death in the intervening winter. The 900-pound tower bell was raised on June 19, 1897, and the first service was held the next day.
The chapel was dedicated as an Episcopal church under the general charge of the priest Rev. Daniel Odell, but it was never a parish with a rector or a governing vestry. In its early years, it supported the activities of an Episcopal lay order, the Brothers of Nazareth, who operated it much like the Hospice of St. Bernard in Switzerland — a place Mrs. Hartshorn had admired during her travels.
The chapel was built out of native fieldstone, and looks much the same today as it did when it was consecrated.
A donor, an architect, a mason, a priest, a lay order, and a guild — the human chain that made and kept this chapel.
Provided the land, bore all the expenses, and commissioned the chapel as a memorial to her husband Dr. Isaac Hartshorn. Inspired by the Hospice of St. Bernard in the Swiss Alps, which she had admired during her travels.
Designed the chapel in the late 19th century. Decades later, in 1932, gave the rose window in the western wall to the chapel in memory of his wife Harriet, who had died two years earlier.
Directed construction of the chapel in fieldstone, beginning in 1895. Did not live to see his work consecrated — he died during the winter between groundbreaking and completion. The chapel stands as he left it.
Held general charge of the chapel as an Episcopal priest. Inherited ownership upon Mrs. Hartshorn's death in 1916 and, in 1922, gave it to the Altar Guild of the Episcopal Church.
Operated the chapel in its early years as a place of hospitality and reflection — modeled on the Hospice of St. Bernard in the Swiss Alps. The order kept the doors open, the candles lit, and the visitors welcomed.
A patron remembered today by the memorial arch on the north side of the chapel — a stone arch with panoramic views of the Rondout Valley and the Catskills beyond.
High in the western wall of the chapel — the wall first met by visitors as they pass through the mahogany door — sits the rose window, designed by the celebrated Lamb Studios of New York.
The window was given to the chapel in 1932 by Frederick Dellenbaugh, who had designed the chapel itself nearly four decades earlier — this time in memory of his wife Harriet, who had died in 1930.
It remains the chapel's most quietly affecting feature. In late afternoon light, the rose throws color across the pews and the fieldstone, and the inscription — a husband's epitaph for the woman he loved — reads itself anew to anyone who looks up.
During her travels, Mrs. Hartshorn admired the Hospice of St. Bernard in the Swiss Alps — a centuries-old monastery where stranded travelers found shelter, prayer, and a fire. The Brothers of Nazareth ran the Cragsmoor chapel in much the same spirit. Two thousand feet up on the Shawangunk Ridge, the chapel still keeps that posture: doors open, no questions asked.
Commissions, funds, and gives the chapel. Holds it personally until her death.
Receives the chapel upon Mrs. Hartshorn's death; holds it as priest in charge.
Rev. Odell gives the chapel to the Altar Guild. Title passes to the Diocese of New York.
A nondenominational nonprofit assumes operations and all costs of upkeep. Multi-faith worship begins.
Today, the chapel is owned by the Episcopal Diocese of New York, but since 1995 it has been operated by the Friends of the Stone Church — a nondenominational organization that assumes all costs of maintaining the chapel in its original condition.
Weekly Sunday services run from Memorial Day to Labor Day, with rotating worship leaders from many traditions. The chapel has also become a beloved venue for weddings, which supply income for continuing renovation. The Friends keep the chapel open to visitors every day from Easter to Christmas, closing only during the harshest winter weeks.
The 900-pound bell still rings before each service. The rose window still throws color across the pews. The fieldstone is still the fieldstone John Keir laid down in 1895.
A longer-form article on the chapel's founding, architecture, and stewardship — preserved in the journal of the Cragsmoor Historical Society.
280 Henry Road, Cragsmoor, NY. Two thousand feet up on the Shawangunk Ridge — a beautiful drive in any season.
Plan your visit →The seven Friends of the Stone Church who carry forward the work begun by Eliza Hartshorn 130 years ago.
Meet us →Summer worship every Sunday at 11:15 AM, May 25 through August 31. Plus Lessons & Carols December 19.
See the calendar →Receive updates about our community, services, and special events.
Subscribe to receive updates about services, events, and news from Cragsmoor Stone Church.