Vesper Hill Children's Chapel
Vesper Hill Children's Chapel - an outdoor chapel with formal garden that features annuals and perennials, herbs, and a variety of trees
Between Rockport’s busy harbor and the fields of Aldermere Farms sits Vesper Hill Children’s Chapel. Vesper Hill Children’s Chapel is a non-denominational outdoor chapel. The chapel can seat 50 people and is a perfect location for special occasions such as weddings, baptisms, and memorials. But even in the absence of a big event, the Chapel is a great place to relax, to think, to meditate or pray, and to paint or draw, and it is open to the public for all of these things.
The site that the Chapel enjoys used to be home to a hotel called Tamarack Lodge, which burned in 1954. The Chapel was built in 1960 by Helene Bok. Part of the stone foundation from the Tamarack has been incorporated into the gardens. Visitors enjoy a formal garden that features annuals and perennials, herbs, and a variety of trees. A spacious lawn provides great spots for picnicking.
A dedication plaque in the chapel reads: This chapel is built to the memory of all young people who have passed through this world and gained God by so doing. It stands for freedom, thought, prayer, and action. It stands for holiness within the body, and for God in the heart each waking hour. May the Lord bless all young people who come here for spiritual and mental refreshment. – Helene Bok..
To reach the Chapel, take Russell Avenue out of downtown Rockport. Then turn right on Calderwood Lane. Go past Megunticook Golf Course. On your right, you’ll see a driveway marked by a boulder with the world “Vesper Hill” inscribed on it.
The Chapel is open from mid-April through October. Call (207) 236-6139 for more information.
