The Union Chapel served its small congregation of Cumberland Presbyterians near Hazel Green, Alabama from approximately the mid 1830s to 1962. Decades older than any church in the Huntsville area, the one room clapboard structure was offered to the University of Alabama in Huntsville by Mrs. Franklin Bendall on whose property the chapel stood. It arrived on campus January 17, 1974.
The actual year the church was built is not known as old churches frequently had no deeds or other records. However, the hand construction that was used attests to its origin to at least the mid 1830s making it one of only a few churches that are the oldest in the state.
The charm of the 30' by 40' building is its simplicity as well as its antiquity. Devoid of any sophisticated trimming and not even boasting a spire, the building was constructed with huge hand hewn main girders 12" square and 40' long. Since sawmills did not come into existence in this area until the 1840s, these girders offer testimony that the building may pre-date 1840. The original wainscoting, still in place around the walls, was made of single boards 26" wide, additional evidence of the age of the building. The heavy forged hinges on the doors are typical of those used in the early 19th century; manufactured cut nails, also common during this period were used. The interior had plaster mixed with horsehair as a binder over split lathe. The two-panel entry doors are typical of the Greek Revival period prevalent in this area of the South from the 1830s through the 1840s.
Considered an excellent example of early 19th century construction techniques, the building has also been termed "a three dimensional history lesson and a study in native craftsmanship".
Having served as a hay storage barn at one time since the last congregation sat in its hand carved pews, the little building showed the weight of its years. The late Dr. Jeffrey Bayer, a UAH Art professor was instrumental in getting the structure to campus. He, along with countless thousands of hours of volunteer help from UAH art students and local high school teachers and students, completed the restoration of the structure over a 13 week period. When completed it served as the temporary site for the City of Huntsville Museum of Art until the completion of the von Braun Civic Center in 1975.
