F. L. Carroll Chapel and Library
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The plans for F. L. Carroll Chapel and Library were announced in 1901, following substantial gifts to Baylor University from F. L. Carroll for the Chapel and Library and from G. W. Carroll for the Science Hall. While the Science Hall is separate from the Chapel and Library, the two buildings are linked in both style and historical significance. The cornerstones for both buildings were laid February 28, 1902, and their construction was a major landmark in Baylor history, lauded by the student newspaper as the moment when “Greater Baylor Begins.” Construction of F. L. Carroll Chapel and Library was completed in 1903. Period documentation describes the building’s original winding staircases, marble entryways, and seven marble pillars that supported a domed stained glass window. The building housed donated book collections. The dome on top of the building covered the chapel area which included an organ purchased by F. L. Carroll. In 1918, the collection of Dr. A. J. Armstrong’s Browning materials was donated to Baylor University and was housed in Carroll Chapel and Library.
On February 11, 1922 the F. L. Carroll Chapel and Library Building was damaged by a fire that destroyed much of the wooden interior. The Browning collection and many of the books were saved, as was the exterior of the building. Between 1922 and 1924 the building was reconstructed to house the University’s main library as well as several other smaller collections, including the Browning Collection, the Law School library, and the Texas Collection. The domed chapel was not reconstructed; in its place, a third floor was added. A basement was also added during this reconstruction. The quoin work from the original facade as well as some of the stone string course between the second and third floor are still intact. Throughout the years the building also housed the Strecker Museum, the J. B. Tidwell Bible Library, classrooms and offices for various academic departments, and temporary space for departments whose buildings were being remodeled.
After a 1992 hail storm damaged some of the windows, the University decided to remodel the building. The architectural work for the renovations was done by F&S Partners Incorporated from Dallas, Texas, and the contractor was Waco Construction, Incorporated. The landscape architect was J. Robert Anderson from Austin. In 1993 the renovations began, and in 1994 the building was once again fully functional, housing such entities as the Institute for Oral History, J. M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies, the University Historian, and the Texas Collection. The building was rededicated on February 26, 1994.
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Promising Start (October 6, 1902)
The F. L. Carroll Chapel and Library takes shape on the corner of 5th Street and Speight Street on the historic Burleson Quadrangle at Baylor University. | Source: Image courtesy of the Texas Collection, Baylor University
Browning Room in F. L. Carroll Chapel and Library
In 1918 the collection of Dr. A. J. Armstrong's Browning materials were donated to Baylor University and were housed in F. L. Carroll Chapel and Library. The Browning collection was saved during the 1922 fire and continued to be housed in Carroll Library. | Source: Image courtesy of the Texas Collection, Baylor University
An Impressive Structure
The dome on the top of the building that covered the chapel was destroyed in the 1922 fire and was not rebuilt. The photograph was taken from one of the towers in nearby Burleson Hall. | Source: Image courtesy of the Texas Collection, Baylor University
A Bibliophile's Paradise
The original reading room of F. L. Carroll Chapel and Library contained multiple spaces for silent study adjacent to the library's holdings. This photograph was taken sometime before the 1922 fire. When the building was rebuilt, the marble columns were not included in the new plans. | Source: Image courtesy of the Texas Collection, Baylor University
Interior view from the stage of F. L. Carroll Chapel (1910)
This space could hold up to 2,400 people and served as Baylor University's main chapel. The interior of the building was completely destroyed by fire in 1922 and the chapel was never rebuilt. | Source: Image courtesy of the Texas Collection, Baylor University
Of Pillars and Charred Remains
A fire on February 11, 1922 destroyed much of the wooden interior of F. L. Carroll Chapel and Library. Most of the collections were saved, and between 1922 and 1924 the building was rebuilt. The chapel was never reconstructed, but the library continued to house collections including the Browning collection, the Law School library, and the Texas Collection. | Source: Image courtesy of the Texas Collection, Baylor University