Sacred Spaces
Cochran Chapel
Cochran Chapel is the spiritual center of Phillips Academy. Dedicated in 1932, it was the final gift of Thomas Cochran, Class of 1890. Designed by architect Charles Adams Platt, the exterior is neo-Georgian. The interior, barrel-vaulted and colonnaded with carved oak paneling, suggests the late 17th-century English Baroque style of Christopher Wren. In 1981, the Andover Organ Company installed a new two manual, 27 stop, tracker organ.
In addition to housing the Chaplaincy and student religious organizations, Cochran Chapel is home to the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, choral and orchestral groups, and All-School Meetings. Renovated to include a large balcony in 1998—thanks to a generous gift from David M. Underwood ’54—Cochran Chapel was rededicated October 16, 1998. An additional grant, made in May 2012 by the Abbot Academy Association, has allowed the chapel to purchase new pew cushions and reupholster all its chairs. More recent financial allocations have allowed for the installation of large projection screens, the purchase of a baptismal font, new seating for our musicians, and the refinishing of both our pulpit and altar. Each of these grants has helped us maintain the grandeur of this architectural gem.
Kemper Chapel
Located in the lower level of the Chapel building, the Sylvia Pratt Kemper Chapel was created in the unfinished basement in 1963. Dedicated to headmaster John Kemper’s late wife, this small chapel was created “to provide special services for boys of different faiths.” Today it is home to the Catholic community on campus for their weekly Sunday evening Masses. The space is also used for small gatherings of spiritual/faith groups, for smaller memorial services, for rehearsals, and for occasional meetings.
Kemper Chapel houses some sacred furnishings created by former art faculty: a hand-built altar made of rare African wood, the sculpted doors of the Torah Ark which houses Torah scrolls, and the hand-carved bronze figure on a Christian cross. One of the three Chapel organs built by the Andover Organ Company is also in this chapel.
Baldwin Cloister
In 1985, a lounge, reception area, and kitchen were added to the lower level. In memory of school minister, A. Graham Baldwin, this space is used for fellowship and hospitality gatherings after worship, for receptions after concerts, and is a relaxed place for meetings, study, and relaxation.
Meditation Room
