MC’s Provine Chapel added to National Register of Historic Places

CLINTON, Miss. — Constructed in 1860, Provine Chapel, the oldest building on the Mississippi College (MC) campus, is a beloved edifice that famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright is said to have described as “one of the best examples of existing neo-Grecian architecture.”

The building that has hosted countless Christian worship services, music concerts, student and alumni weddings, and religion classes was formally included in the National Register of Historic Places in 2025.

Stephanie Busbea, MC professor of art and dean of the School of Christian Studies, Humanities and the Arts, said the designation marks the culmination of a months-long effort by MC officials to place the chapel in the prestigious listing of significant locations in the U.S. A plaque signifying the achievement will be unveiled this year as part of MC’s bicentennial celebration.

“Whenever I travel across Mississippi, I stop and visit significant places and buildings, especially those designated by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History,” Busbea said. “I hope others who enjoy visiting historic buildings will visit MC to see Provine Chapel.”

Jennifer V.O. Baughn, chief architectural historian at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and co-author of the book, “Buildings of Mississippi,” helped MC officials prepare the nomination. She said Provine Chapel, a red brick, temple-form Greek Revival structure with a stone Corinthian portico, met the National Register’s rigid requirements for historical significance and architectural integrity. The chapel was found to have significance in the areas of “education” and “architecture.”

“To be listed in the National Register at the statewide level of significance, a building has to transcend its immediate local surroundings and be comparable to similar buildings around the state,” Baughn said. “The nomination showed that the temple form was a popular form for institutional buildings in the 1850s, but that most have been lost.”

Two that remain are the Lyceum on the University of Mississippi campus and Oakland Chapel at Alcorn State University in Lorman.

“Comparing Provine with these two buildings yields important insights about the quality and evolution of the Greek Revival style and the temple form in the late antebellum period,” Baughn said.

Administered by the National Park Service, the National Register of Historic Places is the official list of historic places in the U.S. worthy of preservation. The listing helps identify, evaluate and protect America’s historic and archaeological resources. Busbea credits Heather Moore, head of special collections in the MC Archives, for helping gather all the relevant documents and photos for the successful register submission.

“The National Register of Historic Places is foundational to the identification and preservation of historic buildings and sites around the country,” Baughn said. “This listing honors not just the building, but its preservation by Mississippi College over many decades.

“Statewide significance is a more difficult level to achieve because the nomination has to show that this building is of the same quality and architectural integrity as buildings around the state rather than just locally. At Mississippi College, Provine has been a centerpiece of the campus from the early days of the institution. This listing shows that the college has always been more than just a local institution.”

The two-story structure features a dual staircase entrance on its northern side and two long vertical windows with a brick pilaster façade on its southern end. Its interior includes a main room with carpeted oak floors, triple-hung shuttered windows, a balcony on three sides, and a trio of brass chandeliers. Its raised basement contains classroom and office space.

The most substantial change to the building was the removal of its original belfry in 1910; the bell was relocated to a custom-made brick enclosure across MC’s Quad between Chrestman Hall and Lowrey Hall.

“Even with the modernization of the interior and some exterior alterations, the building retains its architectural integrity and quality and is a worthy addition to the list of Mississippi buildings on the National Register,” Baughn said.

Provine Chapel has appeared in several books about Greek Revival architecture and important Mississippi landmarks, including “Shrines to Tomorrow,” “Jackson Landmarks,” “Architecture of the Old South,” “Historic Churches of Mississippi,” “Must-See Mississippi,” and “Buildings of Mississippi.”