Chapel History
Religion has played an important part in the life of the community in and around Big Moose Lake and the surrounding area.
In 1893, there were seven camps around Big Moose Lake. It is known that religious services were held in these camps beginning that year. Sometimes these were only song services; at other times, when a minister was vacationing at the lake, a sermon was included. Some of the camp boat houses were large and the second floor lent itself well to informal worship. They became regular meeting places for the purpose of prayer, song and sermon. On occasion overflow attendance led attendees to moor their boats to the dock and join with those in the boat houses in singing hymns. When hotels were built on the lake shore these too became assembly places for Sunday services.
The need to formalize services gradually became evident, and the minister of the Inlet church was engaged for afternoon worship at Big Moose Lake. This arrangement continued from 1910 to 1928. In 1926, a year-round church program began the organized life of Big Moose Chapel. The first summer minister was called for the summer of 1929. A year earlier, in September 1928, the congregation voted to fulfill a longstanding dream of having a chapel on the lake. Ground was broken that year and construction, under the direction of a well-known local builder, Earl Covey, proceeded until it’s completion in July 1930. On the eve of the first service, fire broke out and destroyed most of the building. Friends came to the rescue, funds were raised from the community, and the building was restored and completed the following summer. The rebuilt Chapel was dedicated on August 2, 1931.
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The membership of the Chapel is made up of both those with have permanent residence in the Fulton Chain region of the Adirondacks and summer residents who may also have membership elsewhere. Financial support of the Chapel comes entirely from its members and other worshipers who have found its open door and non-denominational worship a blessing, and have chosen to express their gratitude by contributing time and financial support to continue its traditions for future generations.