An Early Vories Chapel in Kurume
The Japan Evangelical Lutheran Kurume Church Chapel (日本福音ルーテル久留米教会礼拝堂) is a brick chapel designed by William Merrell Vories of 1918 in Hiyoshimachi, Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on September 10, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a brick building of one storey, partly two, with a copper roof and a building area of 165 square metres, altered in 1950 and 1954; registration number 40-164.
A Worship Space without Columns
The chapel of the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Kurume Church stands in the centre of the city, at the south-west corner of its plot on the south side of the street, facing north (Agency for Cultural Affairs). It is a brick building with an east-west gabled roof, entered from the north side of the bell tower at its north-east corner.
Inside, scissor trusses span the roof to create a worship space free of columns (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency notes that its rational plan and careful finish show the character of Vories's early work well, and registered it as a model of design.
What to Look For
Look for the bell tower and entrance at the north-east corner and the column-free space under the scissor trusses (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is owned by the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church (Agency for Cultural Affairs). The chapel and brick wall are introduced together on the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Kurume Church page. No official information on public access was found.
Q&A
- When was the chapel built?
- In 1918, with alterations in 1950 and 1954 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Who designed it?
- William Merrell Vories.
- What is the interior like?
- A column-free space under scissor trusses.
- Where is the entrance?
- On the north side of the bell tower at the north-east corner.
- When was the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Kurume Church Chapel registered?
- On September 10, 2019 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Japan Evangelical Lutheran Kurume Church Chapel (日本福音ルーテル久留米教会礼拝堂) |
|---|---|
| Location | 16-3 Hiyoshimachi, Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2019/09/10 (Reiwa 1) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Brick, one storey (partly two), copper roof, 165 m² |
| Owner | Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | No official information on access |
References
- Japan Evangelical Lutheran Kurume Church Chapel (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00013008
Last verified: 2026.10.23
