Stearns Steeple

The freestanding steeple of a long-demolished college chapel

A tall Victorian Gothic steeple, standing perfectly intact on a small lawn on the Amherst College campus — with no church attached to it. The brownstone tower has lost its building but kept its bells and its dignified silhouette. It is one of those small architectural oddities that justify a short walk across the campus.

There is no admission; you just turn up and stand under it. Photogenic at sunset when the light hits the western face.

things to do sight
A story
The original Stearns Church was built in 1873 in memory of college president William Augustus Stearns, but by the 1940s its limestone structure was crumbling. Rather than restore the whole building, Amherst College demolished the church around the steeple, leaving the brownstone tower standing alone. It has been a campus landmark ever since.

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