Rising above the academy grounds in Annapolis, the copper dome you now approach is known to midshipmen as the Brigade Chapel. This is one of nine designated chapel spaces at the Naval Academy, where Protestant and Catholic services are both held. Designed by Ernest Flagg, its cornerstone was laid in 1904 by Admiral George Dewey and the Chapel was dedicated on May 28, 1908.
Walk these steps imagining the 1940 remodeling that doubled seating to 2,500 to fit a larger brigade; that project reshaped the interior into a large cross and left the copper dome and cupola soaring 193 feet above the main altar area. From 1853 to 1972 chapel attendance was compulsory here, and generations of midshipmen learned the traditions of the place. One enduring ritual: new third-class midshipmen become "Youngsters" the moment they sight this dome on their return from summer cruise.
The Brigade Chapel is a focal point of the Academy and the city, a feature that helped the Academy become a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and it was even honored on a 1995 U.S. postage stamp for the Academy’s 150th anniversary. That copper dome and cupola climb 193 feet above the main altar, the sight every returning midshipman watches for.