Tree falls on historic Fort Sherman Chapel

Jan 13, 2021 KHQ

COEUR d’ALENE, Idaho — Wednesday’s windstorm brought down a large pine tree onto the historic Fort Sherman “Little Red” Chapel. 

The Chapel has sustained severe damage, reports the Museum of North Idaho. The building is one of the oldest in Coeur d’Alene, dating back to 1880.

Built by the U.S. Army, the Fort Sherman Chapel is Coeur d’Alene’s oldest church. The Fort Sherman Chapel served as a church, library and the region’s first school.

Fort Sherman was abandoned in 1900 and the buildings and property sold at public auction in 1905. Developers bought what is today known as the Sherman Park Addition, which included the Chapel. 

Over the years many different denominations used the Chapel for church services. In 1942 The Athletic Round Table held the Chapel in trust and began repairs of the structure. To ensure the preservation of Coeur d’Alene’s oldest standing building, The Athletic Round Table donated the Chapel to the Museum of North Idaho in 1984.

Since 1984, the Fort Sherman Chapel has provided a setting for weddings in the Coeur d’Alene area. Three were planned for February 2021.