Chapel of Our Lady Restoration

How is it that I’m the first person to review this divine little place? It seems odd, but nevertheless here it goes.
Built in the 19^th century as the first Roman Catholic church north of NYC, the Chapel of Our Lady was originally intended as a worship site for the workers of the West Point Foundry. After Our Lady of Loretto Church opened at the turn of the century, the chapel fell out of use, but was later restored by a group of like-​minded citizens for use as a nondenominational chapel.
Today, the Chapel of Our Lady Restoration holds no religious services and is affiliated with no particular religious sect, but that doesn’t mean that it’s sitting idle. It plays host to a variety of free concerts/​music series, literary readings and lectures throughout the year — these are especially prevalent in the summertime — and it is a venue for weddings as well. The chapel is not especially large, seating no more than 90 people, so this is not the place to book if you’re looking to have a Platinum Wedding. It also has no center aisle — a glance at the website states that if you’re getting married here, the bridal party enters via the left aisle and exits via the right — but the pews are absolutely charming structures with waist-​high doors, everything is bright, airy and light, the altar space is wide for so small a structure, and the windows let in a ton of natural light. Also, there’s no religious iconography to speak of here, so if you are having an interfaith wedding or a civil ceremony, this place is a good choice.
The chapel also boasts a fantastic iron chandelier that they’ve strung with (fake) white flowers, and an old-​fashioned organ in the choir loft, although I’m not sure if that thing works or not. If you’re having a small wedding, this place is absolutely perfect. It’s sweet, romantic and has a nice country atmosphere. I’d love to get married here one day, although that’s probably a pipe dream, because to do so would involve bending to spacial constraints and leaving way too many people off the guest list, and that’s just insulting.
When I came here for a concert last summer, the place was completely full. Every pew was occupied, and latecomers were left to stand in either what passes for a vestibule or out on the porch itself. I managed to get a seat in the choir loft, and if you can swing this for a concert then I’d recommend it wholeheartedly. Not only can you see everything, but the acoustics are terrific. In addition, the chapel was relatively cool that day, considering it was summer and the place has no air conditioning. The two large windows cooled things down pretty well, and they also left the doors open, which let in a nice breeze and even more light than what I expect is usual.
The chapel sits on a bluff directly overlooking the Hudson, and the views of the river and nearby West Point are lovely. The grounds are not too expansive, and parking is limited to the MetroNorth lot directly across the street. Apparently there is a small parking area on the grounds that is reserved exclusively for the use of elderly and disabled guests who cannot walk up to the chapel itself, and with good reason: the path to the chapel is a semi-​steep dirt path that is punctuated by a couple of large stone steps that are more like rock slabs. I really can’t imagine how disabled guests would manage such a climb, or even how they get into the chapel from their specific parking area. I didn’t notice any other entrance besides the main one when I was there, but then again I had no reason to look.
But you don’t have to wait for a wedding or a concert to pay the chapel a visit; rather, simply wait for spring. Take a seat on one of the nearby benches, stretch out, and contemplate the views of the river, West Point and the spring greenery as the chapel overshadows you in the background.