History: The Story of the Cathedral

The history of Cathedral of the Pines began simply enough as an act of faith. Douglas and Sibyl Sloane of Newtonville, Massachusetts were seeking a place to erect an outdoor chapel.

The idea came to Mr. Sloane in the summer of 1935, when walking along the shores of Lake George, NY he found a stone that resembled an opened Bible.

Several years passed before they happened upon and chose the ideal site. Or, as the Sloanes later believed: it chose them. The property was a small farm in the rolling hills of southwestern New Hampshire just outside the township of Rindge.

The farm was called "Interlaken" because of three small lakes, or ponds, surrounding it. Typical of the New England countryside, the farm had open fields giving way to hilltop ridges covered by heavy woods of pine, spruce, hemlock, maple, beech and birch. Weathered stone walls separated fields from forest.

Atop one ridge, to the west above and beyond one of the ponds, Grand Monadnock Mountain could be seen towering over the surrounding landscape.

For the Sloanes, the peace and quiet of the woods, the giant trees rising high overhead, and the inspiring views brought to mind a cathedral without walls. Here, indeed, was the spot for their chapel.

As the Sloanes settled into their new home, they offered their four children, Douglas, Sanderson (Sandy), Margaret, and John, their choice of sites to build their own homes. While their daughter remained undecided, two of the sons, Douglas and John, opted for spots bordering one of the three ponds. Sandy selected a site at the edge of the woods on the highest hilltop around. In time, the hill would be known as Cathedral Knoll.

The hurricane season of 1938 brought the most destructive hurricane in New England history. While inland areas suffered far less damage than the coasts, storm winds toppled many of the older, larger trees about the Sloane property. What could have been a disaster turned into what the Sloanes saw as a godsend. The thick woods on the ridge top behind the spot Sandy had selected for his home were now thinned out, opening up striking vistas of distant mountains including breathtaking views of nearby Grand Monadnock. This panorama would later become the backdrop for the Altar of the Nation national war memorial.

World War II brought the ultimate loss that a family can bear. It also served as the driving force behind the creation of the Cathedral of the Pines with its dedication to the memory of all who sacrifice their lives in service to their God and country. Before Sandy Sloane could build his dream house atop the hill, he had joined the U.S. Army Air Corps, married, and had a son he would never see. In early 1944, while serving as a B-17 bomber pilot Sandy's plane was shot down over Germany.

In the months following news of their son's death, the Sloanes and numerous friends cleared trees and brush from around the knoll, and there was talk of building a memorial to honor Sandy.

Then, on the last Sunday of August, 1945, a small religious service atop the knoll with Sloane family and close friends unexpectedly turned into a gathering of more than one hundred acquaintances and neighbors who turned up to pray and pay their respects.

The service was so well-received that the Sloanes decided to turn their plans for a private chapel into an open-air cathedral available to all people for prayer and meditation, and to dedicate it to Sandy and to all the sons and daughters who had lost their lives in the war.

The summer of 1946 saw completion of the stone altar and its first services. Official dedication of the Cathedral occurred that same summer. In the fall, the "Altar of the Nation" was officially dedicated as "a memorial to the World War II dead of New Hampshire" and as a shrine to the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. In 1950, the Altar was rededicated as a memorial to all American war dead.

As work continued on clearing brush and timber, and in erecting additional fixtures and appointments, people from across America and from many foreign countries began to take an interest. The number of people who visited the knoll and attended services increased.

At this time the Sloanes decided to place the Cathedral property in a trust to be maintained and perpetuated as a place where all could worship. Trustees included Sloane family members and representatives from the major religious faiths.

In 1957, after being petitioned by the New Hampshire Legislature, the United States Congress voted unanimously to recognize the Altar of the Nation as a national memorial "dedicated to the glory of God as a memorial to all American war dead..."

Over the years, through devotion and perseverance, and assisted by the allegiance and commitment of a close knit community, and with contributions from around the world, the Sloanes worked diligently to clear the land and erect the monuments and shrines that today make up the Cathedral of the Pines.

Millions of people have visited the Cathedral from across this country and from foreign lands. Most of the major patriotic, civic, service, and fraternal organizations hold or participate in memorial services annually. All the major religious faiths have conducted services here.

From its humble beginnings the Cathedral of the Pines has emerged as a natural sanctuary for prayer, meditation, and spiritual renewal open to all people of all faiths who may worship amid the serene beauty of nature each in his or her own way.