The Chapel was built for the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1933 to adjoin the main Seminary building (see University Building). The Gothic structure was built of Weymouth Granite with composition granite trim and piers. The interior was elaborately decorated with ornamented marble altars, marble statuary, painted murals and stained-glass windows.
The Chapel was acquired by Rensselaer in 1958 and renovated to house the library in 1960. The library remained there until the Folsom Library was completed in 1976. The Chapel was transformed into the Alan M. Voorhees Computing Center (VCC) by architects Wallace, Floyd, Ellenzweig, Moore, Inc. in 1979. Alan M. Voorhees, Class of 1947, gave $3.4 million to fund the project. RPI President George Low called the VCC "the most unique computing center in the world."
