Providence Academy seems to be widely under-recognized by the Southwest WA and Portland, OR metro area for the Academy's significance and impact on the development of the region. When the "House of Providence" was dedicated in September 1873, it was the largest brick building north of San Francisco in the West. The iconic, four-story school and orphanage closed doors in 1966, but, not only is "the Academy" still standing, it has been undergoing a multi-million dollar restoration process since 2015. These days, it is a historic commercial and event space with the Academy Chapel and nearby Ballroom as the site of numerous weddings and ceremonies. In 1856, Mother Joseph of the Sacred Heart with four other Sisters of Providence from Montreal, Canada arrived at faraway Fort Vancouver to set up a mission in the Washington Territory. Within a year, the Sisters had established a small one-room school in a flood-prone cabin at the Fort. Through vigorous fund-raising efforts and dedication, the 5 Sisters of Providence built the impressive Academy in 1873 on higher ground to serve as a school, orphanage, and governance offices ... and 16 years before Washington would even become a state. As newer schools from other parishes replaced it in 1966, the first 110 years of community service continued to leave a lasting imprint on the region such as the non-profit organization Providence Health which grew from these simple origins to now have 50 hospitals and over 800 clinics. Providence Academy was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and purchased from the prominent Hidden family in 2015 by the Vancouver Historic Trust thanks to $5 million raised by a philanthropic campaign. Over $2.1 million in renovation efforts have already repaired the roof and porches. An additional $25 million is scheduled to be spent on the chapel, ballrooms, restrooms, parking, accessibility, utilities, and replacing a restaurant built in 1976. Free 1-hour tours are available upon request and I'm glad I got to join one. I had no idea the history, importance, or legacy of the Providence Academy. There is also a free app called the Providence Academy Journey for an augmented reality and virtual tour. If you are new to the region or just interested in learning more about one of the truly historic sites of the Pacific Northwest, I recommend checking out Providence Academy. Otherwise, the building is a memorable choice for leasing office space, hosting a corporate event, or celebrating a wedding, baptism, or other affair. read more

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Many different businesses inside with a chapel i am dying to see. The building is just beautiful brick with a flower walkway in front. I saw the 'Ne jazz orchestra there. They are excellent but it was too bright in the room. There was a dance floor and snacks, no alcohol. read more

Very beautiful place to get married. The parking lot could use some updates, and it's not the most modern place, but that's exactly why someone would want to get married there. The inside chapel was intimate, definitely keep the invitees under 200. The high ceilings and ornate design of the room was lovely to look at. One thing to consider is the ADA restrictions-this chapel was up a steep set of stairs, I didn't see an elevator leading upstairs but there could have been one somewhere. read more

Providence Academy - Inside chapel - Wedding Chapels Near Me - Vancouver, Washington

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Looked into this place for wedding plans. No. It not only has the most disgusting blue carpets I've ever seen and smelled like death, but it was creepy. I love old things, but this wasn't like a good 'Oooooo... Let's lurk around and find hidden doors and look up all the history in this old building' creepy, but like negative cold icky feel to it. Like the feeling that there were possibly small children stored in the basement from 1908. The chapel and Ballroom were small and overall the entire place wasn't very well taken care of. It has serious potential, but I think the fact that there is office buildings, a stinky little cafe, and from what I've heard a pregnancy resource center in it, I do not suggest this place. Too strange. The last thing I would want on my wedding day is to walk from the Chapel where I was just married to the Ballroom for a reception and pass all the girls standing in line for a free pregnancy test in the hall on the way there. Gross. The upside of this place; the exterior is appealing if you like old things. The old brick and the windows and vines growing up the walls. Loved that. read more

The Academy Chapel is one of the most beautiful places on earth! It is seriously breath taking and absolutely mesmerizing when they first open the doors to you and present the chapel for the first time. It is exactly like walking into the past. The intricate details on all the wood work and the care taken to preserve this place is inpeccable. I was just married there and I can honestly say that I wouldnt have wanted to get married anywhere else. No where else would have measured up to the standard that the Chapel makes for others like it. It might look small at first, but you can actually fit quite a lot of people in there. I enjoyed working with Vicki there at the chapel. She helped me out a lot, and gave me quite a lot of great advice; which I despretly needed since being a younger bride and all. She was able to answer all of my questions and even suggested references when I needed them to help complete my wedding. Its a for sure thing that you will be taken care of to the fullest here. The grounds were huge and beautifully manicured always. There were endless spots for the photographer to set up a great shot. You couldnt go wrong standing anywhere. The building-inside and out-are absolutely timeless!!! read more

You can FEEL the history when you enter this building. I was told it was originally part of Fort Vancouver and has a military history. I was a guest at a wedding in the chapel. I was genuinely impressed by the antiquated charm of the chapel. It's very ornate and well-lit through the tall windows. I always found it depressing when a wedding is held in a mostly-empty large church, so I think this venue is great for weddings for 100 to 300 guests. There is ample parking, but the building itself is confusing. The signage inside the building is poor. (The chapel is on the second floor and the elevator is older than dirt.) We were supposed to go through a reception line but nobody knew which door was the front so people went in all directions and it all fell apart. Oh well. So, consider having your special day here. You find your own officiant, I believe, so service can be any denomination. Just consider any guests who cannot manage stairs and ask to see the elevator. read more

The chapel is great for weddings and all of that, but there are some things to watch out for. Know that this is an old building and it has an old smell. The floors are also real creaky. Before you sign up though, be aware that they gouge you for everything. For example, the have some really nice artificial flowers on display, but if you want them to leave them there, it will cost you, which I thought was pretty chinzy. Also note that they have a pretty ugly carpet in the aisle, but alas they have a nice red one in the back room, but oh, oh, they will charge you to use it and charge you even more to have someone roll it out. If you can buy your own clips to add bouquets to the pews that would be better, because they will charge to use their plastic clips as well. I would hope that for the initial price, some of these things would be thrown in for free. One more disappointment was the bell in the tower. When we toured the facility, they said that the bell was broken, but should be fixed by our wedding. On the wedding day, it still was not fixed. I don't thing they are really planning on fixing it, or perhaps it is really not broken. All in all we had a great wedding there, but just be aware of all the hidden costs. read more

When the management of the Academy stopped responding to emails and returning phone calls just two months prior to my daughters wedding I feared the worst! I met with the "new" management and a quick google search revealed that the old manager had been accused of embezzlement. The new management along with the owners are on track to make everything right. I have not for a second had to deal with what is unfortunately their huge problem. They are working hard to make our daughters dream wedding a reality even though I don't think they saw any of the money I put down over a year ago. They haven't said so but I believe they have gone out of pocket and out of their way to fulfill promises made by the previous manager that she was not authorized to make! Wedding isn't for another month but with a can do attitude and desire to do the right thing that they have displayed so far I can't believe the final outcome will be anything but wonderful! Thanks Beth and the owners of The Academy for being such good quality people! read more