Cathedral Labyrinth and Sacred Garden

The Cathedral Labyrinth and Sacred Garden was conceived by Jane Owen in 1995 and designed and completed by architect and Purdue University Professor Emeritus Kent Schuette in 1996. It is a very close replica of the labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France.

The plan of the garden is a piece of the geometry of Chartres Cathedral. The main columns of the cathedral, which embrace the 12th century labyrinth, are 56’ apart – identical spacing as the piers of the Harmonist brick wall. The entry gate is a 10’ cube with a Celtic cross as its top. The columns are 3’ square (Father, Son & Holy Ghost) and the opening are 4’ (fall, winter, spring & summer; north, south, east & west). The labyrinth is “carnelian” granite from Mill Bank, South Dakota and was fabricated by the Cold Springs Granite Company.

The Orpheus Fountain was installed in 1998 and was designed and executed by British sculptor Simon Verity.

The benches are identical to those found on the plaza in front of Chartres Cathedral.