Stephen Huneck, an internationally known artist, woodcarver and furniture maker whose most famous work was the Dog Chapel, a hand-built church in Vermont to which dogs and their owners can go for quiet reflection and spiritual renewal, died on Jan. 7 in Littleton, N.H.
The Dog Chapel, in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, is a place for “people of any faith” to celebrate the spiritual connection they have with their dogs. The Greek Revival building is reminiscent of the area’s 1820s country churches. The Dog Chapel started construction in 1997, and has been a popular tourist attraction since it opened in 2000. It sits on Dog Mountain, a vast park-like space Huneck and his wife owned near St. Johnsbury. Dog Mountain, which is open to the public at no charge, includes a gallery, hiking trails and an agility course for dogs.
Small, modest and white, the chapel resembles a 19th-century New England church from the outside, apart from the steeple topped by a winged Labrador. A sign proclaims: “Welcome: All Creeds, All Breeds. No Dogmas Allowed.”
Inside, the four pews, handmade by Mr. Huneck, are supported by carved wooden dogs. Stained-glass windows depict dogs in various poses. The walls are almost entirely covered with handwritten notes to departed pets, placed there by grieving visitors.
Much of Mr. Huneck’s artwork centered on dogs, from life-size sculptures and woodcut prints to inexpensive items like clothing and mouse pads. (His remaining work continues to be sold through his Web site, dogmt.com.). Tragically, Mr. Huneck shot himself, his wife, Gwen, said. She said he had been despondent over having had to lay off most of the employees of his art business that week.
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