The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-03-15

LOCAL MATTERS.
THE UNITED PREsBYTERIAS CHURCH.-In the
great fire of April Sd, ls65,-that fire which
cast it's lurd glare upon thousands of weary
footed soldiers, sadly and mournfully march
ing away from the Capital of their State, and
threw its glittering rays upon the FURNISHED
bayonets of the Army of the James, daunting
even the souls of the yictors by an exhibition
of power and majesty greater and more ire
sistible than that of war-only one religious
ediflce was destroyed. Vast store-houses, long
houses, government magazines, one after the
other, caught fire, and in a few hours were
reduced to masses of smouldering brick and
stone, with here and there q bended column or
twisted girder, to mark the spot where had
stood one of the proudest of our many hand
some buildings. But in all the fearful desola-
tion and distress caused by the fire, the conso-
lation remained that our churches, with one
exception, had been spared to us-and those
who had been deprived alike of hope and home
still felt tinge of comfort and consolation as
the declining flames gilded with dazzling light
the numerous spires which, crowned with the
cmblematC cross still pointed toward Hea
ven The United Presbyterian Church, of
which DR.. c. H. Read was pastor, and which
stood at the corner of Eighth and Franklin
streets, was completely burned down, and
since the day of the conflagration, the pastor
himself, the trustees, and the congregation
generally, have been eXerting themselves with
all possible zeal and devotion to secure the
rebuilding of that church which had been
endeared to them by so many holy recollec-
tions of mutual prayer and common suppllca-
tions and it is gratifying to us to know that
their efforts have, so far, been attended with
considerable success.
The United Presbyterian Church of this
city was constituted by the action of the East
Hanover Presbytery on the I'd September, 1885,
bv whfch the union of the Presbyterian
Church on Shockoe Hill " and the &" Fourth
PRESBYTERIAN Church " was effected. In 1889,
u lecture room was built and in lS4S the whole
edifice was enlarged. In January, lS49, the
Rev Charles II. Read, the present pastor, was
elected, and commenced his laoors on the llth
March, in the same year.
lis now proposed to erect upon the site OF
that which was burned down in April last
church which will, III an architectural point
of view, be the handsomest religious building
simple Gothic, devoid of the excessively forid
ornamentation of the medieval Gothic, but
still rich in its deeply ly-carVed windows, ana
noble and imposing in the two massive towers
which flank the main entrance. According 10
the plan before us, the editce will be about
sixty three feet wide by ninety feet long. Inc
towers ninety feet high, one OF them 10 be
capped with a spire eighty-five feet IN height
This last mentioned tower to contain CLOCK
with two faces, one towards Franklin and the
other towards Grace street
The building is designed to have a basement
twelve feet high, containing lecture'room
about forty four by tifty-eight feet inside
room for the infant department OF the SUNDAY
school, pastors study, &c, and access TO the
building will be through front vestibule IN
the basement.
The main audience room above IS intended
TO be reached from the front vestibule by a
broad stairway, with two landings in each
tower. This room will be about twenty-elght
feet high, independent of the rise of the roof.
The galleries are intended TO be suspended on
iron rods, the gas lights TO come from the cell
ing, and the pulpit lights TO be concealed from
view. The whole cost of the building will be
about sixty thousand dollars.
Although much has been accomplished, a
great deal still remains to be done, and the
united and earnest labor of the members OF the
PRESBYTERIAN Church can alone insure lis
successful completion. No donations Will be
too small or unimportant. Each is expected TO
give according TO his means, and those VINO
cannot offer money, can at least give their
good will, and the product of their hands In
far that
ting aside all sectarian feeling, will, in the
true spirit of Catholic Christianity, contribute
generously to that edifice, which, when com
pleted, will be one of the greatest ornaments
of our city, as we'll as q temple OF Religion.
On Monday next, the 10th instant, the ladies
of the United Presbyterian Church will hold a
sale of useful and fancy articles, together
with supper and refreshments, for the pur-
pose of raising funds for the object which we
have mentioned, and will continue the sale
during the week. Those who cannot expect
TO make purchases can at least send articles
to the fair 10 be purchased by others, and the
greater the variety the greater VIII De the
beneflt resulting to the Church. The fair
Young ladies OF the Presby terian Church Will
preside at the different tables and IL their
friends will only once enter the fair building,
the ladies may be trusted to do the rest
No word of commendation on our part IL
necessary to exalt the merit of the good work
OF rebuilding church destroyed by terrible
fire no word of ours is necessary TO awaken
this people, at least, TO the importance OF the
culture of religious feeling in the South and
we earnestly wish that all the hopes OF the
PROTECTORS Of the United Presbyterian Fair
NAV be realized hundred.fold,