The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-07-08
Broadway Mission Chapel, Louisville, Ky

Broadway MISSION Cnapel, LOUISVILLE, NY.
This second chapel is great improve
ment on DR.. Robinson's first one, hereto
fore described in the Courier, chiefly be-
cause of its showing a Gothic pitched
single roof instead of the patent com
position roof with which the first was
covered.
As a great number of inquiries have
been made abroad concerning these struc-
lures, by persons desiring to secure con-
venient and tasteful church buildings
with the smallest possible expense, it
may be worth while to describe this
structure little in detail
The building is seventy-twO by thirty
one feet, with an infant school-room at
tached in the rear, say sixteen by twen-
ty feet. In order to secure light and air
being on narrow lot, the structure is
raised a second story in the middle por-
ton with an additional row of windows,
by means of two rows of pillars twenty.
six feet high, running parallel through
the entire building, twelve feet distant
from each other and nine feet distant
from each side This arrangement
would not be necessary in country places,
and at much less expense, the roof, sup
ported by the rows of pillars, could ex-
tend mbroken from the sides to the cen.
tre.)
The walls are constructed of upright
boards Il to IA inches wide and 10 feet
long, planed on the inside, and tongued
and grOOved, so as to preserve a smooth
surface for varnish within, and battened
on the outside. The framework which
these boards cover consists of. studs eve
ry three feet, planned on three sides, with
horizontal cross pieces every five feet
planned in like manner, thus forming pan
nels 3 by 5 feet. AT the corners and
opposite each pillar in the row extending
through the building to support the up
per story, timbers of five inches take the
place of studs to give the structure great
er strength.
The ceiling is constructed in like man.
ner as the sides, of boards planed on the
inside and tongued and grOoved, with
rafters and cross pieces forming pannels
as on the sides. This ceiling answers
also the ends of sheathing, or shingling
on the outside, care being taken that
short nails be used, which cannot spoil
the ceiling within. This method of COW
ering with shingles instead of compo-
sition roof is the chief Improvement in
this over DR.. Robinson's first chapel, as
it permits the roof to slope, which could
not be done with the composition roof
Another great improvement is in con-
structing the lobby, so as to project four
feet without the front wall of the house,
and four feet within, and this carried
twelve feet in width above the central or
double story part, furnishes base for a
tower eight feet square and some twenty
feet in height, which with small amount
of Ornamenting at the top, presents a
very symmetrical appearance.
The general form of the structure may
thus be described First, the walls, with
their first row of gothic windows, fifteen
feet high to the square, thence runs a
wing roof, nine feet horizontal width,
rising about four feet to the line of twen-
ty six feet columns, extending the length
of the building. Thence from a girder
fitted into these columns rises another
story seven feet high, with its row of
gothic windows, to plate laid upon the
top of the columns. Across the top of
each pair of columns is framed joist,
and these, together with the rafters,
framed to the side walls, keyed into the
columns, eight feet below, tie the whole
structure securely together. The second
story is covered as the wings, with roof
of like pitch.
The inner surface is vanished, both
walls and ceiling, with cheap varnish,
and nothing can be more beautiful than
the effect of the varnish upon pine wood.
The pews, some eighty odd in number,
are vanished in like manner. Part of
them are made with turning backs, for
the convenience of Sunday School class
es. Every portion of the work is exc
cuted in the neatest manner.
Messrs. McLaran & Bell furnished the
lumber, all prepared, and Mr., Hickman,
with some three or four workmen, has