The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-12-23

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''church people" of this city. After many
weeks of unavoidable delay, caused mainly by
the impossib,lity of procuring carpets and
other articles on account of the Chicago fire,
their new church edi6ce was carpeted and
cushioned, and opened for divine service.
With the outside of the church the great pub
lie had for some time been familiar. Built of
undressed Joliet stone, its solid and substan-
tial appearance with Its graceful and sym
metrical proportions and its beautiful spire
bearing aloft the cross and the crown, had
elected general admiration. But attractive
as was the exterior, positive surprise met the
public on beholding the interior. Several
compared it to unexpectedly stepping in front
of splendid painting. 1t was not on account
of anything gaudy or Aaring in its details of
finish, tor, with exception Of a few streaks of
vermilion about the woodwork oveahead, the
coloring and decoration" is PLAIN to severity
The woodwork is finished in black walnut,
and the color of the walls is simple lavendar,
with sky blue canopy over the chancel but
is singularly striking and beautiful. We save
ourselves the trouble Of preparing 'profes-
sional" description of the building, by copy
ing the following from the Tribune, for which
paper it was prepared, We believe, by Mr..
Guest, OF this city.
The style of the building 10 Gothic, OF the
transition period between the twelfth and
thirteenth centuries, and il built entirely Of
Joliet rough stone, from the design and plans
OF Mr.. A. II. FlwOod, architect of Aurora Ill.
The nave IS 36x72 feet the chancel 22x23, and
q north trsnsept, reserved for the organ and
music leaders, Sx24ft. The height OF the
walls is 16a it. Seating capacity from 300 to
400. The tower is surmounted by a spire,
rising to hight OF los feet, and terminating
in gilded cross and crown. The main en-
trance is through the tower, which is on the
northwest corner, the professional entrance
being through porch in front. The chancel
is equally divided into the sacrsrum and
choir by an altar rail OF blsckwanut. At tho
north side of tho chancel is = vestry room
twelve feet square, and on the south side of
the chancel is the parish and Sunday school
in front OF which stands the font W o raised
platform. The ceiling OF the chn,ch i.
polyagonal, with hammer beams resting on
stone corbels, the height from floor to ceiling
being twenty nine feet. The walls, and the
ceiling Of the nave, are stained light laven-
dar color. The ceiling of the chance is in
ultramarine, and border Of grape vines runs
around the chancel. IN the angle of the walls
and ceiling. Over the chancel arch is the In
scription, in Church text: 20 come. let us
worship, and fall down, and kneel before the
Lord, our Maker" The woodwork is finished
IN blsckwalnut. The front of the altar is bro
ken into open carved pannels, OF quatrefoll
pattern the spaces in each OF which are filled
| with vermillion. The chambers of the ham
! mer beams are also touched with vermillion.
| On each side ot the altar is niche in the
| wall one for the prothesis, and the other tor
the aims basins. Every gable of the church is
surmounted Ivy q carved Greek cross. Over
the arch Of the tower entrance is cut in the
| stone, the inscription. I'VE will go into the
S"use of the Lord" And over the porch EN-.
trance, Come unto Me, all We tina. labor and
| are heavy laden, and | will give you rest"
On each side of the porch is tablet; one
bearing the inscription, MY Lord and nay
God" and the other, ave praise Thee, o
God The church is heated by two N user"
furnaces.
Among the windows, which are of course of
stained glass, is one contributed by the sun
day school, with tablet noting the fact and
memorial window, placed there by Mr. g.
II. Marsand, IN mem DRY of Sadie Swift Mars
land, his deceased wife The window was
manufactured by the far-famed house of John
Hardman, & Co., of London, England, by
their special artist, Mr.. s. Powell, and for
richness of color and elaborate finish in every
detail is seldom equalled even by this firm, SO
we'll known Ms at the head Of their profession.
The central figures are the Madonna and
child, and under them, in medieval characters,
the simple inscription, "In mem. Of Sadie j.
Marsland."
1t is due to say, as the name of Mr.. Elwood
has been mentioned as the architect, that the
contractors for erecting the building were the
firm Of Colwell, Clark & Co.. OF this city, and
it is no exggeration to say that from the first
stone that was laid to the last touch of the
painter the eye OF one or the other Of the firm
was on the workman. To say that their work
is thu, next to perfect, in every detail, is do
ing them but simple justice.
The cost of the building, including carpets,
cushions, organ, &C., Is about $4,000, of
which about $4,000 remains . debt upon the
church. We state this in explanation of the
reason why the church was not 'dedicated'
| at its first oueninu "a many expected An