National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-06-14
CHURCH IMPROVEMENT.
COMPLETION OF MeKBSDRgB CHAPEL.
Fall Description Of the New Ediaee--sesae
Interestins "Reminiscences Of the old
Temple nal It's Conservation.

i -
Fall Description Of the New Ediaee -sssn
Interesting "Reminiscences Of the ola
Temple nal It's CONGREGATION.
Twonty-stght years and two months have com
and gone since thls church, which fronted o.
Massachusetts avenue, between Ninth and Tent
streets, OF thls city, and well known As MsKen
dree church, was dedicated To the worship Of Al
mighty God. The dedcatory services were con
Quoted BY Rev. William Ryland, for many year
chaplain to the Senate OF the United States, an,
New. Henry sllcor, who also served the Senate II
that capacity for several years, and who still
Fingers on the shores Of morality endeared q
his friends for his moral worth and fidelity to th,
| Church OF Christ. The interest OF the occasion
| was Increased by the presence Of James X. Polk
/ then President Of the United states, the mem
hers Of his Cabinet, and other distinguishes
The old church, forty.slx feet front by sixty.
| I've deep, with basement nearly half under
ground and audience room above, met a real
want o. the locality u being but sparselJ popu'
the unprecedented growth Of the northern
| portion OF our city rendered the former edlnce
| Inadequate TO meet the wants Of the present
population, and the serious objection 10 the use
OF basement under ground for school purposes
led the congregation, with great unanimlty, one
1890, sgo, 70 teaI uown Tue oIa building and re,
commensurate with the increase OF population
and better adapted TO the needs OF the church.
This resolve having been contaminated, the
dedlcatory services will take place on sunday,
the 18th instant. Al II a. m. Bishop Ames will
preach the dedlcatory sermon, and al p. m. the
land.
The new church, although Inferior In dimen.
sions, display and cost TO our modern metropoll-
tan churches, IA regarded second to none for It's
adaptation 70 the acquisitions Of live Methodist
community, for its beautiful symmetry, cultivated
taste and architectural aud mechanical sklll dis
played In its construction.
The plan Of the building II cruclform; length,
one hundred and four feet; breadth Of nave,
forty-slx feet four inches; transept, thirty by
nity-two feet. The front elevation, resting on
style with Wilmington 'front.' brick, Win i H.
spacious walnut doors, uniting with q grand,
lofty eouplet window and transom, crowned
cornice above, and its subordinate side windows
produces an impressive effect.
The basement floor Ia elevated several steps
above the broad and beautiful green park which
now adorns that noble thorouRhfare, Masaachu.
sets avenue. You enter q yestlbule thirteen
feet square, embelllshed by stucco holdings,
centre piece and pendents, and chastely frescoed
On the right and left Of the yestibuie there is
class room, light and airy, and neatly fur
nished. Then comes the lecture and sunday
school room, ample In Its dimensions, carpeted
throughout, and furnished with stand, altar,
cases for banners, Bible and other requisites
aud library. II Is lighted by spacious windows
bu tltutF utttu WIN luhlue hnuIttTh, pres
sentIng q combination suggestive Of health,
comfort and success In the great object OF sun
day school work.
and neatly furnished class-roOms, with ground
glass Sliding fronts, so a. to unite them with the
school-room when needed. Beyond these are
two other class-rooms with sliding doors between,
and thereby convertible, when occasion may re-
quire, into spacious pariors, all lifted up IN good
taste.
The aforementioned rooms are separated by
q g.
the beautifully stained glass entrance Of the In.
FAINT school-room, which IL twenty -four feet by
twenty feet clear OF the walls. The Arrangement
dred eSilsren l. Unique, and, with ia wa VsalssG
ceiling, frescoed walls, stained glass skyliRht,
banner cases, aud other adornmeDts, forms q
dren, Of unriysIed beauty, and for ptabity Tor
oral Instructions and object teaching Is CON-
The audience chamber, reached by two spa.
olous and easy sialrcases, following the general
outline OF the basement. IA also cTuriform being
eghty-two feet In length, exclusive OF the veati.
onle width O nave, nfly.three feet eight inches;
nfty feet. There are sixteen large
eml.cireulAr head windows, with handsome
inclosing at the centre OF each
heada beautifully stained glass medallion, which
lmparts most cheering aspect to the Interior. |
The outlook Of the front Ia rendered most agree
able by stained glass windows, unexceptional In |
design and effect, distributing subdued and |
mellow light, grateful to the eye Of the most |
The walls and ceiling are frescoed In neutral |
Iints, and OF excellent design. The altar piece |
rsom n me- sPeS%sa ., PesPee'ye painting free
want OF skill In this deDartinent OF the line arts
The seatings are circular, with heavy orna-
nented ends, constructed Of walnut and lifted
With the best green rep cushlonS. The audience
,hAmber, chancel, pulpit, vestibules, gallery and
heir cases, are all carpeted,
The end gallery, designed for the choir, Is
uperbly arranged for the purpose, with every
eduIsite for the comfort and convenience OF its
occupants. Under the projecting circular front
= me gallery there Is one Of the original columns
ulit and donated by the Rev. Henry Foxali, of
Georgetown, ID. c., In 1915 a. a thank Offering to
he Lord for preserving from destruction by the
nemy MS extensive foundry, devoted 70 the
rnment during the war OF 1919. Said column
as been nuted aud pollshoA and there, II Is
oped, viii stand for centuries as q connecting
pring.
This arrangement for ventilation Is thought
70 secure that most desirable end
! pubic buildings. Experience has shown that
hose crib yentllatlons on the roofs OF public
nildlngs, In general use, are failures. 10 OBJ
late thls great obatanle 10 the way OF effective
&c sash swung on piyots, have been sabS,iintsd
he sash OF said yentilating dormers can, by
mple arrangement, be opened TO any desired
ngle, and thus give full vent for the escape Of I
le heated atmosphere within. There are, In
idltlon, seven yenttatlng iues, with shuttersI
the ceiling, worked at pleasure nv n nov
perating on q ratchet near the moor Of ihe .
ldence chamber; these M connection with inc
Tree ample gas-renectors In the ceiling, will no
Dubt secure this desirable end. The church and !
'hool-room is heated by large furnace In the
,liar, WHICH draws It's ali Tot circulation largely
Nj re..tsra saSs hco ,or Wicn purpose nnes
two ways for heating the audience ebamnet
q. BY drawing on the coolest strata OF ali
om ,he moor, and secondly BY giving space for
NJ Isrgs cs,,.r 'nv rr.na nI' IN solution 70
,rta6Ie furnaces, of moderate dImens Jrns' D
Gated In the school-room, which, By radiation
"a heated an, aid n securing Sufficient warmth
. buildIpa. "sA'''' W "o'n departments Of
The parties engaged Ir tho exscunon n, ,,.
oIk, under the direction OF John G. Hardness,
J i,Is arc a. follows John W. Barker, y
IeInslpaer ~ ~ so iin ncss,ng inc building
ri. g.anias wart h ~ Sop F LOT orlek
me woTE nv EdwarI Tbomas, Ms.sr. III" a,,,,, ou .,
,tlsr nl.Sfarin,, .na .,,ssail $50, otouP. ~