Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-08-02
ST DOMINIC'S-
AN IMPOSING CHURCH EDIFICE.
History and Description Of the Building


The necessity for building a new Catholic
Church in South Washington, to meet the wants
OF the steadily increasing membership in that
section, had for q long time been discussed In
private circles before the plans of the large
edihce, now nearly completed, were projected.
The first definite action was taken April sd,
1865, when, Immediately after the celebration
Of the holy sacrifice Of mass, the Rev. j. A.
Bokel, then pastor Of the congregation in that
part OF the city, briefly stated to the members
of his charge then present that the necessity of
erecting q new and more spacious edifice, dedi-
Gated 70 the service Of heaven and glory Of God,
to meet the requirements Of the daily increasing
Catholic population Of that section of the city,
had become manifest to all. After long and
careful consideration OF the matter by the
Fathers with whom he was associated and by the
consent and appreciation of the Most Reverend
Archbishop of this diocese, they had come to
the wee-m8tDred conclusion TO call meeting
Of the congregation Immediately after yespers
in the basement Of the church for the purpose
of hearing the opinions Of the heads of families
| and others who might feel interested, and there
| have q free and social interchange of views as
TO the best and most desirable mode OF devlsing
ways and means to successfully accomplish the
| ton, in conjunction with the other Fathers
who were colab0rers with him, TO make every
possible exertion, their only motive being the
honor and glory of God. the personal comfort
OF the congregation and their spiritual advance
ment, he would welcome their cordial and I'M
divided cooperation, and with the aid of AL
efforts would be crowned with full success
Pursuant to this verbal cali, the Rev. j. a.
BOkel, pastor, with Reverend Fathers II. p.
Ralph, }. II. Lynch, and P. G. Coll, together
with large and respectable number of the
laity assembled in the basement of the church,
and by special request the Rev. Ii. p. Il ilph
called the meeting TO order, and John A.
Peak was chosen secretary. Father Bokel
arose and in very eloquent manner made
known the object of the meeting in which he
stated that if the means were forthcoming he
would promise them a church that would be an
honor to their faith, honor to themselves,
and an ornament to the city; that it should not
be surpassed in dimensions, nor in mag nitcence
of architecture anywhere south of New York.
and New York should not furnish an excep-
ton as there was not a church there
tectural superiority, and pre-emnence.
In the commencement of the work of such
gigantic dimensions, it was necessary to have
some solid foundation upon which to base their
financial calculations, and he would state that
Mr.. George Mattingly had made the princely
donation or 80 600. Subscriptions were then
received of $500, $500 $500, s16O, $50 and others
of smaller amounts, making altogether about
$4,000 subscribed on that occasion. Subse-
Quent contributions soon swelled this amount
until the pastor and his assistants concluded
they had enough to commence the work of
building. The site at the corner of 9th and Il
streets was selected and the laying of the
foundation walls begun, and the work has
steadily progressed since that tims with the ex-
ceptiOn of intervals when the funds became
low, but these intervals have been o. short du-
ration, and now a massive and imposing edidce,
which will cost, when completed, upwards of
s20O,Q0O, stands prominently above all the sur
rounding OBJECTS, an ornament 10 The city aud
the pride of the Catholic community here The
architect was Mr.. p. T.. Keely, OF Brooklyn,
New York, and the superintendent was en-
trusted to Brother Joseph of the church, him
sell an architect, who has had charge ri the
stone and brick work, all OF which has been
done by days work.
Description OF the Church.
The length from the front wall on 81 street
TO the rear wall of the chancei on the wesI end
Is 200 feet, and breadth OF front % feet; neight
Of side aisle walls above the surface OF street 80
feet, height of clear story walls 81 feet; trout
gable end T2& feet; height o! stone work i'll tie
tower i'll feet 10 the base OF spire; the front
wall Of nave is p. feet in thickness, side and
chaucel walls feet and inches thick; chapel
and porch walls feet; clear story wall ~ inch
es first tstOry OF tower 9l2 feet; second story
OF tower p feet; third story 2-3-!2 feet top
story feet.
TIRE FOUNDATION
Is Of large stones, laid IN cement on . suh5trat-
um OF concrete. None of the stones are less
than three feet in length, eighteen inches TO
three feet wide, and from eight 70 twelve inches
in thickness; and this wall, all Of the same
rubble stone, is raised to about eight iuches
above the center of the street. The foundations
under all the piers and butrresses are bnit OF
large fat stones, laid in the most solid manner,
and finished up perfectly level to where the
rest on offsets in the walls; the cellar walls for
the steam apparatus is OF two feet ruOble stone,
and the masonry work OF the hue for the boiler
is sixteen by eighteen inches, and heavily coat
ed insiAEEfh plaster. All the foundation walls
thrOus k1taes terraced.
I'm HAHsoF THE ENTIRE CHURCH
and IFS ekIf4IB are built of the best quality
Of stone ID anarTies at Port Deposit,
ashlar, the smallest sshlar not less than six
inches, and the largest not above fifteen inches
thick, The beds and joints of all these sshlars
are cut three quarter bonis, and ali finished on
the face and filed in solid TO close beds and
joints in all the angles on the exterior surface,
and the interior filed in with strong rubble
THE INSIDE ARCHES
are built of the best hard brick; the window
and door arches all have Pinch rings, the
clear, strong arches i6-inch, the chapel arches
S-inch rings. The arches have all been built on
wooden centers; and wall strips two by three
inches have been built on the inside OF all the
walls, two and halt feet apart, and all bond
umbers, iron bolts and anchors necessary have
been built in the work. The piers under the
clear story pillars, some forty. IN number, are
all CAPPED with granite blocks three and
cut level on both sides. The clear story pillars
and caps are of granite.
THE BASE COURSE
OF stone work is cut, and extends all around the
building, the beds cut level and joints close;
the wash is looted, the faces having \ mar
gin draft looted, and chopped straight, aud all
angles anfstop ends are cut in the solid. The
lower base has three courses of the strongest
stone that could be found and all the string
courses IN the entire building areof the same
dOor-jams, blocks, pillars, bases and caps,
moulded arches, label moulding, and counter
arches all cut and chiselled Of Seneca stone.
The faces of all the offsets, weatherings and
mouldings are cut and chiSelled in the solid
free stone; also, all the windows sills, Jams,
arches and labels AMI all the mullions and
tracery in the entire building. TIE same Is
also the case with the cornice around the
entire building aud tower, which Is laid in
good beds, bonded, close joints, and the cases,
coTbals, medallions, triplet- niche in the font
gable, and the cross on the front, all finished
in perfect manner. In the stair turret all the
offsets, weatherings, breaches, moulding,
cornices and lower windows up to the base of
thespire, in the tuTret ARE handsomely chiseled
as are also the trimmings about the side chapels,
of which there are Ave.
a sIx-INCH BELT COURSE.
with twO-inch wash, ia cut and set in the clear
stery wall Al the Intersection OF the aisle roofs,
and project two inches over the wall. All the
quOins, window jams and arches in the entire
building have level beds and close joints, and
the qu0in angles have Que and half inch
drafts cut in straight and punched in the face
the same as the ashlar.
A SERIES OF GROINED ARCHES
on either side Of the church inside are now be-
ing built reaching TO the roof. These arches
-