St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-02-25
Architectural Description of the
Church.
LAMBERT PACKARD, ARCHITECT.


After the preliminary meetings were
held and subscriptions raised, mention
of which is made abOve) the work of
erecting a new church edifce was plac-
ed in the hands of Mr. Horace Fairbanks
and Mr.. Franklin Fairbanks as con-
tractors, who have now placed the new
church at the disposal of the society
completed and disencumbered of debt.
Plans submitted by Mr.. Lambert Pack
ard of st. Johnsbury were accepted by
the building committee, and he bsca me
the architect and built the edifice.
The architecture of the church is es-
sentially Medieval Gothic. In the tow
er, however, the rigid straight lines
have been happily relieved by an intro
duction of the rounded portion after
the manner of the Norman Gothic. As
the tower terminates in a turret, the
real character of the Medieval Gothic
is retained, and the two are bound to-
gether and held in unison by the for
tunate distribution of the pointed arch
rs of the old Gothic. As whole the
masses of the church, beginning with
the carriage portal, -whichis connected
with the nave wall by a flying buttress
and that introduces again the element
of strength and solidity which the tow
er ypities-converging to n single
point, the turret, are symbolical of a
quiet, earnest and unpretending faith,
and at the same time there appears in the
pent roofs and pointed arches, and in
the general upward movement. an ami
nation and enthusiasm as well. The
tower, while serving to indicate an en-
trance to the church, giving up one
stage to the bell, is at the same time
naturally the most impressive exterior
expression, and the dignity of its lines
and the variety of its compassionate
which the windows, arches and orna-
mented divisions are picturesquely dis
tributed-are the chief elements which
unite to impress the spectator.
The main body of the church consists
of the nave, the transcript-which more
properly described, is composed of two
alcoves, one on each side under the
second arches-and the chapel. The
latter is, INTELLECTUALLY speaking, an
neXed to the body of the church behind
the choir, and the entrances from it are
directly under the termini of the lOngi-
tudinal arches of the nave, on either
side of the choir. The nave terminates
in front in an open vestibule, which is
entered from the facade, the tower door,
or the carriage portal. These various
entrances are all guarded by heavy
doors of native cherry-which furnishes
the trimmings throughout-an fly or
inner doors. The doors that lead to
the body of the church are finished in
transverse pannelling, Ornamented as
the fly doors are, by convenience in
shape of single strip of stained glass,
which, crossing each door, follows the
line of the PANELS. The facade is the
main entrance to the church and is
fianked on the left, us one faces it, by
the tower, and on the right by the car
rage portal. There are also north and
south doors leading into the chapel and
directly opposite the passage-way,
which crosses at this point, and from
which are the doors leading to various
portions of the church to be described
hereafter. The stairway leading to the
upper rooms is directly opposite the
south door.
In the general appearance of the
church it Will he seen that the facade
(the name applies to the whole front OF
the building, and not merely TO the en-
trance) is second in importance only to
tic low GI, anu is Ill IllO SuDDOll
to the eye which is necessary i'll order
that the tower may be deservedly i'm
presSive. This is true in a lesser de-
gree of the carriage portal, which usu-
ally has no Other function than that of
pure convenience and utility, but is
here made to constitute its support to
the mass and becomes important in in
terpreting the idea of the front us IL
l,rla lao oil l,x
several stone steps upon which rest the
three Gothic arches i'll turn surmOunt-
ed by simple entabature which
supports the Gothic window and the
wall in which it is encased. The termi-
nal arches rest upon the walls of ma
sOnry, which are reinforced by but
tresses, and the intervening arch is sup
ported by columns of polished Bay-Of-
Fundy granite, resting on pedestals and
uphOlding foliated capitals of carved
sandstone. The large window has four
intervening columns which are of SINH
lar material and construction. They
afford the space for the principal stain
ed glass window. The upper portion
of this Gothic window itself is of stone,
arranged in simple ornamented mosaic
design, and is pierced in the centre for
al
The top of the facade is further orna-
mented with a small window, some
slight decoration and Il miniature
chapel in stone at the top for final.
Viewing the whole front of the church
from standpoint near the beginning
of the carriage drive, the proper rela-
tons between the parts composing the
front aud the great variety of ornamen
tation to which every portion has been
compelled to surrender something, will
readily be appreciated.
From the south side, the length aud
general proportions of the building can
better be seen. Between the outer wall
of the transept and the end of the
chapel, is the south entrance. 1t il
arched, with an intersecting column of
polished Bay Fundy granite, with
carved sandstone capital fOliated, but
differing in design from those OH the
facade, placed upon pedestal. Cor
responding to the two arches are two
folding doors of native cherry, leading
into q small ante-roOm, which has a
counterpart on the opposite side. To
| the right, one enters the body of the
church just at the right of the choir F;
directly in front is the passage-way
leading across under the organ, and
from which are doors to the choir, the
cellar and small side room to the
left Is the double door to the large room
in the chapel. This room has at its
southern end large window of stained
glass, having three arches, and over it
IL rose window, also of stained glass,
which is divided by the floor of the
next story. In general appearance from