The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-05-10
THE WELLINGTON M. E. CHURCH.
The New sunday school Addition.
DEDICATION SERVICES.

Wellington was made a station by the
Conference of 1856, Rev. G. w. Pepper
being appointed pastor. Soon after it be-
came necessary to consider the question of
repairs to the old church, which needed
an outlay of several hundred dollars to put
ii In good condition, and as the church
had outgrown its seating capacity the i'm
propriety Of expending money on struct-
ure that must very soon be displaced be-
came apparent 1t was resolved to build
house to cost about $4,000 or $4,000,
and subscription for nearly that amount
was raised but when the building was fin
ished the cost was found to exceed the orig
inal estimates by several thousand dollars,
the total amounting to about $4,000,
which was further increased by carpets,
cushions, furniture, furnaces, lighting, or
gan. bell, &c, to about 1900. Part of
the addition to the original estimate came
from changes in the interior finish, spire
and others not now remembered, and was
not an unusual instance Of the inability of
the inexperienced to determine the cost of
any new structure in advance of the build
ing. The outside measurement of the
church was 45x7O feet with tower at front
entrance 1Ss feet high. The foundation
was of stone, walls of brick, covering OF
root and spire, was of slate. The base
ment story was ten feet high in the clear,
the audience room % feet to spring of cell
ing and some over 80 feet TO the ridge in
the center. 1t was substantially built, and
outside the city of Cleveland was consider
ed at the time the finest edifice in the
North Ohio Conference and equal to all
the necessities Of church work for agener-
alton to come.
If the cost should seem out of proper
ton to the size of the building, it may be
remembered that the price of labor and
all kinds of material in those days imme-
diately following the war were from 90 to
rs per cent higher than at present and that
the cost of tower and spire was nearly one
third that of the entire church, matter of
which we had no intimation in advance.
But, instead of the church accommoda-
tions being equal to the necessities of the
next thirty years as was expected, it was
found after period of scarcely thirteen
years the Church and Sunday School had
both outgrown them. The necessities OF
the Sabbath School were most urgent, and
at first it was only designed TO build a
room in the rear of the church without
basement story, similar in style to the pres
ent one. Afterward, following an idea
given by DR.. Vincent on former visit, the
plan Of putting the floor on the same level
as that of the audience room and arrang-
ing TO connect the two by sliding doors on
occasions demanding larger seating capac-
ity, was considered, and following that as
the auditorium was too small for ordinary
occasions it seemed best to add 10 feet to
It's length, so the project gradually grew
until from an estimated cost of $1,000 for
Sunday School room, another thousand
was allowed for improvements to the
old church which all by the increase of
the price of material and labor, while we
were maturing our plans, was further In
creased by nearly another thousand dol
lars This was again slightly increased by
a few changes and additions making the
Guiding plans, over 1850.
The new is building 4sxS0 feet besides
vestibules: basement story II feet, Sunday
School room % feet, with rooms on three
sides, in two stories, divided by partitions
set in lines radiating from center of the
Superintendents platform, making four
teen rooms in all. Those in second story are
reached from gallery running in front Of
entrances The Sunday School Auditor
ium is about 30x50 feet having a skylighi
in the center of the ceiling, Immediately
under which is fountain. The lower basir
statue supporting second basin from
which arises central jets which throw tn,
water in beautiful spray over the surfacs
of the fountain.
Both Sunday School room and Auditor
ium are tastefully and beautifully fresco
ed in the most modern style and colorsi ths
work being done by S. R. Kinderman &
Co, of Cleveland, who has justly acquired
very enviable reputation in his line, hay
ing decorated some of the finest churches
in Northern Ohio in style which has mer
tied and received great praise.
: The whole building is lighted with gas
the main auditorium being furnished witt
two chandeliers Of f2 burners each, and I
central one Of SO burners. The auditorium
of the Sunday School room has a centra
chandelier of 10 burners and two bracket
of three burners, and the class rooms ar
furnished with two and four lights each
according to size.
The floors of the entire building ar
covered with heavy ingram carpeting, il
shades of scarlet crimson and brown. Tn
seats are cushioned with all-wool dsmask
harmonizing with the upholstery of tn
altar. pulpit and furniture, which is Q
crimson silk plush. We may further sa
for the information of those at distanct
that the old gallery of the church has bee
lowered about 80 inches. the pulpit pla
form placed at the west end of the churc
in front of gallery, the seats reversed, an
east end of the Church connected with tn
Sunday School auditorium by slidin
doors, making an opening 81 feet wide b
10 feet in height, and making it Possibl
to furnish seating room for about 1,20
persons within seeing and hearing distanc
Of the speaker.
The acoustic properties of the churc
are all that could be desired, there bein
no echo, but yet sufficient resonance I
make il easy to speak or hear, and givin
a brilliant and charming effect to vocs
- ;,,s+rrrnenfa1 music
The front entrance has been retaine
and two are added-one on either side i
The rear. which last also furnish entrance
to the Sunday School rooms.
We add an itemized statement of tn