Daily Republican., 1888-11-30
A BEAUTIFUL CHURCH.
HANDsOMEsT CHURCH IN
WILMINGTON.
Rsdncy Street Presbyterian Ohuroh Re-
modeied and Enlarged TO be Ro-
Openod For wOrshIp Next
Sabbath.

Sabbath.
Without doubt Rooney Street Presby-
terian Church, FemL dsled and enlarged
Is the handsomest little church In the
Ctr OF Wilmington, With the AlttrA'
JiOas that have been made the church
will now, without oTowding, hold q
congregation Of 400 people and q Sunday
school OF 800 scholars. The entire
northern end OF the church WAS torn
tovD, cellar dug and an addition
built ACROSS the end 80 that the interior
presents the form Of q wsll-deHned 7,
or psrhapH nearer . cross, with the upper
snd forming the pulpit recess with .
room ct either side. At the ends of the
arm of the oIoss are large double win
dows Of = very handsome and unique
pattern, and filed with cathedral glaze
OF . pale yellow color. Without other
aids these { 40 Windows would be eufh
oient TO light the church, but betidsr
these there are q number OF smaller
widows Of different blendIngs Of col.
oEed glass, the whole combined with
the terra GOTTA color finish Of the walls
unite in . soft mellihuous light, brilliant
and yes easy on the eyes.
pit recess 10 finished in raw shellaced,
pine vanished, The psnelinR is q com
binRtlon of gothic and coEinthIAn
arohiteeJure. The east end OF the
church which was not torn down is
separated from the main room by sash
partitions for the infant department
Of the Sunday school, and when desired
can be lowered into the cellar and the
whole church can be thrown into one
audience chamber.
The church sails rise only TO the
height Of one story, From the tops OF
these walls = beautiful structure OF
rAiteEs, brGoeP, collars and beams cul-
inmate in . ehATp roof apex. The wood
work is all exposed ArtiatioAlly beVeled
and all finished In the raw, making .
very handsome appearance. From the
aLex OF the roof depend inoAndescent
electric lights, and the preoaution has
also been taken TO provide for gas lights
In case Of emergencies. The church is
supplied with three rooms suitable for
The library, committee and session
rooms. No provision has been made
for o large church organ but one Of the
rooms at either end OF the pulpit re
oess can be used for that purpOEe If de-
sired.
An additional tower some 10 feet
high has been erected on Thirteenth
street, and the main entrance 70 the
church will be from this street up o
flight Of stone steps through the base Of
the tower. The smaller tower At the
east end still remains. Over the main
entrance through the tower is the in
sorlptIon: Rodney Street Presbyterian
Church, founded 1885,"
To day and TO morrow the aeats,
which are Of . very handsome white
ash design, are being put in place and
the opening services will be held next
Sunday, but no extra dsdioAtOry ser
vices will be held. Rev. Mr.. McE wan
will pIeaoh ct the regular hour ard the
Sunday school will meet At 2 80 p m.
It IL still only Intended that tbis
church shall remain ~ q chapel and q
Sunday school room. The ffont part Of
the spacious los is still reserved for the
main church, that is 10 be built when
occasion requires. The cost OF the pres
ent improvement, including seating, iB
about $4,000. Edward l.. Roe, Jr.,
was The arohiteoti Charles L. Sway ne
the contractor and builder, and W. p.
Bratt0n did the painting, aud much
congregation, who put their hands IN
Both Sunday sohcol and church have |
bad Glmost 3 phenomenal growth, but |
withAl solid growth, The Sunday
school started in MeDoWellville about |
1858, with but seven scholars.
At umea IL ceased operations, and |
then would make q HpAsmodio start, |
1nsil about nine years ago, when q few |
members OF Central PreAby. |
'etian Church, beaded By Thomas No |
Oorkle, took the matter In hand and |
built the nGtls chapel at Fourt enth |
and Rodney streets. Firm this time |
the school began to gov rapidly. The |
chapel being oVerrun, . movement WAS |
made which resulted In building . |
larger chapel ct ThIrteenth and Rodney
streets, and in February, 1885, the Rev. |
W. L. McEHan, then an assistant pas
tor in Central Church, vas installed as
castor Of the newly organized Rodney
Street PFesbyt yteFiAu Church. The
church was organised with tWenty.sIz
members from Central Church, and that
number WAS increased 70 ssventS-dVe |
BY other memb mbers who came In upon
OF faith and . few from other
churoheU.
The membership now numbers 17B,
and the Sunday school, Atlll under the
charge OF Thomas ho0orkls As superln-
numbers 800, though the ate
iendAnce has been - high As 525 When
The church and the Sunday school got
,sttled down In their new chapel, they
we're glAi that they had . permanent
home at last. They never thought then
hat In three years afterwards they
would be compelled to knock the end |
)ut Of their church and build larger
a prominent lady in the church said At
he time, "Well, now, here we are for
70 years at loast." With the prenent
yroWth Of the church and Sunday
Iohool kept up and increased, that same
ady need not be surprised TO see, In
7ery few years, the need Of building the
chuToh proper on the lot
tonting on PenpsylvaniA avenue.
The church o; cupieB one OF the hnett
'ites in the city and will be surrounded
With the handsomest dwellings In tie
''ty. Ferdinand L. GIlpIn is now
recting very fine residence Of Bran
lyWine granite right opposite, and all
ir0und are the beautiful Residences of
|. Taylor Cause, n. Victor Cause,
larry q. Gause, Horace W. GAuse,
Albert ThAtOhsr, Colonel Judd, William
saadenkopf, II. L, Rloe, William Du,
'Ont and others.
lhurch are great. There is no other
'rsebytsri church nearer than Ejghth
nd West, and with its popular Apd
nterprlsiRg young pastor, W. L. Nc
ivan, ths enlargement will be needsd
cry Eoon.
Reduction In Prices.
Juat racaived ray,v t,,rt-o- ,,-,,,... A "a