The Newtown bee., 1888-07-13
CHRIST CHURCH, BEDDING RIDGE

CnflSC cnufcn mas a history QaIlnS IrOm ante-Revolutionary days, for it's first church edifice, probably a temporary and primitive affair, was built in 1732. It was rebuilt in 1750 and again rebuilt in July, 1883, to which must now be added the restoration and enlargement of the last edifice, over half century old, in 1888. The exterior of the church, which was white and nearly square in shape, with high windows and long green blinds reaching from top to bottom, giving it quite the appearance of the old time New England meeting house, is now in color a light brownstone, with red trimmings. The old windows have given place to Gothic stained glass windows somewhat shorter and narrower ill appearance, di- vided with mullion. Now that the fence has been removed from about the church and the grounds graded of, these changes are very striking, but there is no place where so great change has taken place in the exterior as when you approach the church from the west and view the chancel end, the new addition to the church, with the broken gables where the robing room and organ chamber join the main chancel. The architecture of the old building, as far as could be, has been conformed to in these changes. A massive porch at the east end shelters replacing the two entrances of old. A porch, with landing, on the north side of the edifice, adds to the picturesque eff feet of the exterior and gives entrance to the vestry room at the west end of the church.
 Entering from the east, the space talk en up by the vestry room directly under the spire has been thrown into large vestibule. The two side doors have been removed and handsome center door is now the main entrance. A window has been cut at either side to light the vesti- bule and has pretty pattern of stained glass. There are also two windows on either side of the porch over where the old doors were. Two very useful little rooms have been made of the former ap- breaches to the galleries, which cannot but gladden. the heart of the sexton.
 Opposite the main entrance, across the vestibule, you pass through two large doors into the center aisle of the nave, which is new feature in the church, there having been simply side aisles in the old church. And as you enter, what marvellous change from the interior o1 | the old church! In that, the curious | chancel arrangement ill the east end, the l first thing you formerly approached by entering either of the two side doors now forms part of the nave of the church. The four high square windows on each side of the nave, containing four sashes each of ancient small square panes of glass, only seen i'll old time country houses in these days (through which nc longer comes in the dazzling bright ligh1 on to those spacious white walls in Sum mer and through which came the rattlins cold blasts of Winter, producing any thing but a pleasant sensation) have beer replaced by handsome stained glasl I
 by solid nullion, all of different pat terms and emblems, giving them now ; highly Gothic appearance. The old fash toned gallery, that extended the entir | length of the church on both sides ant
 across the west end, has been removed
 The great night and square appearanc
 of the interior has been changed into
 Gothic and more churchly appearance b.
 Gothic ceiling finished in natural wood
 light in color and broken up by fiv
 heavy ribs on either side, finished wit
 rich cOrbels at the bottom of each. Tn
 windows have been shortened at the to
 and bottom and, in order to get the proI
 CT fall i'll reaching the architectural etfec
 desirable in the ceiling, the Gothic point
 at the top of the windows have been le
 up into the bottom of the ceiling, form . ing dOrmer recess over each. breakin
 the vast extent of the ceiling and is fes ! ture that adds much to the present al
 tractive appearance of the interior. Tn
 wood work of the church interior is fin 7 ished ill black walnut and white wooC
 the pretty effect of which is best seen the ends of the pews, ,the doors, the mold
 ings and other ornamental work on tn
 massive ribs of the ceiling. Awainsco1
 ting extending around the entire nav and reaching to the bottom of the vii dows in black walnut is new feature
 the church. The 36 new pews, with tn
 graceful book racks in white wood, giv . a rich appearance to the body of tn