Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-11-08
THE HANDSOME NEW EDIFICE
, usI Finished aud Dedicated by Rev.
Geo Il. Martins Society.

NseO. society,"
In February last The Phoenix printed
description of the beautiful and commodi-
Gus new chapel to which Rev q. +. Mar
tins st. Louis church and society, the First
Presby terian, had then just removed, to be
used as their place of worship while the
main auditorium of the church al Joining
was being completed A week ago last
Sunday the dedication of the finished edi
flee took place and the church entered up.
on the full occupation of its new house. an
illustration of which is given herewith
The organization of this church dates
from 1917 and il is believed to have been the
first Protestant religious society organized
beyond the Mississippi river that has had con
tinuouS existence. The Rev. Salmon Gid
dings rode 1900 miles on horseback, through
the then almost unbroken wilderness, to es-
tabsh it, going out as the agent of the
Connecticut Home Mission society The
first ediice was built in 1928; when this
was outgrown another, and fine one, was
erected in 1863, and it was in this that the
society was housed when Mr.. Martin was
called to its Passionate. In 1897 it was re
allied that the movement of population in
the great city called for another removal.
A lot at the corner of Sarah street aud
Washington avenue was bought and pre-
a
new church has been built
The entire ediiice is in Romanesque style,
built of st. Lous blue limestone in the
broken Ashlar forms. Its frontage on
Washington avenue is 100 feet and ON Sa-
rah street 100 feet The chapel, which
fronts ON the latter street, is practically
complete ediiice in itself, containing besides
the lecture room aud Sunday school accom-
modatiuns, all the cOnvenlences and appll-
ances of the modern church home The
main auditorium of the church is finish
ed like the chapel with open roof and
trussed arches, and has seating ca
pacity of 500 The Globe Democrat in its
description of the church says this audito-
nm is thanked by cosy retreats opening on,
and within sight and hearing of the pulpit,
designed as a resting place and Tor the aged,
iniirm and sick who are in need of add
tonal comforts to those provided for the
other members of the congregation. The
entire church is finished in hard, light
wood, the walls tinted cream color, aud the
hangings artistically arranged. The organ
and choir are directly back of the pulpit
and facing the congregation. The building
is lighted by electricity, and has all the
modern improvements in every depart
ment." The same paper speaks of the edi,
flee as a whole as being ''without an equal
in this part of the country
For the dedicatory services, which took
place ON the last Sunday in October as al
ready stated, special responsive services
were prepared for use both morning and
evening, and these were printed in little
book which gave also, a history of the
church, illustrations of its two former edi-
fees and of the new one and a chapter of
building notes. The dedication sermon at
the morning service was preached 10y Rev.
DR.. Barruws of the First Presbyterian
church. Chicago At the evening service
the pastors of the First Congregational and
Second Baptist churches of st. Louis took
part in the exercises,
The new church, the cost OF which has
been $50, 900, was built within the appro
priation. aud the chairman of the building
committee pleasantly said in formally turn
ing the building over to the trustees that
there was even Il surplus left, which,
Though not as deep as ii well or as wide as
a church door, was still a surplus.
1t is a pleasant fact to note that through
all its vicissitudes and achievements this
old church has always been a loyal church
The stars and stripes fioated over it during
the war, and to this day it is considered an
embodiment in st. Louis of the patriotic
sense aud sentiment of the North.
A large company of Mr.. Martins old pa
rishioners and other friends in this com
munity will send him sincere congratula-
tions on the tangible evidence which this
new church presents of the success of his
work in the great field of the West.