The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-05-23

Teaully dumlJS Oh carved forms mas the
change been made from terra Gotta 10
carved stone finals, ten in number on
the whole building, and ornaments
stone crests also.
AS will be noted in the picture there is
variety of finish. The face walls are
what is popularity called "rock- faced" or
more properly broken asher. This diff
fers from other modes of finish in that
the whole surface is partially cut. The
corners are cut to draft lines and finished
in fine pushed work. The arches are
all of this finish, and, indeed, an inspec-
ton of the working plans show that the
greater portion of the front and south
side of the edifice is of cut stone and
moulded trimmings as shown in the cut
The roof is to be slated, and the ridges
crested, the design of the structure be-
ing purely Gothic.
The entire size of the Church is l55x6S
feet. The entire length of the church
chapel and house on Main street, is 224
feet. The east front of the church IS 50
feet.
From the plans it is apparent that
when standing in front of the church, at
the east end, the structure will be most
imposing. At the left hand corner, a
tower 1917 feet square is to project at an
angle Of iorty-five degrees with the body
of the church, having at each corner a
heavy buttress four feet square. These
bultresses are to extend to the top of the
Dollhouse, 90 feet, and are to be sur
mounted with turrets ending in hand
somey carved stone finals. Above the
Dollhouse is to be an octagonal square
70 feet high, finished by a CROSS seven
feet high. This will make the entire
height OF the spire from the ground to
the top of the cross 173 feet. The bell
house is to be open, the windows being 9
feet wide by 10 feet high, with stone
baustrades. Above each of these win
dows is to be sharp gable, between the
| finals, finished with stone coping and
surmounted with stone cross.
On four sides of the spire are to be
windows measuring ten feet in height.
Through the tower is to be an entrance
to vesibule 16 by 60 feet, The main
entrance is to be in the center of the
front, opening into the same vestibule,
while third entrance is TO be in wing
at the right, where the stairs leading to
the gallery are to be erected. Over The
central door there is to he a rose window
| 16 feet in diameter, with stone tracery.
On each side of the main entrance there
is to be buttress extending above the
roof-line and terminating in a turret.
with carved stone final and ornament
crest. Four windows ten feet high light
the gallery, and a similar window is to-
dispel the darkness of the stairway. The
front cattle is to be 70 feet above the
ground, and ornamented with a cross
five feet high. On each side Of the
church there are to be five windows 8
feet wide and II feet high, besides two
transept gable windows II feet wide and
"a feet high, with stone tracery. On
each side of the transeps there are heavy
buttresses extending above the roof line,
and ending in handsomely ornamented
stone finals. In the point of the gable
here is to be hooded nicheIfor stat
ne. Three windows So feet wide by
81 feet high, with Gothic heads, are TO
admit light to the chancel, and in the
RENE points of the main gables are
also to be Gothic headed windows six
feet wide. All the windows are TO be OF
the richest designs in stained and cathe-
dral glass.
At the west end of the church, and
partly in the rear, is the chapel % by AZ
feet, lighted by four windows 4 feet
wide, and two Z feet wide and II feet
high. Countc ed with this chapel is tn
be the Parochial residence. The latter
building, to which reference is made
above, when built is to be 46 by 81 feet,
containing six rooms on both the first
and second floors, while broad piazzls
will add much to its beauty and com
fort.
The plan Of the interior of the church
shows 1t to be in its man portion LAG
feet from the main entrance to end of
chaucel, and 90 feet wide, while in the
transept gables it is "a feet wide. The
side walls are 2S feet high, and from the
floor to the center OF the roof, which IL
to be finished to The ridge, is 65 feet.
There are to be no columns to intercept
the view of the congregation, but the
roof is to be finished IN open timber
trusses with Gothic arches, the spaces
being filled with tracery. The ceiling
between the trusses is to be finished on
the raftprs, giving it an elegant appear
ance. The main audience room is to
have seating capacity Of 924, while the
gallery, after allowing space for the or
gan, will add room for so MI re, max ing
the full capacity of the church a little
over 1000. From the front entrance a
broad aisle leads up to the chancel, on
either side of which are double rows OF
pews. Separated also on each side OF
these double rows are single rows Of
81 ats, and there are also aIsles next to
the side walls--fve aisles in all.
The naves of the church and chapel
are to be connected with corridor in
the rear and through which will be the
back entrance to both. The entrance to
the chancel lie from the chapel through
the sacristy. The floor OF the main
audience room slopes from the front en-
trance to the chancel eighteen inches;
the chancel floor is raised two
steps ard the sanctuary by two steps
more, leading up to the altar. Speak
ing of this church the Argus Dc Patriot
predicted the success Architect Guern
sey had made of the design and added
the assertion that when the church is
finished it will be commodious and in
vitng within, while Its exterior will be
attractive as well as imposing"
, The contractors, to whom reference
has been made. are Messrs. Dubuc &
Belisle of St. Johnsbury. They have,
however, removed to Bennington with
their families. These gentlemen are ex-
perienced builders. Among the hand
somer church edifices they have erected
in Vermont, may be mentioned the
French Catholic at St. Adams, the Bsp-
fist at Georgia Plain, and the one at St.
Johnsbury.
There are now some thirty men en-
ployed and this force is to be increased
to 40 soon. The contractors assure US
! that what we said last week is certain,
that, unless we have an unusually wet
summer. the walls will be ready for the
J roof early in October of the present year.
AS has been announced by the BAN.
NER, the corner stone will be laid July
4th, by Bishop de Goesbriand and at
tendaDt clergy, with the solemn and i'm
posing ceremonials of the Roman Catho.
lie Church. The orator of the occasion
will be the Rev. VIM. j. O'Sullivan Of
Montpelier, former pastor. A large
number of people will be in town on
I that day.
The Catholics of Bennington have for
years looked forward to the time when
! they could have new church edifica 10
. place of the one in which they have
worshipped so long, and their desires
are in process OF fulfillment.
ARMEn tn THE TEETH