Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-08
ART WORK In BUILDING.
CONVENTIONAL IDEAS DISREGARDED
BY THE ARCHITECTS.

A Newark Church That Would Attract
Attention Anywhere Because of Its Ex-
ternal and Internal Novelties-A Short
Sketch of the Donor.
The Peddie Memorial Baptist church
in Newark is the most recent and most
notable example of ecclesiastical archi-
lecture in the metropolis of New Jersey.
1t is situated on Broad street, in the
very heart of the city, and the pleasing
and impressive mass would attract at
tention anywhere, though it is doubtful
whether an uninformed passer-by would
guess that it was a building erected for
religious worship. The architect, Mr..
William Halsey Wood, has not been re-
strained by the conventional rules Of
ecclesiastical architecture, and the only
suggestion in the exterior of the build
ing of the purpose of the structure is in
the pointed towers, one taller than the
other, and with clustered spires.
The predominating idea of the whole
is Romanesque, though the dome is By
zantine, and the short, thick columns of
the loggia and the loggia itself are early
Italian. The arches are Romanesque, as
is also the belt Of sculpture which en-
riches the upper story of the two prin-
cipal fronts. On the apex of the dome
is figure representing an angel with a
trumpet. This figure has excited deal
of local criticism. The loggia, through
which are the main entrances to the
church, opens upon avestibule sheltered
by swing doors of oak; the inner doors
of the vestibule and the partition sepa-
rating it from the auditorium are of
heavy plate glass, through which those
arriving have complete view of the
interior before entering.
THE INTERIOR.
The general effect Of the interior of the
building is as novel in church as the
exterior, and it is equally agreeable. Low
galleries sweep around the greater part
predominating tone of color is that of old
gold, with deeper shades Of reddish
brown and amber. The woodwork, with
the exception of the pews, which are Of
sycamore, is of North Carolina pine,
somewhat darkened by oil. The wood
of the inner dome is unplaned, with the
intention Of assisting the acoustic quail
ties of the auditorium.
The few wall spaces are of marble and
stone in warm colors. The pulpit, which
is rather low on the floor, is almost di-
rectly beneath the great skylight in the
eye of the dome. Behind the pulpit
is the baptistery, somewhat narrow
structure, the floor of which is higher
than the platform of the pulpit. In the
rear of this is decorated screen Of
cherry wood and hard pine, which rises
perpendicularly and cuts off the rear
portion of the dome. Behind this screen
are the Sunday school rooms, three
stories in height and with an entrance
from the street.
There are six stained glass windows in
the front Of the church, four of them be-
ing memorials of deceased members of
the congregation. Four windows on the
north front are occupied with one con-
tinuous composition representing the
baptism Of Christ. A landscape and
river scene stretches through the four
windows, and the figures of the compost
ton occupy the two central windows
NOVELTIES IN DECORATIONS.
In the semi-circular recess in the north.
west angle of the church on the second
floor are three memorial windows and
two tablets fixed into the walls. These
are commemorative of the life and serv-
ices of the late Henry Clay Fish, 70,
many years pastor of the church. This
recess opens into the auditorium through
a noble arch, and affords retiring room
or place for social greeting for the con
gregation. An impressive and beautiful.
effect of the interior is vast arch thai
spans the perpendicular screen in the
rear of the pulpit platform, springine
from either side Of the building ani
reaching into the dome above. This arch
is enriched with tracery Of a Moresqut
quality, and bears on its face in illumin
ated letters the words, 'These stone.
shall be his memorial"
Opposite this and spanning the recessed
bay of the second or gallery floor, il
which are the windows on the front, il
another fine arch: this is supported OF
either side by large, delicately carvet
stones, the work on which is of remark
able beauty. To the left Of this arch, a
one faces the pulpit, is a small balloon.
il the wall, the entrance to which i
from the pastors study In the nortl
tower. From here is obtained the bes
view of the interior of the edifce, tn
details Of the elaborate architecture be
ing fused into harmony, while the mel
low luster from the great yellow sky
light above falls down in food o
softened color. On either side of tn
church, at the bases of the memoria
arch, rise the clustered pipes of the tw'
organs.
This church was the gift of the lat
Mr.. Peddie to the First Baptist congre
cation, of which he was long time
member. Mr.. Peddie came from Scot
land to Newark when young man. H
began his career in Newark as a jour
neyman trunkmaker. Beginning tn
manufacture of trunks and bags in
small way, his business grew with tn
years, and he became very rich man
This church is the memorial he chos
for himself. .-Harpers Weekly.