Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-31
The Three Towers-OId Times ami New
IL tho Eiiior Of The Dispdtch:

The Three Towers-OId Times AMI New.
To The Editor Of The Dispatch;
From some positions on Broa1 street
NAV be seen three towers approaching
completion. At the same time there will
he i'm view a building called The Tower
which presents a very creGitable appear
ance both outwardly and inwardly, but 10
not one of those structures now referred
10 They are not very lofty, still they are
ante prominent from the style and dlmon-
SONS of the buildings to which they be-
long. ,,.,-,
One Of them surmounts that beautiful
"poem in stone" as one of my OLD friends
termed it. hope he was the author OF
this appropriate description OK our more
than beautiful new City Hall. Some men
like TO take credit from one person,
though. of course, they have 10 give 1t to
some one else. Having been victim of
this uuamiahle disposition, | am unwilling
TO show il. This now City Haul IS an ex-
ceedingly handsome edifice and will stand
as an enduring monument TO hich.
mond. IL IS probably IN advance OF
her present ability and needs. But she -
growing well and solidly, and will before
many years be in aposition that VIII amply
iustifv and require such an edifice. In the
mean while, too. she can manage the DEBT
which it's erection has laid upon her, and
meet the additional expense Of her
municipal administration which the oc-
cupancy of il will most probably produce.
II Is often not unwise 70 build even llber-
ally for the future. The old City Hall,
which stood upon a part OF the same site,
was no uncomfortable structure IN its day,
and witnessed many scenes OF very deep
interest. both TO the city and State at
LARGE. BESIDES municipal and State and
Federal courts, large and important puO-
lie meetings were held IN some OF it5 yeri-
GUS apartments, and the voices of Nlr-
pin1a's ablest and most eloquent lurists
and politicians made its walls rcsound.
There have seen Judges fancy, Daniel,
Halliburton. Mason, and Nicholas pre-
siding, as well as Lambert, Mayo, Tate, and
Pulliam, and afterwards William ii.
Lyons.
These four classes of courts drew before
them the most gifted members Of the bar,
young and old, One evening Judge Nj
cholas made one of the young lawyers 90
home with him TO prevent an assault which
he had reason to believe would be made
upon him, as it almost certainly would
have been. But the time thus allowed the
exasperated parties fortunately cooled
their dander.n But he made that lawyer
pay $50 for having caused the trouble. IL
all that now comes to mind on this score
were mere rtCOTQtu lltIc "Oulh 10 ~
room for anything else,
The second tower crowns the new Bap-
fist church on Grace street. This church
is large, massive, and substantial. and IS
truly indicative of the influence of that
denomination in this community. 1t we'll
represents their weight. their wealth, their
liberality, and their enterprise, and will no
doubt be we'll adapted to the high. pur-
poses for which it has been erected. II
any one were to make the least objection
to its style and appearance, most pro-
badly all the rules and prophecies
of architecture, Norman, Romanesque,
and Renaissance, would be thrown
at his senseless head. Still to one
eve. at least, that rising tower IS too blunt
and short; and that broad fronts ranging
flush with the sidewalk will be blemish
and detraction as long as it stands. There
may have been some ground Cor lack Of
groitnd) for it. Still it is a pity. This
church and their college will be noble and
| brethren, and will doubtless be hdichers
and educators of Baptists for generations
| yet unborn.
Though this imposing successor was 70
take its place, there was something sad IN
| beholding the destruction of the old
| Grace-Street church. / had seen 1t 60 mp,
| and at that time IL was notable mark OF
progress. One Sunday night, when Rev.
DIR. Jeter was its pastor. the galleries were
| filled with colored people, many OF whose
! voices had been trained IN the tobacco
factories, and at the close OF the service;
the Doctor requested them to sing
| in their STYLE the good old "Ship
of Zion.p OH how they did pour
1t forth and FIJI the old ships sails
They also sang with such fervor and har-
mony in the old African church on Broad
street that even distinguished visitors to
| Richmond used TO 90 there TO hear them.
That excellent man, Rev. Robert Ryland
was then their pastor there. l witnessed q
| part Of his laudable self-education while he
was chaplain at the University of Virginia
| Had he not been invited TO that position
and thus drawn into the studies which be
there prosecuted with so much success, he
might never have been qualified for the
place he so long filed with such honor and
usefulness as president of Baptist College.
| revere him as all men do.
The third tower, or dome rather, caps
| the fine Masonic Temple. What a contrast
| this is to the wooden building near Shockot
| creek, where DR.. Dove, Isaacs, Robert c.
| Scott, ST., and their comrades used 70 as
semble! 1t displays the remarkable re
vival and progress OF Masonry in Rich
mond. This spacious temple. like the
BAPTIST church, is substantial and impo
sing, and by its internal arrangements viii
be admirably adapted to the uses of bust
ness and of the order which owns it, but /:
not striking nor particularly handsome o:
! the City Hall is.
The above three towers are of very va
rious plans and designs, but all mark build
| ings which are vast credit TO their pro
jectors and TO our beautiful city. And vel
there is room for more. May they rapidly
rise and shine. Is. Is. NJ.
RICHMOND, Va.