The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-12-27

' VI S"Oh aiSle. Inc space above
the vestibule is twelve feet in width,
and will be utilized for choir. II is
approached by q stairway leading to it
from the vestibule. In the rear of the
auditorium is the pastors study. 1OxeO
feet.
The chapel is 35x64 feet in the clear,
ana is divided into Sunday-school and
infant class room. Tho Sunday-school
room is 35x44 feet. and the infant class
room is 19x22 feet. Tho Bible class
room in the second story of tho chapel
is approached by stairway leading
from the reception room.
| lie seating capacity of tho chapel
will be 300, exclusive of the infant class
and Bible class rooms. The Sunday
school and infant class rooms are con-
nected by means of large glass doors,
which can be slid back, virtually turn
ing the whole floor space of the chapel
| into one room.
The main auditorium of the church
will seat $50 with comfort. 1t is pro-
posed to heat the edifice with steam
from boilers to BIO located In the base-
ment Of the chapel.
The tower Of the chapel is thirteen
| feet square and is built of stone to q
height of forty feet. The whole height
including the spire will BIO eighty-fve
feet. The main tower is fifteen feet
square. The stone work is seventy-two
feet high and the total height is 1876,
including the spire. Ono of the en-
frances to the church is through this
tower.
The ceiling of the chapel is twenty
five feet in height in the center and is
finished with exposed rafters and orna-
mental scroll work. The height of the
ceiling of the main auditorium will be
Ia ,,t, -os. ia f<,1
In the same way.
finished in oak, while the main audi
forum will be finished in quartered
oak. All of the finishing material will
be the best that can be procured. The
bulk of stone in this edi6ce is enormous
and figures up to 100000 cubic Yards of
solid masonry. The face stone is gray
conglomerate sandstone and is from Pu-
laski county. 1t is harder than granite
and more difficult TO cut.
The superintendent of the construc-
ton is Mr.. j. G. Nesbit, formerly OF
Union county, Pa, who is really the
original designer, having planned and
built church OF the same pattern at
Shlppensburg, Pa, seven years ago,
from which the present structure is
copied. The architect of the plans is
Carl Ruehrmund, OF Richmond.
The main building will soon be under
roof, when the work will be pushed
much more rapidly. The chapel will
be complete in few weeks, when the
congregation will worship there until
the main building is complete.
Tho total cost of the building when
entirely completed will be about $50, 900.
Another handsome stone structure
that will be an ornament to the city is
the new ST. Johns Episcopal Church
and parish building on South jefferson
street, now nearing completion. This
church will have seating capacity of
GOO in the main building. The build
ing was designed and planned by Mr..
Charles M. Burns, of Philadelphia, and
the plans are being carried out under
the direction of Mr.. W. C. holland. 1t
will be what is known as the clere-
story church. The essential features of
tho clerestorY church are the low roof
on the side portions Of the aisles and
the high roof of tho nave, or central
part, allowing continuous row of
windows above the aisle roof and be-
low tho caves of the roof of the nave.
These windows above The lower, or
aisle roof, are what is termed the
cerestory window.
This is an entirely new feature in
SNNtSh III anu Will
be as unique as it is picturesque.
This plan of obtaining light and ven
tilation for the upper part of the in
terror by having windows above tho
aisle roofs has been followed since the
days Of the earliest Christian churches
OF any size. 1t reached it's highest de-
velopment in the noble cathedrals of
Europe, whose very lofty interiors are so
striking. In most OF these old cathe-
drals both the aisles and the nave have
vaulted ceilings of stone instead of
plaster ceilings of our more unpreten-
tious churches. To support the high
nave and take the thrust of the stone
arches of the ceilings the old cathedral
architects invented the .fying buttress.
es" that, make these old buildings SO
complicated on the outside.
In st. Johns Church the idea is to
get the lofty nave inside without the
expensive buttreSSes outside. It will
have central aisle and two side aisles.
The chancel is placed at the eastern
end, whore large traceried window
ten feet wide, with reredos below,
will give fine effect above the altar.
MIR. +. j. Amweg, the contractor, has
large force of workmen on the build
ing, and the total cost of tho structure
will be about $4,000.
Three Southern Methodist congrega-
tions have been organized this year.
Trinity Church has erected neat frame
tabernacle on Kirk street, with q seat
ing capacity of 500, at cost Of SO, 500.
The structure was built by the Blairs.
ST. James Methodist congregation has
erected neat frame structure in the
northwest Sc ction at cost OF $1,000,
and the foundation has been laid for
Grace Church in the northeast section.
This structure when com pie ted, will