The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-08-23
THE STONE LAYING.
Today's Ceremony at New First
Presbyterian Church.
DESCRIPTIONS or The BUILDING.
n Hsndsoms Edsscs 60 Accommodate
shs rnereased Memsership-Tfis-
tory OF the chufch.

y
the FIRST PRESBYTERIAN church, nov "a pro-
cess Of erection at Fourth and Spring
streets. viii be laid this afternoon st 4 30
O'Clock with appropriate ceremonies. The
Rev. Georges r. Whitsorth. ID. d., the
founder and fsrst minister Of the church.
will. st the request Of the pastor, Rev.
Alex Alison. ID. d.. lay the stone. IT -
very gratifying 20 DR.. Alison and his con-
Qrevatiou that DIR. whitworth 10 still pre-
served In health and strength 20 be pres
ent On this auspicious occasion and dis
charge duty which constitutes link be-
tween the Old Seattle and the new. be-
t.een Seattle AZ it was, the old village,
and Seattle as Il now 70. the chief city and
metropolis OF Washington and Puget
sound.
The new church. which 10 50 rapidly re-
sponding 10 the troweI OF the bricEiayer
and the hammer Of the carpenter. will
when completed be handsome addition
20 ihe buildings Of the city. g. A. Alex
ander. the architect. and Mr.. Brsun, the
builder, are both making the utmost en-
deavor 70 produce structure that will be
acceptable 20 all concerned.
While the exterior will be by no means
unattrsctive, as Is already apparent. the
most Of the outlay will be on the interior
Of the church. The auditorium will DO
exceedingly attractive, and gallery Of
chaste and elegant proportions will sweep
around the building. with fail OF nearly
q foot towards the pulpit The style Of the
interior seating will be that OF the most
approved opera house. with parquet and
parquet circle. The full seating capacity
OF ths church will be over 100. The
floors will gradually ascend and descend
In various directions, so that every seat
will be desirable one and in full view OF
the pulpit and choir loft. The system Of
heating and ventilation will be that
OF the new Pacific school house,
recently erected in this city. which
is so complete and perfect that
windows and doors do not require TO be
open NJ all. There will never be any foul
mir allowed to remain in the house. nor
will there he any drafts of any kind. The
new church will be the first church on the
Pacific coast 10 introduce this system.
IL IL very costly. but as the building
committee believes that good, pure air Is
cheap at any price. 1t has decided 10 adopt
this method, assured as they are IL will be
one OF the most popular and attractive
things about the church, because the dis
comfort now 30 common in churches by
reason OF impure air and overheating will
thus be avoided. The church will be
lighted by electricity and beautifully car
petcd and appointed I'm every way neces-
sary for the comfort and convenience of
worshipers. The basement floor will cover
the entire space occupied by the church,
save so much as il necessary for heating
Il. l.. 4
of the church, primary, intermediate and
adult, viii find appropriate and suitable
quarters In this portion of the building,
which will be finished off in a
pleasing and effective manner. There
viii be class rooms, kitchen. pantry,
toilet rooms, etc. in this basement
The number Of windows on each side is
ten, thus aiiording abundance of light,
while tho ceiling will be fifteen feet In tile
clear. The pastors study and ladies' par
Tor and session room will be on the gallery
floor on either aide of the pipe organ.
Tho study will be a large. well-lighted
room, with bay windows on Spring street
looking up the Sound. and two windows
looking west. having full view of the
Sound. looking across and down the bay.
The front entrances to the church will
be on Fourth street. with no stairways to
climb. There will also be- an entrance at
both sides of the lower end of the church,
thus affording = speedy exit in case OF
emergency. Il viii be possible to empty
the church in the shortest possible time.
The rresbyterians have been greatly in
need of increased accommodation, as the
present church is crowded at every ser
vice. even during the summer, when so
many are out of the city. The pastor and
congregation viii be happy when the
building II completed. which IL will he
about December /. as the present editice,
which can accommodate about Goo. is too
small for even the actual membership.
which Is now over zoo. The enterprise OF
the Presbyterians in building this large
church proves most eonclusivcly that
they, IN common with the rest of the eiti.
sens, have uuboanded faith in the future
OF Seattle, agreeing with the sentiment OF
their pastor. expressed in \ recent sermon,
that Seattle Is destined To become "the
New York city of the Pacific coast"
Below Is condensed history OF the
church from its foundation. the main facts
IN which were furnished by DIR. Whit.
worth.
The regular ministerial services after tho
Presbyterian order and form of worship
commenced here in the fall of iS}6 a,
which time the Rev George +. Wh;tworth,
having been elected president OF the ter.
ritorial university, removed 70 Seattle,
then village al less than go inhabitants.
These services were held in what was then
known as the brown church. belonging
90 the Protestant Methoalsts, and alter.
mating with them, the,Rev. u. Ragley being
their pastor, The services were continued
At the Brown church under different min
listers until the summer Of 1877, the two
denomination, Presbyterian and Protest.
ant Methcdists, In the meantime holding
unicn Sunday school and prayer meetings
IA period oi about eleven yvars-wtth
such cordial and fFaternai feeling that n
could scarcely ha told that they we're in
any manner different from each other.
Ii wns nos until the winter OF iNsl TIA,
the way was clear 20 proceed TO ths
fcnndatioa 81 Presbyterian church. The
population Of the town had increased yery
slowly ia the interval and the number o.
Freshly terians was very small Bat on
Sunday. December L. iSa. in accordance
With previous notice. the following named
persons assembled in the afternoon 1T the
residence Of the Rev. George r. Whit.
worth. near the corner Of James aud Thlrsl
streets: Mr. Samuel Kenny. Mss Jessie
keaay. Mrs. Mary + whisworsh. Miss
Cara Whitwarth, Mrs. Ida Mhisworth.
Mrs. Reaecea Jones aud Mrs. Ruth ].
AcCarsy. all Of whom furnished sasissac-
tory evidence cf their CHRISTIAN character
ara coed aud regular standing in ths
different branches Of the Presbyterian
rhnIeh frngn Mhlrh ihrx rr-.rseAls.lr