New-York tribune., 1893-12-24
EXPENSIVE PEWS IN DEMAND
BIG RENTALS PAID IN SOME OF THE Fash.
IONABLE CHURCHES.


THE DEMAND NOT LESsENEO BY THE HARD
TIMEs-uow THE PRICES RUN.
Whatever effect the financial stringency may
have had on New-York society, Il certainly has NOS
deferred people from going to church and retain
ing their expensive pews In the fashionaoie
churches OF this city 1t is not to be denied THAI
many people have been compelled to economize IN
many other lines and deny themselves many OF the
usual luxuries of the but this retrenchmene
of expenses has In no perceptible way affected the
churches. November is the month In which the
majority of the churches In this city reet their
pews for the coming year careful inquiry
among the leading churches showed that nearly all
the churches have rented tie usual number OF
sittlngs and have kept UP the schedule OF prices
that has been in vogue for some years.
The sexton Of we.-xnown church uptown said
to n Tribune reporter: 1T is astonishing how at
tached tho people of society to their churches
The common belief that religion has feeble hold
the people Of this city Is refuted BY the face
that some of wel-know1 society people nave
off large expenses in other lines but have In no
way diminished their support Of the church which
they attend / could mention to you many fami-
lies who have given up their boxes at the horse
shows and other ia fashionable gatherings and have
made large reductions in their household expenses
in order that they might retain their pews In the
church. Many people have reduced the number OF
the dinner parties they usually give in a season
In order that they nigh; attend church as usual
No. the New-Yorker is deeply and sincerely az.
tached to his church. Notwithstanding the great at.
fractions that the opera and theatre ana morse
shows offer In opposition. They will sacrifice many
of what called worldly pleasures for the sake
of attending church In their usual manner.
NOT ENOUGH PEws TO co AROUND.
Several OF the churches especially Protestant
Episcopal churches. could have rented many more
pews than the churches he'd. The yearly renting
of pews st. Barthoome"s Church. Madison
ave and Forty-hfth-st.. took place In November.
but early in the month every one OF these pewe
was retaien and 100 could have been rented.
To realize the full significance OF this statement IL
must be remembered that the annual rental OF the
pews In ths church range from SO TO S0 Nearly
helf the pews in this church were bought outrigne
some time ago. and the owners pay to 10 per
cent ground rent. and in this way the pews are
kept I'm the estate
At Holy Trinity Church M1dison-ave. and Forty
second-st.. the cost of a pew ranges from $40 to
s2iO nearly all the pews down stairs having been
rented in the November disposition OF seats. The
gallery Of this church is kept free nearly az
possible but steady has been the Increase In the
demand for pews that even this part Of the church
has been rented 70 accommodate the urgent De-
mand.
At the Church Of the Heavenly Rest the scale OF
prices for pews ranges from s5 to $50. and the Ell.
tire ground floor rented ont early in November.
The pews of this church are never so,d but many
OF them have been occupied by the same families
for years 4 sort Of waiting list has been estab-
lished and some OF the pcws which were rented
this season have been secured by people who have
waited seven years for the opportunity Of securing
sittings in this fashionable church.
At St Patrick's Cathedral the uniform price for
the pews $3.50 each They never allowed to
be held by ests%es. b,; invariably revert to tho
church whenever the holders fail 10 pay the annual
rental or desire 10 give them up. Premiums are
frequently offered for desirable pcws in this cathe-
dral. however, and few days aGo $500 was paid
L aIo anti ~
the death OF It's owper The renting Of pews In
this church takes place annually. IN Nay ana 30
but. on the contrary there has been the usual in.
crease Not only are the pews In this cnurch usu-
large number to be rented. there being over 800
1t is no uncommon thing FOR sl'V" 70 De paio i'r .
choice OF pew in this church.
ST. TuOMAS'S BIG RENTALS.
St. Thomas's Protestant Episcopal Church.
Fif,h-ave. and Fifty-third-st receives nearly
| $4,000 a year from pew rentals. The pews are
| rented in November and the holders pay the years
| rent in advance by the lst of November all the
| news were relet for the coming year. There was
no p.rceptible falling OFF in the demand. and. as .
| member OF the church said: THE people must
boxes' The scale Of prices in this church ranges
from $50 to SO year Many OF the people IN this
was in Houston-st and Broadway. twenty-four
| years ago. and have ever since been holding seats
structure Instead OF paying rent they pay an an
| nual tax Many more pews than tne churcn con- con.
"7T The same demand for pews has been noticed In
the Fifth Avenu. Presbyterian Church, where tho
| Rev. DR. John Hall breaches This also is one OF
the most fashionable churches In the city, and no
this year at the prices that were paid last year.
Some Of the cheapest pews In the city are those
ranging from s25 TO $50. The elaborate musical ser
vices that given in this church being consid.
rented fena na aaHa Hafs n Say About %
number Of pews were bought outright years ago
| a ground rent Of from SO to s25 year Is paid for
their One-thlrd Of the pews in this church are
At Trinity Chapel. in nty1ifth-st. near
! Broadway. the price Of pews ranges from E 70
ing been reduction In the price OF last year ana
no difficulty having been found in renting every
pew.
GOOD DEMAND IN NEW CHURCH.
At St Paul's Chapel all the pews free. which
Is also the ST. Johns Chapel In Varick-st.
ST. Agnes's Chapel. in Ninety -secondst. near Co.
! umbus-ave.. has its annual renting OF pews In
October the prices ranging from s26 to H2o As
| this is a church. 1t was not expected that there
TO expectations. there was. and nearly all Of them
have been rented; Two other chapels OF Trinity
st. near the Bowery. and 81. Chrysostom at Sew
enth-ave. and Thirty h-st.-have all their pews
| free.
A sexton OF a fashionable church said 70 q Trib.
riff may ch Se sas. Tor the sns
| of holding their church pews simply because Il -
the fashionable thing to do There Is no DOUBT tnas
| their church pews from this motive. but think I
of n se seys e"dns cnurch Ny
observation. covering a number or years. goes 70
eup fashionable @ Churches go there with sincere
desire to worship u seems to be % a sort & 0t ant,
they experience during the week"
The annual renting OF pews In Grace Church IN
ber. and all the pews have been reet at the priceo
OF last year.