Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-03-17
IS NEARLY COMPLETED.
ADDITION WILL COST 5000.
Guid-HaI and cIergy-House CreditabIe
Addition to St. Johns Church, in
Centralia.


Addition to St, Johns Church, in
CentraIia.
As MANY of our read ers have built
many more exp ect to build, and others
in course of time may build houses, the
following facts concerning house now
approaching completion may prove OF
some interest.
A house may have the largest possible
amount of room, the utmost conven-
fence of arrangement; may be at once
compact, Nell-built, warm in winter and
cool in summer, but with these quail
ties its owner will find it hard to COM
bine that other one-a minimum of cost.
In the new Clergy House and Guild
Hall, now almost completed for st
Johns church, all these deside erata have
been kept constantly in view; whether
successfully or not the good people of
the Twin Cities who have helped
with this building, and other friends of
the church's work Will soon be asked
to decide.
The Clergy House is small, but amply
large for any unmarried priest who may
be in charge of the work.
Coming up the gravelled walk. which
exists, as yet, on paper only, the first
notable feature is the delightfully."- roomy
porch. This is twenty-three feet long
by nine feet wide. Although it has the
mornings sun, it will be shaded the
greater part of the day. One is also
struck at this date by a very pungent
odor that for three months has been
permeating all things within quarter
mile radius. The odor aforesaid is due
to Cabot's bleaching OIL" a wonderful
shingle preservative, which in about six
months time gives a beautiful "silver
gray" tone to the outside walls. Its
base is creosote, the best wood preserv-
ative known, and although unpleasant
to the nostrils, it is non-poisonous and
indeed very wholesome. The last trace
of it will soon have blown away, and
will exist only in memory.
The ball door is fanked by two bevel
plate glass windows, which light small
square reception hall. Here the prin-
cipal feature is dark red pressed brick
fireplace and the long cosy seat with
panelled back that is built into the wall
beside it. To the right is an open arch
partly concealing the stairs which wind
their way, in corkscrew' fashion, from
first to second and from second to third
stories.
From the smaller hall we enter the
dining room. This room is very small,
and would be the "breakfast room" in
a more pretentious mansion. It has,
however, pleasant bay window, with
comfortable window seats along all
three sides.
The pantry is between dining room
and kitchen and forms the connecting
passageway. Double swinging doors
keep all odors of the kitchen from pen
etrating to the front part of the house.
This arrangement of rooms, too, will be
appreciated by the average housewife,
for it ensures between sink, range,
china closet and dining room the fewest
possible steps.
On the second floor Is the wears
study with connected bedroom, good
bath room, and guest chamber. On the
third floor are two comfortable, we'll
lighted bed rooms. There are closets
for all bed rooms, and the arrangement
of halls makes it possible to enter any
room without invading the one adjacent.
During his inspection of the building
our architectural and dramatic reporter
showed his intense appreciation of that
which is next to godliness by remarking
that his own house, when he built it,
should have, FIRST and foremost, "bath
ROOM; all the rest should be subsidiary
to, and be grouped about this as CEN
ter. In the house under discussion the
fireplace seems to be the focus, and
from its massive chimney all the rooms
radiate. This gives most compact
arrangement and makes the house very
easily heated.
We've said nothing as yet of the
Guild-Hall. For it a word will suffice.
AS all have noticed, it connects the
Clergy-House with the church, and is
under separate roof A large sliding
door opens directly into it from the
reception hall of the Clergy House and
makes, for any ordinary entertainment,
"a seat in this room by the fireplace as
desirable as in the Guild-Hall itself.
The Hall is 40x30 feet and will seat
comfortably more than one hundred
people.
1t will be used for small entertain
ments of all kinds; for meetings of the
various guilds; and as gymnasium and
club-room for the choir-boys.
A cellar extends under both build
ings; water-works and sewer connec-
tons are already in place.
Plans were drawn by Rev. C. H.
Branscombe, the priest-in-charge, who
also has had general supervision of the
work. The Centralia Hardware Co.
supplied the Boynton champion"
furnace and their Mr.. Mead puts in the
plumbing. Brickwork and stone piers
we're laid by John Schuster, who also
did the fine work in connection with
pressed brick mantel. Geo. w. Moul-
ton furnished and hung up" all the
plastering, about l, ,1l4 Yards. 1t is two