Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-06-01

utility, and arc removable. 1t was
found that the plaster of the ceiling,
except where broken, was in excellent
preservation and probably durable for
another century. The timbers of the
gallery were examined and found
sound.
RESTORATION OF INTERIOR.
After it appeared sure that sufficient
funds would be provided for the struc-
tural preservation of the building, and
interest in the work having increased,
the committee turned its attention to.
the restoration of the interior to its
original arrangement. including old
high back pews and brick floor and the
replacing Of the pulpit to its first posi-
tion. Through the liberality of the
society, The Colonial Danes of
America, and some of its members,
this work Of restoration was made pos
sible, for they provided s600 to pay for
the pews.
In planning this work the committee
concluded that the pews below were in
design like those in the gallery, but
for some time were at a ioss to under
stand from the records the arrangement
of them. The original pews below had
been removed in 1912, being then di-
lapidated, and benches substituted.
After plans for the arrangement Of the
pews had been made to utilize to best
advantage the floor space, with aisles
OF customary width, an old ground
plan of the floor of the church was
| found among the church records and
| this plan corresponded exactly with
and fully illustrated the arrangement
described in the records. It's antiquity
and accuracy being established, the ar
rangement of pews was revised to cor
respond to it exactly, except as to the
chancel, and 1t was impossible to re-
produce this part owing to the presence
of the pipe organ on the south and for
other reasons. The pews were made of
white wood or spruce, with doors and
painted and enameled. The hinges
we're made by hand to correspond with
those in the gallery. The backs are
shaped slightly different from those in
the gallery for comfort.
THE OLD BRICK FLOOR.
The floor of the church was known to
have been laid originally of stone west
of the cross aisle and the rest of the
church of bricks, anu the level of it
was from u to IA inches lower than the
wooden floor laid in 1912, which latter
was level with the brick floor of the
tower entrance, and about six inches
above the level of the bricks in the
south porch entrance. To avoid steps
down into the church at the tower
door, which was the main entrance, ii
was decided 10 raise the brick aisles
up to the level of the then existing
floor, and relay a new wooden floor
under the pews with four-inch riser
to the pews from the aisles. When the
wooden floor was removed there was
revealed the original floor Just as
described in the records. Under the
gallery it was covered with fiat flag.
stones, except in the aisle, irregular in
shape and lily fitted together, without
cement, and very uneven. East Of the
: gallery and in both the main and cross
aises the floor was Of curious, irregu
lar shaped, handmade, crude hare
burnt bricks, but they had been vel
laid and were in excellent condition
except in few places. 1t was expected
that traces of many burials within thu
! not the case. With the exception o
the known interments marked by slab
(of Tranberg and of the son Of Acrelius
there were but two places indicating
, interments there, one Immediately ad
joining the tomb of the Rev. Pete
, Tranberg's body on the south, wher
! the Rev. Andrew Borrell is said to hav
! been buried, and the other in tn
s extreme northeast corner, east Of tn
door to the sacristy and north Of tn
0 chancel rail. The recorded burial
I within the church are very few an
Q the Identification of the occupant @
l. this last grave is not obtainable fror
p sources Of information heretofore avail
able. Two Of the recorded burials wer
n in the part now occupied by the pip
!, organ, that is in the southeast oorne
!, and this part and the chancel were nc
r disturbed in any way.
Z When the old floor was uncovered th
IS bricks in the aisles were found. to
SO sound and we'll preserved that it Wa
IS decided not to remove or even rela
10 them, but leave them Just as they wei
laid 200 years before by the hands {
IS the early Swedish colonists who so tot
!, fully erected this venerable house
to God, SO that the feet of their descent
ID ants could tread the same bricks ju
a. as they laid them. As consequent
D. of yielding to this sentiment, the lev
l. of the aisles is now about Ia inch
stating the making of two steps dow
4 the bricks had been removed, especial
a. in the cross aisle at the time the stea
or heating pipes were inserted, and th
rendered it necessary that the Gro
rs aisle be relaid aud the southerly pa
~ OF the cross aisle is paved with mode
he bricks easily distinguishable from Il
~ old ones, the supply of old ones bel
es insufficient. The stone floor west
no the cross aisle was not disturbed al
~ remains beneath the floor under t
~ pews. East of the cross aisle q lay
ia of stone and cement was laid under Il
an floor of the pews to preserve the sleeper
,ct Space for the choir was made by !
III moving tho front pew on the right ha
or organ side of the main aisle.
MS THE PULPIT PLACED on NORTH Wal
DIS The original pulpit with the canoI
il was replaced to its first place on
on north wall just east of the easter
ere window and west of the door to
Of sacristy. Much discussion was b
TX whether to replace the upper part
led tho front panels which at some I'll
m had been removed, evidently becal
ON the front side of the pulpit was
sen high for preachers of average heigl
ION The conclusion was to leave it in
ted apparently mutilated condition. O.
to corning the base there was trouble, +
for. for many years, the pulpit had /
ing no base except that of the altar on VIII
ing it stood from a time beyond the kno
eY memory Of any living person, up
of about 1882, at which time it was
ind moved from tho top Of the altar 6
de. placed north Of the altar, resting o.
| Lei. luAf rfI tut