The Democratic advocate., 1902-11-15
FHn Holy GROSS MONASTERY.

THE HOLY CROSS MONASTERY.
Description of the New Building of
ssThe Order Of the Holy Gross"
Who are Now Located in West
minister, Md.
The Holy Gross Magazine, for Novem-
Der, in speaking Of their new building,
which is located at West Park, n Y, on
the Hudson river, and now rapidly ap-
preaching completion, says
The side Of the building faces the
river and has an eastern exposure; the
north is to the right, the south to the left,
in Almost direct line. The woods behind
are on bank twenty feet high, and quite
hide the highway, which runs north and
south along the top of the ridge, about the
distance Of a long city block beyond the
woods. Thus we shall be cut off from any
sounds of passers-by. To the east the
ground falls quite rapidly towards the river,
about hundred and fifty feet below
There are woods along the edge Of the
river which overhang pebbly beach, with
here and there few rocks jutting out
above the water The building stands on
a side bill so that the floor of the basement
is on level with the ground to the east,
but the ceiling of the basement is on
level with the ground to the west. The
building rests on the solid rock
To describe the building, let us begin at
the northeast corner of the basement The
four square windows give light to four
chapels, each ten feet square, and each
having its own altar These will be used
almost exclusively for early celebrations Of
the Holy Eucharist, and they will be
prompt to catch the light of the sun as it
rises over the hills across the river. South
of the chapels is the lower sacristy, which
is connected with the upper sacristy by
small iron stairway. Communication
from this part of the basement with the
remainder is through single door All
the partitions in the basement are of brick.
South of the sacristy is the main en-
trance into the basement, the architectural
feature being iron gates, opening into
tiled hall, from which the main stairway
ascends. The door next south of the gates
opens into room for gas machine, and
is the only way Of entering that room.
To the left of this room is an Office for the
steward, and then comes the kitchen,
which reaches back to the chimney aud
has larder behind it, with a lift to the
pantry above The rest of the basement
is taken up with boiler room, store rooms,
bins for wood and coal, and cold storage
room. There is admission to the basement
from the west by an area and steps under
meath the main entrance of the ground
floor.
Coming up one fight we have, first, the
cloister. one hundred feet long and ten feet
wide, with tiled floor From this there
sre beautiful views up and down the river,
q distance of six or seven miles each way
The cloister will be warm with the morn
ing sun on winter days, and cool with shade
on summer afternoons. The Chapel oc-
cupies the northern part of the ground
floor, west oftbe cloister, being about thirty
feet wide and fifty feet long, with the
sanctuary at the north end The floor of
the Chapel is dropped about two feet SO as
to give height Of sixteen feet. There is
side aisle, seven feet wide, on the east
side of the Chapel, separated from the
choir by two brick arches. There is to be
an altar at the north end of this aisle,
alongside of the high altar. There are
windows high in the east wall of the
Chapel aud larger windows to the west.
There is no windows to the north
South of the side aisle of the Chapel is the
upper sacristy, seven. feet wide and about
fifteen, feet long, with the small iron stair
way, spoken Of as leading to the lower
sacristy. To the west of the sacristy is the
main passage leading to the Chapel, and
beyond that to the west is l'gallery'
(the height above the floor of the Chapel
is only about two feet) for women, sepa-
rated from the Chapel by two brick arches,
in which will be an open work grille.
South of this gallery, and connecting with
it by folding doors that can be thrown open
on special occasions, is the reception room
In this room are two windows and an open
fire place.
We have now come to the main entrance
to the building, which is on the west, and
the main entrance hall, from which the |
reception room opens to the north, while
on the south are two other rooms for in
terviews with persons coming from outside
the house. The hall is separated from. the
interior of the building by doors that serve
as a grille, and inside these doors IS the
main stairway. South of the sacristy, and
underneath the stairs, is door into the
cloister. South of the stairs is cloak
room and a room for private interviews
With guests staying in the house, where
they can have a meal in case of late arrival
or early departure The south end of the
ground floor is taken up by the refectory,
lip which there is an open fireplace, - and
the pantry behind it. Just outside of
the pantry to the north are stairs which
run from the basement to the top of the
house. Almost all the partitions on the
ground floor are of brick, and it is expected
that in the Chapel, refectory and passages
the brick will be left without paint or
plaster
Going up to the first floor, the common
room for the professed members Of the
Order, room of generous size, is in the
northeast corner, with the library west of
it. The Snperior's office is east of the
stairway, and is reached by passage way
running at right angles to the main hall,
and separating the office from the professed
common room. On the west, south, Of, the,
library, are the lavatories; the rest of the,
floor is taken up with. thirteen, rooms for
the professed members.
The second floor is in the roof. In this
Is the guests common room in the north
east corner, while the novitiate, with office
for. the Novice Master and a common room
for the Novices, occupies the southern por-
tion of the floor, separated by door across
the hail. The rest of this floor, save for
the lavatories, is taken up with fifteen
rooms.
The top floor is in the attic, in the up
per part of the roof. Here, in addition to
store rooms, there will be seven windows
for guests, with dormer windows to-
wards the west, and with sky lights
Il ! u