The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-22
Change of Conditions at New York
that VIII BE Welcomed by Many
Churches that Were Waning.
ENDOwMENTS NOT NEEDED
GROWTH OF CONGREGATIONS soLv-
INC THE SUPPORT PROBLEM.
Gothamites Not Alone I'm Their Ten
dency to Herd i'm Big Buildings
The Same i'm other Cities.
peeial to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
NEW YORK, June A-The problem -
Protestant church existence in what is
known as downtown Manhattan is ire
mendously affected. some say solved. by
the great number OF new apartment
houses erected and erecting on the East
and West sides, below Fifty-ninth street.
and on the West Side as far down as
Washington square. Such apartments I'M
der construction or in fled plans will
reach. it is said. 100000 in value at least.
and all of those already completed are
filled. with a demand for more. Boards OF
church control. v~estries. trustees. stew
ards and the rest have this spring changed
radically their views OF the situation. 1t
is no longer considered vital that endow-
ments be piled up. Some say that extern
sion of plans is possible. Not only is the
uptown chase after population at an end.
and its attendant scandal, but downtown
churches are once more beginning TO live
off their own normal support. The change
has come about because people who moved
up town some years ago are moving back
again. The solution of the problem in this
unexpected way is of interest. not alone to
churches in New York. but everywhere
W. NAN-No NANhNA AAaNt VI t4RINN " A0hO
a downtown church problem to solve.
Ten years ago the experiment was tried
of building in Washington square a high
grade hotel. the rental of which should
so TO the Judson Memorial Church. 1t was
reasoned that the old responsibility OF the
square would at least carry so much Of a
venture. even if it was on the south side
OF the square. The result is that the hotel
- a b1a 70 4 tho ob,,rob COO ona a $3.50 -
the same proprietor has another apartment
house or family hotel on another side OF
the same square. Last winter a year gen.
eral attention was turned to this problem
from a new quarter. Before that every
body had been expecting the rapid transit
TO bring about almost a depopulation OF
downtown. Last spring ther~s still
further activity, and this sprife~
began in earnest. Builders say there has,
however, hardly been started a third OF
the projects already planning. They say
the whole section below Twenty-third
street, between Fifth and Seventh avenues.
now given up to high-class boarding
houses. save a part of lower Fifth avenue,
which is being rapidly covered with high
office buildings. will be turned into fine
apartments. renting from 5000 TO 5000 a
year. five TO seven rooms. They are also
pointing to the effort to save Irving place
for similar apartments by keeping manu-
factories out of it, and declaring that
Gramercy and Stuyvesant squares are yet
TO see their largest and finest development
ON SIDE STREETS.
Above Madison square. in Madison ave-
nue. and in many side streets, an enormous
number of apartments are building and
planned. Fine old houses are being torn
down and their material. with some new, Is
being put into modern form. with strikingiy
handsome fronts. Up Broadway. in the
vicinity Of the new Broadway Tabernacle,
business will dominate, it is said. but on
the side streets there is the same Develop
ment.
1t is not the builders but the people who
are bringing about these changes. so the
builders say. People who went 10 the
west side OF Central Park are asking in
great numbers for apartments farther
down town, where a short trolley ride will
take them to their business. The Bronx
borough is distracted by assessments. So
extensive is the necessity TO make that sec
ton compare with older Manhattan that
large sums are being asked for improve
ments. Home owners are finding the strain
very hard. The tunnel. which the New York
Central road does not clean up and cool up
is Objectionable, and is operating against
the suburban cities. All these causes are
driving families Gown town again. Some
want to come back in order 10 attend re-
ligious worship where their parents did.
The more who come, the more there are
who are willing to do so. And the more
come, the better the apartments into which
all may move. The season in New York
is shorter and shorter each year. for those
who can afford high-class apartments, and
so it is reasoned that one may as well
spend November TO May Town Town as
up town, and be near TO business and
amusements. These are causes which are
filling up present apartments down town
and causing demand for more.
The churches that have given up the
downtown field form a long list. They
have been in all religious bodies. and the
removal Of many OF them has met with
strong criticism. During the last five years
the number 10 go has been rather less,
partly because Of the scandal, partly be-
cause solid work on endowments was put
in, and partly because few remained down
town TO go. and fewer still were the de-
sirable fields up town 10 be occupied. The
experience Of churches like the old Twenty
third-street Baptist. which went 10 Wash
ington Heights and changed its name. and
Of St. Paul Methodist. which went to West
avenue and Eighty-sixth street. both sue
ceeding only after struggles. has been a
warning. and has induced several church
boards 10 stand ills they have. Holy
Trinity Lutheran was almost the last TO
go, leaving that religious body practically
unrepresented Town town. save on the ex-
treme East or West sides. another Luther
an church having quilted lower Sixth ave-
nue. only a short time before.
The Fourth and the Scotch Presbyterian
Churches went 20 desirable locations on
the West Side. up town. but not without
considerable friction In both departure and
selection Of new site. The Divine Paternity
went up from Fifth avenue 10 Central Park
west against the protest OF the Rev. Or.
Groves congregation. 81. AIMS Episco-
pal Church left West Eighteenth street
only after a contest in It's vestry. ana the
Church OF the Strangers quilted downtown
for Fffty-seventh street only by leaving be-
! hind a brave band or members who did