Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-04

The beautiful church building at the
corner of Laurel and Beverley streets.
which has been in course of erection for
the past eighteen months. will be opened
for service to-day. The church is the
eft of Miss Grace Arents to the congre-
CATION of St Andrews. ard in appear
nnce and completeness Of finish will
compare favorably- with any In the city.
Ii is English Gothic in style with a high.
square tower in front and :. transcept on
the south side: on the north side a
chapel takes the place of the transcept.
a copper belfry rises to the height of
nighty-two feet over the chancel. The
centre structure is OF Virginia granite
trimmed with Indiana limestone. All
the beautiful woodwork OF the interior
with its ernblematic carvings is the work
OF Richmond craftsmen and reflects
great credit upon Richmond enterprise.
The ceiling of the nave is Of California
redwood and the choir and chancel is
Of auartered oak finished by some of the
best painters of the city.
The church has three principal en-
frances. One through a triple-arched
porch 10 the centre of the nave, over
which is inscribed in stone: Come unto
Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden
and ] will give We rest; one through the
great tower to the south side of the nave,
over which is cut the words: Il was
glad when they said unto Me: Let US go
into the house Of the Lord: the third
is through the choir porch 70 the choir
room. and west end of the nave. On the
stone arch of this porch are raised the
words: 20 come; let us sing unto the
Lord"
The front porch is built of carved
Bedford stone supported by polished
granite columns The choir porch is of
rough granite and the massive tower
entrance is of limestone with side posts
of granite The height Of the main tow
er is lis feet.
Exterior Stone Tracerics.
One of the principal features of the
beautiful exterior is the stone traceries
in the windows. All the windows are of
stone. The designs of the nave windows
are all different ano the glass is sat
into the stone: perhaps no other church
possesses this feature.
AS one enters the church the effect is
very pleasing. The richly-colored Win
dows and the chapcel at once attract
the eye On the north side of the nave
the window subjects are taken from the
Old Testament. On the north side they
are drawn from the New Testament
The first window to the left repre-
sents John the Baptist, others the Appa-
,,ition of the Angels to the Shepherds:
Temple, and The Good Shepherd. III the
order named.
The chancel window, in the panels,
represents the ascension. On either side
of the chancel are two dorn1er windows,
III which the angels of prayer and praise
lock y towards the Ascension. On the
north side of the nave the first window
is Moses with the tables of the law from
Sinai then Joseph and his brethren;
Ruth in the field of Boaz; King David
with his harp. and Daniel praying at the
npen window.
The chapel and choir room windows.
the rose window in organ transcept, and
The great Gothic window i'll the front
gable are Of opalescent mosaic.
The roof of the nave is ceiled with red
wood from California. It is supported
by four paneled and moulded trusses
resting on eight corbels Of yellow veined
scagliola. The two corbels under each
truss bear the emblems of each OF the
four erangelists-the superstructure OF
the Church upheld by the four Gospels.
Over the groas chancel arch IS the
text from HabaE1uk 2 AK: The Lord
is in His Holy Temple: let all the earth
keep silence before Him. Upon the in
ner sanctuary arch is carved. Holy,
Holy, Holy; Lord God Almighty. This
arch is formed by a carved oak truss
upheld by two angels
Richmond Wood Work.
The furniture Of the choir and chan
eel is a fine specimen of what can be
done in Richmond in woodwork. The
prayer desk and pulpit are richly de-
signed and carved in the best manner.
I, ~
design at the end of the standards.
fruits, flowers, acorns and leaves. The
rercdas and communion table are de-
signed in Gothic arches and panels. the
table especially being beautiful piece
If work.
To the right of the chancel on the north
eide is the haptistry chapel, open to the
choir, church, and chapel WITHIN Is a
white marble font of massive size carved
by workmen In Baltimore 1t is proba-
bly, the hest piece of stone work about
the church. The upper rim is ten inches
wide and bears the text. One LORD:
One Faith: One Baptism
The chapel is a little church in itself
complete in every detail. 1t will seat
comfortably $50 persons.
On the south side OF the choir Is the
organ transcept, which contains the new
organ. Five arches open into the church.
The largest of the rose windows Is In this
transcept All the floors Of the chancel.
haptistry, and porches are tiled. The
steps of the chancel are Of marble. The
superstrucure is upheld by twelve cius-
tered columns of green scagliola on
bases of Tennessee marble. The vau!ted
roof is set with thing, the ornaments
being Roman crosses.
Many Sided Work.
The work at St. Andrews was begun
more than twenty-five years ago by
young men from ST Paul's church. Con
sp.cucus in the Sunday-school work be-
toresthe first church was built was Mrs
Mamie Barksda1c. who was buried from
the old church just before it was re.
moved to make room for the new. Rev
Dr. Pike Powers was the first and only
rector for twenty-five Years. After hi:
death in 1887 the present rector Rev
Thomas Semmes. took charge of the
work. The congregation now numbers
several hundred. with a Sunday school @
s00 and 500 other children in the various
schools and classes in the institutional
work of the church. Last year ther'
were over 1000 different names OF pupil
on the rolls of all the schools 1ncludins
the Sunday schools.
ST. Andrews possesses the best kinder
garten and sewing schools Ia the South
These schools owe their present perIec
Organization to Miss Arents. who ma
been interchangeable in bringing them "
TO state OF perfection. Miss Emil!
Bliss, Of New York, Is In charge OF In