Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-24

John D. Rockefeller Is planning TO build
great church in Cleveland Ohio. which
will mount high in the air to provide for
many, branches of ecclesiastical work. 1t
1t to be new building for the Euclid Ave-
nue. Baptist Church. to which organization
Mr.. Rockefeller has belonged for many
years. ~, ESQ.,.
The following story of the project comes
from the Architects and Builders Journal:
Mr.. Rockefeller intends this new giant
of churches to be his greatest and most
lasting monument 1t win be a memorial of
his philanthropy and interest in religious
work. The Euclid Avenue Baptist congre~
cation of Cleveland is the first with which
the oil king connected himself. At that
time he was simply a grocer's clerk living
in a modest little house on Cedar avenue.
This was before the call of gigantic
finance had reached his ears; before his
fertile brain had conceived the idea that
the oil industry was reckoning him to
shape its marvellous future. Having been
superintendent of the Sunday school for
many years and deeply interested in ev-
erything that pertained to the welfare of
the church and denomination. Mr.. Rookie
feller never forgot his first ecclesiastical
home. Sentiment has bound him to 1t more
strongly than to any of the more magnih-
cent churches with which he has since been
allied
Those who know him intimately-and
many persons in Cleveland do-are not sur
prised at his ambitious plans for the tu-
ture of the Euclid Avenue Church. 1t
must not be imagined that the cchurch is
dependent upon the oil magnate's bounty.
A big church it has been from its founda-
ton, and Zig church 1t always will be-
Surrounding conditions, however are Sucn
as to place it peculiarly in line with the
ideas of growth and enterprise that he has
mapped out for it. When built the present
structure was located upon the best part
of Euclid avenue at that time, as now,
among the most beautiful residence streets
of the world. The spread of commercialism
gradually encroa ched upon these precincts.
The district now partakeS more of a BUSH.
ness than residential nature The church
has become a downtown institution, but 1T
is large and prosperous still, and many of
the best and wealthiest families of CIeve-
land are connected with 1t.
Even at that, contribution of $4,000
COO made by the richest man in the world,
is not TO be rejected inadvisediy. The plans
of this unprecedented contribution. too.
are heartily Endorsed by the pastor. The
Rev. DR.. Eaton enjoys the confidence of
the oil magnate, and the ambitious plans
for the church have been largely worked
out by him. The pastor was engaged in
work In Toronto, Canada, when he attract
ed Mr.. Rockefellers attention. In selecting
him for the work at Cleveland it seems
that the oil kings keen judgment Of men
did not err.
1.-THE new church." said the Rev. DIR.
Ea ton the other day. will be the biggest
in Ohio to a certainty, probably the big
gest in America, and possibly the big
gest in the world. That 1t will be the big
gest Protestant church in the world l am
sure l am sanguine enough to believe
that it will be the greatest church in the
world as we'll 81
/ i,s.Work on this will be started as soon
as the necessary plans have been COM
pleted.
ours will be a church for the indi-
xx,;II tab nlo Of $ha
that, perchance, lies far away. We will
make one big family of the homeless men
and women who live downtown-who may
be fairly well up in this worlds goods. but
really have no home.
why is skyscraper necessary? Wen,
III the first place, downtown land costs too
much to permit our building an old-style
church that would be big enough to &C.
commodate our work.
Necessity determines that we must en-.
ter into, or at least accept. the Spirit OF