The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-05-13
HANDSOME ED|F|CE
IS NOW COMPLETE
New First Presbyterian Church
Is to BE Dedicated
Today.
REV. w. NJ. PADEN WILL
PREACH THE SERMON
Structure Cost More Than
$4,000 and Is Credit to
the City.

The main auditorium of the First Pres
byterian church will be opened for pub
lie worship this Sunday morning at IL
o'clock There Will also be o special
unity service in the evening. at which
most of the congregations of the city
Will be represented. A special invita-
ton has also been sent out by the ses-
sion to all the builders. contractors and
workmen who have In any way taken
part in putting tho plans into stone
and wood and glass
The inaugural sermon will be
preached by the pastor, DR.. w. NJ,
Paden, who will be assisted in the ser
vice by DR.. S. E. Wishard Dr. r. G.
McNeice, and others, The music Will
be led by a double quartctte under the
direction of Miss Maud Thorn, the or
ganist. This choir is TO be supple
mented by an orchestra OF five Violins,
led by Prof, George f. SHELTON.
The Plant Now Complete.
The opening of this main auditorium
means the completion OF the church
plant at Brigham and G streets. The
cornerstone for this church was laid
June 4, 1908, The Sunday-school rooms
were occupied last Easter. Now the
whole plant is finished and furnished,
including the basement, kitchens. room
for primary department. kindergarten
room, missionary room and a large
room for special services. The main
auditorium will seat 1900 the Sunday
school building 1000. There is room In
the basement for 1900 more, Each room
Of this new plant Is separate and com
plcte in itself.
Founders and Growth
The First church was founded by
Rev. Josiah Welch in 1871. The former
house OF worship, located at the cor
ner of Second East and Second South,
was built In the summer OF 1876 Under
the pastorate OF DR., r. CT. McNeice the
church grew from a membership OF
6S to a membership of over 300
At the time OF his resignation In 1895,
there We're 317 persons enrolled as COM
municants. The present pastor was in
stalled In November 1897. The years
since have also been years Of whole
some growth. The communicate mem
bership OF the church is now over 600,
and the Sunday-school enrolment in
Guiding the enrolment OF the South
West mission and the Home Depart
ment. Is over 700
During these past twenty years the
First church has also been a mother
Westminster Sunday school in Per-
kins's addition. which Is now the Third
Presbyterian church and has church
home which was erected last year and
which is more commodious and cost
more than the old church at Second
South and Second Feast In 1895 the
South West mission was established
II now has n Sunday-school attendance
larger than that OF the mother church
h1n "a n htlrH . D !,
Description Of Auditorium.
The new auditorium Is finished and
furnished in oak. The pulpit and COM
munion furniture are hand-carved and
of a very superior order The rest OF
the building Is finished in Georgia pine
The stained glass In the main audi
torium is as fine as any found west
OF the Mississippi river There are not
many of these windows, bns thcy are
all of the best material and workman
ship. The three large windows, with
their tracery. have cost over $4,000 The
smaller windows are of equally fine
workmanship. being of opalescent
glass and contain the story OF Christ's
life from his birth to his ascension
The whole plant has cost something
over $175,000. most Of which has been
raised OF pledged In this city, though
there have been liberal gifts from
friends in the East
Building Eras.
The first generation began with a
building era. 1t was natural there
fore, that the second generation, having
outgrown the old home. should set
out to build new one. Plans for the
new building were made in 1901, w. E
Weir being supervising architect. Dur
ing this year the congregation unani-
mously voted to build new church on
a new site at Brigham and c streets.
The New Location.
The new site is nearer the center OF
the congregation, 1t is on three car
lmes-the Brigham street line. the
Third street line and the First street
llne-and Is as conveniently located
with reference TO the Main and State
street lines as the old location More
over. there is no Protestant church or
Sunday-school building north of Brig
ham street. The development of the
city during the past two years has
more than justified our choice of four
years ago. Meanwhile the congregation
has besides erecting q church, which
Is an ornament to the city, done dou-
BILE work In street improvement. First.
1t did It's part toward the new paving
OF the corner OF Second South and Sec
ond East; now 1t Is doing It's part
toward the Improvement of c street
and South Temple.
The Building Of Our Church.
In the fall OF 1902 the contract for
putting the new building under roof
was let to Architect Campbell, the con-
tractor for the new postofIice building.
The cornerstone was laid June 4, 1903
The congregation and Sunday-school
moved into the new Snn1aV-Schpol