The San Francisco call., 1906-09-07
SELECT SITE FOR
GRACE CHURCH.
Palatial Edifice Soon to
Rise Where Once Stood
the Old Crocker Mansion
TO BE CATHEDRAL

of Grace church had determined to
erect temporary chapel within the
walls of the structure occupied for so
many years by succession of congre-
cations, the ruins of which now stand
in impressive beauty, only the lofty
and symmetrical tower, the admi-
ration Of architects, standing complete
in all It's elegant proportions The
four walls of the former edifice are
still upright and the sanctuary. though
shorn OF all its old and costly adorn-
ment, is in fairly good condition, and
it was thought by demolishing the pill
lars and transept walls that church,
sufficient for the present need of the
congregation, could be built of timber
at a moderate cost A careful exam
ination of the ruins convinced the
architect employed that the plan was
impracticable, owing to the bad state
of the work left standing Before the
vestry had time to come to any deci-
sion in reference to the future location
of the church, Bishop Nichols, acting
as corporation sole of the diocese of
California, and William H. Crocker.
acting in behalf of the Crocker es-
tate, proposed that the new Grace
church shall be erected on the "old"
| Crocker lot which stands on the sum-
NIT of California street and was until
April the site OF the Crocker mansion
aHQ VI lllC HOlIG u w lllldHl IL
Crocker, president of the Crocker Ma
tional Bank and representative of the
family on the coast. The yestry of
the church have decided to accept the
offer and before long will occupy the
new site.
The lot to be decided the diocese of
California is 412 feet on California
and Sacramento streets and depth
of 275 feet on Taylor and Jones streets.
The dimensions of the lot are so great
that, beside Grace cathedral, which will
occupy the west half. there will be
ample room for bishops residence,
diocesan building for conventions,
chapter house and side chapel forming
a quadrangle connected with the cathe
dral by arched cloisters.
1t is proposed that one of these
buildings be commenced at an early day
and it may be decided to commence the
great cathedral itself by building the
choir, beginning with the basement. in
which Grace congregation might wor-
ship until the choir above was COM
pleted. Such is the plan decided upon,
but some delay will be caused by the
necessary legal formalities for the
transfer of the lot in the first place
and afterward with the formalities
attending the erection of Grace church
into Grace cathedral. This last move
ment, however, is not at present con-
templated, as in that case the church
becomes the bishops, in which he is,
by virtue of his office, supreme The
control of the whole property will
then be in the hands of the officials OF
the diocese, and in place of vestry.
independent of the bishop, there would
be a cathedral chapter and diocesan
organization with deans, canons and
other officials as now in cathedrals in
Europe
1t is proposed to commence the
building of the foundation as soon as
circumstances will allow Means are
in sight to build a foundation for the
choir and convert the basement into a
church for the congregation of Grace
1t is also hoped that funds will permit
an early commencement on the choir.
which may be completed and occupied
by building a temporary wall so as to
separate choir from the transept. 1t
may also be determined to build first
a synod house and use that as tenn
porary church. but most are in favor of
commencing on the cathedral by start
ing the foundation of the choir.
Beyond a general determination to
build the future cathedral in Gothic
style, somewhat of an enlargement of
old Grace, no plans are fixed. The
important decision to occupy the site
has been made and the time for laying
the corner stone of the new cathedral
will soon be appointed. The new cathe-
dral will be years in building and no
venture is made as to the ultimate cost.
Probably several hundred thousands
will be expended before the new edifce
is completed. In magnitude the cathe-
dral will be exceeded by few churches
in the country. The plans will be for
a superb church, worthy of the splendid
site (no church in the world has
equal location) and the metropolitan
diocese, of which 1T is to be the pivot.