Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-22
COM MAND|NG SITE
New Episcopal Cathedral Will
Overlook City.
LINES ALL PURE GOTHIC
Will Rival That of St. John the De-
vine.
TENANTS NATIONAL PLAN
Success Of the Efforts of Bishop Henry
Y. satterlee, Who Conceived
Idea Many Years Ago.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

town road is almost on a level with the
apex of the Washington Monument. AL
though it is in the suburbs now, the pres
ent growth of the city will doubtless
round it with handsome residences before
1t is finished. and even now it is being APP
preached rapidly on all sides.
The property comprises forty acres which,
with the buildings thereon, represents a
total value of So6OOoO clear of incumbrance.
the last dollar of the 100000 debt having
been paid last Thanksgiving day, when a
special service was held to commemorate
the fact. The property was acquired by
donations from various sources, the largest
gift being a legacy of $4,000 from the late
Harriet Lane Johnson: the second being a
gift Of '$2oo,000 from Phoebe A. Hearst, and
$4,000 from Mrs. Julian James the
third. All other gifts have been within the
latter sum.
TIE corner stone Of the new cathedral will
be laid September % next, the Bishop Of
London, the Bishop of st. Adams and sew
eral other dignitaries of the Church of Eng
land having promised to be present, togeth-
with distinguished ecclesiastcs of the
United States. From that time the work Of
construction will be continued as the money
is available. There is very little in the
treasury now, but Bishop Satterlee has
great expectations, and hopes to provide
the funds as they may be needed to keep
the builders busy. There has been no
innate of the cost, although it is easy to
speculate The purpose is to carry out the
plans that have been so enthusiastically
approved as rapidly as circumstances will
permit, without considering the ultimate
investment. The beauty and grandeur Of
the building will not be sacrificed for the
sake of economy. 1t may be a hundred
years before the last tower is completed.
Cathedrals are not built in day, and
the aim of the chapter and the architects
is to secure as perfect, complete and beau
tiful tabernacle as the genius of architec-
ture can produce Time and money only
minor considerations.
Great Gothic Pile.
The proposed cathedral will be almost as
large as that of st. John the Divine, now
being erected in New York, and is larger
than most of the cathedrals of Europe. The
accepted design is ogre decorated Gothic
with a touch of French feeling. The plans
suggest the cathedral at Canterbury, and
the color will be similar to that of the
cathedral at Chester, reddish stone hay
ing been decided upon. The dimensions
indicate almost perfect proportions. The
total length will be 41G feet, the total width
132 feet, the height to the ridge line of the
roof 100 feet and from the pavement to the
internal apex of the vaulting 93 feet The
central tower will rise 30 feet from the
ground. The plans contemplate nave
aises, transcripts choir and two chapels
Double asles planned for the nave.
which may be used for memorial windows
be vaulted IN stone of the same color of
the exterior, and the windows have been
arranged so as to concentrate the light
with striking effect upon the altar in the
sanctuary, somewhat similar to that in the
tomb of Napoleon in tho Chapel Of the
Hotel des Invalides in Paris.
1t is proposed to build large hall of
Gothic architecture in harmony with the
cathedral for church meetings, conventions
and similar gatherings and for the Offices
of the diocese. This, however, will not be
undertaken until the cathedral is well
along. The architects recommend that the
whole of the foundation of the cathedral
be put in first, and then raise the super
structure gradually as circumstances will
permit.
pied by the Church of st. Adams for
nearly sixty years. 1t was originally the
residence of Joseph Nourse, appointed by
President Washington the first registrar
Of the treasury. Years after he had gone
to rest his home was occupied by st. Johns
School for Boys, and his granddaughter
came Sunday after Sunday, year after year.
to teach In the Sunday school until her
health failed. After her death, in 1850.
small box was found containing forty gold
dollars, the proceeds of needlework which
she had sold, and on its cover were in
scribed the words: For a free church on
Alban Hill" This message from the dead
was accepted a fund was raised, the boys
of st. Johns School dug the foundation
and three or four years after the first free
church IN the DlStTlCC OI SOluHlE!d was
completed and it's doors have never been
closed since. Bishop Satterlee says: Again
and again the surrounding property would
have been purchased for secular purposes
had not this little sanctuary OF God stood
there like sentinel guarding it from all
but sacred uses.
National Church Plan.
Mai L'Enfant, in designing the plans for
Washington contemplated national church.
hpep SnppeStad
for the capital of the nation. but the first
practical step in that direction was taken
by Mary Elizabeth Mann, a newspaper cor
respondent, who conveyed tract of land
in the northern part of the city to the
Bishop of Maryland the late DrsParet, to
be the nucleus of a cathedral fund. Upon
that foundation the necessary legal steps
were taken, charter from Congress was
obtained board of trustees was elected a
constitution and statutes" was prepared.
and the Rev. DR.. George William Douglas,
rector of St. Johns Church, Washington,
was chosen dean and chancellor of a cathe
dral that was founded faith-the sub
stance of things hoped for rather than a
tangible endowment; because. after time
it turned out that Miss Manns gift was
practically worthless. The property she had
offered was SO encountered by mortgages
and tax liens that it could not be accepted,
and at her own request the trust was can
celled But other friends came forward, a
site was chosen, Mrs. Hearst gave money
for the erection of the Cathedral School for
Girls and other gifts were offered until
now, as l have already told you. the value
of the property amounts to nearly a million
dollars and the site is perhaps the most
favorable from every point of view that
could have been found in the District of
Columbia.
Peace Cross Ceremony.
On Sunday, October %, 1898, the ground
was marked by the erection and consecra-
ton of The Peace Cross" an Iona cross Of ,
stone, twenty feet in Leight, to comment
crate the ending of the war between Spain
and the United States. The ceremonies were
conducted in the presence Of the President
of the United States, the bishops. clergy
and lay delegates of the general convention !
of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and
Thousands of citizens, and President Mckin
leg made an address which has since been
adopted as a part of the ritual for such
services. Since then, also, a school for choir
boys has been erected through the generos-
ity of the late Mrs Harriet Lane johnson,
and "A Little Sanctuary" at the gate of the
future cathedral, facing Massachusetts ave-
nue., has been built by her children in men,
DRY of the late Mrs. Percy r. Pyne. This
Little Sanctuary is largely composed of
materials that once formed a part of the
beautiful Academy of Design. which for