The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-06-12
IS
NOT POPULAR
In Present Day Church
Architecture.
IMMENSE DOMES USED
Instead of the Old Fashioned
Steeples.
Some of the New York Structurs
Recently Built Cost One Million
Dollars.

Some of the church structures re-
Gently built in New York City indi-
cate that the old-fashioned steeple Is
not popular with modern architects.
The Madison Square Presbyterian
church, the pastor of which is the
Reverend DR.. Charles II Parkhurst.
which has an immense dome, is an
example of the rev style Of ecclesi-
astical architecture. Situated at the
corner of Madison Avenue and TWEEN
ty-fourth Street, II is one OF group
of the most striking buildings in New
York. To the southwest, little more
than a hundred yards away. Is the
tall Flatlron; across 1wenty-fourth
Street is the Metropolitan Life, one
of the largest office buildings in the
world two blocks to the north is
the Madison Square Garden; and
ACROSS the square is the Fifth Ave-
nue. Hotel the old-time rendezvous
of National politicians.
The church proper and the parish
house are joined so as to form one
structure. The exterior Is of brick
upon q marble base The floors and
dome throughout, and the partitions
In the parish house are made of ter
ra Gotta tile blocks, so that absolute
safety from fire is assured. The cost
of the church and parish house was
1926 900.
Another house of worship even
stranger than DR.. Parkhurst's Is the
Broadway Tabernacle Congregation
all. at Broadway and Fifiy-sixth
Street. Il has the appearance OF n
combination church and office build
! ing. 1t is also of the most mod
ern fireproof construction. being built
of steel protected by hollow terra
Gotta blocks. IL cost $35O,OO0O
The Tabernacle has tower, but
not the sort commonly associated
with churches. All of It is put to
use. On its first floor are the Sun
day school rooms. Between them and
,he belfry there Is room for all the
activities Of the church organization.
Mission rooms and a ladies parlor
are on the third floor, the Young
Mems library on the fourth, the pas
tors study, reception room and
church library on the fifth, the sex
tdn's living quarters on the sixth
and museum on the seventh. Above
that Is the belfry, In the basement
are Two spacious halls for all sorts
II gatherings.
Far outs.ripping either of these in
cost is the First Church of Christ
Scientist better known as the Chris
tian Science Church, at Central Park
West and Ninety sixth Street. One
million, three hundred thousand dol
lars was spent on this building, ex-
elusive of the cost of the land. It is
not accurate to desribe il definitely
as a church, because It. has an or
lganizatiOn that treats the sick, keep
ling open seven days In the week &.
II Is said that 5000 persons come
there for treatment from the Chris
titan Science practitioners every
year.
Marbles were brought from every
corner of the globe 10 line the walls
Iof this edifice. Hinge steel glrders
support the dome and the galleries.
Terra Gotta tile of the finest variety
makes floors and walls irresistible To
fire. There are about forty rooms
besides the auditorium, In the build
ing. There Is no branch of Christian
Science activity which is not repre-
ented there.