New-York tribune., 1908-12-20
WANT ST. JOHNS PARK
ALONG WTTH THE CHAPEL
Suggestions That It Be Restored to
Beautifu old Building.

Suggestions of plans FOR saving St Johns Chapel.
tu varick street. have been reinforced by the
rro7ositfon :. Johns Park to its former
beauty and dimensions It is thought by many
thai i the old church is 70 be retained public
monument II should have more artistic surround
ings
Mayor Mcclellan has said that in case St Johns
Is preserved he would be willing support
effort 20 recover for the city the site OF old st.
Johns Park. west Of the chapel which IS
occupied by the freight terminal CT the New York
Central Nj Mcclellan has been interested for
some tine ii the fate or the chapel and the
first 70 siEu the memorial Of protest. whose other
signers included President Roosevelt. Secretary
Root. William Dean Howells John Bigelow and
= T. Morgan
/ \. Phelps Stokes. the architect. Is strongly in
favor Of this plan II the city could recover the
site q the old park he said yesterday. and II
the Charter Revision Commission should adopt
laws providing for excess condemnation it would
la possible 10 carry out this site the suggestion
-la6e in the report Of the Tenement House Com
mission of 1901 for a site on the lower East Side
that the city should acquire the whole block west
of 81 gohn's Chapel. should retain strip through
the centre about 80 hy 400 feet, and open at the
Two ends for public park. and should sell to pri-
vare owners The strips On Laight and Beach
streets for improved teneuents. In this way two
needs would De supplied for the neighborhood-
l,e1ter teuenents and a public parB-and St Johns
wc1E least be restored TO something Of its
ancient beauty Of surroundings
air stokes said that his own observations in
Ea-5ck street had convinced him thai Dr. Hunt
iuEron vas wrong in thinking that St Johns had
outlred its religious usefulness and that Dr. Hunt
.ngf1n and Trinity Nestry were making their chief
mistake IN supposing.
a recent examination into the statistics of the
neicl6orhoo5 by the Federation Of Churches" said
NJ stokes. shows that the residential population
o. -Ee 5rh Ward Gin which St Johns IS located,
The 80 Ward al joining the south, and the Sth
Ward adjoining IL the north, taken collectively,
.rcrsased between 1900 and 1905 by 4S48- and
ina since 1895 this increase has been steadily
maintained
IN these three wards aIone-or within an area
q less than square nile lying north, west and
sou-h OF s. JoEls-tlere is at present a resi-
GENITAL population Of about f0rty-eight thousand,
Of which about 50 per cent use English as their
native tongue OF course. the greater part Of these
s-a Roman Catholics. but among the remainder
and among the curchess Italian population Of the
slh Ward al aggressive church and mission could,
: believe. De carried On indefinitely
Richard Watson Glider IN g letter 10 The
Evening Post favoring the park plan. says:
w ~-ev nj the reported fact that the district in
which 81 Johns chapel Is situated Is increasing IN
population why should Tot me next move N 1el-.-
JOINS Park Why. should not the city buy the Old
property ard open there another Of the much need
e and widely welcomed public parks and play
re z-l--v of small parks with Fairgrounds in
or CITY more and more keenly apprehended-
--- ----rr1a-5or1s viii probably be much less diff
r--- = s-cr17lishuaenr- I sure Mayor McClel-
JOINS Park be restored.
tzl-z7a B1-glurn. the sculptor who has charge
- The sculpture work for the Cathedral of St John
he Divine stepped work long enough yesterday TO
talk about The old chapel il Vartck street
II do not think the religious side should be
5-r--e5-- he said. That Is the first considera-
zion and he artistic consideration comes second
AS long as il Is possible. Trinity should maintain
s--rz-=s al s. Johns. From ali the statistics I
have seen II would seem unreasonable 10 insist that
s- 2 rsz5=-f aa-E70 0-I
There are enough artistic people IN New York
o. save St Johns. Il they would only realize its
--arre- The trouble Is that the art and antique
dealers IN Fifth aveuue take much care &c see
-.s- --z.- wealthy rarrcus direct their enthusiasm
ar--ad As result the old churches Of Europe
are u-laEed cf their valuable relics by Americans
hunting z-rigues x the same time Americans tal
recognize cae antiques II their own city because
nobody points them out There never viii be any
r-f old examples OF church architecture IN this
country + people tear down their churches or aban-
don them as soon as they get 10 be hundred years
cid.
55 -r=f- hest 70 save the chapel Il their thoughts
could pc started n that direction
Alexander P. y. EInuan who IS in the real es-
tate business at No. 50 West s3d street approves
ne action of the officers CT Trinity Parish IN voting
10 close St Johns Chapel His grandfather occu-
pied q pew IN old ST PauI's, and vas present at
ne service held Immediately after the inaugura-
r1ur os George Washington as the first President
O. -1e United States
1t has been my custom to visit the church al
odd periods right up 10 the present time, ne said
last night, and Il has been a matter OF surprise
70 ne tha1 the services have been continued up 10
--ss date Z appears 10 me that the officers Of
the corporation are wise il the step they have
taken. Il : rhel- sworn and sacred duty TO ad-
minister the affairs Of Trinity Parish in manner
thar wiz do the greatest good 70 the greatest
number and could any one De classed as faith
--- trustee who would continue large ex-
re-6ture for SO Few people when the same ex-
re-Elrure used in different lines. would admin
.s-e- 20 many more people and accomplish far
greater res--sz They would fau far short OF their
duty should they preserve church edihces ex-
a-l-lez OF sd-guiaed and beautiful architecture 20