The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-02-19

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in architecture, namely, a skyscraper
and church, the latest Of all ideas in
building construction. But there is
method in Pittsburg's madness" for
having been blocked for many years
by the clause placed in his land grant
by William Penn, setting forth that
the property must always be used for
Church purposes" the congregation
of the First German Evangelical Prot
estant church has evolved the above
scheme 1t has been decided, there
fore, that a building which shall COM
bine church and office building, which
will serve for worship and at the same
time put revenue into the Golfers OF
the congregation.
The auditorium and dome of the
church are to be buried inside IA
stories of business Offices and stores,
only the gothic arches, the wide doors,
and the chimes showing on the side OF
the building. All about the church and
above it will be piled mass of Of
fees INTELLECTUALLY distinctive, as the
business part of the building is to be
of renaissance architecture and the
church gothic.
1t is the purpose of the congrega-
ton to make it's valuable property at
Sixth and Smithfield streets yield
profitable return and at the same time
retain the property for church pur-
poses. 1t was specified in the deed
given by William Penn that the land
should be so used. 1t could therefore
not be sold except to another church,
which would hardly be profitable
| sale. At the same time it seemed nee
essarv that the church should get
more return from its land which Is
centrally located and which has been
often sought after by big department
stores. A church was built on the site
125 years ago, torn down and replaced
by another, then another, then by the
present structure, which was erected
in 1877. Sentimental reasons, there
fore, further persuaded the congrega
ton that they did not want to leave
the site.
i To overcome the difficulty, Eugene
C. F. Ernst, an architect and mem
Der of various church committees
drew his plans for the unique building
and laid them before the people. III
said the cost would be about $780,
600, but that corporation coult
easily be formed to furnish the funds
and that it would prove a paying in
vestment.
There was surprisingly little oppo
; sition from the conservatives, and /
seems to be generally understood tina
/. the plan will go through. 1t is planne
I for the structure to face on Smith
field street 24O feet, extending bac
to Strawberry alley. 1t will be i
!, three SO-foot sections, the two outsid
, for commercial purposes and the Ger
, trail one for the church, up to tn
height of that edifice, and then NOR
Office floors above to the top story.
great clock, with a 10-foot face, will b
placed at the sixth story, and abov
q this a set of chimes in special
9 constructed bell chamber.
On the fourteenth floor is to be
great assembly hall, 24Ox11O fee
with a plaster facade built round
light well. On special occasions tt
light well could be closed at the fiot
and ceiling lines by mechanical no
ing devices, the windows surroundir
Il the light court being thus transferrt
# into an open plaster balcony. The
s feet would be one large auditoriu
e with an open inner court.
u The basement will be for CONNIE
cial purposes, and sub.basement W
hold the power plant. An arcade G
tending from Sixth avenue to Smi1
field street will admit to the office al
: store sections. The entrances W
- lead into tie commercial part of t
building as well as into the churt
On the floor level with the street a
to be the Sunday school rooms, wi
two wings covered by sklights. T
r auditorium for TIE school is to be
IN feet wide, and two large balcon
he each provided with 29O chairs, will
~ erected above the ROOM
The main floor of the church v
have $50 seats, which, together "
the gallery, would give total seat
"a capacity of l,15o. The floor will hi
- a grade of eight feet toward the alt
Sixty-two feet above will be the