The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-27
Condemns Three
and Orders Their Re-
moval Immediately.
LIKELY TO FALL
In HEAVY Storm
Broad Street Methodist, First
Presbyterian and S seventh
Street Christian Found to Be
in Dangerous Condition.
Formal Notice Served
on Officers.

Wooden frame steeples on Broad
Street Methodist, First Presbyterian
and Seventh Street Christian Churches
were summarily condemned yesterday
by Building Inspector Beck. and ord
cred removed al once. The steeple on
Broad Street Methodist Church ia re-
garded as especially dangerous, in
spectiou of the interior showing thai
many OF the supporting beams have
slipped out of place. and the inspecting
oficers express doubt as 70 whether Il
.~ould stand In the event Of a sharp
storm. The other two are not regard
ed as Immediately dangerous, though
specimens of worm-eaten and l~ifeless
wood are on exhibition at the office ~
the Building Inspector. The inspection
OF the church steeples will go on
promptly. Grace Street Presbyterian
and Clay Street Methodist Church
steeples have been examined and found
In good order and of sufficient trength
Trinity Methodist is now under criti.
cal examination. and IL it Is not ORD.
ereo do~n. IL will have to undergo
some repairs.
Dangerous Conditions Found.
Several days ago the attention OF the
Building Inspectors office was called
TO the condition OF Broad Street Me.ho:
dist, at Tenth and Broad Sts, one of the
oidest church buildings in the central
section Of the city-a companion struc-
ture to the First Baptist. Monumental
episcopal and the old First Presbyter
Ian, which formerly occupied the pres
ent city Hall site. Deputy Inspector
fhiiiips was assigned to the work, and
because OF Its peculiarly dangerous and
difficult character. and of the import
ance of thorough work, Mr.. Beck en-
ployed Edward Dyson. formerly fore
man for. the John T. Wilson ConstruI-
tion company, to assist in the inspec-
ton Of all steeples. Broad street
Methodist an old wooden frame affair
OF a~ntiouated type. was found utterly
worm-eaten and rotten; so much so
that the interior beams were in some
places hardly strong enough to sup
port the weight of the inspectors AS
they climbed from beam TO beam in
the uppermost recesses OF the spire
far above the little door through which
painters usually swing their ladders
for outside repairs.
Building Itself in Danger,
The condition OF this steeple Is held
TO endanger the church building itself
and the surroundings. including the
city Hall; just opposite. and formal
notice was at once served on L. Il.
Christian. chairman of the board of
trustees, directing him to have the
lSO-foot structure from it's base to
apex remoVed at once as a menace to
public safety. Mr.. Beck said he had
not determined as yet whether to al
low the auditorium of the church to
be used pending the changes. 1t will
depend on the character of scaffoldins
erected in removing the spire.
In HIS letter to Major Christian, Mr..
seek says; The main columns as we'll
as the brace timbers were found to be
In a very decayed n worm-eatvn
condition, making this part OF the
church a very unsafe proposition, and
one that demands immediate att~ention."|
II Is reported that there is a consid-
cradle movement among the members
OF Broad Street Methodist Church to
sell the old building and move to some
uptown location, leaving Centenary as
the only downtown Methodist Church.
Two Others Condemned.
Letters OF formal notification wore
also sent yesterday to Henry W. Wood.
president OF the board of deacons OF
the First Presbyterian Church. at
Madison and Grace Streets, calling his
attention to the "dilapidated and un-
safe condition of the wooden spire..
which is described as "decayed and
worm-eaten and unsafe" and the jn.
spector directs It's 'immediate removal.
forthwith" A similar letter was sent
to II. NJ. Hundley. chairman of the OF.
hclal board of the Seventh street
Christian Church, In the case OF this
church the spire is of wood, slate Gov
cred. and was repaired only six OF
Continued on Seventh Pagel