Daily public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1892-191?, 1912-08-03


ington. In fact a man may stand In
any quarter Of the city and see from
street corner two or three worship
Ing places, but few Of them are struc.
lures Of imposing appearance.
Many capitals Of the world are just.
ly famed for their churches and for
little else, so unless there is an uplift
in this direction Washington will have
to depend on it's other glories for dis.
tinction. This deficiency, however, Is
keenly felt, and even now there is a
movement afoot among all sects to
beautify Washington churches.
The only churches in Washington
at present worthy of mention are
those built during the decade before
and the decade after the Revolution.
Probably the most exquisite survival
Of these earlier periods of church
building is old st. Johns Episcopal
Church, which stands just across La.
fayette square from the White House
This is, indeed, remarkable quarter
from an architectural point of view.
The historic square Is lined with nota-
BILE structures. among them the Com
modore Decatur house, the John Hay
house and the Arlington Hotel. Old
st. Johns Itself is classic In type and
follows closely the dictates OF lingo
Jones. Its graceful portico. Of the Ro-
man doric order, faces Sixteenth
street, while it's length extends along
the square. Its belfry is the most typ
zeal feature about the edifce, It's elias
sic lines. pyramided to a splre, calling
to mind the best OF London steeples.
There are other churches in Wash
ington belonging to the same period
but smaller and less noteworthy. One
Of 90 years later, however. is worthy
mentioning. in that It is a remarkable
example OF church architecture, al
though built during a period OF de-
preston. 1t is the Cathedral Of ST.
Dominic, a Catholic church in South
west Washington. a little frequented
section Of the city. This church is the
most perfect Gothic building in the
city, and while not as ornate as Con-
tinental Gothic cathedrals, II is of a
high plane Of excellence. II is not
among the churches shown to sight.
seers who come to Washington. how
ever, and is seldom seen save by
those who frequent II.
Another of the churches built in the
black walnut" period is Grace Church
in Georgetown, which is contiguous TO
Washington and now a part of II.
Grace Church is Of red brick and
gothic. Its chief merit lies in a re-
markable belfry, although the entire
structure is unusually graceful.
Two notable churches, however, are
now being erected by the advocates OF
better church architecture in Wash.
ington. The one which Is to stand at
the head of Washington's list Of &c.
clesiastical edifices is the Cathedral OF
S.. Peter and Paul, at Mount st. Al.
ban. which overlooks the entire city.
This cathedral, which is Just rising
above its foundations, will be OF the
most elaborate gothic design. II will
resemble York Minister, an Old World
church Of fame, pointing two towers
nl6A dbONt a AAehNC VI lylHB DulNIGbbGb
and carved images of saints. The
chapel OF the Holy Nativity, a part OF
the cathedral, has already been dedi.
Gated, but the main cathedral will be
nearly as long in building as the Ca
thedral OF st. John the Divine In New
York.
Another notable Washington church
now under construction is the First
Church OF Christ, Scientist, nearing
completion, on Columbia Heights, a
fashionable residence section OF the
city. This church is classic in design
and is built on the lines OF the Pan
theon. It will be the most imposing
church OF its type In Washington.
Equally as fine will be the Temple OF
the Scottish Rite, but that structure
will not be completed for months and
probably years to come.
This general movement toward bet
ter church architecture will, in the
next decade, put Washington on a
plane with other cities OF its size as
far as excellence OF such edifices is