The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-02-27
FIRST CHURCH OF
CHRIST SCIENTIST
SERVICES WILL BE CONDUCTED
THEREIN NEXT SUNDAY.
fOlflCE ONE OF MUCH BEAUTY
While Exterior Still Lacks Some "Fin-
ishin9 Touches" the interior is
Completed and the Public In
vited 70 be Present.

vIted 10 be present.
Oskalaosa's new house of worship
property Of the First Church of Chris
Scientist, viii be opened for service.
Sunday, February 23, 1913. While
not fully completed as TO exterior de
tail, the interior was finished this
week and the public is invited to be
present at the opening services al
l0:45 o'clock. morning, and 7:45
O'clock Sunday evening. The build
ing combines beauty and comfort with
utility and Is a notable addition to
the list OF splendid houses of worship
having location in OskaloOsa.
Details of construction, equipment
and furnishing of The handsome new
edifice are united in a harmonious
whole that appeals TO one as a work
OF art, beautiful picture, an inspir-
ing melody. Work on the building
The structure was completed today,
February 81. exception as to the
exterior facing, with white ce-
ment and painting Of the exposed
woodwork.
The building occupies pleasing
location facing High avenue from the
south, in the half block east OF Third
street. 1t mas an elevation well
above the grade of the avenue and
sets hack from the lot line a distance
OF about thirty feet. II Is of frame
construction, cement faced and is
about 5GX7j feet. Approaches in the
form CT tWO flights Of board cement
steps and a cement plaza twenty-five
feet wide lead from the street walk
to the portal, a pleasing and imposing
feature OF the architecture OF the
building. The front Is of classical
design with four columns twenty-five
inches in diameter supporting an en-
tableture through width of about
twenty feet Entrance to the main
building is by means of heavy double
doors of oak and beveled-plate glass
leauIng into a yestibule seven by eight
feet and entrance to the public read
ing room. at the northeast corner OF
the building, opens at the left. The
main entrance has a recess of nine
feet from the steps. Double swing
ing doors give way into the foyer ten
feet in width and almost fifty feet
from side to side. To the east is
found the interior entrance TO the
public reading room and on the west
are two entrances TO a spacious cloak
room, one side for ladies', the other
for men. Partitions which separate
the foyer from the audience chamber
are made TO disappear into ceiling
pockets and tie foyer, in case OF
emergency may become a part OF the
larger room, with a seating capacity
of one hundred or more. Three large
entrances open from the foyer into
the audience or the main room, double
swinging doors Of birch, mahogany
finish being Il part OF the intervening
partition. The audience chamber has
a depth Of thirty -four feet and Is for
ty-eight feet between sides, with a
seating capacity OF between two and
three hundred people. The pews are
placed on the quarter are of circle
and the floor is inclined toward the
pulpit platform, which has an eieva
ton OF about thirty inches. Spa
ci0us accommodations are provided
upon the platform which recedes
from an oval, rail surmOunted front /
Two curtained openings at the rear
lead into a pasageway tnat communi
Gates with the Readers rooms, separ-
ate accommodation being provided
for the first and second Reader.
This in brief is an outline of the ar
rangement of the plan OF the church.
Rear entrance 10 the bmilding Is pro-
yided al the southeast corner, where
a small hallway Is entered from a
porch gained from the east side.
This opens into the audience room
from the south. into a locker room
and also provides way into the base
lnent
Decorations and interior finishing
Of NEST pleasing character have been
employed. The body Of the walls Is
in light colonial bun, with the wood
work IN velvet white, trimmed In ma
nogany{ The arched ceiling is done
in old ivory and the whole harmon
lies with the furnishings and the
lighting Of the rooms in way that
Is at once restful and pleasing. Large
windows Of green and amber tinted
art glass on the east and west give a
subdued light by day. while for even
ing a system Of indirect lighting gives
q beautiful, soft illumination that
casts no shadows.
Furniture i'm keeping with the 9th. |
er features of the church is equally
pleasing For the pulpit there Is a
handsome double reading desk of
mahogany, with shaded desk lights |
attached from the sides. The plat |
form furniture consists OF heavy
chairs and a settee of rich solid ma
hogany, upholstered in green. The |
pews are OF special make, birch, ma
hogany finish, plain but elegant, and
iuXuriously comfortable. The doors
are all finished in mahogany and win
dow base and wainscot rail are in
the same color, defining the white and
bun tinted walls in contrasting out
line. Floors are OF selected hard
maple so treated in finishing that the
colors are made 10 blend with the
shades and color tones created by the
special lighting. Carpets OF green
velvet cover the platform and have
place in the aisles, while rubber car
pets are used in the foyer and en-
tranceway. Rugs are used in the out
er apartments. Suitable furniture
has place in the library and the
Readers room. While simplicity and
plainness mark the selection there is
a quiet elegance and genuineness
about everything. consistent with re-
fined taste.
Numerous distinguishing features
OF the new building combine in max
ing II an ideal home OF the organize
ton responsible for It's being. The
reading room Is department of the