The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-18

Swedenborgian Artisans Consider
Only Their Art in Rearing Their
Cathedral at Bryn Athyn, Pa.

French chateau. an italian garden,
w1steria hidden balconies ana he
bungalows Of magAsine dreams. At
M Is the sect's college for men
girls that compares In beauty Of
campus and excellence OF curriculum
with any college in America.
And on a hill in the very centre
OF settlement. overlooking II and
the wilder loneliness Of the hills and
valleys beyond, are rising the walls OF
a church that all It's builders and
makers. from the highest to the hum
blest. design to stand for ages as a
monument to the art love and the
symbolism OF the religion professed by
~Swedenborg's followers.
In August. 1918. a winding road was
carefully laid out from the hill to a
quarry n mile distant. its side fortified
by. a stonee mbankment along the PEN
nypack Creek. It's bed built to. endure
Al the same time excavations for the
church began. All granite for the out
side Of the building 10 being hauled
along this road.
The cornerstone Of the church wa
aid on June 10. 1914. 1t - unlike
other cornerstones-a huge block set
up in h rough. without date or in
scription. and supporting two girth-
some southeast corner b%uttresses. No
memorial windows or tablet, no in
scription concentrating architects
or donors. will appear in the finished
structure. The true Gothic spirit Of
building. Of sinking the individuals
identity in the perfection OF the whole.
Is being carried out in every detail Of
the operation.
To-day. nearly two years after the
beginning Of the work, the church has
not progressed above the first story.
And anything already set up will be
torn dow and demolished IL the Anal
enect OF II is not entirely satisfactory
to Raymond Pitcairn. the son Of John
Pitcairn, n the architects and ar.
lists associated with him.
When the building was first dis.
cussed a simple n was thought of
to take the place OF the college chapel
in which services were being held.
When the modest plans were com.
pleted and subscriptions called fol-
John Pitcairn stepped in, as he has
done so often and SO opportunely In
the affairs Of the colony. He wished
TO build the church himself as hi.
lasting contribution to Swedenborgian.
ism in America. II was his intention
to make II a monument hat would
endure. as the temples and churches
OF Europe have endured. And the tenn
pies OF antiquity and the cathedrals Of
m~ediavalism have endured because the
men who built them loved their work
and had time to do 1t. They were no,
day laborers pounding away 1t &C
much IN hour for a contractor who
had outbid his competitors and whose
chief demand upon his men was fol
speed.
The church is designed to be a nota'
bic gift to the centuries. given withou,
thought Of fame. For the IA whose
wealth and the men whose ability
make II possible will not have lef'
their names on the stones. What viii
It cost? No one knows: or those who
might will not discuss the subject. Eek
pense Is no consideration. Nor /.
time. 1t will be completed some day
Is that there will be nothing like /
in America.
1t will not be called a cathedral
But, inasmuch as II will be the cen
!, trail church Of all Swedenborgian soci
!, cites in the world-in North and Soutl
America, England. Paris, Brussels
Berlin, Sweden. Norway, Denmark
: New Zealand-it will be in function a
: least a cathedral. But It will not b
! a vast edifice. It's size Ii unimportant
:. but its beauty and permanence ar
kept ever in view.