South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-27
CHURCH WILL BE
OPENED SUNDAY
Scientist Church Erected at
Cost of 100000 Near
Heart of City.

aDlr RANKS as one OF the most uedQ-
tlful in South Bend is that Of First
church Of Christ, Scientist recently
completed at :he corner OF Madison
and Main SITS. at q cost OF mo-e
than S100, 900. and which viii be
opened for services on Easter sun
day
Three services during Easter
sunday viii mark the opening. The
first viii ue held at II o'clock I'm the
morning the second at o'clock "a
the afternoon and the third at 1880
o'clock in the evening.
The building occupies one Of tho
citys prominent corners. facing 100
feet on Main ST.. and the same
frontage on Madison ST. In height
the building IS 43 feet from sidewalk
20 the top OF the stone pediment
over the entrance. and IS feet 30
TOP of the dome. The exterior e.
constructed Of Indiana Bedford
stone. The building is set back .
ieet from the sidewalk and the in
teryening space IS planted with IA
exceedingly well developed land
scape setting that adds much to the
beauty OF the structure
The design has been very care
fully studied from the best exam
Piles OF classical architecture. The
building is diguihed In proportion,
dominating in mass. and chasts N
detail The distinguishing feature
of the front is the wide portico
with its six beautiful stone columns
che shafts are monollths, and the
total heighth of these columns is
- feet
The building is rooted with but
asbestos tiles. Windows are glazed
with an exquisite shade OF tinted
glass with hand painted borders.
Is Modern Edifce.
One enters from Main ST. up >
broad stone stairway through either
OF five double dOOrways. into a yes
Thule 40 feet in length BY eight
feet in width. Then through five
double Vestibule doorways into a
spacious foyer 70 by so feet. on
the foyer wall directly opposite the
entrancs is a CHEEKY fireplace. AZ
either end are wide stairways lea =
ing up into the auditorium. which is
over the foyer. At the sides OF these
stairways are four check rooms
where wraps and coats may be
checked Also two stairways lead
ing down to the Sunday school
room. which is situated directly
back Of the foyer. The foyer is
loored with tesselated mosaic tiles
in black and white
The main auditorium is 96 feet
i'm width by so feet in length. AMI
40 feet from the floor 10 the too
of the beautiful dome. ~ IS a most
IMPRESSIVE room and is most beau
tifully decorated in cafe-au-lait
shades. with mulberry carpet and
American walnut pews and furni-
ture An impressive feature is the
exquisitely designed organ screen
and readers desk. The overhead
lighting above the readers pla--
form. both daylight and artificial
is perfect architectural lighting. and
brings out the chaste design AMI
detail Of the screen and desk \
perfect and unbroken view can re
had OF this platform from every
Tsrt Of the auditorium. as the floor
is pitched one inch TO each foot
The total seating capacity is 900 /
The proportions Of the auditorium
are so carefully and logically bal
anced that the acoustics are per-
feet
on the ground floor under the
main auditorium and directly back
of the foyer is "a Sunday school
room seating 400 pupils Excellent
light and ventilation is secured from
large tinted glass windows on three
sides of the room There are four
exits two TO Madison st. and two
10 a passage on the north side Of
the building
Sack Of the Sunday school room
and midway up 10 the auditorium
is passage on which are located
tho officers rooms. These rooms
consist Of a directors room. clerks
room and four rooms Cor the two
readers. orEanist and sol0ist, also
necessary toilets. freproof vault.
etc The boiler and fuei rooms arc
located under the space occupied by
the officers rooms The Construr-
ton Of this portion o. the building
is OF reinforced concrete with an
iron door separating il from the re-
mainder OF the building aud making
this strictly fireproof The heating
system and all construction as well
lu strict compliance with the
building and fire ordinances.
Under the foyer are ample toilet
eccommodatious for both the main
auditorium and Sunday school. and
also large room for the use 81
committees Across the passaEewIy
from these rooms Is an immense
storage space
The lighting system throughout
he structure consists Or indirect
units iu the smaller rooms. and
concealed indirect refectors in the
aain auditorium. placed in the tor
of the corrice around the sides ~
.he room and giving a soft PLEASING
illumination. free from glare
The architect U.s. Leon + stand
0pe ~ Chicago.
Description Of Pipe organ
The beautiful pipe organ Is "a g.lt
from Airs. = A. StIdebaker. as n
memorial OF her daughter Mrs s..
p. Johnson. one of the charter mem-
beers OF the church it is ca three
manual instrument made uy The
r---1er NJ Skinner cuslHa uE co. Sos