The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-03-04
CATHOLICS ARE
To REPRODUCE
MEETING HOUSE
Building Erected by Connecticut
Congregationalists to be Model
for University Chapel.

Chicago, March Am old colon
1al meeting house-the First Con-
gregational church OF Lyme, Conn.
is to be reproduced at Area, Ill, 80
miles from Chicago, as a Catholic
church. 1t Is to be the chapel Of
the new Catholic university, St
Mary OF the Lake.
I'VE are not appropriating any
thing from the colonial architects,
but are merely taking back our
own" Joseph W. Mccarthy, de-
signer Of the university, said when
asked to explain the choice of the
Connecticut meeting house as 2
model for a Catholic church THE
Adams brothers brought the colon
ial, or strictly speaking, Georgian
style to England from Rome, and
the Romans got it from the Greeks.
plans for the early colonial
churches were mainly drawn in
London, and reflected the Adams
craze, then the vogue there. The
original plans for the Lyme meet
ing house, erected in 1851, are
supposed to have come from Eng
land, as the contractor, one Delcher,
was not an architect, and his work
men were largely ship carpenters.
There is an old story in Lyme that
the plans were brought from Eng
land in one OF the Lyme ships"
The present Lyme church, a re-
production of the one built in 1915,
was constructed after fire destroy
production at St Mary of the Lake
University will follow it, as far as
the exterior is concerned, except
that the Catholic chapel will be of
brick and stone instead of the
white pine used at Lyme. The in
terror has been rearranged to con-
form to the needs of a Catholic
church
To Train Priests.
The real reason for choosing the
colonial meeting house as q model,
according to Mr. Mccarthy, was to
carry out the decision of Arch
bishop George w. Mundelein to
build the new university in the
Colonial style. When completed
the Area University will be a train
ing school for 600 candidates for
the priesthood. It's six year course
will supplement the five year train
ing given boys of the Chicago do
cese at Quigley Preparatory Semi
nary here.
The Area site embraces 1000
acres, including a lake a mile long.
Five buildings, a convent of the
Franciscan Sisters, the philosophy
lecture hall, philosophy dormitory,
refectory and power plant have
been completed and were opened
to classes last fall. The theologi-
cal section will be completed by
September, 1925. Work started in
August, 1920.
Develop Grounds.
Five bridges have been built and
work is under way toward the de-
velopment of the extensive grounds.
Two curving concrete moles pro-
vide boat landings, from which q
terraced plateau is to be crowned
by the chapel, with its graceful
Wren spire rising $50 feet, or 210
feet above the lake level On either
side of the chapel will be extensive
formal gardens, surrounded by a
continuous pergola-
The complete university plans
call for a chapel, administration
building. library, theology hall
philosophy hall, dormitories tor
| each, dormitory for the men and
| faculty of the Sacred Order, audi
| torium, gymnasium and swimming
| pool, boat house and belvedere
mall, refectory and kitchens, green
houses, laundry, warehouse, power
house, shop, convent and infirmary
and the five bridges of st. Paul tbs
Apostle, st. Charles Borromeo, St
George, st. Thomas Aquinas and
ST. Augustine.