Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-15
S5,0lO,ODO CHURCH
PRESBYTERIAN AIM
National Edifice in Spanish
Gothic Style Planned on
Connecticut Avenue.

Plans for the construction, equip
ment and maintenance of the Ma
tional Presbyterian Church at the
corner of Calvert street and Connect
cut avenue, to cost IS 900 900 and to
be built in the Spanish Gothic type
of architecture, were announced to-
day in conjunction with the start of
a Nationwide campaign to raise this
sum.
The plans provide for a group OF
Gothic buildings, consisting of the
church, the parish house. the manse
and an open.air auditorium, the sew
oral structures to be linked by clois'
ters Rev, DR. Charles Wood, pastor
Of the Church OF the Covenant. Is
president of the National Capital
church extension committee and of
the corporation and Rev. DIR. John
c.. Palmer is chairman of the board
of trustees.
The land for the edifice has been
secured through e. gift of 100000
from Mrs. Medill Mccormick, who
also has provided for the architects
plans. Ralph Adams Cram OF the
firm of Cram & Ferguson OF Boston
gave his personal attention to the
plans. aided by George Oakley Totten,
ir. of Washington and Edward r.
Mellon of New York. associated archi.
tects.
Description OF Edifice.
This description of the proposed
edif1ce was furnished today by prom
inent Presbyterians: THE plan of the
church hanks back to the fourteenth
century Gothic churches of Catalonia.
such as the superb and little known
Cathedral of Palma. and the Church
of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona.
The nave itself is very wide and the
columns are comparatively slender
and widely spaced. so as to give
greater floor area for the use OF large
congregations and to permit nigh
visibility and good acoustic proper
ties. The plan shows the wide nave
terminating in polGgonal apse with
lofty traceried windows. The aisles
also are wide and these are continued
in the form of low ambulatory
around the apse. Near the chancel
are shown on either side large, low
transeptal chapels, opening by broad
arches into the nave, these chapels
forming additional seating space when
the normal capacity of seats in the
church proper needs to he increased.
THE exterior" the description con.
tinued. shows an impressive. simple
and monumental mass, lofty and
massive, with a single great tower
placed on the left of the nave and
near the front and the facade dis.
tinguished by a spacious open porch,
reminiscent of the famous South
porch of Abb Cathedral in Southern
France. Above this is the great rose
window lighting the end of the nave.
FLYING buttresses take the thrust OF
the high vault, but apart from the
porch and the upper part of the
tower, there is comparatively little
elaboration of detail. the effect here, as
in the interior. depending on scale,
mass and light and shade.
Cloister With Arcades.
ITO the left of the church will be
seen great cloister with arcades rum
ming around three sides so as to give
access to the manSe. the Sunday school |
building and the administrative of. |
fees"
The mission of this church was |
thus described:
THE church should be not only a |
great ediflce. but center of far |
reaching power 1t should provide q |
setting and atmosphere for great |
preaching-a place where these |
external truths of our Christian faith, |
which have always constituted the |
message of Presbyterianis can be |
set forth by preachers of eloquence
and fame like Thomas Chalmers and |
Norman Macleod 1t should be q
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