Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-21
WORK IS SPEEDED
. ON QUAKER HOUSE
Builders Hope President and
Wife win Worship in 1t
Christmas.

On a wooded slope bounded by
Phelps place, Florida avenue and De-
catur place, not far from President
Hoover's former home, on street, a
sturdy stone structure of traditional
Quaker architecture Is being completed
for national "old-fashioned meeting
house." where President and Mrs. Hoo
yer and Friends of all branches in
America may worship in the simplicity
and silence of that ancient faith.
The building is being rushed by con-
tractors with the hope that it may be
ready for Christmas. The heavy stone
walls are complete, the slate roof is
on, plasterers are now busy on the In
terror and preliminary grading opera
tons have already started on the gently
sloping hillside.
Behind the building Of this sturdy
structure of modest dimensions there is
no great. national organization nor are
there any plans for extensive celebra-
ton usually marking the dedication of
national churches of other faiths in the
National Capital Quietly have plans
for the new old-fashioned" building
gone forward, and the organization be-
hind the movement still Is described as
elastic" Contributions have come
from noted Friends" Of various
branches throughout the country, it is
understood. It has been reported that
President Hoover contributed to the
building. But no list Of contributors or
even the group behind the movement
has yet come to light. The money has
been raised, the meeting house" is be-
ing completed, and when once opened
for worship the mention of money in
the public meetings for worship will be
noticeable by its absence. No collec-
ton Of money FOR support of the meeting
ever will be taken at Q meeting for
worship
Many Church Features Lacking.
The new meeting house" has no
steeple, no bell. 1t has no chimes. nor
will there be any organ, as the worship
of the old-fashioned Friends" as it
was explained today by one of them,
will be carried on without music.
Plans for the meeting house were
drawn by Walter F. Price of Phila-
delphia, an authority on Quaker archi-
lecture, who has made an extensive
study, not only. of old meeting houses
in this country, but in England as well.
The treasurer Of the building COM
mittee, the only person who has APP
peared publicly in connection with the
meeting house, is Mrs. Charles D. Wal
colt of 1743 Twepty-second street.
I'VE hope that Friends Of all belief
will come here to worship, said Mrs.
Walcott.
Most of the monthly meetings" of
Friends" throughout the country be-
long to one of the two principal
branches, known as the Orthodox" and
the "Hicksite" groups of Friends, but
the new meeting house is to be identi-
FIJI with neither. 1t is independent
and will welcome members of either of
these principal groups or OF the other
smaller groups of Friends it was ex-
President Hoover, according to the
manner of speaking Of Friends, was
born a Friend" His mother was a
Quaker preacher well known in Iowa,
where she travelled extensively, adj
dressing many different meetings. Mrs.
Hoover later joined the Friends faith.
They have worshiped at both Of the
Friends meeting houses here in Wash
ington, one on I street and the other
at Thirteenth and Irving streets, and
also in one at Sandy Spring, Md.
It is expected that the new meeting
house will probably be their principal
place of attendance after Christmas.
Quaker Architecture Used.
Into the structure is being put all the
solidity that was the Quaker conribu-
ton to architecture.
The twin doors of the early congre-
cations, with their twin flights of steps,
appear on its Eastern exposure, each
door bordered in bigger blocks Of the
native stone. The twin chimneys are
copper banded, and copper caves empty
into decorative twin copper rain-SpoutS.
In the days of William Penn, the two
doors divided the congregation, the
women entering one door, the men an
other-and a shutter was available to
divide the two groups. For women were
once too timid to join in discussions
with the men, though the Quaker faith
always granted them equality.
But today the two doors are merely
to expedite entrance, and President and
Mrs. Hoover will worship side by side
in the unadorned auditorium, white OF
ceiling, gray of wall, where the Friends,
foregoing the music and ritual OF other
religious groups, will sit In the silence as
their fathers did before them, until one
of their number arises to address them.
White House Beams, Used.
Beams that came from the White
House in the last remodeling, when the
third story was added, will be used for
the ceiling of the committee room in
a basement wing to the main meeting
house. Here the business affairs OF the
congregation will be settled. There VIII
be q huge open fireplace.
On the door to the Phelps place en-
trance to the meeting house VIII