1 sso.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



351 



almost wholly hidden hehind the Pulpit and the Readinjj-Desk ; 

 and which Chapel left the Trustees with a debt, that by its many 

 thousands, has oppressed them most grievously. But I forbear, 

 for while I write freely, I must not even seem to condemn pood 

 and generous men, who, in their great zeal fur God, committed, 

 unintentionally, some improprieties. 



"Gothic Architecture requires no such e.xtravagant outlay for 

 ornament. All its ornaments are parts necesnari/ for the strength 

 and convenience of the building. Its buttresses support and 

 strengthen the walls, and make them as strong as if twice as tliick. 

 Its mullioned windows prevent the blinding glare of a mass of 

 light, such as shines in a large Grecian opening. Its pillars, if 

 within, support the middle roof, and hold fast the gallery, Its 

 pinnacles, by their pointed forms, throw off the wet from the but- 

 tresses, and prevent injury; and its parapets, cornices, and base- 

 ment-mouldings, are all, if jiroperly employed, conductors of 

 water from the building. It requires no artificial accompaniments 

 — such as do-nothing front gables with blank vvindows and with 

 iron bar supports behind. It is — incontrovertibly — the most coii- 

 sktent and tJie most economical style of Chapel Building that can 

 be employed. " 



It will be seen Mr. Jobson does not rely upon theory or upon 

 arguments a priori, but he appeals to the experience of facts; and 

 besides those already adduced, he gives abundant evidence in the 

 course of his work that he does not speak without authority. 



Lately, in noticing a chapel, we had occasion to point out that 

 the requirements of tlie congregation were not always so well 

 attended to as in the design to which we were referring; and we 

 are glad to have the opportunity of referring those architects who 

 wish information on the subject, to the pages of Mr. Jiibson's book. 

 This writer remarks, that the nature of the accommodation re- 

 quired was a suliject whicli ]iarticularly attracteil the attention of 

 the Building Committee appointed by the Wesleyan Conference in 

 I846. He says: — 



"It appeared to the committee that, in preparing to erect Wes- 

 leyan chapels, sufficient consideration had not generally been 

 given to the want of C/nsx-rnovis and Fextries. These are indispen- 

 sable to the working of .Methodism in the present day. Formerly, 

 they were less needed tlian tliey are now. In the past time, classes 

 were scattered, as to their places of weekly meeting, throughout 

 a city or town; but, of late years, there has been a growing feel- 

 ing towards meeting for weekly fellowship on tlie chapel premises. 

 Class-rooms on chapel premises must, in the present day, to a 

 much greater extent tlian formerly, be provided. In addition to 

 these, it is also requisite that, in connection witli a chapel of con- 

 siderable dimensions, at least one larger room for prai/er-meetiiig.i 

 and socid/ yatheriiiyx should be supplied. The increased agencies 

 of Methodism require this. Of course, additional buildings will 

 require additional expense; and it is important that ministers and 

 trustees, in their first meetings for tlie erection of a new chapel 

 should consider that, as Methodists, they have not only to build a 

 chapel, but also vestries, class-rooms, and a larger room for prayer- 

 meetings, annual or other tea-meetings, tkc 



"Another consideration which engaged the attention of the com- 

 mittee, was tlie arrangement of the Imildinys in siuii. a manner as mn.it 

 easily to admit of enlargeinent wlieti required. And tlie committee 

 found, by applications to iiractical men, that it would be easy, 

 generally, to provide for enlargement, by including the class- 

 rooms, and the larger room over or below' them, under tlie roof at 

 the fai-ther end of the chapel. On this plan, tlie I'oof not having 

 to be disturbed, it would be necessary only to take down tlie wall 

 behind the pulpit, and the floor and cross-walls of the rooms 

 behind; and then the chapel would be enlarged." 



This latter consideration is one very important and ap])licaWe 

 to churclies, as vrell as to many classes of public liuihliiigs; where, 

 in consequence of its neglect, very serious and needless expense 

 is in a few years created, or very great inconvenience submitted 

 to, and which judicious arrangement in the first instance wouhl 

 have avoided; nor are many of our leading architects free from 

 forgetfulness in this respect. 



"Another and a very important object to be seen in Methodist 

 chapels, and %vhich was carefully and anxiously considered by the 

 committee, was the furnishing of seat-room for the children of Sabbath 

 and Week-day Schools. 



•'A farther important subject, which engaged the serious delibera- 

 tions of the committee, was seut-uccomniodation for the Adult Poor. 



"There is another subject which demands the serious considera- 

 tion of Ministers and Trustees who may engage in chapel build- 

 ing; and that is, the evil, as I regard it, of erecting very large Methodist 



Chapels. It may be found expedient to have one large chapel in 

 the central part of a populous city or town, — to be used on general 

 occasions, such as the District Missionary Anniversary; but. to 

 erect several such chapels in one town, is likelyto retard the progress 

 of Methodism, rather than to promote it. If two moderately-sized 

 chajiels were built instead of one of great dimensions, each con- 

 taining, say, a thiuisand, or twelve liundred persons, of course, two 

 Ministers wiiuld be required for their supply, instead of one, as in 

 the case of the very large chapel. And who, that considers all 

 the circumstances to be taken into account on this subject, will 

 not say, that a thousand or twelve hundred persons are quite 

 as many as should usually be assembled together for worship in 

 one building.'' 



"And if chapels of moderate dimensions be built, it will be 

 found that the present plan of raising very deep and heavy galleries 

 within them is neither necessary nor expedient. The introduction 

 of galleries into buildings for divine worship is comparatively 

 recent; and was resorted to rather in the way of a temporary con- 

 venience, than as a principle to be continued and permanently 

 carried out. Perhaps congregations rapidly increased, as did the 

 congregation at Kidderminster, under zealous Richard Baxter, 

 who had not less than five galleries in his church, and some of 

 them most grotesque in their forms. To place the greater portion 

 of the congregation in the gallery, is like putting the pyramid to 

 stand on its apex, rather than on its base; and is as contrary 

 to the right order of things, as seating some five hundred persons 

 in a gallery behio.d the minister. It is better, where circumstances 

 will allow it, to have no side galleries. There may be an end gal- 

 lery, without much interference with convenience or order; and, 

 if the congregation should much increase, and that quickly, side 

 galleries might tlien be added, and thus enlarged accommodation 

 be readily made, and at a comparatively small expense. But it is 

 better for the Minister, who, if not surrounded by galleries, can 

 nearly see all his congregation at one view; — it is better for the 

 worshippers, who shall have their faces all turned one way, and 

 that towards the minister, rather than be looking at each other 

 from opposite sides of the chapel; — it is better for the whole con- 

 gregation (for it is next to impossilde to ventilate thoroughly a cha- 

 pel choked up with huge galleries) to have but a moderate number 

 of sittings in the upper part of the building. And, where sufficient 

 ground can be obtained at a reasonable jirice, it will not be found 

 mucli more expensive to build a chapel with a larger area, and 

 which, having no ponderous galleries to support all round its 

 interior, may be comparatively low in its walls, and light in its 

 materials. Indeed, the best practical men that I have conversed 

 with on this subject have declared that, under ordinary circum- 

 stances, they would undertake to erect a chapel to accommodate a 

 thousand or twelve hundred persons on tlie gronnd-Jioor, for as little 

 expense as they could build one that would accommodate the same 

 number, having galleries on three or four of its sides. I am not 

 urging tlie entire exclusion of galleries, but the moderate use of 

 them; and would say, let the gallery that may be put up look as if 

 it were built for the chapel, and not the chapel appear as if it 

 were built for the gallery. 



"r/ifre should he no aiile doicn the middle of the chapel, but seats: 

 it being much better for the preacher to look directly upon his 

 hearers, than upon an open space. 



"TAere should he no gallery behind the pnlpit; lest the Minister 

 should be annoyed by the shuffling of tune-books; or the wor- 

 shippers should be disturbed in tlieir de\otions by tlie movements 

 in the orchestra." 



The question of galleries is one which frequently conies under 

 the consideration of architects; and, therefore, we have been in- 

 duced to extract from the work on this subject at greater length 

 than we otherwise should have done, because it gives the opinion 

 of a man who may be considered, in a double capacity, as a prac- 

 tical authority. 



Mr. Patric Park is fond of bold unriertakinss, and the one we now nntice 

 is bold and novel. It seems a gigantic model itf his proposed statue to 

 Wallace is to be erected at Glasgow, on the area near Burns's Monument, 

 for exhibition. The proceeds are to form the nucleus of a fund for the 

 erection of a national mnnuraent to the hero, to he placed in an important 

 situation in the city, hereafter to be decided on. Tlie intended monu- 

 ment will stand fifteen feet high without its pedestal, and the model has 

 consumed nearly twelve tons of clay, every pound of whicli the artist 

 himself carried to the spot upon his own shoulders. We think this a very 

 good and legitimate proceeding, and we trust Mr. Park will he successful in 

 his eudeavours. 



