as a basis of calculation for such as are pro- || 4000 feet of siding or weather poard posing to build houses of worship. We do not present it as a perfect plan; but as being at once, in a good degree, neat in appearance, commodious, and cheap. The draft and calculations are made by an able and experienced architect, with re VOL. XII. ing, and putting up the same, 200 00 do. do. pilasters, for cupola, 105 00 75.00 do. do. for spire, 100 00 22 ing, experimental, awiui, anu awan er ening. The visible effects of it upon themselves together in the body of the people, were an awful concern and solemnity, which appeared in their countenances in general, and one or two trembled under it. Surely God was with him; he appeared seats below. This he did that he might with more conveniency converse with them, counsel, direct, hort them, &c. (To be continued.) ex the city of New-York. By noting the dif ference of cost in these materials, at any given place, a building committee may accurately judge what will be the expense of a similar edifice, in their own vicinity. With these data, they will also be able to calculate the expense of any variation which they may desire to make from the plan. EVERY person accustomed to travel || ference to the prices of building materials in through our country must have remarked a great variety in the construction of houses of worship. As our country is young, and the attention of the people has been turned to the providing of things which are indispensable, rather than to improvements in matters of taste and comfort; architecture, in general, and especially that of churches, school-houses, and other structures for the accommodation of auditories, has been much neglected. Hence, most of our small 66 EXPLANATIONS. feet to the inch. 2. Side elevation (without a steeple,) 8 feet to the inch. 3. Plan of the floor, 16 feet to the inch. 4. Plan of the gallery across the front of the building, 16 feet to the inch. 5. Front elevation of pulpit, 4 feet to the inch. 6. Side elevation, 4 feet to the inch. 7. Pews, with or without doors, 4 feet to the inch. country edifices for religious worship, exhibit Fig. 1. Front elevation (with a steeple,) 8 all the rudeness of first attempts. The constructors seem to have approached their work with very indefinite ideas of the objects to be sought, and of the means of accomplishing them; and almost without any reference to the success or failure [of similar attempts in other places. As a necessary result, they have produced houses badly proportioned and offensive to all correct taste, as well as uncomfortable, both to the preacher and the audience. Besides this, in a majority of cases, the expense far exceeds the original calculation, and the congregation is loaded with a debt which continues to dishearten and paralyze it for many years. In view of such facts, we have thought it might be useful to give a plan of a neat church, of moderate dimensions, accompanied by an estimate of the expense, to serve as a basis of calculation for such as are proposing to build houses of worship. We do not present it as a perfect plan; but as being at once, in a good degree, neat in appearance, commodious, and cheap. The draft and calculations are made by an able and experienced architect, with re VOL. XII. ESTIMATED COST. 7500 feet of timber, at 2 cents, Framing and raising the same, 5000 Cedar shingles, at 2 cents, 4000 $150 00 Lath for the roof, nails, and lay- 75.00 125 00 63 00 200 00 Front door and trimmings, complete, 30 00 15 squares of floor in the principal Floor and risers in the gallery, 150 culled plank for furring, at 16 cents, 1528 feet of stuff for seats, &c., at 2 cents, Work on seats, &c., Materials and labor for pulpit, Stairs and vestibule, 165 hemlock joints, at 14 cents, Hardware not included in the above items, Underpinning the frame with stone 75 00 24.00 30 56 125 00 they may as well build large enough for future use. Against all such 100 00 suggestions, however plausible, experience interposes her loud remonstrance. Hundreds of ministers and laymen, who have been through the trials attendant on the erection of churches by young and feeble congregations, will unite in the admonition, "Be sure to build only such a house of worship as you can pay for, without either begging or borrowing." Erect a school-house-build 50 00 it of logs-any thing, however humble, to answer the present purpose, rather than encounter a debt. When you are able to build larger or more expensively, it will be time enough to do it. All the present advantages to be derived from the opposite course, will be more than counterbalanced by the evils of embarrass 75.00 23 10 25 00 72 00 wall, 3000 brick for filling in and chimnies, 25 00 Lathing and plastering, 169 00 Painting wood work with two coats, 150 00 $1,830 66 The cost of the building may be varied from $1500 to $2000. It will be seen that without the steeple, the cost will be about $200 less than with it. The architect who makes the above plans and estimates, informs us that the erection of such a building may be contracted for in the city of NewYork, at about the cost given above. GENERAL REMARKS. ment. Another reason why congregations in the new settlements should build as cheaply as possible, is, that it is almost impossible to tell, in the infancy of a community, where the centre of the congregation is to be. Many circumstances may occur to place the majority of the population at an inconvenient distance from the site first selected for a meeting-house. If, in such cases, the earlier settlers have been content with an edifice that answered their purpose temporarily, they can accommodate themselves to the altered circumstances of the community without loss. The site of a church should be chosen with reference to several particulars. When a congregation is about to erect a house of worship, no mistake is more common than to attempt more than they are able to accom plish. The temptations to this are numerous and strong. Worldly men, The appearance of the edifice in whose aid is deemed important, tell the landscape is better for being on them that "if they will build a hand-elevated ground; and yet if placed some house, and one that will be an ornament to the place, they will do something towards it; otherwise, they will not give a cent." Such motives, falling in with their own love of display, frequently overcome the better judgment of the committee, and lead them to undertake too much. Another consideration tending to the same result, is, that after a few years the growth of the congregation will probably require a larger house, and that whilst they are engaged in it, on a very high or steep hill, it may be difficult of access. In the country, where the people are accustomed to ride to church in wagons, it is a matter of considerable consequence that they be able to drive to and from the door with ease and safety. Care should be taken that the situation of a church be not particularly exposed to the force of storms. If this cannot be secured, suitable sheds should be provided, as soon as may be, for the shelter of carriages and horses. Many a family is kept from meeting on the Sabbath, because its head feels unwilling to expose his horses to the pitiless pelting of the rain or sleet, when he would readily go if he could feel that his team would be sheltered while he is enjoying his comfortable seat in the church. Facility of speaking and hearing is promoted by the following cir cumstances. The dimensions of the room should be such that the width equals eighttenths, and the height three and a half-tenths of the length; i. e. if the length be forty feet, the width should be thirty-two, and the height fourteen feet. This is the best proportion for ease of speaking and hearing. But as the arrangement of the pews may sometimes require a greater width, the height may in such cases be increased to four-tenths of the length, but not more. of a room is directed against the eyes of the audience or of the speaker, and in either case is unpleasant. Hence, it is desirable to receive it principally through the side windows, using those in the ends only on an emergency. The seats should be constructed with a view to comfort. Let the backs incline three or four inches, and be high enough to support the shoulders. To do this, they need not be higher than an ordinary chair, provided the seat be low enough. It is a very common mistake to make the seats too high. They should be at least twelve inches wide, and elevated three-quarters of an inch at the outer edge. The capping on the top of the pews should not extend forward so as to incommode the shoulders of persons leaning backward. of this world are, in this respect, wiser than the children of light. If they desire to lead souls to ruin, they take care to strew their path with flowers, and make it easy to walk therein. The managers of the Far too little attention is given to The floor of the pulpit should be make our houses of worship attracon a level with the heads of the audi-tive and comfortable. The children tory while sitting down, i. e. about four feet above the floor. In small rooms, the elevation may be reduced to two feet, and in very large ones it should be increased, but not to exceed four and a half or five feet. If there be a gallery, the breast-atres and gambling houses underwork should not be broad, else it will create echoes. The under side of the gallery should be from seven to nine feet above the main floor, according to the height of the room. A low front will thus allow the gallery to have a sufficient pitch, or elevation of the back seats. This pitch of the gallery pews should be such that a person standing on the floor, in front of the pulpit, may see the top of every seat in the house. Such an arrangement will give the preacher's eye perfect command of every face in his audience. Light. The windows should be of such size and number, as to give sufficient light in very dark days, and late in the afternoon; though ordinarily, it comports best with that solemnity and seclusion from the world, which are appropriate to the house and the worship of God, that the light be reduced and softened by blinds. Light introduced at the ends stand this. They usher their guests into an atmosphere, which is agreeable in winter by its warmth, and in summer by its coolness; they place them on cushioned seats; they study the effect of light and colors in imparting pleasing sensations, and take every pains that nothing shall exist to create disagreeable associations. On the other hand, how often are our places of worship constructed and furnished with so little regard to comfort and taste, that the endurance of them is to many persons a present misery, and the recollection of them in after life raises a prejudice against religion itself. How many are those whose associations with the house of God are of the most gloomy and repulsive character! They remember it as an uncouth and tasteless building, on some bleak and naked hill; lonely but for the surrounding dead; with broken windows that rattled with the wind, and weather-washed |