Sunday, December 21, 2008

More Churches


The United Methodists have a lovely place to fellowship downtown.

A musical bunch they are too, if the banner out front is any indication.
I personally am more interested in seeing those tiny windows up in the tower though. Bet I could get an eyeful of beauty from them!

About the church:

The historic building which houses First United Methodist Church represents a Victorian Eclectic architectural style designed by Frederick Albert Hale, a prominent Utah architect from 1890 to 1934. The appearance of the FUMC building has remained the same since its completion in 1906. You can read more about the church here.


Up the street and around the corner from my work is the very pretty Presbyterian church, a Gothic Revival style church whose services I have attended in the past. The stained glassed windows are glorious, with the sun streaming through them during the morning worship service.

About the church:
First Presbyterian Church of Salt Lake City, Utah, was organized in 1873. The present church structure, built in 1903, was restored in 2003. It is one of the three oldest religious structures in the city. The church architecture is in the Gothic Revival style, designed by noted Salt Lake City architect, Walter Ware and modeled after Carlisle Cathedral in Carlisle England. The church was constructed of indigenous red sandstone quarried at nearby Red Butte Canyon Greek Revival characteristics have a strong association between religion and nature based on the Medieval English precedent from the 12th-15th centuries. The style was a way of building a very tall building while preserving as much virtual light as possible. Main features of Gothic Revival architecture displayed in First Presbyterian Church: Overlaid tracery: Bars and ribs used decoratively in the windows some forming netlike patterns based on the circle, arch, trefoil ,and quatrefoil (insert picture of the angel window) Vault: Covered areas(insert photo) Pointed arch: On doors and windows(insert photo)

Be sure to click on the blue link to the Carlisle Cathedral in Northern England. This church is a dead ringer for that one!

Additional interesting fact: the church has an artesian well in its basement.



The front gardens are quite nice to linger in after the worship services.



Aren't those two pillars amazing?



This, of course, is the Catholic Cathedral one block up from the Presbyterian church.

Everyone remember what architectural style was used when it was built?

That's right...Romanesque exterior with a Gothic interior.

Very good!

Victorian Eclectic, Gothic Revival, and Romanesque architecture...see what cool things you can learn just by read blogs?
Happy Sunday Everyone!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love church architecture! Thanks for the beautiful photos. One of the historic churches around home that I visited on occasion had all sorts of various niches, hidden stairways, walkable ledges (yes, outside!), and even a cave off the basement kitchen! I always wanted to be free to roam and explore that church.

Lovella ♥ said...

Happy Sunday to you too Jill, there is certainly no excuse for you not to attend church. . what with the gorgeous assortment of cathedrals.
There are truly beautiful places of worship in SLC . ..thanks again for the tour.

Julie said...

Thank you for the lesson in church architecure. To me the question is always.. HOW did they accomplish that without our modern equipment?
My favorite (visually) is the Catholic cathedral.

You live in a very photogenic area I'm enjoying the glimpses you give us of Utah.

No house yet? :-(