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A Guide to The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in the City of New York.
A Guide to The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in the City of New York.
THE NORTH ELEVATION OF THE CATHEDRAL (From Architect’s Design) A Guide to the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in the City of New York by Edward Hagaman Hall, L. H. D. New York The Laymen’s Club of the Cathedral 1924 Fifth Edition. Copyright, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924, by The Laymen’s Club of The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, New York, N. Y....
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The Real Cathedral
The Real Cathedral
On Morningside Heights, in the City of New York, on ground consecrated by the blood of our forefathers in the War for Independence, stands a trinity of institutions which represent with singular completeness the three-fold nature of man: Columbia University, which ministers to the Mind; St. Luke’s Hospital, which ministers to the Body; and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, which ministers to the Soul. This little book is designed to assist visitors to understand the meaning and purpose of th
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Praise in its Greatness
Praise in its Greatness
Like other great cathedrals, St. John the Divine first impresses by its size. Its magnitude is not only becoming to its rank as the chief church of the great Diocese of New York and necessary for the accommodation of large congregations, but it also has a spiritual purpose, for it gives one the feeling of something bigger than one’s self and of a Power greater than one’s own. “The Cathedral gives me a feeling of humility,” said a man to Bishop Greer one day. “When I go in,” said a college girl t
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Praise in its Beauty
Praise in its Beauty
The Cathedral is designed also to praise God in the glory of its Beauty. Ruskin, in “The Laws of Fesole,” says that “all great art is praise.” Here we have the three great and enduring arts of Architecture, Sculpture and Painting (the latter as yet only in stained glass,) combined in a wonderful Te Deum of Beauty. For centuries the great cathedrals of the world have been the caskets of certain kinds of art—or, rather, of certain kinds of expression of art—not elsewhere to be found; and in this r
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Praise in its Service
Praise in its Service
But these silent though eloquent physical features are only adjuncts and helps to the active expression of praise in the Cathedral Service. In this, the impressive rites of the church and the congregational participation are aided by music brought to a high degree of perfection, and the preaching from the pulpit aims to interpret the Christian religion in terms of the practical every-day life of to-day. In short, the Cathedral endeavors to employ all that is beautiful and majestic in Art and Ser
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The Spirit of Democracy
The Spirit of Democracy
While the Cathedral of St. John the Divine is a Protestant Episcopal Cathedral, its ministrations are not restricted. “Our democratic age,” said Bishop Henry C. Potter, “demands a place of worship that will not disregard the teachings of the Founder of Christianity. In this Cathedral there will be no pews, no locked doors, no pre-payment for sittings, no reserved rights of caste or rank, but one and the same welcome for all.” And what Bishop Potter prophesied when the Cathedral was first planned
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A Civic Institution
A Civic Institution
In its present state of incompletion, without Nave and Transepts, the capacity of the Cathedral is taxed to the utmost by its ordinary congregations, and on special occasions thousands are turned away unable to enter. The completion of the Cathedral is therefore imperative; and this is so for more than denominational reasons, for the many notable special services held during and immediately following the late war already foreshadow the position which it is destined to occupy as a great Civic and
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A Great Symbol
A Great Symbol
The symbolism of various details of the Cathedral will be mentioned hereafter; but it should be said here that the Cathedral as a whole is a great and wonderful symbol. “The religion which is inwrought with all the history of the American people,” said Bishop Potter, “stands for certain lofty ideals of truth, purity, honesty, loyalty and self-sacrifice. Every ideal must have some visible expression or symbol, and this ideal of our religious faith from the very nature of it demands expression, in
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A Sign of Stability
A Sign of Stability
This ever-changing city also needs the Cathedral as an evidence of stability. Business structures and apartment houses rise and disappear in a generation under the exigencies of the city’s growth. Even parish churches give way under this seemingly irresistible pressure. There is consequently little upon which to fasten permanently one’s memories, affections and historical traditions. Amid the changes and uncertainties of human life, man instinctively looks to the Church for something of permanen
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Name and Namesake
Name and Namesake
The legal title of the Cathedral is “the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in the City and Diocese of New York.” The adjective “cathedral,” commonly used as a noun, is derived from the Greek word “cathedra” which means “seat.” In the Cathedral is the cathedra of the Bishop of the Diocese of New York. It is not a parish church and has no members in the sense in which a parish church has members; but persons desiring to assist in cathedral work may join the auxiliary organizations mentione
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Location and Access
Location and Access
The Cathedral is located between Cathedral parkway (110th street,) Amsterdam avenue, 113th street, and Morningside drive. The Cathedral can be reached by taking the Broadway subway to 110th street and walking one block east and two north; the Broadway surface line to 112th street and walking one block east; the Amsterdam avenue surface line to the entrance at 112th street; the 6th and 9th avenue elevated line to 110th street and walking two blocks west and two north; or Fifth avenue omnibuses ma
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Administration and Clergy
Administration and Clergy
The affairs of the Cathedral are in the hands of a Board of 25 Trustees which constitutes the Corporation, and is composed of the Bishop of New York, 12 other clergymen and 12 laymen. The Bishop is President of the Board. The Clergy of the Cathedral are the Bishop, Dean, Canon Bursar, Canon Sacrist, Canon Precentor, and the Honorary Canons, not to exceed seven in number. The Bishop is elected by the Diocesan Convention and the election must be confirmed by a majority of the Bishops and Dioceses
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Seals of Diocese and Cathedral
Seals of Diocese and Cathedral
The seal of the Diocese is in the form of a pointed oval, or vesica, [4] and is as follows: Quarterly gules and argent , over all a cross counter-changed of the same. In dexter chief the American eagle with wings displayed or ; in sinister chief and dexter base the sails of a windmill proper from the arms of the City of New York. In sinister base two swords in saltire or from the arms of the see of London. Surmounted by an episcopal mitre proper . The arms surmounted on a field purpure and enclo
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Services
Services
The Cathedral is open for private prayer and meditation every day of the year from 7.30 a. m. to 5.30 p. m. There is a service in one of the chapels every week-day at 7.30 a. m. The principal Sunday services are at 8 a. m., 11 a. m. and 4 p. m., the latter two being with full choral service and sermon. Other services are held on week-days and Sundays as announced from time to time. As before stated, all seats are free, and residents and strangers of all denominations are cordially welcome. The C
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Visitors
Visitors
Visitors may see the Cathedral at all times between 7.30 a. m. and 5.30 p. m. except during the hours of service. The Verger is usually in attendance....
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Architecture
Architecture
The architects of the Cathedral have been: Messrs. George L. Heins and C. Grant LaFarge from July, 1891, until Mr. Heins’ death in September, 1907; [7] Mr. LaFarge from September, 1907, until the completion of the Choir in April, 1911; and Messrs. Cram & Ferguson from April, 1911, to the present time. Mr. Henry Vaughan was architect of three of the Seven Chapels of Tongues, Messrs. Heins & LaFarge of two, Messrs. Cram & Ferguson of one and Messrs. Carrere & Hastin
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Plan and Size
Plan and Size
The plan of the Cathedral is cruciform (symbolism, the cross on which Christ was crucified;) and is oriented so that the priest standing at the High Altar faces the east (the rising sun symbolizing the resurrection, and the orientation also connoting the ideas of Christ “the Sun of Righteousness,” “the Dayspring from on High,” and the “Morning Star”). [8] Seven chapels, called the Chapels of Tongues, radiate from the Apse, or semi-circular eastern end of the Choir. The loftiest features of the e
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Progress of Construction
Progress of Construction
The Founder of the Cathedral was the Right Rev. Horatio Potter, (Provisional Bishop 1854-1861 and Bishop of New York 1861-1887), who proposed it in 1872. The charter was granted by the Legislature of the state of New York in 1873. The Right Rev. Henry Codman Potter, (Assistant Bishop 1883-1887 and Bishop of New York 1887-1908), nephew and successor of Bishop Horatio Potter, actively forwarded the movement for raising funds in 1886. The Close was purchased from the Leake & Watts Orphan As
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Funds for Building
Funds for Building
Visitors to the Cathedral repeatedly ask when it will be finished. It is impossible to answer this question definitely. Some of the cathedrals of the Old World have been seven hundred years in building and are not yet completed. The things which endure the longest are generally of slow growth, [10] and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine is no exception to this rule. It is not a steel-frame structure, but is of massive masonry in the best traditions of Gothic architecture and is being built to
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Foundation and Superstructure
Foundation and Superstructure
The foundation of the Cathedral is of Maine granite. Although the bed-rock of Morningside Heights (Manhattan schist) lies near the surface, it is so disintegrated near the top that it was necessary to go down 72 feet in some places in order that the Cathedral might rest securely on the “living rock.” The excavation and foundation alone cost a quarter of a million dollars. The main walls of the superstructure are also of granite, faced on the outside of the finished portion with Mohegan golden gr
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Exterior Survey
Exterior Survey
Before entering the Cathedral the visitor should make a circuit of the Close (beginning on the south side and going eastward), comparing the outlines of the Cathedral with the plan and noting the location of the other buildings. This will give him a better understanding of the interior of the Cathedral and of its ultimate connection with the Bishop’s House and the Choir School by means of cloisters. It will be noted that the Old Synod House (brick, with Ionic-columned portico) occupies the site
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West Front
West Front
Returning to Amsterdam avenue at 112th street, we come to what will be the main entrance of the Cathedral. In the space (now unoccupied) between the sidewalk and the foundation of the Nave will be the West Front ( see figure 1 of plan ). The tentative design for the West Front provides for three large and two smaller recessed portals, similar to the plan of Bourges Cathedral. Above the north and south portals rise two heavily buttressed square towers, named after St. Peter (north) and St. Paul (
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The Nave
The Nave
Crossing the space to be occupied by the West Front, we ascend temporary steps to the foundation of the Nave ( figure 2 of plan ). Superstructure not yet begun (June 15th, 1924). Here the visitor should pause and imagine himself entering the western limb of the Cathedral, 225 feet long, 132 feet wide, 175 feet high outside and 130 feet high inside, built in pure 13th century Gothic adapted to the requirements of the plan. The central aisle, [16] —as wide between the centers of piers as 112th str
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The Crossing
The Crossing
Walking the length of the Nave foundation ( 2 on plan ) we pass through temporary doorways and enter the Crossing ( 3 ), so-called from its location at the intersection of the long and short arms of the cruciform ground plan. In this space, 100 feet square, floored with concrete, are 1500 chairs for the congregation. To the eastward, the Crossing opens into the Choir ( 10 ) and Ambulatory ( 12-12 ). On the north, west and south sides the spaces between the ponderous piers of Maine granite are fi
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The Choir
The Choir
Architecture. The Choir ( 10 ) may best be surveyed from the eastern end of the Crossing. (Visitors not admitted to Choir during service time except by permission.) The half-round arches and other features exhibit a late Romanesque style with Byzantine influence, which is not inappropriate to the eastern end of the Cathedral, and which will relatively become a local detail as the prevailing Gothic style of the whole Cathedral develops. [20] The interior facing is of Frontenac stone. Numerous sym
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The Ambulatory
The Ambulatory
The Ambulatory ( 12-12-12 ) is a passage about 20 feet wide leading entirely around the Choir and giving access to the seven Chapels of Tongues, the Sacristy, and other environments of the Choir. Some of the features have already been described. The symbolism of the earthly life in the pavement, before mentioned ( p. 51 ), is noticeable in the large areas of clay-red tiles with borders of grassy green serpentine and green marble from Pennsylvania. The beautifully colored wainscoting between the
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The Seven Chapels of Tongues
The Seven Chapels of Tongues
The seven Chapels of Tongues, built around the Choir on lines converging toward the Sanctuary and deriving their name from the fact that they were intended for services of the church in the languages of the principal ethnological groups or regions of the world, are one of the noblest conceptions of the Cathedral. In early Gothic churches, the fundamental idea of the apse with radiating chapels was Christ in the company of his Saints. Here, in the great cosmopolitan Diocese of New York, this idea
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The Crypt
The Crypt
The Crypt, located beneath the Choir, is closed, pending work on other parts of the Cathedral. And on account of the consequent dampness, the delicate furnishings were removed in September, 1916, and entrusted to the care of Mr. Louis C. Tiffany, who designed them, and who has placed them temporarily in the private chapel on his large country estate at Laurelton, L. I. The Crypt has a seating capacity of 500, and the first services in the Cathedral were held in it from January 8, 1899, until the
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Summary Dimensions
Summary Dimensions
Following are the principal dimensions of the Cathedral. As cathedrals are compared in size by their areas, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine will rank, after St. Peter’s at Rome and Seville Cathedral, the third largest in the world....
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Bishops of New York
Bishops of New York
Following is a list of the Bishops of New York since the erection of the Diocese: First : The Right Rev. Samuel Provoost, D.D.; born February 24, 1742; Bishop of New York 1787-1815; died September 6, 1815. Second : The Right Rev. Benjamin Moore; born November 5, 1748; Assistant Bishop 1801-1815; Bishop of New York 1815-1816; died February 29, 1816. Third : The Right Rev. John Henry Hobart, D.D.; born September 14, 1775; Assistant Bishop 1811-1816; Bishop of New York 1816-1830; died September 12,
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The Bishop’s House
The Bishop’s House
The Bishop’s House ( A. on plan ) is in French Gothic architecture of the chateau type, with lofty roof and high dormer windows, and is built of Germantown micaceous schist. It is designed to be connected with the Cathedral by cloisters, and is connected with the Deanery by a vaulted porch above which is to be built the Bishop’s private chapel. The extreme outside dimensions of the Bishop’s House are 77 by 126 feet, including the porch. The architects were Messrs. Cram & Ferguson. [49] T
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The Deanery
The Deanery
The Deanery ( B. on plan ) adjoins the Bishop’s House as above mentioned. It is by the same architect, is in the same style but of a more domestic type, forms a part of the same architectural composition, and is built of the same kind of stone. It is not so lofty a structure as the Bishop’s House, but has many interesting details, particularly on the southern façade. Its extreme outside measurements are about 79 by 93 feet. The late Dean Grosvenor occupied the Deanery from the time of its erecti
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The Choir School
The Choir School
The Choir School ( C. on Plan ) has a special interest for everyone who goes to the Cathedral, for here are educated and trained the boys who sing in the Cathedral services. The school was founded by Bishop H. C. Potter in 1901 and was formerly located in the Old Synod House. The present building, erected in 1912 and built of the same kind of stone as the Bishop’s House and Deanery, is in the English Collegiate Gothic style of architecture; is three stories high, and has extreme outside dimensio
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St. Faith’s House
St. Faith’s House
St. Faith’s House ( D. on plan ) is the home of the New York Training School for Deaconesses, an independent corporation which was founded in 1890 by the late Rev. William Reed Huntington, D.D., and which occupies a site in the Cathedral Close by permission of the Trustees of the Cathedral. The building of Indiana limestone and brick is in Tudor Gothic architecture, and measures 68 by 137 feet on the outside. It is the gift of Archdeacon Charles C. Tiffany in memory of his wife. The architects w
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The Synod House
The Synod House
The Synod House, ( E. on plan ), standing in the southwestern angle of the Close on the corner of Cathedral parkway and Amsterdam avenue, is the meeting place of the Diocesan Convention and other secular gatherings of the Diocese. It also contains the Bishop’s office and the offices of the Suffragan Bishops, the Rt. Rev. Arthur Selden Lloyd, D.D., and the Rt. Rev. Herbert Shipman, D.D. It is of Kingwood. W. Va., sandstone with pink tinges, quite unlike any other stone in the Cathedral group. The
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Open Air Pulpit
Open Air Pulpit
The Open Air Pulpit ( F. on plan ) standing in the midst of the Cathedral Close, is in the form of an open-work Gothic spire 40 feet high, built of Daytona stone. On its four sides are the usual symbols of the four Evangelists. The pulpit was designed by Messrs. Howells and Stokes and was presented by Miss Olivia Phelps Stokes in memory of her sister Miss Caroline Phelps Stokes. It was suggested by the outdoor services held here before the Choir and Crossing were ready, and by the open air pulpi
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Organizations
Organizations
The following organizations of men and women aid in the Cathedral work: The Diocesan Auxiliary to the Cathedral : President, Mrs. Henry W. Munroe; Vice-Presidents, Mrs. John Greenough, Mrs. Haley Fiske, Mrs. W. M. V. Hoffman; Secretary, Mrs. Louis Mansfield Ogden; Assistant Secretary, Mrs. Francis C. Huntington; Treasurer, Mrs. Harold F. Hadden. The Cathedral League : President, Mr. John S. Rogers; Vice-President, Hon. Thomas C. T. Crain; Treasurer, Mr. John A. Hance; Secretary, Dr. John B. Walk
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Guide Book
Guide Book
Copies of this Guide Book may be procured at the Cathedral from the Verger or the Ushers, or will be sent by mail upon request addressed to the Verger ( p. 23 ). In stiff paper covers 50 cents (by mail 60 cents); in purple cloth covers stamped with gold $1.00 (by mail $1.10). [1] The service on Nov. 24, when the flags of 12 liberated nationalities were carried in the procession, and that on Thanksgiving Day when the flags of 27 allied nations were carried, were two of the most moving religious s
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