THE CEMETERY CHAPEL

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 130, 6 June 1927, Page 8

THE CEMETERY CHAPEL

(To the Editor.)

. Sir,—Since writing last year on the sub. ject of clearing the ground of the remain* of the Cemetery Chapel much has been written pro. and con. on the subject; but no reason was given why it should remain until your report oE the meeting of tie KS.A. on 31st May. In the report it is seated that one of the members wants ie preserved because he was christened in it, and for its past history. As it refers to the cemetery part of the building, it was unlikely that he was christened in it On my first visit to St. Paul's in the early sixties I entered at the western end; the verger was ringing the bell just inside the door. He asked me to stand till he was finished, and he would show; me to a seat. The building was T-shaped. At the top o£ the T was the eastern window, a little aside the pulpit; on the other side the font. The aisle from the western entrance ended at the transcept, and this was the part that was taken for the cemetery chapel. The eastern part was not removed to the cemetery chapel, and it was in this eastern part that baptisms were officiated. It may be possible that the font was removed to St. Paul's proper. If so, oue mend should find some, interest in it, and a much clearer object than the remains of the old building. His love of the memones of the past is commendable, but what about- the 999 who want the old building sent to the destructor because o£ its past history; should they not be heard, aHi th*\]' reasons for its removal be respect^ od? When St. Paul's proper had ooiurthei- use for it it drifted back to the cemetery authorities, and as they had no use for it, it drifted into the possession ot bugs, birds, boys, and bad characters, w ii- years was a disgrace to the city of Wellington; and, because of its degradation and want of harmony with its sacred surroundings, we ask the authorities that it be removed. A gentleman of today saw in the old building the shingles of St. Paul's, but to those who saw it go up the shingles remind them ot Mr. Jesse Milner, the shingler ot those days, the iron of Ballingers WilJis street, the,weatherboards of the Benae's (sawmillers, of the Upper Hutt), tho piles of Compton's, Willis street; the site before the building, a bed of white lilies and as it is utterly impossible to make the building suit the locality, surrounded as it is with graceful columns o£ masonry shrubs, and trees, it must be removed that it may no longer spoil the effect of a charming though sacred spot. As the City Council is the legal trustee ot the cemetery, we hope it will finish what it had well begun and take away the rest of the old building, restore the site to its original condition by an attractive rockery, planted with.suitable shrubs and flowers, and it will earn the thanks ot the many whosa relations and friends are buried in the locality, or, in fact anywhere in the cemetery. We, the old settlers, shall soon have gone west; but the Mayor and council will see that it is the best kept ground in the city, in memory of the great men buried there. i 1 the honour °i Wellington itself! at least, so thinks ■ ____^ PONEKE. "