NEW WESLEYAN CHURCH, PITTSTREET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume III, Issue 847, 1 August 1866, Page 7

NEW WESLEYAN CHURCH, PITTSTREET.

There is scarcely a traveller who has given to us the record of his wanderings, who has not narrated with singular vividness the profound impression experienced by the assemblage of the religious and the hymns and prayers of the faithful in newly discovered lands. The feeling, we imagine, is something akin to that felt by Handel, who was a pious as well as great musician, when he heard the London charity children, to the number of 4000, sing the " Old Hundredth" in St. Paul's, London. One coming from religious centres where discipline, organisation, and wealth, abound in " solemn temples," in crowded congregations, representing all the learning and worth of the age, can hardly fail to acquire inspiration from the voices of those pioneers in the wilderness who plant the word of the living I God in solitude. Park, Livingstone, and a host of others have related the powerful effect that a thought has upon the imagination. Perhaps the truth is that the farther one is off from the disputes of doctrine and opinions the more hearty men turn to consolations of religious worship. This feeling is elegantly put by the great tragic poet (Eurift. Menaipp), " O God, thy ciame above, not what thou art, to me is known." Nor is the feeling evanescent, but lasts as new developments of tcligious thought arise in temples for public worship and facilities for its decent observance. There has been erected in an incredibly short time a very beautiful building in Pitt-street, to be dedicated to the use of public worship by the members of the Wesleyan denomination in this city. It will be remembered that the foundation' stone was laid by Mr. Thomas Eussell M.G.A., odJj the 15th of November last. h\

the present time tlie building is nearly ready to be given over by the architect to the trustees, roof, ceiling, and all but some plastering to be done, both out and inside. "We remember upon the occasion of the ceremony of laying the foundation stone giving some intcrestingpnrticularsof the progress of Wesleyan Missionary enterprise in this province. In 1813 the first chapel was built in Auckland, but there was no minister. We say, with Mr. Buddie, "Honor to those Methodist laymen who built the first chapel." In '46 the original chapel was enlarged and the first stone of the present brick chapel in High-street laid. In 1857 an auxiliary chapel was erected at Parnell, to which galleries were added in 1858. Almost contemporaneous with these edifices were school-rooms. In 1858 a largo school-room was built in Union-street, and in 1858-9 the brick school-room, both then used as chapels every Lord's day, was erected. " There are," said Mr. Buddie, " at present nine "Wesleyan places of "Worship in Auckland and suburbs, having 1,800 attendants." The number of church members in 1818 was 28, the number at present is nearly 500. There nre now 7 Sabbath schools, with an average of 700 scholars, 6 day-schools, containing 3SO scholars, besides the college with (nine months ago) 4 pastors and 80 scholars. All this has been accomplished within a space of 20 years. The site of the new building is, perhaps, the very best that is to be found in the city. It is central too, and will be within reach not merely of Auckland population, Queen-street, but of the scattered population about Newton, .Newmarket, Parnell, and Mount Eden-road. Its style is Gothic, of the second period; the windows themselves being of dressed stone, richly ornamented in carved trefoil tracery. The wallsof brick are supported by massive buttresses 1 the whole length and front of the building, those in front running the entire height, those on the side also extending close to the roof necessary for strength. The necessity for his extra precaution gave to the building during its progress the appearance of being somewhat high-shoul-dered; but a very elegant parapet with trefoil openings takes this appearance completely ofl. The height from the apox of the gable to the flooring is 85 feet. The frontage to the street is 82 by 52 feet. The church stands back some 35 feet from the line of the road. There is, we believe, a school-room attached 48 feet by 45 feet; the whole depth will then be about 150 feet. 'J he aspect of the building, as a whole, is exceedingly massive. Some auxie'y was felt as to the appearance of the bricks, it being known that their want of uniformity and their liability to discoloration by atmospheric and other influences, would affect the general appearance of the structure when completed. But these fears were exaggerated for en masse, the bricks look very well, and the white stone dressings set them ofl'to great advantage. The foundations are of scoria masonry, bedded in concrete. Between the two centre buttresses in front, is a tracerical window of really noble proportions, 28 feet in height, and 16 feet in width- This is surmounted by a trefoil louvred opening for the purpose of ventilation. The interior is lighted by ten, of course, Gothic windows, five on either side. But one of the most noticeable features in the building is a beautiful marigold window, filled with rich-coloured glass. It is intended, we believe, to fill the trefoil openings of the windows with similar enrichments. These cannot fail to impart a warmth and tone to the general effect. The gables and coping are freestone. There are three doors in front, —the centre one eleven feet high, by six feet in width, and the side ones nine feet six, by four feet wide. The height from floor to ceiling is nearly fifty feet, and a contrivance for aiding ventilation, which runs along the ceiling the whole length of the building, deserves especial mention. This acts as a double flue, — one for tho tipdraught, the other for the down draught, the communications cither way being by ornamental openings. The " principals" of the roof are continued 8 feet down tho walls by means of a circular rib resting on stone corbels. Provision is made for side and end galleries, which will be very spacious, and also, we believe, for future enlargement. Ih.o contractor for the scoria work was Mr. Kaye, at £900, and he has finished his work in a workmanlike manner. Mr. Henry White had the contract for the main building, exclusive of fittings, at £5120. It had been contemplated to erect a building entirely of scoria masonry, but the cost would have been over £10,000 instead of £6000. The whole of the building, materials, workmanship, are in the highest degree creditable to workmen, contractors, and the architect, Mr. Hcrapath. This elegant and substantial church is not only a great ornament to our city, but a monument worthy of the energetic piety of the body who have raised it.