A PEACE MEMORIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1922, Page 5

A PEACE MEMORIAL.

NEW CHURCH FOR INGLEWOOD. FOUNDATION BTONE CEREMONY. The foundation stone of the Churcl of -St. Andrew, Inglewood, will be laU by the Right Reverend the Bishop ot. Auckland at 2.30 p.m. to-morrow. The building to be erected has been designed in the early Norman style and is arranged cruciform, consisting <Jf chanoaL nave, north and south transepts, witn porch, vestry, clergy vestry, and organ chamber. The entire length of th* church is 88 feet and is well buttressed to carry a stately roof reaching to the height of 30 feet. The walls are to be of concrete and finished externally in cream Atlas cement, with a deep 'base of rough cant. Internally the walls are plastered, the lower walls being finished in Atlas cement and the upper portion in a grey tint. The roof of the nave, transepts, and chancel has principals and curved ribs of oregon and the panels between the principals are lined with rimu. The nave ia divided from the chancel by a bold semi-circular arch supported on

Norman columns. It is hoped to finish the roof with red Marseilles pattern tiles. The windows are, to be glazed With cathedral glass in diamond pants. The, stained glass window from the old church, in memory of the Rev. Handley Brown, is to be fixed in the south transept. A fund has been started for the purpose of placing stained glass in the east window to the memory of the late Mr. Henry Brown, and old friends and parishioner*? are invited to tike part in this memorial. The church is to cost £.3300 and it is hoped that the work will be helped forward generously by as many taking part who can. The architects are Messrs. Messenger, Griffiths and Taylor of New Plymouth, and the contractor is Mr. A. O. Brown, of Wanganui.

It is quite time Inglewood had a permanent church. The settlement of Inglewood dates back to January 22, 1875; at any rate that is the date the bush was burnt. The Wesleyans were (he first to start services in Inglewood, but very shortly afterwards the Ven. Archdeacon Govett and the Rev. Handley Brown provided the ministrations of the church and used to travel out from New Plymouth. The first portion of the old church was built in 1879, or thereabouts, and was subsequently enlarged. Some few years ago a new church site was secured and the removal of the old church did not add to its stability. When it was dismantled a few weeks ago it was seen to be in an unsafe condition. A new church, building fund was started in 1903, but very little \va.S done to forward the project until 1919, when the parishioners decided to take up the task afresh, with the result that there is now about £2400 definitely in hand or in sight. In going forward at this stage with the building the parish is making a Venture of faith. The stone to be laid to-morrow was hewn from the hills of Bethlehem from the quarries where the stone for the oldest Christian church in the world—the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem —was obtained. The stone was taken . to St. George’s Cathedral. Jerusalem, * before being despatched to Inglewood, and links the church in Inglewood with the holy places of the founder of the Christian church. For the adornment of the new church various gifts have been made, inducting a carved oak altar in memory of the late Mrs. Bracegirdle, of Kaimata, by her children ; altar cross and lights; a brass eagle lecterti in memory of the late Mr. Henry Brown; and a stone font by the members of the Girls’ Friendly Society. An invitation is extended for the gift of a pulpit. The marble memorial tablet recently completed by Mr. Short, of New Plymouth, and to be unveiled by General Sir E. Chaytor on Sunday, December 17, is to be placed in the church. It contains the names of 138 men who gave their lives in the Great War from this district. The church is being erected aa a peace memorial. The building com- . mittee invite the public to attend the ceremony to-morrow and hope there will be a large attendance. If the weather is bad the service will be held in the parish hall, which is being used as a church for the time being, adjourning to the site for the actual laying of the stone. A collection will be taken up for the building fund.