Since the backwoods boys moved into their new acquisition of forest they have been in need of a place to relax, meet friends, family and wash away any sins. For this challenge I plan on building a church. Im looking to build an old church that still stands locally. It is called the Old Clove Church that was built in the late 1700. I will add some backwoods flare to it, so it wont be an exact replica.
I love it Shawn, a great build opportunity. Can’t wait to see how it comes out. Here’s a little different version (but you might be a year late on the whimsy challenge for this one):
Nice prototype Shawn. Looking forward to watching this develop.
Thumbs up
Noting the Palladian Gothic windows with louver shutters!
Good Luck!
… to say nothing of the Corinthian columns and distinct gender entrances…
Have faith, and you’ll do a divine job, Shawn.
You can bet your ass that church originally had corbels under the eaves and the frieze board probably had an asstragal just above the cap molding but no cornice as the knives would have been to expensive to make the profile for that period.
Edit: because I re-read the picture twice now and I’m thinking more of a simple angled gothic bracketry with lamb’s tongues and chamfered edges and perhaps some accent moldings on the frieze board.
Either those doors are for the blessing of the animals… You know cats and roosters and stuff or That is actually a pretty big building!
I am sure it will look great Shawn. Looking forward to the progress.
Rooster ¿ said:
You can bet your ass that church originally had corbels under the eaves and the frieze board probably had an asstragal just above the cap molding but no cornice as the knives would have been to expensive to make the profile for that period.
Edit: because I re-read the picture twice now and I’m thinking more of a simple angled gothic bracketry with lamb’s tongues and chamfered edges and perhaps some accent moldings on the frieze board.
Wow. That is mouth-watering language…talk like that makes me see why people want to become architects!
Wow Rooster I did not understand anything you said lol… Thats why Im doing a modified version of this church haha Here is an older photo.
needs a steeple and bell tower…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
It’s only a guess but I would say that church Shawn is a Friends church and because of their beliefs they would not have had a “fancy” steeple!
Doug Arnold said:
It’s only a guess but I would say that church Shawn is a Friends church and because of their beliefs they would not have had a “fancy” steeple!
Presbyterian
Rooster wins the prize
(http://njh.images.worldnow.com/images/2811997_G.jpg)
For the history lesson
Schwarz advises that as a graduate of Princeton College, Rev. Allen was undoubtedly responsible for the church’s transitional architecture style. The church is unique as it was one of the earliest churches in the state to reflect the Gothic influence on Victorian architecture, with such architectural features as its pointed windows and arched ceiling. Schwarz observes that the return of the use of the Gothic Revival architecture was based in part upon the theory that “Christians should worship in a Christian building, not one modeled after a pagan Greek or Roman temple.” The church still boasts two front entry doors, dating back to the days when men and women used separate entryways and sat on opposite sides of the church. The church’s foundation is laid without cement and is made of squared block of stone.
Still intact are the original church pews, the original floor design, the balcony located on three sides of the church, and the long-handled popcorn-type collection boxes. The church lacks a steeple and a bell tower. It was for the observance of the church’s Centennial held in May 1887 that the elegant Gothic-style apse chandelier was hung and the candle sconces were removed from the pillars where their original positions plainly shows. Also, the two pot belly stoves are guessed to have been installed about this time. Prior to the installation of the potbelly stoves, the church was unheated. On cold winter days some of the women brought foot warmers, filled with hot ashes with them, in an attempt to acquire some warmth in the cold building.
Regular worship services were held in the little country church until 1928 when a dwindling congregation forced them to close its doors. For about six months in 1959 worship services and Sunday School classes were conducted, in the church under the auspices of the Branchville Presbyterian Church. Their efforts also failed, possibly due to lack of a central heating system and plumbing. Wright ascribes other reasons for the decline in worship attendances to several factors that included the inability of the congregation to hire a full-time pastor, the advent of the automobile and the lack of interest in the church by the young people. The congregation officially disbanded on Jan. 21, 1962, when title to the church became vested in the Trustees of the Presbytery of Newton.
In 1972, the Presbytery of Newton announced its intention to sell the church with one of its proposed uses an antique shop. The late Larry Wilson, a retired attorney, is credited as one of the prime movers in spearheading a fund drive to purchase and preserve the Clove Church. The Friends of the Clove Church organized with Julia Titsworth, a direct descendant of the congregation’s founding members, as its chairman.
Title for the church was transferred to the Sussex County Historical Society on Sept. 18, 1972. In 1982, the church was designated as an historic landmark and it was listed on both the state and national registers of historic places. On Aug. 10, 1992, the historical society transferred ownership of the church to the Friends of the Old Clove Church.
But, while the church building dates back to 1829 the congregation itself dates back much earlier. The Clove congregation was an offshoot of the Minisink Dutch Reformed Church. On Aug. 21, 1787 a Petition was submitted to the Classis of the Dutch Reformed Church in New Brunswick seeking approval to form their own congregation.
The Petition reads in part: “Our ancestors, a few in number, who formerly belonged to the Low Dutch Reformed Church, settled our country about forty years since. During part of that time, the Rev. Thomas Romine, by permission of his Church Council and people of the Minisinks preached some of his time amongst us. By his leaving there we again became destitute, til the Rev. Mr. Bunschooten was installed in Minisinks congregations, who labored some time amongst us; and whose labor, to appearance, has been attended with the blessings of God, so as we have upwards of thirty communicant members amongst us.”
With the needed approvals subsequently obtained from the Classis, the congregation officially organized on April 16, 1788.
The Friends, in turn, is headed by Lois Hardin Wright, who is a direct descendant of several of the original 55 congregation members. All through the years members of Wright’s family were members of the Clove Church. Following the closure of the church in 1928 it was Wright’s grandfather, Louis Hardin that initiated the annual worship service initially held each October. It was Wright’s grandfather who lit the potbelly stoves to provide warmth for the congregation on those chilly autumn days. When her grandfather could no longer perform these tasks, Wright’s father, Lawrence Hardin took charge. It was he that changed the date of the annual worship services from October to September.
Wright says that although no regular weekly worship services were held, that in addition to the annual worship services, weddings, funerals and memorial services have been held in the Clove Church. The church is still available for these services and also for tours of the church by scout troops and other group interested in its history or architecture.
I think I need these build challenges to occure during the early spring (cold rainy season) Between running trains in the snow and skiing I have not had much time to site down and start building. Unless we get some rain soon I dont see this happening for me lol… I tend to get more done during the fall and spring time around here.
A beautiful building! Much the size the Phippsburg Congregational church with is still a happening place as well as a scale model in Winnegance.
One the two doors, is one for the Lutherans and the other for the Presbyterians ?
