Chapter I: Part 1

A Guide to The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in the City of New York.

(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.

Introductory Note

This Guide to the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine purposely departs from the conventional guide book in several respects. The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is not centuries old like those in Europe, but is in the building; and it has seemed appropriate in the first place to express something of its Spirit before describing the details of its Fabric. In the next place, the great majority of visitors to the Cathedral are strangers, people of other denominations, and, on account of its proximity to one of the leading American universities, students. For this reason, an effort has been made to avoid technical terms as far as possible; to explain the significance of much symbolism not generally understood; and to insert Bible references freely for the benefit of those who wish to study further the meaning of the scenes and objects described. Lest some of the explanations—as, for instance, that in regard to the probable date of the completion of the Cathedral—be deemed superfluous, it may be said that this, as well as nearly every other statement in the following pages, is an answer to some question asked among the thousand and one interrogations which manifest popular interest in the Cathedral’s growth. In response to more than one request, “some of those little things that one would tell informally in explaining the Cathedral to a friend” have been included. Among these are the incident of the blind woman who “saw” the Cathedral, which possesses a touching human interest; and the story of the Dove of Peace, in which may be seen the beginning of the traditional lore that will grow up around the Cathedral as the years roll on.

For their valuable cooperation in the preparation of the Guide, grateful acknowledgment is made to the Very Rev. Howard C. Robbins, D.D., Dean of the Cathedral, and to the Rev. George F. Nelson, D.D., and the Rev. Robert Ellis Jones. D.D., Canons. Many thanks for courtesies and accommodations in photographing and studying the Cathedral are also due to Mr. Thomas Meatyard, the Verger.

(See Page 56)]

Contents

_I. THE SPIRIT OF THE CATHEDRAL._

The Real Cathedral 11

Praise in its Greatness 12

Praise in its Beauty 12

Praise in its Service 13

The Spirit of Democracy 14

A Civic Institution 15

A Great Symbol 16

A Sign of Stability 16

_II. THE FABRIC OF THE CATHEDRAL._

Name and Namesake 19

Location and Access 20

Administration and Clergy 22

Seals 23

Services 25

Visitors 26

Architecture 27

Plan and Size 27

Progress of Construction 28

Funds for Building 29

Foundation and Structure 31

Exterior of Chapels 31

Clerestory of Choir 33

Stone Shields 33

West Front 34

Nave 36

Crossing 40

Pulpit 42

Tapestries 46

Litany Desk 46

Choir 48

Choir Parapet 49

Pavements 51

Lectern 52

Choir Stalls 54

Organ 55

Cathedral Flag 56

High Altar 56

Credence Table 58

Great Columns 59

Clerestory Windows 60

Ambulatory 66

Founder’s Tomb 68

Choir Boys’ Stone 69

Seven Chapels of Tongues 69

Chapel of St. James 71

Chapel of St. Ambrose 76

Chapel of St. Martin 80

Chapel of St. Saviour 84

Chapel of St. Columba 87

Chapel of St. Boniface 90

Chapel of St. Ansgarius 95

Corner Stone 100

Crypt 100

Summary of Dimensions 101

Bishops of New York 102

_III. OTHER BUILDINGS, ETC._

Bishop’s House 104

Deanery 104

Choir School 106

St. Faith’s House 110

Synod House 110

Open Air Pulpit 114

Cathedral Organizations 115

Guide Book 116

1. West Front, not begun
2. Nave, foundation laid
3. Crossing
4. North Transept, not begun
5. South Transept, not begun
6. Altar Sacristy, not begun
7. Baptistery, begun May 29, 1924
8. Choir Sacristy, not begun
Dotted lines indicate cloisters connecting with Choir School
9. Dean’s Office, with Canons’ Offices adjoining, not begun
10. Choir
11. Sanctuary
12. Ambulatory

_Seven Chapels of Tongues_

13. Chapel of St. James
14. Chapel of St. Ambrose
15. Chapel of St. Martin of Tours
16. Chapel of St. Saviour
17. Chapel of St. Columba
18. Chapel of St. Boniface
19. Chapel of St. Ansgarius

A. Bishop’s House
B. Deanery
C. Choir School
D. St. Faith’s House
E. New Synod House
F. Open Air Pulpit

The Old Synod House (formerly the Leake & Watts Orphan Asylum) stands on the site of the South Transept (5) and is not represented on this plan.]

Illustrations

Cathedral from northeast, complete exterior design, from
architect’s drawing _Frontispiece_

Flag of the Cathedral 6

Plan of the Cathedral and Close 8-9

East end of Cathedral (exterior) 18

Seal of the Diocese 24

Seal of the Cathedral 24

ΙϹ-ΧϹ-ΝΙ-ΚΑ symbol “Jesus Christ Conquers” 34

SP-SF-SS symbol, “Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit” 34

Symbols of St. Luke 34

West Front, from architect’s drawing 35

Nave (exterior), from composite photograph of model 37

Nave (interior), from composite photograph of model 39

Nave foundation and Crossing (exterior) 41

Pulpit (indoors) 43

Barberini tapestry, “The Last Supper” 45

Crossing and Choir (interior) 47

Choir Stalls, south side 53

High Altar 57

Credence Table with Magna Charta Stones 58

The Founder’s Tomb 67

Chapel of St. James (interior) 73

Coats of Arms in windows of Chapel of St. Martin:

City of Rheims 82

Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris 82

Archbishop of Tours 82

Chapter of Poitiers 82

St. Martin of Tours 82

Archdiocese of Rheims 82

Dukes of Orleans 82

Niche of England Cathedral Stones 95

The Sacrifice 99

Bishop’s House 105

Deanery 107

Choir School 109

Synod House 111

Part One

The Spirit of the 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 the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Some such aid, either written or oral, is needed, for a great cathedral cannot be comprehended in the glance of an eye. Certain features, such as its magnitude and general beauty, are obvious; but inwrought with these is a wealth of meaning which is the _soul_ of the Cathedral—the _real_ Cathedral—and which reveals itself only on intimate acquaintance. When Ruskin called Amiens Cathedral “The Bible of Amiens,” he used a figure of speech applicable to all cathedrals. The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is “The Word in stone.” It is a sacred book, written in massive pier and ponderous arch, in sculptured marble and carved oak, in stained glass window and inlaid mosaic, in embroidered fabric and woven tapestry, whose pages are full of delight, inspiration and help for those who will take the trouble to read them.

The Cathedral performs its function as a place for the praise and worship of Almighty God in two ways—statically in the grandeur and beauty of the temple, and actively in the services held within it.

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 to him, “I forget myself.” And a man whom the Bishop met in the Ambulatory said to him: “If I came here regularly, something about it,—its size, its spaciousness, its loftiness, its great receding Choir—something about it would compel me to be a churchman.”

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 respect the Cathedral of St. John the Divine fills a place in our American life which no secular building can fill. In the beauty of its general form, in the beauty of its detail, in the beauty of its symbolism, and in the record of human achievement in godly living which these express, the Cathedral stirs the most reverent emotions and creates the noblest aspirations.

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 Service to bring God closer to men and to draw men closer to God.

Those who live near enough to the Cathedral to be able to attend its services frequently can appreciate the words of a man who lived most of his life in one of the great cathedral towns of England, and who said:

“I account it one of the greatest blessings of my life, and a circumstance which gave a tone to my imagination which I would not resign for many earthly gifts, that I lived in a place where the cathedral service was duly and beautifully performed.... If the object of devotion be to make us _feel_, and to carry away the soul from all earthly thoughts, assuredly the grand chaunts of our cathedral service are not without their use. I admire—none can admire more—the abstract idea of an assembly of reasoning beings offering up to the Author of all good things their thanksgivings in a pure and intelligible form of words; but the question will always intrude, Does the heart go along with this lip service? and is the mind sufficiently excited by this reasonable worship to forget its accustomed associations with the business and vanities and passions of the world? The cathedral service _does_ affect the imagination and through that channel the heart.”

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 is literally true to-day. The charter of the Cathedral requires that “the seats for worshippers in said Cathedral Church shall always be free;” and the Cathedral welcomes everybody to its services, irrespective of denominational affiliations, nationality or worldly estate. The Cathedral also welcomes those who belong to no denomination. Its appeal to the latter was particularly contemplated when Bishop Potter said: “The person in the period of suspense as to certain fundamental beliefs needs something larger, higher, wider and roomier, more impersonal for the time being, than the parish church.” It is hardly necessary to add as a corollary of the foregoing that there are no “strangers’ pews” in the Cathedral; and nobody, however unaccustomed to the Cathedral service, needs to feel any timidity or hesitation about attending. The large proportion of men in the Cathedral congregations is particularly noticeable.

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 National Institution. The Board of Trustees recently said: “The city requires a religious edifice where people can gather together in large numbers to express in a corporate way their religious promptings and to find spiritual interpretation of great events.” Such were the gatherings,—to mention but a few instances,—on the occasion of the Kossovo Day service June 16, 1918; the thanksgiving for the withdrawal of Austria from the war November 10, 1918; the thanksgiving for the cessation of hostilities November 17; the thanksgiving of the twelve Liberated Nationalities of middle Europe November 24; the great Thanksgiving Day service for victory November 28;[1] the rendering of Gounod’s “Death and Life” December 1, 1918, and Dvorak’s “Requiem” March 30, 1919, for all who died in the war; the memorial service of the 107th (including the former 7th) regiment April 27, 1919; the Lusitania memorial service May 7; the New York Letter Carriers’ memorial service May 25; etc. People rarely think of the English cathedrals as belonging to the Church of England or of the French cathedrals as belonging to the Roman Catholic church. They are regarded as belonging to everybody. And such, it is believed, is the place which the Cathedral of St. John the Divine will occupy in the minds of the people of the city and nation.

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, incarnation, visible and material utterance worthy of its majesty and grandeur.” And the Trustees not long ago said: “New York is the chief city of the Western World. It impresses the imagination at every turn by visible evidence of the power and splendor of material achievements in American life. Such a city should be dominated by a building which, in its greatness, dignity and beauty, bears witness to those spiritual forces without which material achievement is valueless because soulless.”

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 permanence—something after all to which he can fasten his faith and upon which he can anchor his hopes. The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, resting in its massive solidity upon the ancient rocks of Morningside Heights, gives an idea of firmness and stability in contrast with the fleeting changes around it and symbolizes Eternity as nearly as anything erected by the hands of man can. It will stand for unmeasured time as an eloquent memorial of the best and noblest of human effort and will serve as a visible bond to bind together generations of high endeavor. “A cathedral,” said Dean Robbins in a sermon on December 17, 1916, “is a symbol of continuity of life through the ages. It is a reminder of the relatedness in which men stand not only to one another but also to those who have preceded them, to all that is still memorable in a not quite vanished past.” And looking to the future he spoke of the meaning of the Cathedral to coming generations when it should have become adorned with associations growing like ivy over walls made venerable by time. “Perhaps they will be greater memories, more glorious associations, than our best hopes can now forecast.... Who can tell what the hidden, wonderful, all-possible future may have in store for our Cathedral, what hopes and purposes and sorrows and rejoicings will receive their consecration within its slowly aging walls?”

(Choir School at left)]

Part Two

The Fabric of the Cathedral

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 mentioned on page 115 following. The Cathedral is the chief church of the Diocese which embraces 294 different parishes and missions.

The Cathedral is named after the author of the fourth Gospel, the three “epistles general” bearing the name of John, and the book of “The Revelation of St. John the Divine.” The word “Divine” in the title is not an adjective[2] but is a noun in apposition with “St. John” and is rendered in the seal of the Cathedral by the Latin word “theologus,” meaning “theologian.” St. John was one of the twelve Apostles, and a brother of St. James the Great. He was “the Disciple whom Jesus loved” (John xiii. 23), an expression implying exceptional sweetness and lovableness of character. He founded the seven churches in Asia referred to in the Book of Revelation. Toward the end of his ministrations, in which he suffered many persecutions, he was banished to the Isle of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. When he returned from this exile, he continued his work until he died at the advanced age of over 90 years. His traditional grave is at Ephesus. The two principal symbols of St. John are the eagle with book, (explained in connection with the symbols of the four Evangelists on page 44) and the chalice, the latter sometimes having a serpent issuing from it. The sacramental cup without the serpent is sometimes interpreted to refer to Christ’s reply to James and John: “Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of” (Mark x. 39). The cup with the serpent refers to the tradition related by St. Isidore to the effect that at Rome an attempt was made to poison St. John in the communion wine, but that by a miracle the poison vanished from the chalice in the form of a serpent. The Memorial Day for St. John is kept on December 27.

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 marked route “4” via 110th street, or ’buses transferring thereto.

Morningside Heights being 100 feet above the level of the adjacent Harlem Plain, the Cathedral commands a sweeping prospect toward the northeast, east, and southeast, over the roofs of the city and past the trees of Central Park to the regions beyond the Harlem and East rivers; while from the main entrance at Amsterdam avenue and 112th street, one can look westward to the Hudson and see the columned Palisades on the New Jersey shore beyond. Morningside Heights is the modern name for the ground on which the battle of Harlem Heights was fought on September 16, 1776. Washington, whose figure occupies a niche in the Choir Parapet (page 51) and adorns the entrance to the Synod House (p. 114), personally directed the troops in this engagement. At that period an old colonial road ran through the Cathedral site and down the Heights of Morningside Park to the ancient King’s Highway or Post Road. During the War of 1812, the Cathedral grounds were immediately within the lines of defence erected in 1814, one of the blockhouses of which stood on the bluff on the eastern side of Morningside drive just northeast of 113th st.[3]

The Cathedral grounds,—called the “Close,” from the practice in olden times of securing the privacy of the cathedral precincts by enclosing them with a wall and gates,—comprise 11½ acres. Upon them are situated, besides the Cathedral, the Old Synod House (brick with columned portico, formerly the Leake & Watts Orphan Asylum,) the Bishop’s House and Deanery, the Choir School, the New Synod House, and St. Faith’s Training School for Deaconesses. See plan and descriptions of buildings hereafter. The Close cost $850,000 and the buildings other than the Cathedral about $1,000,000. A portion of the Close is set apart for recreation grounds for the boys of the choir; and a portion of the lawn as a playground for small children.

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 of the Episcopal Church. The Dean and Canons are nominated by the Bishop and elected by the Trustees. The Bishop, besides his diocesan duties, has general direction of the services of the Cathedral, which direction he expresses through the Dean. The use of the Cathedral for worship and for charitable and benevolent work is entrusted to the Dean and Chapter. The Chapter consists of the Dean, the Bursar, the Sacrist, and such other Canons as may be elected. The _Dean_ is Chairman of the Cathedral Chapter and the executive head of the Cathedral, leading and co-ordinating the various branches of its work. The _Canon Bursar_ is the agent of the Treasurer of the Corporation, receives the offerings and sees that they are applied to their proper objects, and is Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds. The _Canon Sacrist_ has the care of the Cathedral as a place of worship and is Master of Ceremonies on all occasions. The _Canon Precentor_ is responsible for the fitting performance of the musical parts of the Cathedral services. The offices of Canon Sacrist and Canon Precentor are vacant, their duties being performed by the _Precentor_. The Dean and Canons may have Vicars as assistants.

Following is the Cathedral Staff:

_Bishop of New York_

The Right Rev. William Thomas Manning, D.D., LL.D., D.C.L.

_Dean_

The Very Rev. Howard Chandler Robbins, D.D.

_Canon Bursar_

The Rev. Robert Ellis Jones, D.D.

_Precentor_

The Rev. Henry Purcell Veazie, M.A. (Oxon.)

_Honorary Canons_

The Rev. George Francis Nelson, D.D.
The Rev. George William Douglas, D.D.
The Rev. George Frederick Clover, M.A.
The Rev. Harold Adye Prichard, M.A.
The Rev. Pascal Harrower, M.A.

_Head Master of the Choir School_

William Lester Henry, A.B.

_Organist and Master of the Choristers_

Miles Farrow, M.A., Mus. Doc.

_Head Verger_

Thomas Meatyard.

The post-office address of any of the above mentioned is “The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York, N. Y.”

The Bishop’s office is in the new Synod House at the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and Cathedral Parkway. The offices of the Dean, Canon Bursar, etc., are in the old Synod House which stands on the site of the South Transept. (See page 9).

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 enclosed by a bordure _azure_ lined (or edged) _or_ bearing the legend “Seal of the Diocese of New York MDCCLXXXV” _or_.

The red color (gules) and the swords are historically reminiscent of the fact that prior to the Independence of the United States the church throughout the American Colonies was under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Diocese of London.

The seal of the Cathedral, also vesica-shaped, is as follows:

Tierce in pairle reversed. 1st, from the arms of the City of New York: _argent_ four sails of a windmill in saltire, between the ends in chief and base a beaver couchant, in fess dexter and sinister a barrel of flour all _proper_. 2d, from the arms of the State of New York: _azure_ in a landscape the sun in fess rising in splendor _or_ behind a range of three mountains the middle one the highest, in base a ship and sloop under sail passing and about to meet on a river bordered below by a grassy shore fringed with shrubs all _proper_. 3d, _azure_ seven six-pointed stars _argent_ between as many candlesticks _or_. Surmounted by an episcopal mitre _proper_. Enclosed by a bordure _gules_ edged _or_ bearing the legend “Sigil. Eccles. Cath. S. Johann. Theol. N. Ebor.” _or_.

The seven stars and candlesticks refer to the Revelation of St. John the Divine, i. 20.

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 Cathedral service is neither “high” nor “low.” It is the prescribed liturgy of the Church, with a fully choral rendering and congregational participation. Except during the vacation season, there are usually about 60 persons in the procession. The processional hymn is begun in the Ambulatory, through the south gate of which the procession enters the Crossing and goes to the Choir. First comes the crucifer, followed in order by the boys of the choir, the men of the choir, the Head Master of the Choir School, the Verger and the clergy in inverse order of their rank. The Bishop, if present, comes last, and is immediately preceded by the Verger and an acolyte bearing the Bishop’s pastoral staff.[5] If the Bishop is absent, the Dean comes last, preceded by the Verger. If neither Bishop nor Dean is present, the Verger precedes all the clergy. The Verger (in black gown with purple facings), carries a silver staff surmounted by the figure of an angel holding a tablet on which is engraved the symbol of St. John the Divine, the chalice with emerging serpent. When preceding the Bishop he carries his staff upright at his right shoulder, but when going before the other clergy he carries it in the hollow of his left arm. The organist and Master of the Choristers, wearing the gown and hood of Doctor of Music, is usually invisible, being seated at the console in the gallery on the screen at the south side of the Choir. At extraordinary musical services, an orchestra is seated in the Choir, between the stalls, and then the Master of the Choristers stands in the Choir, from which point he directs the singers, orchestra and assistant organist. The recessional is in the same order as the processional. After entering the Ambulatory, the procession halts while a dismissal prayer or hymn is said or sung there, and the solemn service ends with a far-away “Amen” from the unseen choir.[6]

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.

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 & Hastings of one, as mentioned hereafter.

The prevailing style of the Cathedral will be French Gothic. The north of France, it will be remembered, is the birthplace of Gothic architecture. There, in the region so recently devastated by war, Gothic architecture rose and reached the flower of perfection in such monuments as Amiens, Rheims, Notre Dame (Paris), Chartres, Beauvais, and Rouen Cathedrals and many other churches, great and small.

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 elevation are the two towers of the West Front (q. v.) and the great Central Tower above the Crossing. The latter, in the design now under consideration, consists of a dodecagonal lantern, carried up from the square Crossing in two stages, the upper smaller than the lower, and surmounted by a flèche or open-work spire rising to a height of 500 feet (including cross) above the ground.

When completed, the Cathedral will extend from Morningside drive to Amsterdam avenue, more than a tenth of a mile. It will be 601 feet long and 315 feet wide across the Transepts, and, with an area of 109,082 square feet, will be the third largest in the world, St. Peter’s at Rome being first and Seville Cathedral second.

The seating capacity of the Crossing in which the congregation ordinarily sits is 1,500; but on special occasions, when chairs are placed in the Ambulatory and people are admitted to the Choir Stalls, the Cathedral can accommodate about 3,500. When the church is finished, it will seat 7,000 and will accommodate several thousand more standing.

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 Asylum by deed dated October 31, 1891. The first service on the ground was held January 1, 1892. The corner-stone was laid on St. John’s Day, December 27, 1892.[9] The first service was held in the Crypt January 8, 1899, and the first service in the Choir and Crossing (being the consecration service) April 19, 1911. Ground was broken for the Nave May 8, 1916, by the Right Rev. David Hummell Greer, (Bishop Coadjutor 1904-1908 and Bishop of New York 1908-1919). The parts thus far built are the Crypt, Choir, seven Chapels of Tongues, Crossing and foundation for the Nave. The Mohegan golden granite for the walls of the Nave is now being quarried near Peekskill, N. Y., and is being delivered on the grounds. Some details of the Choir and Crossing are unfinished. The completed portion of the Cathedral has cost about $4,000,000, and it is estimated that the Nave, West Front, Transepts, Spire, etc., will cost about $15,000,000, making the total estimated cost about $19,000,000.

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 stand for ages. Its physical construction must therefore necessarily be slow.

It is to be remembered, also, that the financial resources for the building of a modern cathedral are different from those which supplied the means for building many of the Old World churches. Westminster Abbey was built almost entirely from revenues of the Kings from Henry III. to Henry VII. St. Paul’s in London was partly built by the gifts of penitents who performed their penances in money. Occasionally an ancient shrine grew into a great church in consequence of some tradition or superstition which caused a continuous stream of illustrious persons to shower wealth, privileges and honors upon it. Pope Honorius prescribed collections in all Christendom for the building of Rheims Cathedral. The metropolitan church of St. Rombold’s, in Malines, Belgium, was built with money paid by pilgrims who flocked thither in the 14th and 15th centuries to obtain indulgences issued by Pope Nicholas V.; and the Tour de Beurre (butter tower) of Bourges Cathedral, like the tower of the same name at Rouen, “derives its name from having been erected with money paid for indulgences to eat butter in Lent.” (Baedeker.)

To-day, however, reliance is placed entirely upon voluntary contributions. Some of the larger gifts to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine are mentioned hereafter, but there have been many other large ones and innumerable smaller ones equally acceptable from donors irrespective of denominational affiliations who have caught the civic and patriotic as well as the religious inspiration of what is to be America’s greatest cathedral. In a general way, it may be said that the Cathedral will be finished as fast as funds are provided;—and no faster, for the authorities have rigidly maintained the provision of the statute, building only what can be paid for, and worshippers are therefore not kneeling on any debt. Anyone desiring here to enshrine a loving memory or to embody the offering of a grateful heart may place a donation to the Building Fund in the alms-basin or in the box at the door, or send it to the Dean at the Cathedral offices in the old Synod House, at Amsterdam avenue and 112th street, New York City.

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 granite quarried near Peekskill, N. Y., and on the inside with a soft buff-colored limestone or dolomite called Frontenac stone from Pepin county, Wis. The great flying buttresses and massive piers of the Crossing, exposed in their rugged unfinished state, exhibit the dark Maine granite. Local materials are mentioned in their appropriate places.

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 of the South Transept.

=The Seven Chapels of Tongues=, (see page 69 et seq.,) may be identified on the exterior by the following characteristics (south to north): _Chapel of St. James_, rectangular plan, crenelated parapet of roof, and pinnacles on buttresses. _Chapel of St. Ambrose_, half round window arches. _Chapel of St. Martin of Tours_, fleurs de lis in quatrefoils above large windows; narrow pointed arch windows with single lights in basement. _Chapel of St. Saviour_ (easternmost), rectangular plan; cross on gable; statues in niches of buttresses and wall. _Chapel of St. Columba_, angel on roof; statues in niches of buttresses. _Chapel of St. Boniface_, statues in niches of buttresses; small mullioned windows of three lights in basement. _Chapel of St. Ansgarius_, rectangular plan; parapet of quatrefoil tracery; pinnacles on buttresses.

Three of the chapels have the following sculptures by Mr. Gutzon Borglum: _Chapel of St. Saviour_: On eastern wall above the great window, the Christ Child; in niches of buttresses on either side of window, Angels of the Resurrection; and beneath the window, the Virgin, seated between (left) St. Simeon who blessed the infant Jesus (Luke ii. 25-35) and (right) St. Zacharias, father of John the Baptist (Luke i. 67-80).[11] _Chapel of St. Columba_: On roof, an angel with hands joined in prayer; in upper part of great window, St. Columba with tamed wolf, recalling how he subdued wild beasts as well as wild tribes; and in niches of buttresses the four patron saints of the British Isles (left to right): St. David of Wales in beretta and fringed gown: St. George of England in armor with cross on shield and dragon at feet; St. Andrew of Scotland with diagonal cross[12]; and St. Patrick of Ireland, in Bishop’s robes, with crozier in right hand and shamrock in left. _Chapel of St. Boniface_: In niches of buttresses, Charlemagne, with crown and sword; Alcuin, Charlemagne’s preceptor, in monastic garb with manuscripts in right hand; Gutenberg, with book in each hand, his initials “J.G.” on one; and Luther, in scholar’s gown, with book between hands.

=The Clerestory of the Choir= rises above the roofs of the chapels. In the canopied niches near the top of the turrets and buttresses are 10 stone figures 9½ feet high by Mr. Borglum, as follows (south to north): St. James the Less with fuller’s club (indicating manner of his martyrdom), and St. Philip with Latin cross (symbol of his crucifixion), together on turret; St. Bartholomew[13]; St. Thomas with square (spiritual architect); St. James the Great with staff (pilgrim); St. Peter with key (to the kingdom of Heaven); St. Andrew with diagonal cross; St. Matthew[13] with drapery over head; and St. Simeon with saw, and St. Jude with spear, (indicating manner of their death), together on turret.

=Fourteen Stone Shields= (only 12 in place), in the spandrels of the clerestory windows above the seven Chapels of Tongues, bear (or will bear) the following devices (south to north:) Above Chapel of St. James, (left) winged ox; and (right) artist’s palette, brushes and maulsticks, and lily, symbolizing St. Luke.[14] Above Chapel of St. Ambrose (left) lily, and (right) rose, both symbols of the Virgin Mary. Above Chapel of St. Martin of Tours, (left) eagle, and (right) chalice, symbols of St. John. Above Chapel of St. Saviour, (left) letters ΙϹ, ΧϹ, ΝΙ, ΚΑ, in four quarters formed by a Greek cross, signifying Jesus Christ Conquers; and (right), initials SP, SF, SS, of the Latin words Sanctus Pater, Sanctus Filius, Sanctus Spiritus, (Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit,) in a trefoil, symbolizing the Trinity.[15] Above Chapel of St. Columba, (left) crossed keys, symbol of St. Peter, and (right) crossed swords, symbol of St. Paul. Above Chapel of St. Boniface, (left) winged lion; and (right) fig tree, both symbols of St. Mark. Above Chapel of St. Ansgarius, (left) winged man and (right) axe and book, both symbols of St. Matthew.

Surmounting the roof of the Choir, and facing eastward, is a bronze statue, 9½ feet high, by Mr. Borglum, representing St. Gabriel as Angel of the Resurrection, blowing a trumpet.

(From Architect’s Drawing)]

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 (south), presenting strong relief. Above the central portal is the great Rose Window, flanked by the mullioned Gothic windows of the towers. Above these, a gallery of niches containing statues extends entirely across the façade, after the manner of the Gallery of Kings at Rheims Cathedral. Above this rise the belfries of the two towers, each surmounted by pointed turrets at the four corners, while between them, just above the gallery, appears the gable of the Nave. The West front is 220 feet wide and 80 feet deep, including the buttressing. The towers are 50 feet square, 235 feet high to the top of the parapets and 265 feet high to the top of the pinnacles.

(Composite Photograph of Model. Human figure shows scale)]

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 street is between building lines—has two narrower aisles on each side. Instead of the closely-grown-up forest effect produced by the columns of many Gothic cathedrals, an air of openness and spaciousness, which distinguishes this Cathedral throughout, is given by the relatively small number of piers and columns and their ingenious disposition. In this arrangement the architect has made two notable departures from the ordinary Gothic type: One is the erection of the clerestory on the secondary line of columns (those nearest the side walls,) which modifies the exterior system of flying buttresses, and the other is the introduction of intermediate slender columns in the primary line of piers, resolving the Nave into a system of four squares or double bays instead of eight rectangular bays. As the primary ranges of piers and columns rise to the spring of the arches which support the roof of the Nave, instead of being shortened to support the clerestory, an effect of great spaciousness and lofty aspiration is produced; and this arrangement, together with the rhythmic alternation of great piers and relatively small clustered columns, allows a play of light and shade surpassing that of any mediaeval cathedral. Under the roofs of the north and south aisles runs the triforium gallery; and there are many beautiful details of ornament, including the tracery, panelling, capitals, niches, pinnacles and sculptures. A light and cheerful effect is produced by the illumination through 32 stained glass windows—eight in the aisle and eight in the clerestory on each side,—and the great Rose Window in the west end.

While standing at the west end of the foundation, the visitor should survey the great area of floor space that lies before him; then, looking eastward 225 feet (the length of a city block and half the width of a street) imagine the present temporary west wall of the Crossing removed, and the view extended about 225 feet farther to the High Altar in the Sanctuary. He will then have an idea of the great vista of the completed church.

(Composite Photograph of Model. Figures of choristers show scale)]

Speaking of the building of the Cathedral in general and of the Nave in particular, in his address to the 138th Annual Convention of the Diocese of New York on May 11, 1921, Bishop Manning said: “As to the practical value and importance of the Cathedral, no one who knows anything of its work or of the multitudes that gather here for worship can entertain a question. Large as it is, the present space is insufficient. The Nave is urgently needed, not only that the great ideal which the building embodies may be carried forward, but that there may be room for the people who come for spiritual help, and that the Cathedral may meet its unequalled missionary opportunity. I hope that our people, and especially those who have the stewardship of wealth, will keep this great spiritual and missionary enterprise in mind, and that many may be moved to aid it. The building waits only for the necessary funds. And in the revised drawings, we at last have plans which by their majesty and beauty worthily express the aim and ideal of this great structure ... I believe that we have now a plan worthy of the unequalled opportunity of this glorious Temple of God, and of its relation to the greatest and most complex city in the world. I believe that for the carrying forward towards completion of such a building as this, of which the whole country may be proud, and for the upholding of the spiritual, social and civic ideals which it embodies, not only the people of our own Church but many others in this metropolis and elsewhere will be glad to make their gifts and to have their part and share with us.”

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 filled with temporary windows and concrete walls which will be removed when the Nave (2) and the North and South Transepts (4 and 5) are built. The removal of these temporary walls will improve the acoustics. The rough, unadorned piers on the north, west and south sides will eventually be faced with Frontenac stone like those on the east side. The massiveness of this masonry may be judged by the fact that a single pair of these piers with their connecting arch weighs 4000 tons. _The Dome_ of the Crossing, 162 feet (just the height of Niagara Falls) above the floor, is a remarkable piece of construction, the tiles having been laid by the ingenious Gustavino method without the support of scaffolding. The present dome is temporary; the permanent vault will be 200 feet above the floor. Mr. J. P. Morgan, Mr. George S. Bowdoin and Mr. Harris C. Fahnestock were large contributors to the building of the Crossing.

=The Pulpit=, a memorial of Bishop Henry Codman Potter, is made of Knoxville, Tenn., marble, an uncrystalline limestone favorable for very fine work. On the newel posts of the stairs are the figures of the two great prophets of the Old and New Testaments, Isaiah (south) and John the Baptist (north.) In the five principal Gothic niches are as many scenes in the life of Christ (north to south): The Nativity, Jesus Among the Doctors, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the Supper at Emmaus (Luke xxiv. 30-31). In the smaller niches are the figures of eight great exponents of the Holy Scriptures and champions of human freedom (north to south); St. Jerome, St. Gregory, St. Chrysostom, St. Peter, St. Paul, Hugh Latimer, Bossuet, and Bishop Phillips Brooks of Massachusetts.[17] Beneath these niches runs a moulding of grape-vine design symbolizing Christ the true vine[18] (John xv. 1) and beneath this one of roses symbolizing Christ the Rose of Sharon (Cant. ii. 1). On the base are the symbols of the four Evangelists: The winged man for St. Matthew, winged lion for St. Mark, winged ox for St. Luke, and eagle for St. John.[19] The pulpit is surmounted by a carved oak canopy of Gothic tracery, upon which is the beginning of the Gloria in Excelsis:

“Glory be to God on high and on ‖ earth ‖ peace ‖ good will
towards ‖ men. We praise thee ‖ we bless thee, we ‖ worship
‖ thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks ‖ to thee for thy
great glory. O Lord God, heavenly King.”

On the side of the stairs is inscribed:

“In Memory of ‖ Henry Codman Potter ‖ the gift of ‖ Mrs.
Russell Sage ‖ A.D. 1916.”

The pulpit, which cost $30,000, was designed by Mr. Henry Vaughan and executed by Messrs. John Evans & Co. of Boston.

=Barberini Tapestries.= The tapestries in the Crossing and Ambulatory were woven in the first half of the 17th century on the papal looms founded by Cardinal Barberini under the patronage of his uncle Pope Urban VIII. They were executed under the direction of the master weaver Jacques della Riviera from cartoons painted by Jean Francois Romanelli. The cartoons are now in the Vatican. The tapestries, originally designed for the throne room of the Barberini Palace at Rome, afterward a part of the Ffoulke Collection in Washington, and finally presented to the Cathedral by Mrs. Elizabeth U. Coles, are twelve in number and represent scenes in the life of Christ. Four of them hang in the Crossing as follows: In the northeast corner, the Delivery of the Keys to St. Peter; southeast corner, the Last Supper; southwest corner, the Adoration of the Shepherds; and northwest corner, the Flight of Joseph and Mary with the infant Jesus into Egypt. Seven hang in the Ambulatory, as follows (north to south): Christ’s Baptism, the Annunciation, the Adoration of the Magi, the Crucifixion (directly behind and above the High Altar,) the Transfiguration, the Resurrection, and the Agony in the Garden. The twelfth, a map of the Holy Land, is not at present hung. These works are all 15 feet 8 inches high and average 14 feet 1 inch wide. The Delivery of the Keys to St. Peter, the Last Supper, and the Flight into Egypt are more than 17 feet wide. These tapestries appear more like paintings than products of the loom.

=The Litany Desk= at the eastern end of the middle aisle (often removed) is of carved oak. Surmounting the ends are two praying angels, while on the front are statues of St. Michael with sword, St. John with chalice, and St. Gabriel with lilies, all facing the Altar. An inscription reads:

“We beseech Thee to ‖ hear us Good Lord ‖ Grant us Thy Peace
‖ Have Mercy Upon us.”

The desk was given by the Laymen’s Club.

The Choir