The church is built of Concord granite in light gray, with trimmings of
the pink granite of New Hampshire, Mrs. Eddy's native State. The
architecture is Romanesque throughout. The tower is 120 feet in height
and 21-1/2 feet square. The entrances are of marble, with doors of
antique oak richly carved. The windows of stained glass are very rich in
pictorial effect. The lighting and cooling of the church--for cooling is
a recognized feature as well as heating--are done by electricity, and
the heat generated by two large boilers in the basement is distributed
by the four systems with motor electric power. The partitions are of
iron; the floors of marble in mosaic work, and the edifice is therefore
as literally fireproof as is conceivable. The principal features are the
auditorium, seating 1,100 people and capable of holding 1,500; the
"Mother's room," designed for the exclusive use of Mrs. Eddy; the
"directors' room," and the vestry. The girders are all of iron, the roof
is of terra cotta tiles, the galleries are in plaster relief, the window
frames are of iron, coated with plaster; the staircases are of iron,
with marble stairs of rose pink and marble approaches.
The vestibule is a fitting entrance to this magnificent temple. In the
ceiling is a sunburst with a seven-pointed star, which illuminates it.
From this are the entrances leading to the auditorium, the "Mother's
room," and the directors' room.
The auditorium is seated with pews of curly birch, upholstered in old
rose plush. The floor is in white Italian mosaic, with frieze of the old
rose, and the wainscoting repeats the same tints. The base and cap are
of pink Tennessee marble. On the walls are bracketed oxidized silver
lamps of Roman design, and there are frequent illuminated texts from the
Bible and from Mrs. Eddy's SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES
impaneled. A sunburst in the centre of the ceiling takes the place of
chandeliers. There is a disc of cut glass in decorative designs covering
144 electric lights in the form of a star, which is twenty-one inches
from point to point, the centre being of pure white light, and each ray
under prisms which reflect the rainbow tints. The galleries are richly
paneled in relief work. The organ and choir gallery is spacious and rich
beyond the power of words to depict. The platform--corresponding to the
chancel of an Episcopal church--is a mosaic work, with richly carved
seats following the sweep of its curve, with a lamp stand of the
rennaissance period on either end, bearing six richly wrought oxidized
silver lamps, eight feet in height. The great organ comes from Detroit.
It is one of vast compass, with æolian attachment, and cost $11,000. It
is the gift of a single individual--a votive offering of gratitude for
the healing of the wife of the donor.
The chime of bells includes fifteen, of fine range and perfect tone.