A Guide to The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in the City of New
York.
[Illustration: THE NORTH ELEVATION OF THE CATHEDRAL
(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.
[Illustration: The Cathedral Flag
(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
[Illustration: PLAN
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?”
[Illustration: THE EXTERIOR OF THE CHOIR, CHAPELS AND CROSSING, LOOKING
SOUTHWEST
(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.
[Illustration: Diocesan Seal]
[Illustration: Cathedral Seal]
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.
[Illustration: 1. Jesus Christ Conquers. 2. Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy
Spirit. 3 and 4. Saint Luke.]
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.
[Illustration: THE WEST FRONT
(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.
[Illustration: THE EXTERIOR OF THE NAVE
(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.
[Illustration: ONE SIDE OF THE INTERIOR OF THE NAVE
(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