Yesterday's post about the musical event at Boston Avenue Church did not let you appreciate the wonderful architecture of this art deco treasure. I drove over to the church this morning to try and get a few pictures that give you the idea of the style of the building. The 15 story tower soars toward the heavens in the classic style of a cathedral but with a art deco motif. Wikipedia has a very interesting article on the church HERE.
These figures represent the Circuit Riders, the Methodist Preachers who rode from place to place all over the newly settled country to preach, baptize and marry the early settlers.
The worshiping figures with praying hands is a motif that is repeated symbolically in every aspect of the church. This is an amazing work of architectural design
5 comments:
It looks much bigger than I expected!
I have always admired this building. I haven't had a chance to photograph it yet. My wife's great grandfather was a Methodist circuit preacher. I find it truly interesting that the architects (Bruce Goff or whomever you choose to give credit) chose to honor these preachers of the gospel in this way. Great post.
I have always loved those circuit riders. One of which is a woman.
The building is a treasure.
Speaking of Methodist Circuit Riders, my friend Mac McIlnay who is a retired Methodist pastor told me that back when they actually rode horses, the average life expectancy of a circuit rider was under 30 years. This was not a job for wimps.
Zhu - It is a very large church with a membership of around 8000. In a church this size there are a lot of "Sunday School" groups that serve as smaller communities with activities of their own. This keeps people from getting lost in the crowd. I have never been part of a church this big but they say it works.
Boston Avenue Methodist is one of the best Art Deco churches anywhere.
Great pics, thanks for the post.
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