Designing Churches

In the colonial days of America congregations sometimes met outdoors for services because they did not have a building for worship. A group interested in having a church in their settlement gathered in the shade of a large tree or under the canopy of a forest or orchard. In at least one case a group […]

The entrance doors of churches are utilitarian devices that provide privacy and security while allowing passage from the outside of the building to the inside and vice-versa. They can be made of wood, fiberglass, steel, glass, or another material. A door swings on some type of hinge mechanism and when shut it has a catch or […]

The image is a drawing of Savannah, Georgia, circa 1870, which was composed by its artist while viewing the city to the south from Hutchinson Island. Almost in line with the mast near the stern of the ship with two masts on the left is a faint image of a slender, tiered, and tall structure, […]

According to Noah Webster’s An American Dictionary of the English Language, “pew” was defined as “an enclosed seat in a church” that had been in the past “made square” by boxing them in with panels and providing a door for access. His dictionary goes on to add that in “modern churches in America” seating was […]

This is the first of a series of articles that will be posted occasionally on Presbyterians of the Past to provide information about the design of churches. It is hoped that these brief topical studies will be helpful to church building committees as they design their worship facilities. A key consideration for church design is the […]