Table
of Contents: SHADYSIDE
LANTERN
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NAME
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DESCRIPTION
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EXTERIOR
ARCHITECTURE
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Secular
Lanterns
|
The
lantern, a tower, with clerestory windows, which opens into an
interior space, is featured on many churches. We see here that
other buildings types use lantern, and two of our examples are from
Pittsburgh.
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Church
Growth
|
Churches’ physical plants grow to accommodate their
changing needs. Maintaining
the aesthetic compatibility of various building campaign represents
significant challenge. Various
examples are examined including an in-depth look at Shadyside.
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The
Cross at Shadyside
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The
Cross in many forms is an ancient Christian symbol. It was not
openly displayed in the Early Church because of persecution.
It dropped from use and gradually returned among Reformed churches.
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Growth
Models
|
Shadyside
Church has grown through functional additions into a rambling,
picturesque structure. Here we view the various stages of
development through the use of 3D models.
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Courthouse
Connections
|
H. H. Richardson’s Allegheny County Courthouse has long
been ranked among
America
’s most important buildings. Many
features and details correspond to those later used at
Shadyside
Church
by
Richardson’s successors Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge.
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Red
Roof Out |
Changes
in architectural plans between proposal and execution are
routine. The change fro red tile to gray slate for Shadyside's
roof was a felicitous one.
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...A
Cathedral to a Chicken Coop |
Shepley,
Rutan & Coolidge designed two buildings that still stand in
Pittsburgh. One is Shadyside Presbyterian, the other is a rail
station in Coraopolis.
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Medieval
Forms
Morphing
the Courthouse |
Churches
are sometimes modeled on forms other than churches. Domestic
and even agricultural structures have served as basic patterns for
architects.
A
pictorial demonstration of features that can be found at the
Courthouse and Shadyside Church
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The
Other Romanesque Revival |
The
Richardsonian Romanesque Revival is best known in the United States
because of its intense influence on architecture for a short
period. The revival of Romanesque architecture began before
Richardson and lasted long after his direct impact. This is
especially true in Pittsburgh's neighborhoods where German
immigrants settled. |
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Mapping
Our Progress |
Using
Pittsburgh plat plans and atlases to track the construction and
additions to the church |
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Faces
on
the Façade
|
Two regal faces greet worshippers at Shadyside’s main
entrance. We investigate
their identities.
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Richardson
in Brick
|
Richardsonian
Romanesque churches where brick is used rather than stone.
Emmanuel Episcopal in Pittsburgh led the way.
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.Parish
Hall Symbols
|
Christian
symbolism is used to a surprising degree at Shadyside for a church
in the Reformed tradition. This is clearly demonstrated on the
exterior of the Parish Hall.
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Details,
Details
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Many carvings, moldings and shapes found at Shadyside can
be traced to other buildings by Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge as
well as H. H. Richardson.
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Stones
of Shadyside
|
The names and purposes of various rock shapes are
identified.
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What
is Romanesque, Anyway?
|
An overview of the medieval style of which
Shadyside
Church
is the Richardsonian Revival.
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Scaling
the Height
s
|
A brief look at how architectural scale makes the church
more approachable.
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Other
Lanterns
|
Shadyside was the first of many lantern churches in
Pittsburgh
. We look at a few here.
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Towers
|
Towers
were a favorite design feature of late Victorian architects.
We see here that they serve functional as well as picturesque ends.
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Portico
|
We often call it the “cloister,” but this passageway
helps enclose the cloister. Here
are some definitions and architectural principles.
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Presbyterian
Gothic
|
Numerous revivals of the Gothic make it practically the
quintessential church form. Presbyterians
had a different idea.
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RELATED
CHURCHES
|
Buildings may be related by their style or by associations
among their designers.
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Shadyside’s
Sisters
|
Churches designed by Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge -
Richardson
’s successor firm. Featured
here:
Memorial
Church
at Stanford and Second Presbyterian,
St. Louis
.
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Shadyside’s
First Cousins, Younger Generation
|
Pittsburgh
’s
Longfellow, Alden & Harlow and
Buffalo
’s Herbert Burdett trained under
Richardson
, late in his practice. We
look at West End ME,
Pittsburgh
; All Saints,
Reisterstown
,
MD
; Church of the Good Shepherd,
Buffalo
.
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Shadyside’s
First Cousins, Older Generation
|
Stanford White and Langford Warren each served
Richardson
as Chief Draftsman early in his practice.
Lovely Lane Methodist and
St. John
the Divine demonstrate their brief trials in Romanesque Revival
before moving on.
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Shadyside’s
Second Cousins
|
Three churches, Richardsonian and lantern type, relate to
Shadyside, but their architects had no direct link to
Richardson
.
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INTERIOR
ARCHITECTURE
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Of
Pomp, Pulpits & Processions
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Shadyside’s architecture complements its style of
worship, reformed and formal. Some
aspects and features of this worship style are explored.
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What
Happened to the Tiffany Windows?
|
Louis Tiffany and John Lafarge popularized opalescent glass
in American late in the nineteenth century.
For a number of years in the twentieth century, this type of
stained glass was out of style and Shadyside lost all but one of its
Tiffany Windows.
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Apostles
in the Pulpit |
On
Shadyside's pulpit are carved traditional symbols for Christ's
Apostles. |
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Three
Vined Mice
|
Carving in churches is symbolic as well as decorative.
East Liberty Presbyterian, Heinz Chapel and Shadyside all
received carved wooden mice in their chancels during the late 30s.
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1937
Sanctuary Remodelling
|
Trinity
Church
,
Boston
and Shadyside made major changes to their worship spaces at the same
time. The remarkable
similarities are explored here.
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Ralph
Adams Cram & The Winged Creatures
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The “Beasts of the Evangelists” have symbolized the
four gospel writers since the time of the
Early
Church
. Cram was a leader in
the movement to return traditional symbolism to churches.
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Shadyside’s
Sanctuaries
|
In its first five decades, Shadyside had three worship
spaces. For the last
seven decades, there has been one.
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Sanctuary
Primer
|
The
terminology and arrangement of Shadyside's worship space is
explored.
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Plastering
the Sanctuary
Arch
Rivalry
|
A big factor in the
experience of worship is shape of the interior volume of the
sanctuary. The experience is influenced by the location within
that volume.
A thumbnail history or the round arch with a brief
speculation on its route to Shadyside.
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Sinners
in the Narthex
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The narthex is a place of transition into a church.
That transition has not always been easy or straightforward.
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Tale
in Tile
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Shadyside’s mosaic of the Transfigured Christ would be at
home in many Orthodox churches.
We investigate the symbolism of Rudolf Scheffler’s
remarkable work.
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MISCELLANY
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If
Pulpits Could Talk
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This article considers how the worship space and liturgical
furnishings work in four Pittsburgh Presbyterian churches:
First Presbyterian, Shadyside, Fox Chapel and Aspinwall.
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Drawing
Gallery
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Some pen & ink drawings of
Shadyside
Church
subjects by the website author.
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Images
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Some interesting pictorial effects applied to photos at
Shadyside
Church
.
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