Contents

 

Home

 

Table of Contents:  SHADYSIDE LANTERN

NAME

DESCRIPTION

EXTERIOR ARCHITECTURE

 

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.

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.

The Cross at Shadyside

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.

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.

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.

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.

...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.

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

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.

Mapping Our Progress

Using Pittsburgh plat plans and atlases to track the construction and additions to the church

Faces on the Façade

Two regal faces greet worshippers at Shadyside’s main entrance.  We investigate their identities.

Richardson in Brick

Richardsonian Romanesque churches where brick is used rather than stone.  Emmanuel Episcopal in Pittsburgh led the way.

.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.

Details, Details

Many carvings, moldings and shapes found at Shadyside can be traced to other buildings by Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge as well as H. H. Richardson.

Stones of Shadyside

The names and purposes of various rock shapes are identified.

What is Romanesque, Anyway?

An overview of the medieval style of which Shadyside Church is the Richardsonian Revival.

Scaling the Height s

A brief look at how architectural scale makes the church more approachable.

Other Lanterns

Shadyside was the first of many lantern churches in Pittsburgh .  We look at a few here.

Towers

Towers were a favorite design feature of late Victorian architects.  We see here that they serve functional as well as picturesque ends.

Portico

We often call it the “cloister,” but this passageway helps enclose the cloister.  Here are some definitions and architectural principles.

Presbyterian Gothic

Numerous revivals of the Gothic make it practically the quintessential church form.  Presbyterians had a different idea.

RELATED CHURCHES

Buildings may be related by their style or by associations among their designers.

Shadyside’s Sisters

Churches designed by Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge - Richardson ’s successor firm.  Featured here:  Memorial Church at Stanford and Second Presbyterian, St. Louis .

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 .

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.

Shadyside’s Second Cousins

Three churches, Richardsonian and lantern type, relate to Shadyside, but their architects had no direct link to Richardson .

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE

 

Of Pomp, Pulpits & Processions

Shadyside’s architecture complements its style of worship, reformed and formal.  Some aspects and features of this worship style are explored.

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.

Apostles in the Pulpit

On Shadyside's pulpit are carved traditional symbols for Christ's Apostles.

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.

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.

Ralph Adams Cram & The Winged Creatures

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.

Shadyside’s Sanctuaries

In its first five decades, Shadyside had three worship spaces.  For the last seven decades, there has been one.

Sanctuary Primer

The terminology and arrangement of Shadyside's worship space is explored.

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.

Sinners in the Narthex

The narthex is a place of transition into a church.  That transition has not always been easy or straightforward.

Tale in Tile

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.

MISCELLANY

 

If Pulpits Could Talk

This article considers how the worship space and liturgical furnishings work in four Pittsburgh Presbyterian churches:  First Presbyterian, Shadyside, Fox Chapel and Aspinwall.

Drawing Gallery

Some pen & ink drawings of Shadyside Church subjects by the website author.

Images

Some interesting pictorial effects applied to photos at Shadyside Church .

Home