This Church Caused My Bloggers' Block

When I can get 3 or 4 coherent sentences together, I've got a blog post. There's no shortage of ideas, inspiration, motivation, it's the coherence, the focus that troubles me. I lost it "Sunday week."

I was rocking The Phoenix Flies for 2012, gathering enough pictures for a month of posts.


Things were going well. We'd finished 2/3's of the Downtown Progressive Organ Recital. I was surprised and delighted to find a John August Swanson exhibit at Central Presbyterian. Imagine that: un-ironic, contemporary religious art. Let's hope Earl Scruggs is enjoying this band right now.


Yes, things were going quite well. We were headed to a place I'd never been, Trinity Methodist (W. T. Downing 1911), the third capitol church. It's the one kitty-cornered towards the southwest from the Georgia's state capital building.


Old and new City Hall to the north, traffic court to the west, expressway gulch to the south, it's a serious sight. It doesn't seem very big in all that space.


We were about to hear Trinity's great theater organ, the refurbished 100 year old Austin.


We anticipated the organ and those giant stained glass windows.


This is where I lost it. Churches impress, Trinity was no exception. It's brick, minimal, with a greenish-yellow light. There was a smell of age. I don't think it was love at first sight.

This is where my brain has been stuck for 10 days, not in a bad way, not in a good way, just stuck.


This is the east window, it's big but my impression was slender, vertical, yellow/green, the motif - slender lampposts.


The north and south window elements are wider.


The symbolic elements are compact and elevated. I couldn't take them all in. Has anyone photographed them for the record?


The pipes blend with the brick rather than "pop" with a bright shiny finish. It's line and texture in monochrome, windows too. The old woodwork is what "pops." The pews are 1856, from the old church that burned. Sherman slept his troops on these pews.


Organist Bruce Wynn told is a bit about the church and organ.

You can see some of the brick and wood details.

The brick tricked me: my brain felt more outside than inside.


The view from the chancel. The choir loft is small, Bruce said it was intended for 2 quartets.


Theater organs are voiced differently than church organs, it was certainly different to my ears. We were happy to hear Bruce demonstrate.


We walked inside the wind box / air box / air chest. When Bruce turned on the air, the box went air tight and you couldn't open the door.

It is a 100 year-old example of handmade functional woodworking. It's not furniture but it is beautiful.


There is a bit of fresh wiring.


"Austin developed the Universal Air Chest System" "During the second world war the company contributed gliders to the war effort."

That wasn't all.


The pipe room extends behind the sanctuary into this room where Bruce can play from a second console.


This hexagonal, balconied room is a tiny Victorian chapel surrounded by a kitchen and Sunday school rooms. It took my be surprise.

I'll let it go there. I hope this cures my bloggers' block. I may have to return to the scene.

Thanks to the Atlanta Preservation Center and to the Atlanta Chapter — American Guild of Organists.

The "Piedmont" Pipes are in St. Paul UMC - Phoenix Flies Recap #8

Phoenix Flies Recap #8 St. Paul United Methodist Church (1906) in Grant Park, Atlanta during the Atlanta Preservation Center's Phoenix Flies tour for 2011.

We climbed the stairs to the balcony and bell tower.


Once up there Don is kind-of pointing to the grating behind the cross.

The organ pipes from the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition held in what is now Piedmont Park, are behind the grate. It was recycling back when recycling was really cool. For you non-Atlantans the Piedmont Exposition made a bigger mark on Atlanta than the 1996 Olympics. It was Atlanta's international coming out party at the turn of the century. It was the era of the City Beautiful Movement.


Don cranked up the organ and fellow Phoenix Flier, Dee, sang a few lines. The 115 year old pipes rang, purred, and roared.

May I show you a few more pictures of this beautiful church?


One big window is on the South facade.


It's a big window.


The other big window faces east. The top of this one is in the attic. The steps might be a tough climb for granny but there is a new elevator in the back.


Here is a zen view from the floor of the Narthex. There is a hierarchy of open space and varying ceiling heights (See Design Patterns 114 and 190) . The sheltering narthex and the ceiling under the balcony are a comfortable and cozy feeling compliment to the tall spaces. Your don't feel so exposed.


The floor of the Nathex is sturdy and dignified after 105 years of service.


The metal ceiling in the narrow narthex looks it's age, having withstood a leak or two.


The ceiling is blue, beamed, and beautiful.


In the center there is a medallion, I suppose it could have been an oculus had the budget allowed.





St. Paul has a full length bump out. There is the expected symmetrical, center-aisled sanctuary. But to the north there is extra large main floor and balcony space, comfortable, flexible and unexpected. It's a great opportunity for clerestory windows.


The balcony bumps out to the right.


Looking out from the bump


We went to the roof and the attic. This is the east window from the attic over the narthex. It's stunning to see this from a dark room.


Yes I really did see the attic, still solid after a century.

I hope I haven't worn you out. You need to see the sacristy, as charming a room as I've visited.

The sacristy is in the midst of a big cleaning refit, but the beauty shines through.


Fireplace, stained, glass, paneling, and color made this little room feel perfect.


Every building deserves a room this good.

I keep getting distracted. I was headed to the roof.


The roof decking from the inside.

My 45 second video from the roof.




Thanks to St. Paul United Methodist Church, to Don Wallace for the tour and to Pastor, Susan Allen Grady.

I've barely shown you the stained glass. Even the smallest window deserves a close look.

Phoenix Flies Recap #7 - Inman Park United Methodist Church

It's looks it age. It's easy to imagine the very first gathering here, and the very latest. This was the walk-to church by and for the gentry of Atlanta's first suburb.I toured Inman Park United Methodist Church (1898 by Willis Franklin Denny, II) during the Atlanta Preservation Center's Phoenix Flies tour for 2011. As many times as I've driven by, as much as I've heard about it, this was my very first visit.


You see the shady north side from Edgewood. It's modest but dignified, very approachable, close to the the street and just a few steps up to the door. The two gables and little tower balance the big tower. Huge stained glass windows fill the north and west sides.


The west window at the rear of the sanctuary gets the full force afternoon sun. Towers and gables make a nice compact composition; I can imagine this as a Romanesque chapel in an ancient city.


There is nothing brand spanking new in here and who would want it? New babies and new brides, by all means.


Look up.


I'm a bit worried about the plaster but it's beautiful.


Bill Ogan showed us around. There is a veterans memorial in the hall.


The sacristy is a little library, museum, and archive.


If there is a big crowd, you can open these doors between the sanctuary and the fellowship hall.


The bridal room evokes memories from generations of weddings.

Are the windows Victorian? They aren't like others I've seen in Atlanta except maybe Central Presbyterian.


From the Martha Beale Candler window: "She did what she could." We all hope for that.


Spectacular.


"Though he slay me..."




The little windows charm.




Art Nuveau?




The Annie Winship window.


The May Louise Hanye window.

I hope you want wait as long as I did to visit.