large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb_35
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb
English
4813
No paint, no decorations, no colored windows, no organ, or anything which could even remotely suggest the color, the beauty, the formalism of the churches of England. The unceiled roof shows the rafters whose arched timbers remind one that ships' carpenters have built this house of God. NO PAINT NO DECORATIONS NO COLORED WINDOWS NO ORGAN OR ANYTHING WHICH COULD EVEN REMOTELY SUGGEST THE COLOR THE BEAUTY THE FORMALISM OF THE CHURCHES OF ENGLAND THE UNCEALINGED ROOF SHOWS THE RAFTERS WHOSE ARCHED TIMBERS REMIND ONE THAT SHIP'S CARPENTERS HAVE BUILT THIS HOUSE OF GOD
 of being the oldest house for public worship in the United States which still stands on its original site, and which is still used for its original purpose. In the year 1681 it is merely the new meeting-house of the little hamlet of Hingham. The people are very proud of their new building. The timbers have been hewn with the broad-axe out of solid white pine (the marks are still visible, particularly in those rafters of the roof open to the attic). The belfry is precisely in the center of the four-sided pitched roof. To be sure this necessitates ringing the bell from one of the pews, but a little later the bellringer will stand above, and through a pane of glass let into the ceiling he will be able to see when the minister enters the pulpit. The original backless benches were replaced by box pews with narrow seats like shelves, hung on hinges around three sides, but part of the original pulpit remains and a few of the box pews. In 1681 the interior, like the exterior, is sternly bare. THE OLDEST HOUSE FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES WHICH STILL STANDS ON ITS ORIGINAL SITE AND WHICH IS STILL USED FOR ITS ORIGINAL PURPOSE IN THE YEAR SIXTEEN EIGHTY ONE IT IS MERELY THE NEW MEETING HOUSE OF THE LITTLE HAMLET OF HINGHAM THE PEOPLE ARE VERY PROUD OF THEIR NEW BUILDING THE TIMBERS HAVE BEEN HEWN WITH THE BROAD AX OUT OF SOLID WHITE PINE THE MARKS ARE STILL VISIBLE PARTICULARLY IN THOSE RAFTERS OF THE ROOF OPEN TO THE ATTIC THE BELFRY IS PRECISELY IN THE CENTER OF THE FOUR SIDED PITCHED ROOF TO BE SURE THIS NECESSITATES RINGING THE BELL FROM ONE OF THE PEWS BUT A LITTLE LATER THE BELL RINGER WILL STAND ABOVE AND THROUGH A PANE OF GLASS LET INTO THE CEILING HE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE WHEN THE MINISTER ENTERS THE PULPIT THE ORIGINAL BACKLESS BENCHES WERE REPLACED BY BOX PEWS WITH NARROW SEATS LIKE SHELVES HUNG ON HINGES AROUND THREE SIDES BUT PART OF THE ORIGINAL PULPIT REMAINS AND A FEW OF THE BOX PEWS IN SIXTEEN EIGHTY ONE THE INTERIOR LIKE THE EXTERIOR IS STERNLY BARE
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb
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download/librilight/large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_05_edwards_64kb.flac