Self-Guided Tour: 4 Gothic/Neo

So, what makes our architecture “Gothic”?

  • the soaring, steeply-pitched ceiling
  • the pointed Gothic arches—7 across the front of the chancel alone     
  • the buttresses that strengthen the outer walls, allowing for . . .
  • . . . an abundance of windows admitting clear, pure light .
  • a featured stained-glass window

       (though not a more traditional rose window; for that, check the chapel).

  • the impressive spire and the carillon tower
  • a majestic organ

And why do we call it NEO-Gothic?

  • an absence of excessive ornamentation inside and out

          (Drive by St Mary’s cathedral for contrast.)

  • emphasis on clean, compelling sight-lines
  • a simple, shingled roof
  • visual unity resulting from the universal Carthage Limestone facing

            (Carthage Limestone is quarried in the vicinity of Carthage, Missouri.

           It’s known for its hardness {durability} and colorfastness:  When we 

built our recent elevator addition, the difference between the new stone and 

the existing sixty-year-old stone proved to be barely noticeable.)

     • Sadly, per a short-lived fad of the 1950s, all of the Möller Organ’s pipes were hidden from view.

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