Evening Star Newspaper, November 30, 1930, Page 91

—_— " Quaker Meeting House for Washington THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., NOVEMBER 30, 1930. to Erect in the United States Capital a Colonial Place of Worship. ‘An elderly Quaker couple whose dress is suggestive of the costumes worn by Friends in the cighteenth century. BY ALICE WATTS HOSTETLER. O the imposing array of church edi- fices which contribute to the beauty of the Nation's Capital and express in materials of the earth homage to the spiritual is added another building which symoolizes the faith it represents. In this instance a simple gray-stone struc- ture presents a picture wihch calls to mind a religious society which sought an abiding place in the American Colonies and which stood for simplicity in dress and manner, equality be- tween men and women and personal striving for the truth. It is because of Mrs. Herbert Hoover that Washington is to have a true example of the old Quaker meeting—a building that will reveal the taste of the Quakers. Y/hen Mrs. Hoover visited the new Quaker meeting house at Westtown, Pa., not long ago. the story goes that she said: “I have only one eriticism. There should be two of these meet- ing houses—one for Westtown and one for ‘Washington.” The wife of the President of the United States had gone with Mrs. Charles D. Walcott, wife of the former head of the Smithsonian In- stitution, to visit the Westtown meeting, which was designed “to make a Quaker gen'leman of the old days feel at home,” and was ex- pressing her delight in no half-hearted way. Her criticism might truly be called construc- tive, for now, not many blocks from the White House, a quaint Quaker meeting house is going up. Its setiing is one which enhances its an- tique design, for two patriarchal oaks dignify the lot, which slopes down to Florida avenue and which is Bbounded on the north by Decatur place and on the south by Phielps place. This means to those who know their Washingtcn that the situation is not far from Connecticut avenue at S strect and is in the neighborhood of the former home of the Hoovers and the house in which Woodrow Wilson died. The hillside adds to the beauty of the site and gave the architect the opportunity to maie the building more complex than the one at Westtocwn, while retaining the same simplicity of design. There can be no doubt that this meeting house in tiie Capital will possess the character- istics of the one which aroused Mrs. Hoover’s admiration, for the same architect, Walter F. Price of Philad='phia, has designed it. Aside from the facts that he is a Quaker and that this meeting house will be attended by the President of the United States and Mrs. Hoover, there are many reasons that make this under- taking of special interest to Mr. Price. T was Mrs. Walcott who assumed the respon- sibility for the enterprise that has made the meeting house of Mrs. Hoover’s dream a reality. According to Quaker custom and tradilion in all business affairs, the money was raised quietly and p ivotely, and the structure was under way before it was generally known that it was even coniemplated. In providing for expens>s involved in conducting their mectings members ¢f the Society of Friends contribute their money v.uniarily every year—a collec- tion plate v.ou'd be as shocking as a red hat at meeting in the days when gray was worn—and only the t rrsurer knows the amount of their financial support. . It does not seem unusual to Quakers, there- Sketch of the Colonial-type Quaker meeting house, designed by Walter F. Price, which is being built in the Capital. fore, that the means for obtaining this model of early American architecture and an old- fashioned meeting were provided without pub- licity. It is known that one donor, a woman, has given the money for the meeting house, but she remains anonymous. The cost of the lot and other necessary expenses have been boine by other contributors. Although it may seem as though this meet- ing has been planned to satisfy a whim of the present mistress of the White House, the motives underlying its evolution have been sin- cere and deep. The men and women who are responsible for its erection desire to establish a place that is open to eve y one who wants to worship in the old Quaker way. There will be no music nor paid pastor (inno- vations which some of the Quaker meetings are now adopting) and the meeting will be con- ducted in the old fashiocn, without a program of hymns and speeches. According to early custom, members of the meeting sit in silence until the spirit moves one of them to speak. Those who have facility of speech are said to have the “gift of ministry” and are called “ministe:s.” This meetirg will be independent and will not be attached to either of the two Friends' meetings now in Washington. The purpose which the architect had in mind Interior of an old Massachusetts between the men” when he designed the Westtown Meeting House can best describe the building, which will resemble it. When Mr. Price was asked to undertake the meeting house in Pennsylvania he asked, “Do you want it to be the kind of a meeting in which an old Quaker gentleman of the 1700s would feel at home?” That is the kind of a Quaker meeting that Washingtonians are going to have. Go with the Quaker gentleman of 150 years 2go to the Washington Friends’ Meeting. Walking up the shaded slope, he will see a low building which appears part of the hillside. Constructed principally of gray Foxcroft stone, which has the satin sheen of a pigeon’s breast, with which some local stone of brownish hue has been blended, it is trimmed with white cornice, doors, window frames and shutters. Two simple doors, typical of the Quaker meet- ing house, with protecting hoods, form the entrance to the edifice. The building depends on proportion and line rather than on orna- mentation for its beauty. Going in one of the little hooded entrances on the Florida avenue side of the building, the old Quaker gentleman will see two blocks of seats facing the gallery, the raised platform where the ministers and overseers sit. Facing in toward these sections from the Phelps and 152 ing house showing the movable partition and women’s sections. 3] President and Mrs. Hoover leaving Friends Meeting House, one of the two already established meeting houses for those of the Quaker faith in Washing ton, D. C. + Decatur place entrances to the meeting are additional benches, enough in all to seat 350. Over the gallery is reised a curved hood which acts as a conveyor of both light and sound, for under it are two rcws of seats in which will sit those who have the gift of ministry, and from above it light will be directed to the eeil- ing. The walls above a simple wainscoting 5 feet high ate a warm gray and would rest the eyes of the gentleman who in his day read by candle light. The banches and wainscoting are stained the same colcr. Woodwork is cream and the ceiling white to throw the indirect lighting. A molded cornice marks the joining of ceiling and walls. HE venerable Colonial will not be puzzled by electric light fixtures, for the modern illumination that has developed from the ex- periment of his contemporary, the versatile philosopher, Benjamin Franklin, will all be con- cealed. To his left is the low wing which houses the committee room, stair hall and the stairway which leads below to the social rooms and kitchen under the main meeting room. Its door opens on Decatur piace. It is in this wing that the architect plans to show a true sample of Colonial work suggestive of American mas- terpleces. This entrance, the stairway and wainscoting will be of a richer type, for Mr. Price feels that there he can depart from the utter simplicity of the meeting room. The Colo- nial door, with its fan light, the stair hall, the wainscoting and the fireplace in the committee room, will suggest the architectural elegance indulged in by the American fathers. In spite of its simplicity, however, the door on Phelps place will be the one that reveals the richness that American tradition possesses —tradition of country and of family, for this door is the one that opens to Mr. Price asso- ciations with the past that make his duty & privilege and lend to it special significance. The strap hinges of iron and the lock for this en- trance are the gift of the Birmingham meet- ing, near the Brandywine, in Chester County, Pa.. and were removed from its door. That door opened to give refuge to wounded British and American troops after the Battle of Brandy- wine, when the meeting house was used as & hospital. The Friends who belong to this ven- erable meeting have contributed this hardware with historic asscciations for the door under the portico on Phelps place. The Quaker of 1780 would find only two changes in the meeting of 1931. That is where the human equation enters, for although men and women of today choose to emulate th2 cus- toms of their forefathers, they will not have the same appearance. He will. not see the Quaker dress familiar to him. The other inno- vation is that men and women carry on the business of their meetings together. ALWAYS believers in the equality of the sexes, the Quaker men and women were given equal priviloges. In the old meeting houses there was a partition which could be lowered at the time of the business meeting to permit separate government. Nowadays it is considered more efficient for the men and women to conduct their meetings together. They both speak in meeting and they both Continued on Twenty-first Page