Princeton’s New Methodist Church. The accompanying cut shows the new Methodist church of Princeton as it will appear when completed. The design is very much on the same order as that of the Baptist church at Anoka that was completed a little over a year ago. The new edifice is now being erected on the northwest corner of the same block on which the old church is located. The location is a good one. The church which is being built of Princeton cream brick donated by the brick yards, will cost $7,000 when completed. The plans provide for an auditorium with a seating capacity of 200. A parlor in the rear of the church can be thrown open and will seat over 75 comfortably, while there will be a gallery with a seating capacity of about the same as the parlor or lecture room. To the right of the platform will be the pastor’s study, while on the left will be located the choir room, with sufficient room for a pipe organ which will be placed in the church some day. In the basement there will be a large Sunday school room, with a parlor and library connected therewith. There will also be a kitchen and pantry, and a room for the heating and fuel plant. The basement will be light and dry. The building committee of the new church is composed of A. W. Woodcock, W. H. Townsend, E. M. Farnham and N. E. Jesmer, while Rev. Gratz is also a working member and is devoting all his spare time to the work on the building. The walls will be put up and the church enclosed for the winter and some inside work done during the winter months. It is the intention to have the edifice completed some time next spring or summer. (The Princeton Union, Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, Thursday, October 2, 1902, Volume XXVI, Number 42, Page 2)
Page 2. PRINCETON M. E. CHURCH - A BUILDING RECORD. A Brief Story and Description of the New Church - Dedicated Sunday, September 20th, 1903. The church building that has just been dedicated is located on lot 7 of block 7 of Princeton townsite, being located on the corner of G. and Second streets. It faces west and is located just west of the present parsonage which is located between the old and
Page 3. the new church. The picture in this issue showing the old church that has just been vacated, shows the parsonage in the rear while in the extreme background can be seen the roof of the rear of the new church. The project of building a new church was first discussed early in the spring of 1902, and at first there was some talk of improving the old building, but several were in favor of building a new edifice and the promise of substantial donations by many if a new church was built, induced the people of the M. E. church society to construct a new edifice.
Plans were submitted a year ago by Omeyer & Thori of St. Paul, and finally accepted. The lot was bought of S. M. Byers for $600, and bids were advertised for. The highest was $11,000, and the lowest $8,683, but the society decided to do a little paring here and there and go on with the work by day labor. The building committee was made up of the following persons: W. H. Townsend, A. W. Woodcock, E. M. Farnham, N. E. Jesmer and J. D. Tann, and in conjunction with the pastor they worked faithfully and harmoniously from start to finish.
The first ground on the site of the new church was broken August 30th, 1902, Roy Farnham turning the first shovel of earth. Will Hatch was given charge of the construction of the work, while Henry Heitman, Jr., was the master mason. The fact that all the brick needed to build the church were donated by Woodcock & Oakes, E. M. Farnham, Harry and Chester Farnham, and James and Horace Farnham made it possible to commence work immediately and by winter the work had progressed so that the walls were up above the floor.
Work was resumed early last spring and the corner stone was laid on Sunday, April 5th, 1903, by Rev. Robert Forbes, who was presiding elder at that time. The building as it stands to-day is unfinished in the basement, and there is some inside finish yet to be done, but now that subscriptions have been so generous, the church can be practically completed in all details. The brick used in the construction of the church were specially selected, and it would be hard to find an imperfect brick in the whole building. It is said to be the best piece of common brick work in the State.
The auditorium is 32x45 feet with a twenty-three foot ceiling, and with a pew-seating capacity of 225. The pulpit occupies a space 9x16 feet, and to the left of the pulpit is the pastor’s study 15x15, while the right of the pulpit is the choir recess 14x15. In the rear of the auditorium is the lecture room 15x32 and it will seat seventy-five persons. It is separated from the main auditorium by three rolling partitions, and can be thrown open as a part of the auditorium when needed. Over the lecture room is a gallery 15x32 that will seat seventy-five people. The seating capacity of the entire church can be made to accommodate over 500 people as was the case at the dedication. There is a vestibule 10x10 feet, which opens into the auditorium and the lecture room, and from which there are stairs leading to the gallery and to the basement. The basement extends under the entire church and contains the furnace and fuel room, and when finished will be provided with a Sunday school room, kitchen, pantry, reading room, etc.
On the north and south side of the auditorium are handsome art-glass windows. On the north window at the top are the letters A. O. in monogram, representing Alpha and Omega. On one side of the window is the figure of a rose and on the other the lily. At the top of the south window are the figures representing a cross and crown, while on the left side of the window are the letters “I. H. S.” meaning in Latin, “Jesus the Savior of Man.” On the other side is the Bible with the words “Holy Bible” in colored letters. In the gallery is a large and handsome rose window, with a maltese cross and cross in center, and the letter E on the left and L on the right, standing for Epworth League. The window also bears the League motto “Look Up, Lift Up.” There are four gothic windows on the west side of the building in the lecture room, and in the study there are two colored windows, on one of which is the figure of a students’ lamp. There are two windows in the choir recess while there is a circular window back of the pulpit and between the study and choir recess. There are also two circular windows in the tower.
The interior decorations of the church are very neat and tasty. The frescoing was done by S. H. Palmer, and for the money spent on the work the walls and ceilings show off to good advantage. The walls are tinted a tan color with old rose trimmings, while the ceiling is a cream tint with blue and red trimmings, and in the center of the ceiling is a large panel of sky blue with cloud effects. The church is seated with circular pews with heavy oak ends, and the floor of the auditorium slants toward the pulpit, giving all a good view of the pulpit and speakers. The pulpit furniture consists of a fine heavy oak pulpit, with three oak, leather-upholstered chairs, besides a flower stand and a communion table. The Ladies’ Aid society bought the pulpit furniture.
The church financial statement is as follows: The sum of $2,789.60 was collected in cash before dedication. Out of this $600 was paid for the lot. The sum of $3,800 borrowed from bank to pay for labor and material is unpaid. Out of this is deducted $2,000, the value of the old church property, leaving an indebtedness of $1,800. The brick used in the church cost or were worth $1,300. This would make the church, less lot, cost to the present time $7,289.60. It will require about $1,000 more to complete the building. (The Princeton Union, Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, Thursday, September 24, 1903, Volume XXVII, Number 41)