IC-NRLF SB THE MALDBN SURVEY THE MALDEN SURVEY A REPORT ON THE CHURCH ?LAN'TS of ! ' '' \ . A TYPICAL CITY, SHOWING 'frffe' USE OF THE INTERCHURCH WORLD MOVE- MENT SCORE CARD AND STANDARDS FOR RATING CITY CHURCH PLANTS Compiled Under the Direction of WALTER SCOTT ATHEARN DIRECTOR DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICE, BOSTON UNIVERSITY Author of the "Church School," "Religious Education and American Democracy," "A National System of Education" INTERCHURCH WORLD MOVEMENT OF NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK CITY A* Prepared for 4 : ; . i { ' / ' OTEi AMERICAN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION DEPART kiENT OF THE INTERCHURCH WORLD MOVEMENT OF NORTH AMERICA By N. L. ENGELHARDT E. S. EVENDEN F. W. HART E. MORRIS FERGUSSON Copyright 1920 by the Interchurch World Movement of North America Preface THIS survey of seventeen church and religious education plants of a typical American city has been issued for the purpose of illustrating the use of the Interchurch Score Card and Standards for Church and Religious Education Plants. It should be studied in connection with these standards. It is hoped that similar studies will be issued by other cities and that comprehensive and detailed comparative tables will be published showing the building condition throughout the United States. Such a survey of the church and religious education plants of a city will be found to serve many purposes: First, it directs the attention of the community to the newer forms of service which a modern church may be expected to perform. Second, it presents the existing situation with its strong and weak points in the most concise, interesting and intelligible way possible; it shows the actual and relative adequacy of provision for various forms of service both by sections of the city and by different denom- inations. Third, it shows where repairs and rearrangements are immediately necessary and also where these adjustments are economically ad- visable. Fourth, it furnishes data necessary for guiding programs of building. When the findings of such a survey are studied in the light of the ele- ments which are determining the rate, extent and direction of the city's future growth it is possible for a city church council or a denom- inational board to build in a way to provide for future extension. With a survey of this character in its possession it is possible for a city to plan a building program for a period of years which will eventually result in an adequate number of well-located, properly constructed church and religious education plants. This report is offered to the churches of America with the hope that it will aid in standardizing the physical equipment of both church and school. WALTER S. ATHEARN, Director. 448818 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY Table of Contents CHAPTER I. THE METHOD AND PURPOSE OF THE SURVEY 7 The Score Card 10 Final Scores and Summary Statements 14 CHAPTER II. THE SITES OF THE SEVENTEEN CHURCH AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PLANTS 52 A Location 52 B Nature and Condition 58 C Size and Form 58 CHAPTER III BUILDING OR BUILDINGS OF THE SEVENTEEN CHURCH AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PLANTS 61 A Placement 64 B Gross Structure 64 C Internal Structure 69 CHAPTER IV SERVICE SYSTEMS 86 A Heating and Ventilation 90 B Fire Protection 96 C Cleaning System 102 D Artificial Lighting 104 E Toilet Systems 110 F Water Supply 110 G Other Service Systems 112 H Service Rooms and Fuel Rooms 112 CHAPTER V CHURCH ROOMS 113 A Convenience of Arrangement 113 B Auditorium 118 C Chapel and Small Assembly 128 D Parlor and Church Board Room 128 E Church Office 130 F Pastor's Study 130 G Church Vault 130 CHAPTER VI RELIGIOUS SCHOOL ROOMS 133 A Location and Connection 136 B Assembly Room 136 C Class Rooms 142 D Cloak Rooms 150 E Superintendent's Office 152 F Laboratories 152 G Supply Room ; 152 CHAPTER VII COMMUNITY SERVICE ROOMS 155 A Rooms for General Use 158 B Rooms for Social Service 160 C Rooms for Recreation and Athletics ....... 164 APPENDIX I INTERCHURCH WORLD MOVEMENT STANDARDS FOR A CITY CHURCH AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PLANT . ' 166 APPENDIX II STANDARDS FOR Two AND THREE MANUAL PIPE ORGANS 205 APPENDIX III LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . 211 OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS CHAPTER I The Method and Purpose of the Survey THE building survey of the churches of the city of Maiden, Massachusetts, was undertaken by the American Religious Education Division of the Interchurch World Movement in November, 1919. Representing, as it does, the first survey of church plants by means of a score card, the Maiden survey marks the beginning of a period of church development in which the building takes a more important part. For a number of years leaders in religious education have known that the church plant has an important role in the successful carrying on of the church work. The use of the church building as an outward and visible sign of the relative numerical or financial strength of the congregation is rapidly disappearing. False pride and denominational rivalry have caused the erection of pretentious structures, with little or no serious thought for the many types of service to be rendered by the building other than as the meeting place for the congregation on Sunday. Now the churches are realiz- ing that modern economic conditions, the specialization of industry, the division of labor, the shorter working day, the new and, in some respects, disorganized home conditions, have produced radical social changes in which the churches have been either largely eliminated or disregarded. To meet these conditions the church must become an active factor in the social life of the community. It is now recognized that only by becoming an active participant in the social life of the people can it hope to modify that social life, to motivate it with Christian ideals. In order to make this active participation possible the church plant must offer more than an oppor- tunity for a weekly sermon, in many cases connected only theoreti- cally with the life of the week. The idea of a community church, or a community service church, was a direct outgrowth of this con- ception. It is one of the chief functions of the score card used in this survey to show the extent to which the physical equipment of the various churches limits or restricts their possibilities for such commu- nity service. The principle of comparative judgments by means of a score card is by no means new, and has been successfully used in many different fields, particularly in the measurement of the efficiency and adequacy of public school buildings. In this last field the use of the score card 8 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY has resulted in a stronger realization of the inadequacies of existing buildings aud a decided emphasis on the standards set in the different items. The use of the score card for church buildings will undoubtedly show the present efficiency or inefficiency of church buildings and it will as surely determine and promulgate the highest accepted standards for church buildings in order that they may serve all their present-day needs. The following seventeen churches and religious education plants were surveyed in Maiden: 1. Centre Methodist Church 2. Eastern Avenue Baptist Church 3. Faulkner Methodist Church 4. First Baptist Church 5. First Trinitarian Congregational Church 6. First Parish in Maiden, Universalist Church 7. Linden Congregational Church 8. Linden Methodist Church 9. Maplewood Baptist Church 10. Maplewood Congregational Church 11. Maplewood Methodist Church 12. Mystic Side Congregational Church 13. People's Church of the Nazarene 14. Robinson Methodist Church 15. St. Luke's Episcopal Church 16. St. Paul's Episcopal Church 17. Union Baptist Church The scoring was done by Prof. N. L. Engelhardt, Prof. E. S. Evenden and Dr. F. W. Hart, of the Department of Educational Administra- tion of Teachers College, Columbia University, New York City, and Dr. E. M. Fergusson, State Superintendent of Religious Educa- tion for Massachusetts. The actual visitation of buildings occupied the six days of November 12, 13, 14 and December 4, 5, 6, 1919. The score card used in the evaluation of the efficiency of the church and religious education plants of Maiden is one prepared for the scoring of city churches by the Religious Education Survey ^ Department of the Interchurch World Movement. The scores card conceives of a church and religious education plant as being divided into six main divisions and again divides each main division into component parts. The six main divisions are: I. Site; II. Build- ing or Buildings; III. Service Systems; IV. Church Rooms; V. Re- OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS ' 9 ligious School Rooms; VI. Community Service Rooms. These main divisions are considered in the light of one hundred and twelve sub- divisions of the score card. The judgments of many church archi- tects, pastors and students of religious education problems were utilized before the final selection and division of the items on the score card were made. The judgments of large groups of trained men and women, interested in and familiar with the problems involved in church and religious education service, were also used in the distribution of points among the items on the score card. It was arbitrarily decided that 1,000 points should represent the perfect church plant. The number of points on each main division and literal subdivision of the score card is the median or middle evaluation placed on that division by more than twohundred competent judges. In other words, not the judg- ment oT~one individual or a small group of individuals decided that the one thousand points should be divided as is done on the score card, but the combined judgments of this large group form the basis for the division. These judges decided that the one thousand points of a perfect score should be divided into : 130 points for Site 150 points for Building or Buildings 160 points for Service Systems 170 points for Church Rooms 200 points for Religious School Rooms 190 points for Community Service Rooms The maximum possible scores on such other items as "Heating and Ventilation," "Church Auditorium," "Class Rooms" and the like were determined in a similar manner through combining the judg- ments of this large group of judges. In order that the congregations of the churches scored may more clearly realize the significance of the scores, and be more conversant with the standards set for a modern church building, the statement of detailed standards in the light of which the scores are determined is given in full on pages 166 to 204.* A church plant meeting all the requirements set forth in this score card would score one thousand points. This represents the maximum possible score. A church plant which scores between 750 and 1,000 points must be a high grade building, because scores within this range can only be secured by having a few points deducted from a number of the items or by noticeably failing to meet the standards in one or two *As given here the standards vary in a few minor particulars from the form used in Maiden. 10 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY- SCORE CARD FOR A CITY CHURCH AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PLANT I. SITE A. Location 1. Accessibility 30 2. Environment 25 B. Nature and condition 1. Drainage and soil 15 2. Upkeep of site C. Size and form 45 II. BUILDING OR BUILDINGS A. Placement 1. Orientation _10 2. Position on site 10 B. Gross structure 1. Type and esthetic balance 20 2. Material 10 3. Height 5 4. Roof 5 5. Foundation 10 6. Walls 10 7. Entrances 5 8. Condition 15 C. Internal structure 1. Stairways 10 2. Foyer and corridors 10 3. Basement _10 4. Decorative attractiveness 20 III. SERVICE SYSTEMS A. Heating and ventilation 1. Kind ' 2. Installation 3. Air supply 4. Fans and motors 6. Distribution JL 6. Temperature control 5 B. Fire protection system 1. Apparatus 10 2. Fireproofness _15 3. Escapes 5 4. Electrical wiring .. . 5. 5. Fire doors 6. Exit lights and signs .. C. Cleaning system 1. Kind 2 2. Installation 3. Efficiency 5 _55_L 30 I 45 20 I 50 40 40 130 150 80 I 1 160 10 1 I OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 11 SCORE CARD (Continued) D. Artificial lighting system I 15 1. Gas and electricity 2 2. Outlets and fixtures 5 3. Methods and illumination 8 E. Water supply system 1. Drinking 5 2. Washing 5 3. Hot and cold water 5 F. Toilet system | 25 I I 1. Distribution 5 2. Fixtures 5 3. Adequacy and arrangement 8 4. Seclusion 2 5. Sanitation 5. G. Other service systems | 10 I I 1. Clocks and signal systems 5 2. Church bells and chimes 2 3. Telephone connections 2 4. Service lifts 1. H. Service rooms | 5 I I 1. Workshops. 2 2. Service office . 2 3. Fuel room I IV. CHURCH ROOMS A. Convenience of arrangement 20 \ I 20 B. Auditorium llOO 1. Size and shape 15 2. Seating H| 3. Illumination 8 4. Walls and ceiling 5 5. Floor 5 6. Balcony 8 7. Pulpit and platform 5 8. Baptismal equipment 5 9. Communion equipment 2 10. Organ and piano 15 11. Choir gallery 10 12. Choir rooms I 5 13. Acoustics 14. Visualization equipment 15. Cloak or check room I 2 C. Chapel or small assembly 15 15 D. Parlor and church board room 5 E. Church office , 10 10 F. Pastor's study 15 15 G. Church vault I 5 170 12 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY SCORE CARD (Concluded) 1 2 3 V. RELIGIOUS SCHOOL ROOMS 200 A. Location and connection 15 15 B. Assembly room , 60 1. Size and shape 10 2. Seating 8 3. Illumination 10 4. Walls, ceiling and floor 10 5. Stage 10 6. Musical equipment 5 7. Visualization equipment 5 8. Auxiliaries 2 C. Class rooms 90 1 Adequacy of number HO 2 Size and shape 15 3 Seats and desks 10 4 Illumination 10 5 Walls and ceilings 5 6 Floors 5 7. Blackboards and bulletins 5 8 Doors and closets : 5 9. Instructional equipment 5 D. Cloak rooms and wardrobes 15 15 E Superintendent's office 10 10 F. Supply rooms 10 10 VI. COMMUNITY SERVICE ROOMS. . . 190 | A Rooms for general use 60 1. Recreation and dining 30 2 Kitchen 15 3. Library and reading room 15 B Rooms for social service 70 1 Women and mothers' room 15 2 Girls' club rooms . 10 3 Men's club room il 4 Boys' club rooms 10 5 Nurses' and rest room 8 6 Day nursery room j 7 Civic center 5 8 Social workers' office 2 C. Recreation and athletic rooms 60 1 Gymnasium 20 2 Locker rooms 10 3 Showers 10 4 Swimming pool 5 6 Hand-ball court 5 6. Game and amusement rooms . . 5 7. Bowling alley 5 Total possible score 1,000 1,000 l.OOOJ OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 13 of the major items. This latter situation may arise in churches where for any reason they do not wish to provide for items set forth in the standards. A church plant which scores between 500 and 750 points may be considered as usable but so inadequate that extensive alterations and additions would be necessary in order to have the plant serve as anything but a handicap in the service program of the church. The lower the score within this range the more extensive and the more radical the changes necessary in order that it may be considered in any sense satisfactory. Any building scoring below 500 can be eco- nomically abandoned and a new structure erected, provided that the group using the church wishes to have it meet the standards as they have been established for this score card. The total score for any building is determined by the score given upon the six main items: Site, Building, Service Systems, Church Rooms, Religious Instruction Rooms and Community Service Rooms. A summary of the scores given on these items and the total score awarded each of the seventeen churches are given in Table I on page 14. This table gives a general view of the adequacy of the church and religious education plants of Maiden. It is easily seen by comparisons with the total number of points possible for each item, that even in the three items in which Maiden makes its most adequate provision, viz., Site, Building and Church Rooms, the city falls far short of standard requirements set forth in the score card details. Maiden is lamentably weak in its provision for Service Sys- tems, for Religious School Rooms and for Community Service Rooms. Particularly is this true of the last item. In the first column of Table I, the seventeen church and religious education plants are ranked in the order of the total scores allotted each. It will be observed that the highest score of 751 out of a possible 1,000 points has been allotted the First Baptist plant. The Centre Methodist plant has been placed second with a score of 554 points while the Maplewood Congregational, St. Luke's and the Union Baptist plants have been placed at the lower end of the seventeen with scores of 316, 303 and 225, respectively. In interpreting the scores, it is best to consider them as being located within certain groups. The plant with the highest score is located in the 750 to 800 point group; one plant is within the 550 to 600 point group; one in the 500 to 550 point group; one within the 450 to 500 point group; five within the 350 to 400 point group; four within the 300 to 350 point group, and one below the 300 point on the 1,000 point scale. Chart I presents graphically the scores of Table I and permits a 14 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY 2 o c oc C5 I* - I 1 | S ^ <; a> 4_ g o * 5 Jl H ^ 2 1-4 y S s- H g 2 TO O c o ^o ^ 2 c ~- *T3 -g 09 3 X 4^ 1 O C * ^ M i > - 3 ~ E S OOt-TjCOCOT iCJC^i ICCrHCOOJrHT-lTH i li IOOt>OOO5O5O5OOOCOOO?OC--CO OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 15 16 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY clearer visualization of the situation in the seventeen plants, together with a comparison with the 1,000 point standard. In discussing the scores allotted the seventeen plants it is desirable to treat them under the six main divisions of the score card. De- tailed analyses follow for each of these items with reference to par- ticular situations or illustrations to make clear the discussion. A reference to Table II will assist in forming a summary regarding the entire situation in the seventeen plants with respect to the six major items. In Table II the seventeen plants are distributed in four groups for each of the six main items of the score card. In group one will be found the plants which have been allotted 76 to 100 per cent, of the total possible score. In group two will be found all churches which have been allotted 51 to 75 per cent, of the total pos- sible score, etc. TABLE II Seventeen Church and Religious Education Plants of Maiden, Massachusetts. Distributed Over Percentage Ranges of Efficiency as Measured by the Score Card. Based on Scores Allotted to Six of the Major Items. Item Considered in Percentage Commutations 0-25% 26-50% 51-75% 76-100% I. Site.. o 2 11 4 II. Building or Buildings g g 1 III. Service Systems. ... 5 10 1 1 IV. Church Rooms 1 4 11 1 V. Religious School Rooms 3 11 3 VI. Community Service Rooms 14 3 Total Scores 1 13 2 1 Percentage Ranges and Number of Churches Falling Within Each Percentage Group A second interpretation of the scores may be made from Table III, page 17. The seventeen church and religious education plants are distributed in four groups according to the percentages of the pos- sible maximum scores which have been allotted on various important sub-items of the score card. OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 17 Table III may be read as follows: Ten of the church plants have been allotted a score on size and form of site which falls between zero and 25 per cent, of the total possible score. It will be seen from Table III that the church plants of Maiden are particularly deficient with respect to size and form of site, fire protection, water supply, rooms for social service and rooms for recreation and athletics. TABLE III Seventeen Church and Religious Education Plants of Maiden, Massachusetts, Distributed Over Percentage Ranges of Efficiency as Measured by the Score Card. Based on Scores Allotted to Sixteen of the More Important Sub-Items. Sixteen of the More Important Sub-Items 0-25% 26-50% 51-75% 76-100% Size and Form of Site 10 2 4 1 Gross Structure . . 10 5 2 Internal Structure 3 12 1 1 Heating and Ventilating 8 8 1 Fire Protection 15 1 1 o Cleaning 8 3 6 Artificial Lighting 1 5 9 2 Water Supply 11 5 1 Toilet System 6 7 3 1 Church Rooms, Convenience and Ar- rangement 3 4 6 4 Auditorium o 2 11 4 Sunday School Assembly 1 11 4 1 Sunday School Class Room 4 9 4 Community Service Rooms General . . . Rooms for Social Service . . 6 14 8 2 1 1 2 Rooms for Recreation and Athletics .... 17 Percentage Ranges and Number of Churches Falling Within Each Percentage Group In the following pages are given summary scores of the seventeen plants, with brief general statements concerning each plant. The exteriors of all plants are presented in connection with these sum- maries and statements. 18 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 19 First Baptist Church Score Card Item I. Site Allotted Score 105 Maximum Possible Score 130 II. Building or Buildings 131 150 III. Service Systems . . . 135 160 IV. Church Rooms 152 170 V. Religious School Rooms . . . 140 200 VI. Community Service Rooms. 88 190 Total 751 1,000 The score allotted to this church and religious education plant indicates that in many ways it conforms to the standards developed for an ideal plant. The buildings are located at the intersection of two of the main streets of the city and in close proximity to other community buildings such as the public library and the public high school. The buildings would make an attractive addition to any community. The outstanding features of this plant are the well-planned auditor- ium, the satisfactory service systems, the large number of high grade and separate classrooms and the exceptionally well-equipped kitchen. The limitations of the site, the unsatisfactory natural lighting of some of the rooms, and the omission of certain community service rooms included in the score card have placed this building in the 700- 800 point group. Because the main church is a reconstructed build- ing with the limitations which that puts upon room arrangement and the like, the First Baptist does not receive the perfect score on a number of items. It is the loss of the few points on many items which reduces the total score, and not the failure to provide accom- modation for all forms of service. 20 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY ILLUSTRATION 2. CENTRE METHODIST CHURCH OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 21 Centre Methodist Church Maximum Score Card Item Allotted Score Possible Score I. Site 70 130 II. Building 86 150 III. Service Systems 81 160 IV. Church Rooms 121 170 V. Religious School Rooms. . 119 200 VI. Community Service Rooms. ... 77 190 Total 554 1,000 The emphasis placed by this church upon a high-grade church audi- torium with its desirable equipment and upon a religious school equipment which permits of the segregation of many classes is evi- denced in the detail score given these items. The building is located on a corner site with non-fireproof business houses in the immediate neighborhood. The size of the site has necessitated building up- ward. This has produced a second story auditorium and a three story school building, which should be allowed only in highly fire resistive construction. No out-of-door activities are possible on this site. The location of this downtown church opens great possibilities for community service which cannot be adequately met by the lim- ited existing provisions. The vacuum cleaning and elevator service installations are striking features of this plant. 22 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 23 First Parish in Maiden. Universalist Maximum Score Card Item Allotted Score Possible Score I. Site 100 130 II. Building 110 150 III. Service Systems 68 160 IV. Church Rooms 116 170 V. Religious School Rooms ....... 105 200 VI. Community Service Rooms. ... 48 190 Total 547 1,000 Conspicuously and pleasingly located on an intersection of streets the First Parish in Maiden, Universalist, is one of the most striking and attractive churches in Maiden. It is unfortunate from the stand- point of the service which this church should render that so pictur- esque an exterior should be handicapped by an interior equipment and arrangement inadequate in many respects. A beautiful auditorium is partially spoiled by insufficient light, the corridors are narrow and poorly arranged, the stairways are winding and inadequate, the class- rooms are too few in number, poorly lighted and poorly equipped; the service systems are in many cases inadequate, while the element of fire protection has received very little consideration, either in the basement where the furnace is located, or in the ease with which large numbers can get from one part of the building to another. The church has made commendable provision for some forms of special service neglected in many of the other churches in Maiden, even though these do not meet the standards set by the score card. Some of these are the pastor's study, recreation room, auditorium with stage, and dining room and kitchen. The convenience of the rooms and the service of the church could be materially increased if several of the rooms vvere rearranged with this in mind. 24 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 25 St. Paul's Episcopal Church Maximum Score Card Item Allotted Score Possible Score I. Site 85 130 II. Building 94 150 III. Service Systems 59 160 IV. Church Rooms 112 170 V. Religious School Rooms. 85 200 VI. Community Service Rooms. ... 34 190 Total.. 469 1,000 If the high standard set in the construction of the new church audi- torium section of this plant had prevailed throughout, the score allotted would have been very much higher. This new section ac- counts for the 112 points on church rooms and for much of the score on Item II. It is hoped that, when the old sections of this plant are replaced by new buildings, the standards of this score card will be used as a guide. There will be a distinct need for additional land if the desirable standards are reached. It has already been recognized by the members of St. Paul's Church that the present school and com- munity provisions are totally inadequate. The attractive elements in the present situation are the harmonious relationship between the landscape and the new building and the ease of entrance and exit to the new building. 26 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 27 Robinson Methodist Church Maximum Score Card Item Allotted Score Possible Score I. Site 87 130 II. Building 82 150 III. Service Systems 56 160 IV. Church Rooms 88 170 V. Religious School Rooms. . 76 200 VI. Community Service Rooms 30 190 Total.. 419 1,000 This church, like a number of others, has had its greatest emphasis placed upon a good church auditorium with only slight attention paid to the other needs and services of such a plant. The building is of frame construction, pleasantly situated in a residential section, but on a very limited site. The church is unfortunate in its main entrance and in its second story auditorium. The present structure is the result of an addition to an older building. A better plan would have involved discarding the old structure, increasing the size of the site and building a fire- resistive structure which embodied the standards set up by modern needs. Attractive elements in this situation are the library and the homelike tendency in the rooms of the first floor. 28 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 29 Faulkner Methodist Church Score Card Item I. Site Allotted Score 93 Maximum Possible Score 130 II Building 99 150 Ill Service Systems 73 160 IV. Church Rooms 77 170 V Religious School Rooms .... 54 200 VI. Community Service Rooms. 10 190 Total. . 406 1,000 This church presents an attractive exterior. Although its construc- tion is recent as compared with that of many of the other Maiden plants, there is little evidence of planning for the future in its site, the plan of the building or its equipment. The site, although much more satisfactory than others, will never suffice for a large community plant, the need for which will arise in this locality. The building lacks to a large degree desirable educa- tional and community service provisions. The attractive elements in the case are the artificial lighting of the auditorium and the pleasing exterior. Little else about the building commends itself for mention. 30 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY i _ .11 L . ILLUSTRATION 7. LINDEN METHODIST CHURCH OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 31 Linden Methodist Church Score Card Item I. Site Allotted Score 77 Maximum Possible Score 130 II. Building 93 150 III. Service Systems 54 160 IV. Church Rooms 86 170 V. Religious School Rooms 69 200 VI. Community Service Rooms. 22 190 Total 401 1,000 This small plant is one of the best maintained of the seventeen. Its interior is fairly well planned. The desire to keep costs at the lowest possible point is evident, however, in many elements of construction, such as the plaster board walls of the basement rooms, the heating ducts and the concrete basement floors. This building was scrupulously clean throughout. Its equipment was simple, yet well cared for. Its ornamentation was inexpensive yet attractive and gave evidence of much thought. No doubt, although the site is small, the service systems limited, and auxiliary rooms few in number, the plant is, in many respects, effi- ciently serving its patrons. 32 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY OFMALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 33 Mystic Side Congregational Church Maximum Score Card Item Allotted Score Possible Score I. Site 103 130 II. Building 70 150 III. Service Systems 30 160 IV. Church Rooms 98 170 V. Religious School Rooms.. 71 . 200 VI. Community Service Rooms 27 190 Total. . 399 1,000 This church falls in the 350-400 point group. The outstanding fea- tures of the plant are the relatively large site, the attractive front classroom and the businesslike pastor's study. The congregation has outgrown this plant and has already planned to build a new structure. It is hoped that the faults of the old build- ing will be eliminated in the new. In this building the fire danger is ever present, the kitchen facilities are very poor, the toilets fail to reach a satisfactory standard, storerooms are inadequate, the light- ing system is defective, the kindergarten room unfortunately placed and many desirable features are lacking entirely. 34 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY ILLUSTRATION 9. PEOPLE'S PENTECOSTAL CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 35 People's Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene Maximum Score Card Item Allotted Score Possible Score I. Site 75 130 II. Building 79 150 III. Service Systems 48 160 IV. Church Rooms 95 170 V. Religious School Rooms 67 200 VI. Community Service Rooms. ... 16 190 Total.. 380 1,000 This church is well located on a corner lot and so orientated as to command the best possible lighting. It is a relatively new structure but of a construction more typical of residences than of churches. The site is so small that the church almost stands on the sidewalk. The interior of the church is very attractive, with plain walls, well- harmonized woodwork, artistic and efficient indirect lights and new and well-kept furniture. The general effect is somewhat spoiled by some large water stains on the walls resulting from leaks, which in turn were results of light construction. The basement is very small, extremely low and entirely exposed to fire risks from the furnaces. The provision for religious education rooms is convenient as an en- largement of the auditorium, but neither well-arranged nor adequate for graded instruction. The fact that the pastor's home is attached to the church makes it possible for him to be directly in touch with the work of the church. The score of this church is lower than it otherwise would be because of the entire absence of all rooms for community service a provision which the church does not believe in making. 36 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY ILLUSTRATION IO. FIRST TRINITARIAN CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 37 First Trinitarian Congregational Church Maximum Score Card Item Allotted Score Possible Score I. Site 70 130 II. Building 59 150 III. Service Systems 49 160 IV. Church Rooms 93 170 V. Religious School Rooms. 61 200 VI. Community Service Rooms. ... 31 190 Total 363 1,COO Constructed long before the extensive community service suggested by the score card standards was required of churches, this plant is found deficient in many particulars. The maintenance of this build- ing has been high-grade with the exception of the basement. Its location was at one time much more desirable than today. The en- vironment indicates that the church is gradually being crowded out by industrial and commercial developments. The largest number of points has been allotted this building in its church rooms, especially its auditorium. The almost total lack of classrooms, the limitations of the community service rooms and its non-standard service systems account for much of the low score. 38 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY ILLUSTRATION II. EASTERN AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 39 Eastern Avenue Baptist Church Maximum Score Card Item Allotted Score Possible Score I. Site 61 130 II. Building 80 150 III. Service Systems 58 160 IV. Church Rooms 105 170 V. Religious School Rooms 44 200 VI. Community Service Rooms. ... 11 . 190 Total 359 1,000 This church has little to recommend it to the passerby. Its site is undesirable and the building in many ways does not even resemble a church. Its interior, however, is commendable in many respects, which accounts for its receiving a higher score than would appear warranted from an outside view. The building is scrupulously clean even to the basement, the decoration of walls and ceiling is recent, harmonious and attractive and the service systems, while far from standard, are efficient and in a good state of upkeep. The congrega- tion has given most of its attention to the efficiency of its church rooms which receive a relatively high score. In addition to the main audi- torium, provision has also been made for a small assembly room which can also serve for church board meetings, for a special room equipped for communion services, for a pastor's study and for a church office. When the plans that are now being discussed for finishing the base- ment and making adequate provision for preparation rooms for bap- tismal ceremonies are made actualities, this church will find its oppor- tunities much increased and will be approaching a maximum use of a poor building. 40 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY ILLUSTRATION 12. MAPLEWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 41 Maplewood Baptist Church Score Card Item I. Site Allotted Score 71 Maximum Possible Score 130 II. Building . . 56 150 III. Service Systems 41 160 IV. Church Rooms 87 170 V. Religious School Rooms VI. Community Service Rooms. . 65 31 200 190 Total 351 1,000 The total score allotted this church is practically the same as that for the Eastern Avenue Baptist, although the exterior views would not show them equal. The Maplewood Baptist is a distinctly church- like frame structure but there is little to commend in its internal structure. The building has not been recently redecorated, and little attention has been paid to general esthetic effect. The building is a fire-trap from the rubbish-strewn, ash-filled basement to the paper- filled closet under the roof. The service systems are old, insufficient and poorly installed, particularly the heating, lighting, and toilet systems. The religious school rooms are too few, poorly arranged, and equipped with old and uncomfortable furniture. The church is used for some community activities now, though its equipment for this form of service is very inadequate and in a dis- couragingly poor condition. A church library is provided though it has the appearance of being seldom used. It would be possible greatly to increase the community service of this present plant, although no amount of remodelling would make it approach the stand- ards for the various items. 42 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY ILLUSTRATION 13. LINDEN CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF MA L DEN, MASSACHUSETTS 43 Linden Congregational Church Score Card Item I. Site Allotted Score 68 Maximum Possible Score 130 II. Building 71 150 Ill Service Systems 39 160 IV. Church Rooms 61 150 V. Religious School Rooms 66 200 VI. Community Service Rooms. 25 190 Total.. 330 1,000 The Linden Congregational Church was allotted about one-third of its possible score. This is due in part to the fact that it is a small church serving a small congregation and seriously limited not only in its equipment but also in the lines of activity it can support. It is possible that much more would be gained if congregations of this size would give up a little of the convenience of easy accessibility and attend a larger community center church which possesses the physical equipment necessary for a richer program of religious in- struction and community service. The site of this church is too small for anything but the building to stand upon and is also poorly drained. The present building serves as a handicap, not only because of the meager number of rooms avail- able but also because of their poor equipment. The main auditor- ium being on the second floor with inadequate means of access is a source of both inconvenience and danger, even though it makes possible a first or ground floor without any excavation for a basement. 44 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY ILLUSTRATION 14. MAPLEWOOD METHODIST CHURCH OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 45 Maplewood Methodist Church Maximum Score Card Item Allotted Score Possible Score I. Site 78 130 II. Building 71 150 III. Service Systems 26 160 IV. Church Rooms 87 170 V. Religious School Rooms 55 200 VI. Community Service Rooms 12 190 Total 329 1,000 This is another church which reaches about one-third of its possible efficiency as shown by its total score. For reasons previously given, probably it would better be abandoned in order that its congregation might join forces with some larger, better equipped church. The building is old and poorly arranged. The rooms used for religious instruction are well grouped although they are inconvenient of ac- cess and poorly furnished. The service systems heating, lighting, toilet, water supply and fire protection are among the poorest in all of the churches in the city. As in many of the smaller churches, the auditorium is the most commendable room of the church, but this one is made less so by being on the second floor and provided with very inadequate stairways. Almost no effort has been made to do any form of community service other than the traditional, distinctly religious forms. The present church plant would seriously lessen the chances of success for any such program. 46 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY ILLUSTRATION 15. MAPLEWOOD CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 47 Maplewood Congregational Church Maximum Score Card Item Allotted Score Possible Score I. Site 60 130 II. Building 64 150 III. Service Systems 45 160 IV. Church Rooms 69 170 V. Religious School Rooms 60 200 VI. Community Service Rooms. ... 18 190 Total.. 316 1,000 This frame church is built on a site inadequate for any other purpose than the location of a building. The site is on such a 'steep slope that it prevents the use of any part of it or of nearby ground if acquired for any service. Landscape effects are almost impossible and the low, swampy land at the rear of the site prevents any ex- pansion in that direction. The main elements in this situation are a church auditorium, rather severe but well maintained and a school assembly room about which there is little semblance of modern- ity. With limited equipment, a paucity of classrooms and almost no suitable service rooms, this plant can render only in slight degree the community service which might be possible. 48 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 49 St. Luke's Episcopal Church Maximum Score Card Item Allotted Score Possible Score I. Site 71 130 II. Building 63 150 III. Service Systems 30 160 IV. Church Rooms 79 170 V. Religious School Rooms 44 200 VI. Community Service Rooms. ... 16 190 Total 303 1,000 Although this church is located in one of the less densely settled sec- tions of Maiden, its buildings cover a very large part of its site. The Linden section of Maiden cannot adequately support three or four large community service church and religious education plants. The inadequate plants which exist there today are evidence of this fact. A cooperative community spirit should produce one large community house for this section. Such a plan need not interfere with differences in forms of worship but could assure religious educa- tion for the children and service for adults far beyond what has been found possible in the existing churches. The present St. Luke's plant has little to commend it. It represents the struggle of a small group to secure that which could only be ob- tained through a much greater consolidation of interests. The pro- visions for classrooms, the meagerly equipped auditorium, the poorly furnished kitchen, the unfinished basement, are all evidences of hopes unfulfilled. It 50 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY ILLUSTRATION 17. UNION BAPTIST CHURCH OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 51 Union Baptist Church Score Card Item I. Site Allotted Score 98 Maximum Possible Score 130 II. Building - 44 150 III. Service Systems 26 160 IV. Church Rooms 37 170 V. Religious School Rooms .... 13 200 VI. Community Service Rooms. 7 190 Total 225 1,000 About half of the score on this building has been allotted to the site. There is little else about this plant that has anything to com- mend it. It represents very little achievement on the part of any community group and should be replaced at the earliest moment by a standard plant. ILLUSTRATION 1 8. BASEMENT OP UNION BAPTIST CHURCH 52 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY CHAPTER II Item L The Sites of the Seventeen Church and Religious Education Plants F ROM an examination of the total scores allotted on "Site" for the different churches it is obvious that insufficient attention has been given to this important item. At the present time it may fairly be said that there is not a single one of the seventeen church sites of Maiden that does not decidedly restrict the opportunity of its church for real community service. The three best sites are, in order, those of the First Baptist, the Mystic Side Congregational and the First Parish in Maiden, Universalist. These three have a little more ground than is necessary for the build- ings, which could be used for several outdoor purposes in addition to providing the essential feature of decorative and attractive grounds. Very little has been done in this last respect on many of the church sites of Maiden. Many of the grounds were, when visited, unattrac- tive, poorly cared for and, in several cases, littered with rubbish, broken glass and ether discarded matter. The church which wishes to be a community center should realize that it must offer an attrac- tive and inviting exterior. Some of the places, whose influence the church is seeking to replace, have long demonstrated their recognition of the value of an attractive exterior. The total score for "Site" is composed of the score given on the three elements which determine the desirability of a site, viz., location, nature and condition, and size and form. The total and relative scores given on these items are shown in Table IV and Chart II. The lower charts show the upper chart divided according to the major sub-divisions of the Item Site. A more detailed discussion of these elements in relation to the sites in Maiden will give a much more accurate idea of real needs in this matter. A. Location The score on location is made from the two items of accessibility and environment. In this item the church and religious education plants of Maiden score relatively high, the range being between thirty-seven and fifty out of a possible fifty-five points. This is due largely to the high score given most of the sites on accessibility. This is the result of two conditions; first, the fairly adequate street rail- OF-MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 53 way system and the hard surface roads which make the churches rather easy of access and second, the scattering of small churches of several of the denominations over the city in such a manner that the congregations do not have far to go. Because of these two items the scores would indicate that the churches were better located than they really are. Maiden as a city is the result of a union of small communities. In each of these, denominational churches had been organized and had tended to gather their patrons into the vicinity of the church. Consequently, even now the religious map of the city will show small colonies, as it were, of a particular church creed grouped about the several churches. The churches are consequently quite uniformly accessible. Some of the same sites would not be given as high a score on this point were they to serve a larger group. Some of the churches, such as the First Baptist, the Centre Methodist the First Congregational and the Mystic Side Congregational, are rendered more accessible by virtue of the street car lines, but they are also so close to busy lines that the noise of the cars as well as the dan- ger of street crossing are distinct disadvantages. The second item which determines the score given on location is the environment. The established standards maintain that the en- vironment should be attractive and that the adjoining property should be clean and well kept. It is next to impossible to meet this standard in the distinctly down-town church, the one surrounded with business houses of all kinds. Such a church rarely has site enough to prevent some of the windows from opening upon the back yard of a restaurant, the rear of a theatre or some other equally un- attractive outlook. The general environment of the First Baptist Church is materially heightened by the presence of the public library. This is clearly shown in illustration 1, page 18, which shows the location of the First Baptist plant at one of the most central street intersections in the city. The increased effect which can be secured by planning build- ings, which are to serve community needs, in architectural harmony with each other is quite evident in this case. Such proximity causes each building to render the other more imposing without in any way detracting from it. The general neighborhood of the First Parish in M^alden Universalist Church is attractive, as is that of St. Paul's, to a certain degree. There are elements of attractiveness in the loca- tion of other plants, such as the Mystic Side Congregational and the Robinson Methodist. Illustrations No. 8 and No. 5, pages 32 and 26 show these buildings located in their general environment. There is every evidence that the location of the majority of the seven- teen plants was not prompted by visions of extensive community 54 CHURCH BUILDING SURVE.Y 0) - - 2 o o DQ (M CO CM "-0 S OS 5&< T3 ^ C OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 55 56 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY service or with the purpose of making such plants the center about which a group of homes might rise which were all to be welded to- gether into a community by this common agency, the church. In some cases, the churches are not surrounded by well-maintained homes nor are there evidences that the presence of the church in certain sections has in any great degree produced betterment in the kinds of yards and lawns which its neighbors maintain. It might be expected that the church, through its immediate environment and general exterior should establish standards for its own community. This has not become an accepted policy in Maiden. From the stand- point of unattractiveness of environment probably the three most undesirable sites are the Eastern Avenue Baptist, the First Congre- gational and the Maplewood Congregational. In the latter instance the church is located on the edge of a low, unattractive, marshy piece of land with no chance to expand in any direction save into the swamp. The environment of this church is shown in illustration 23, page 60. The environment of both sides of the First Congregational as seen in illustrations 19 and 21, page 57, is exceedingly undesirable for a community church plant. American cities may be expected to develop programs of cleanliness and upkeep which will eliminate unnecessary dumps, refuse piles and indiscriminate scattering of waste matter. Churches may be powerful agencies in this develop- ment by beginning at home and prevailing upon their neighbors to adopt this more sane and healthful policy. The immediate environment of St. Paul's and the plant of the First Parish in Maiden, Universalist, as seen in illustrations 4 and 3, pages 24 and 22, shows how much two of the churches are contributing toward beautifying their neighborhood. The small size of some of the church sites has made it possible for adjoining landowners to build frame buildings in close proximity to the church structures. Thus the fire danger has been considerably increased, especially in the case of the frame church buildings. It seems reasonable to expect that a building, erected through the com- bined efforts of a group of people and intended for common service, should be safeguarded from the fire danger which an individual creates when he places his frame residence within a very short distance from the church. An undesirable environment of a church due to the congestion of buildings is seen in illustration 9, page 34. of the People's Church of the Nazarene. B. Nature and Condition The second major item in determining the score given on "Site" is the item of "Nature and Condition." This is given a possible thirty OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 57 ILLUSTRATION 19. ENVIRONMENT OF FIRST CONGREGATIONAL. CHURCH ILLUSTRATION 2O. BLANK WALL OF ILLUSTRATION 21. SIDE VIEW OF PARISH HOUSE, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH THIS ^PREVENTS ADEQUATE LIGHTING SHOWING HOW ADJOINING BUILD- OF LARGE ROOMS ING SHADOWS A CLASS ROOM 58 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY points of 130 allotted to site. This is considered under the two heads drainage and soil, and upkeep of site, each being responsible for fif- teen of the thirty points. The topography of Maiden affords many opportunities for the strategic locations of churches. The original buyers of some of the church sites apparently lacked the vision to avail themselves of such opportunities. The church structures them- selves have in some instances had no strengthening contribution made to them from the site because of the original failure to consider sufficiently the element of elevation. A community building located on any ordinary residence site, such as the Maplewood Congrega- tional, Maplewood Methodist, and Linden Congregational, has been handicapped from the beginning since it loses its outstanding char- acter. Where lawns were in poor condition the deficiency seemed not due to faulty soil but to failure on the part of the church to set up its site as a model for the community. It is possible for a church to maintain its entire site at a high standard. The grounds of the First Baptist or the Faulkner and the Robinson Methodist churches, as seen in illustrations 1, 6 and 5, pages 18, 6 and 26, are evidences of this fact. The grounds of the Mystic Side Congregational with its overgrowth of weeds and refuse dumps, of the Maplewood Con- gregational, and Maplewood Baptist, illustrate the undesirable situ- ation with respect to condition and upkeep of site. C. Size and Form The third major item in determining the score on "Site" is the "size and form" which is given forty-five of the possible 130 points. The situation in Maiden is noticeably deficient in the size and form of the various church sites. The scores given range from five points to thirty out of a possible forty-five. In no case is the site large enough to provide playgrounds, tennis courts, a baseball ground or space for other athletic facilities. The site of the Mystic Side Congregational Church presents the best opportunities for such activities and is desirable in form except that it is too steep and rocky to be of much use for outside activities without much expense. It is literally true that in most of the sites there is ground enough for the church building to rest upon and no more. One disadvantage of the extremely small site is that it is so inconspicuous that it is not counted as a real part of the church equipment and is therefore very commonly neglected. This was evidenced by the lack of care given to the small areas of ground in front and at the sides of the church. The psychological appeal of a clean, well-kept lawn, of sharp corners broken by artistically placed bushes or well-kept flowers, in other words, of an attractive site, is a factor that no church can afford to OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 59 60 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY neglect. Many teachers of religious education count it desirable to hold classes out of doors at times; to have small parties, fetes or pageants on a spacious lawn with shrubbery or a vine-covered wall for a background; and to have groups of children on the playground. In this way these activities are definitely associated with the church, and a larger community interest is sure to be developed. Practically none of the sites in Maiden is large enough to permit any of these activities, yet this represents a part of the physical equipment of a church which holds much promise for community service. Perhaps the most outstanding result of the effect of an inadequate site in a particular situation is that evident from study of illustration 22 and 20, pages 59 and 57. The religious school building of the First Baptist plant presents an attractive appearance from the church side. The site, however, is so small that it was considered neces- sary to build this structure with one side close to the neighboring property line. The building, on this side, has been given a blank wall, thereby detracting to a considerable degree from its beauty both within and without and from the advantages that accrue from good natural lighting of classrooms. A school building of this size requires a site sufficiently large for play and pageantry purposes. ILLUSTRATION 23. THE POORLY PLANNED MAPLEWOOD CONGRE- GATIONAL CHURCH ON ILL-KEPT GROUNDS ILLUSTRATION 24. UNATTRACTIVE AND INADEQUATE TEMPORARY HOUS- ING FOR ST. PAUL'S SUNDAY SCHOOL ATTENDANTS OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 61 CHAPTER III Item II* Building or Buildings of the Seven- teen Church and Religious Education Plants UNDER the second major item of the score card the building is considered with respect to, (1) its placement on the site, (2) its gross structure and (3) its internal structure. Each of the sub-items is further divided as shown in the detail score card. In Table V, page 62, the seventeen churches are listed in the order of their rank on the total score allotted on this item. Chart III, page 63, represents graphically the data shown in Table V. In both table and chart the total score is subdivided into its component parts under A, B and C. Both the total score on the major item and the scores on the sub-items are shown in comparison with the maximum possible scores indicated in black faced type at the top and bottom of the table. The lower charts show the upper chart divided accord- ing to the major subdivisions of the item Buildings. In this item of building or buildings it is noticeable that there is a wide range represented by the seventeen buildings. The First Baptist is allotted 131 points out of a possible 150 while the other churches are rather evenly distributed between that score and the 44 points scored by the very inadequate building of the Union Baptist. It will be more helpful and also more significant to analyze these scores into the three main items which determine the total score for the building. These items will show why in several cases churches with good looking exteriors receive lower scores than they apparently should. Very poor internal structures, inadequate or dangerous stairways, unused or poorly kept basements, or buildings made of non-fireproof material will not only explain the score given, but will direct attention to conditions which should be remedied. The three items determining the score for Buildings are: A, Place- ment; B, Gross Structure; and C, Internal Structure. A. Placement The score for placement is determined by the two items of location on site and orientation. The scores given for this item are consis- tently high for the churches in Maiden. Many of them are placed in the only position possible on the site. Many of the churches have sites so small that the building covers all of it and there is no choice 62 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY s 1 1 gal MS 3 ^* CO 11s li'lj *|jj 2 a to | o.o ,g 'si 8 **5 *-< O -M 'O f-i s 85 J5 ^ G < ^ i. si M 9 ? 8 = 8 S 3 ^_ P^ iJ C ^* || 2 -a o SSg A **- / - ill 18(8 1 -."' O J9 OJ T3 J3 bo fl CJ c o VJ B-lTE Score ;^^ !!!! ' C .. . '^ ^* *Hi3i^* Islillhipii OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 63 O 3 w o 64 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY of location. Where any freedom was possible the buildings have been located so as to secure the best effects. The space left at the back of the First Parish in Maiden, Universalist, and the Mystic Side Con- gregational provides for a maximum use of the church lot. In St. Paul's Episcopal, illustration 4, page 24, Faulkner Methodist, illus- tration 6, page 28, Robinson Methodist, illustration 5, page 26, and the First Congregational, illustration 10, page 36, the buildings are so placed as to allow space for small lawns and shrubbery which materially improve the general appearance of the buildings. Almost no attention was given to the matter of orientation as it affects the natural lighting of the building. This will become a much more important problem as the service of the church is extended and it becomes desirable for students to study in the buildings or use a reference library. Especially on corner lots it is possible so to turn the building that the rooms most frequently used will not receive the direct intense light of the morning or afternoon. This is well done in the People's Church of the Nazarene, illustration 9, page 34. B. Gross Structure "Gross Structure" embodies the factors of type, material, height, roof, foundations, walls, entrances, esthetic balance and condition. The detail standards for these sub-items are given on pages 168 to 170. Examination of Table V, page 62, and the chart following, reveals a wide variation in score on " Gross Structure." The First Baptist Church ranks highest with 68 points out of a possible 75 as against the Union Baptist, lowest, with a score of 22 out of the same possible maximum. The score on the Union Baptist means little more than that there are walls, a foundation, a roof and entrances. The fact that ten of the seventeen churches, almost 60 per cent, scored less than half of the maximum possible score on this item is accounted for by there being such a large number of old frame structures built with- out due consideration to the problems of religious education the school plant. In a number of instances the low scores are due in large part to the fact that the church plant is made up of new and old parts, the latter tending to pull the scores down below what appar- ently they should be. This is especially true of St. Paul's Episcopal church. The old frame building is extremely poorly conceived and is only a makeshift as an educational plant. It is understood that plans are now under consideration whereby the old frame part will be replaced by a building in keeping with the main auditorium. On the completion of such replacement the total score would be sub- stantially raised. OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 65 ILLUSTRATION 25. ONE OF TWO MAIN ILLUSTRATION 26. A WOODEN STAIR- STAIRWAYS FROM THE LARGE AUDI- WAY OF QUESTIONABLE VALUE IN TORIUM OF THE CENTRE METHODIST TIME OF DANGER. CENTRE METHODIST CHURCH CHURCH ILLUSTRATION 27. DANGEROUS WIND- ILLUSTRATION 28. A PROBABLE DEATH ING STAIRS FOR PRIMARY CHILDREN. TRAP IN CASE OF FIRE. MAPLEWOOD ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH BAPTIST CHURCH 66 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY o ^ z H 2 s < ^2 i-3 OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 67 68 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY TYPES OF BUILDINGS A scale of building types maybe easily arranged, on reference to the detailed standards, by placing the exteriors in the following order, beginning with the low end of the scale. The Union Baptist illustration 17, page 50 St. Luke's 16 " 48 Maplewood Baptist 12 " 40 People's Church of the Nazarene " 9 "34 Mystic Side Congregational " 8 " 32 Centre Methodist " 2 "20 Faulkner 6 " 28 First Parish in Maiden, Universalist " 3 " 22 First Baptist 1 " 18 The standard set for height of the buildings of a church and religious education plant is two stories except in very congested cities. This standard is not met in the three structures, the Centre Methodist plant, illustration 2, page 20, the First Baptist School plant, illustration 1, page 18, and St. Paul's annex, illustration 24, page 60. The standards for entrances to public and semi-public buildings should be fully as rigid as are set up in the detailed standards on page 69. Little adherence to these standards is found in many of the seventeen plants. Some of the important standards suggest that "the main entrance should be not less than 10 feet to 12 feet wide and should open directly into the main foyer; that there should be as few steps as possible and that these should be non-exposed; that the steps be made of stone or concrete with a non-slipping surface; that doors be provided with panic bolts to permit ease of opening for all types of people"; and the like. Reference to the illustrations will show some of the striking features of the entrances of the seventeen plants. Illustration 30, page 67, shows the main entrance to the Robinson Methodist. Illustration 31 shows the immediate interior of build- ing at the top of this outer entrance. The exterior stairway is steep and has fifteen treads. The descent is particularly dangerous for elderly people. Illustration 16, page 48, shows two stairways of St. Luke's building. No handrail protection is afforded on the stairway to the left. The stairs are wood and exposed to the weather. Illustration 8, page 32, shows the totally unprotected main entrance of the Mystic Side church. OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 69 Illustration 17, page 50, shows a second ill-advised stairway of the Robinson Methodist type. Illustration 4, page 24, shows a most satisfactory entrance with stairways eliminated. Illustration 6, page 28, shows how the location of the building on a steep incline has presented difficulties in providing a proper entrance approach. Other main entrance stairways to which high scores were allotted, are those of the First Congregational, the Centre Methodist and the First Baptist plants. The tendency towards inadequate size of subsidiary entrances is marked in the seventeen plants. C. Internal Structure "Internal Structure" takes into account: (1) stairways; (2) corri- dors and foyer; (3) basement; (4) color scheme; (5) decorative at- tractiveness. The detail standards for these sub-items are given on pages 170 to 172. Column " C " of Table V, page 62, shows the com- parative scores with respect to the internal structure of the seventeen plants. The range is indicated by the score of the First Baptist of 38 points out of a possible 50 as against that of the Union Baptist with a score of 7 points out of the same possible maximum. From Table III it appears that only two churches in the city scored above 50 per cent, of the possible score on this item. This is to be explained by the fact that all sub-items have either been inadequately treated or neglected entirely. In no church in the city, for example, do the stair- ways approach the standards established to a degree that would justify allowing them more than one-half of the maximum number of points. Thirteen of the churches scored three points or less out of a possible ten on this item. The justification for such scores may be seen in studying the illustrations listed here. These illustrations point out the typical situations with respect to stairways in the Maiden plants. It will be readily seen that they do not conform to the standards of fireproofness nor are they fire-enclosed so as to assure safe exit in case of fire or panic. The winding stairways requiring the use of triangular treads are very dangerous and cannot be too severely con- demned. Stairways should not be of greater width than is necessary for the passage of two columns of people abreast, each being within reach of a handrail. Room in the center for a third column places one-third of the group out of reach of a handrail and in cases of panic or hurried exit it frequently causes serious accidents or catastrophes. Stairways more than 5 feet in width should be made 8 to 10 feet with a securely fastened handrail running down the center. 70 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY B OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 71 72 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY * iSS? r >* ^B / ^LM OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 73 ILLUSTRATIONS OF INTERIOR STAIRWAYS Illustration 31, page 67, shows the interior stairway at the top of the fifteen-tread stairway in the Robinson Methodist plant. This stair- way is the main exit for the large auditorium shown in illustration 29, page 66. The congregation assembled in this auditorium is required to use these stairways, which are of wood, steep in nature and too wide for safety. Illustration 33, page 71, presents the highly unsatisfactory stairways of the Linden Congregational Church. Each of two stairways to the auditorium on the second floor is so narrow as to be easily congested and has three flights, with two turns. At the foot of the bottom flight, the passageway is partially blocked by the guards to the stairway en- trance of the school assembly room on the first floor. Illustration 35, page 72, shows this entrance into the assembly room with the main entrance doors beyond. Since the auxiliary stairway to the rear of this building is entirely inadequate, it is difficult to conceive of a sit- uation which presents greater hazards. Illustrations 70 and 55, pages 132 and 100, show the kindergarten and primary rooms of the Centre Methodist which are located on the second floor. The standards suggest their location on the first floor and their provision with outside exits. The stairway of illustra- tion 26, page 65, presents many difficulties to the egress of large groups of young children, especially when, in case of danger, these stairways are also being used by older boys and girls. Illustrations 25 and 26, page 65 show two of the three main stairway exits for the large Centre Methodist auditorium. The front stairways are not provided with adequate natural light. These stairways are not well conceived for the passage of large groups from the auditorium and balcony floors. The rear stairway requires an additional turn at the bottom before the exit doors can be reached. This makes a total of four turns which must be made by a group de- scending from the second floor to the side entrance. The standard that no storerooms be placed under the stairways unless fireproof is violated in the case of these two stairways. Illustration 34, page 71, reproduces the single main stairway which is used for exit from the auditorium of the Maplewood Methodist Church (see illustration 32, page 70). The secondary stairway to the rear of this auditorium is not superior to the type shown in illus- tration 36, page 74. This main stairway is of wood, lacks handrails has three turns and is inadequately provided with artificial light. 74 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY ILLUSTRATION 36. SEE TEXT ON THIS PAGE Illustration 36, on this page, shows the only stairway leading from the church auditorium floor to the large assembly room of the basement of the Faulkner Methodist. This stairway is steep, lacks a handrail and has the faulty triangular treads. Illustrations 27 and 28, page 65, of stairways, Maplewood Baptist and St. Paul's plants respectively, are other types of stairways to be found in the seventeen plants. The first stairway is narrow, without handrails and artificial light, doubles back on itself and is located directly over a stairway leading to the littered cellar of illustration 43, page 80. The second stairway is a winder of a very bad type, and lacks hand- rails and sufficient artificial light It leads to a classroom where ILLUSTRATION 37. SHOWING THE APPROACH FROM CHURCH AUDITORIUM TO THE SCHOOL ASSEMBLY ROOM OF THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF MALDEN, MASSAC HUSETTS 75 very young children are taught and is undesirable for this reason. The two winding stairways of the First Congregational Church, of which one is shown in illustration 37, page 74, are very defective types of communication between the two main floors of a church structure. Interior stairways which most adequately conform to the standards are the fireproof stairs to be found in the First Baptist Church. FOYERS AND CORRIDORS Corridors should be so located as to provide easy access to every room without passing through any other room. They should be wide enough to permit two lines to pass. With the exception of the First Baptist and St. Paul's Episcopal, the churches of Maiden have made very inadequate provision for convenient corridors. None of them are constructed entirely of fireproof material. In practically all of the churches the corridors are so inadequate that it is necessary to pass through classrooms in order to get to other classrooms, a situa- tion not only annoying and distracting but dangerous in an emer- gency. The church foyer should be so located that it serves as the distribut- ing center of the building. In order to do this it must be centrally located and be connected with all main corridors. In order to serve this function the foyer must be large enough to prevent congestion should two or three lines empty into it at the same time. It should be spacious enough to permit the ''exchange of greetings" between individuals or families which takes place after most of the church gatherings. It is also the place of "first impressions," so it should be as attractive as possible and in a way indicative of the remainder of the building. The inadequacy of some of the church foyers can be appreciated by referring to illustrations 31, 33, 34, 35. Illustra- tion 34, page 71, shows part of the small, plain foyer of the Maple- wood Methodist with its turning, inadequate stairway. Illustration 39, page 76, shows the small hallway in St. Luke's. It opens directly into the large religious school auditorium on one side and into the pastor's study and choir room on the other. The inadequacy of this can be better realized by consulting illustration 38, page 76. Illus- tration 33, page 71, shows the small foyer of the Linden Congregational. The walls are in good condition but the arrangement of the stair- ways and entrances is very inconvenient. Illustration 31, page 67. shows the stair platform which is the distributing center of the Robin- son Methodist Church. From the standpoint of convenience and ten- dency to prevent congestion, the corridors and foyers of the new 76 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY PLATFORM RELIGIOUS SCHOOL ASSEMBLY DRESSING ROOM O CHOIR CHURCH AUDITORIUM DRESSiNi ROOM PRIMARY ROOM ILLUSTRATION 38. SHOWING INCONVENIENT ARRANGEMENT OF ROOMS AND DIFFICULTY OF PASSING AROUND ORGAN TO GET FROM SCHOOL ROOMS TO AUDITORIUM OF ST. LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH ILLUSTRATION 39. INADEQUATE FOYER AND CONNECTION BETWEEN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ROOM AND AUDITORIUM IN ST. LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 77 78 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY structure of St. Paul's and the First Baptist may be ranked highest. Illustration 40, page 77, is a good example of what difficulties are encountered when corridors are not made a part of the building con- struction. Through this classroom in the basement of the Maple- wood Congregational plant, people must pass in order to go from the school assembly room to the church auditorium above and vice versa. It means that a classroom teacher is frequently interrupted and that the value of class instruction is thereby lessened. The corridors of the school plant of the First Parish in Maiden, Universalist, are not well conceived from the standpoint of the needed connection between assembly room and classrooms. One-way corri- dors similar to these (see illustration 69, page 131), and to those of the school plant of the Centre Methodist, increase congestion and de- crease safety. BASEMENTS To the item basement, an allotment of ten points is made for standard conditions. Only one plant, the First Baptist, was allotted a score as high as seven points out of the possible ten, while eleven scored I ,lil! ILLUSTRATION 41. THE CLEAN, WELL-KEPT, AND SIMPLY EQUIPPED KITCHEN OF THE LINDEN METHODIST CHURCH OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 79 80 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 81 two points or less out of the possible ten. The standards require that no part of a basement be more than three feet below grade for rooms which are used for social and educational purposes. This standard is being met in all high grade public school building construction. It has been found most uneconomical to build such buildings, merely utilizing the basement for the heating and ventilating equipment which can be accommodated in at least a quarter of that space. In Maiden, where the basements are being used for social or educational purposes they have been sunk so low that these rooms are deprived to a large degree of natural light. This is not true of buildings like the Mystic Side, Maplewood Congregational and First Congregational which stand on ground sloping away from the front of the building, thus permitting full lighting of the semi-basement. The best natural lighting of rooms which may be listed as basement rooms, may be seen in the kitchen and social room in the First Parish in Maiden, Universalist. It is evident from this situation that the standards set are not too high and may be reached in future church building construction in Maiden. Evidences of inadequate natural lighting of basement rooms rrfey be seen in the central play room or Boy Scout room, the dining room, illustration 58, page 107, and the kitchen, illustration 83, page 159, of the First Baptist Church. It would seem to be just as desirable to provide play rooms, dining rooms and kit- chens with sunshine, air and light as any of the other rooms in a church plant. In the Parish House of the First Baptist plant the natural lighting is better than in the church structure, though since all light is cut off from one long-axis side, the possibilities for natural lighting have not been reached in this case. Where basements are being used for heating and storage purposes only, the condition in many cases was such as to warrant very low scores. It is difficult to conceive why a church basement should be neglected to the point where it becomes a constant menace to the safety and health of the occupants of the building. Yet this condi- tion is reached to a deplorable degree in some instances. The sites on which the Maiden churches stand have been shown to be exceed- ingly small. The area covered by a basement should therefore be utilized to a maximum degree for actual church service and not be left merely for accumulation of ashes, rubbish, the waste from church festivals and the discarded furniture of past decades. It is to be hoped that the decay and neglect to be found in some instances were not evidences of the beginning of a condition which might be expected to involve the entire structure. Illustration 18, page 51, shows the basement of the Union Baptist Church. The basement is utilized to the fullest extent. It is so 82 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 83 84 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY ILLUSTRATION 46. THE ATTRACTIVE, WELL FURNISHED AND TASTEFULLY DECORATED PARLOR OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH placed that all necessary natural light could have been provided. A very small proportion of the possible maximum light has been avail- able during the years this building has been used. Illustrations 41 and 42, pages 78 and 79, show the basement assem- bly and kitchen of the Linden Methodist plant. This basement is completely utilized and extremely well maintained. The natural lighting is above the average of the seventeen plants. The concrete floor in this low basement is an undesirable feature. Illustration 43, page 80, is the basement of the Maplewood Baptist plant. This basement typifies every conceivable hazard from fire to contagion. Note the exposed wiring; the heating flues in contact with the floor joists; the accumulation of filth and rubbish in the fore- ground and the age-old ash dump at the rear. Illustration 44, page 82,' shows the basement of St. Luke's. The natural lighting is fair. The basement is not planned with respect to any use which might be made of it. As it stands it is a waste of valuable space. The picture shows a considerable degree of dirt, disorder," poor construction and a maximum of fire risk. All electric OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 85 wiring is exposed and the floor joists are unprotected from the heating flues. The construction and support is primitive and inadequate. Illustration 45, page 83, shows part of the basement of the First Congregational plant. Exposed wiring, joists unprotected from the heating plants, discarded and broken furniture, and other accumula- tions are characteristics of this basement. Because of its low con- struction, it is exceedingly difficult to maintain in an orderly fashion. Illustration 58, page 107, shows one part of the basement of the First Baptist plant. This basement, though by no means standard, illus- trates the use to which basement space can be put and the type of service it can best render. It is fireproof in construction, provided with an outside exit and well lighted by an indirect artificial system. The most serious fault is the excessive depth of the floor below ground level and the consequent lack of adequate natural lighting. DECORATIVE ATTRACTIVENESS The decorative attractiveness of the interior of a church exerts a powerful though subtle influence upon the people who worship in it. The interior of the church should be clean and bright, freshly dec- orated in colors which are restful and harmonious and which tend to give the effect of simplicity and genuineness. Such decoration will invariably result in a more worshipful attitude on the part of the per- sons entering and in a fuller enjoyment of the time spent in the building. Several of the churches have realized the importance of this influence and have given care to seeing that all their rooms and corridors are artistically decorated, and that a consistent scheme is followed throughout the entire building. The churches which have most noticeably cared for this item are the First Baptist, the Linden Metho- dist, the Eastern Avenue Baptist, the First Parish in Maiden, Univer- salist, and the Centre Methodist. Others of the churches have real- ized the desirability of attractive interior decoration but have con- fined their efforts largely to the church auditorium, and have neglected this element in their religious education rooms the rooms where the standards of impressionable children are being formed. I CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY CHAPTER IV Item IIL Service Systems T WILL be noted by reference to the score card that under the item of "Service Systems" there are included the eight elements of A. Heating and Ventilating B. Fire Protection C. Cleaning System D. Artificial Lighting E. Toilet System F. Water Supply System G. Other Service Systems such as clocks, telephones, bells, etc. H. Service Rooms, such as janitor's rooms, janitor's work- shop and fuel room A careful analysis of the service facilities required in a church plant will disclose that these eight divisions include all the service systems which might be deemed requisite in such an institution. For each of these eight types of service systems standards have been erected. These standards suggest the most desirable situations and conditions. To each of these eight divisions under the heading "Service Systems' ' scores have been allotted by the judges with the maximum score pos- sible in each case representing the ideal situation. The sum of the scores for the eight subdivisions has in the case of each church be- come the final score for that church on the item "Service Systems." In Table VI, the churches of Maiden have been ranked according to the scores thus obtained for "Service Systems." The "Service System" score is compared (for each church) with the total possible score on Item III, namely 160 points. For the purpose of studying any single situation, one will also find in this table the scores allotted by the judges on each of the eight subdivisions of service systems. The maximum scores obtainable for each of these subdivisions are also given to make comparison easy. In Chart IV, the scores of Table VI are shown graphically. On this item, "Service Systems," it will be seen that the First Baptist Church ranks first with a score of 135 points. This church is equipped with service facilities which far exceed those of any other church in OF M ALP EN, MASSACHUSETTS 87 Maiden. The judges have placed the Centre Methodist Church second on this item with a score of 81 points. The Union Baptist and the Maplewood Methodist churches with their meager allotments of 26 points present pitiful contrasts to the ideal situation represented by 160 points. Other churches scoring very low on this item such as St. Luke's Episcopal, Mystic Side Congregational and Linden Congregational may be considered as having minimum provision for the physical care and comfort of their attendants. The church may be conceived as being in a large sense responsible for elevating the standards for American homes. Homes should be equipped with heating and ventilating systems which not only act positively by providing heat, but which at the same time do not act negatively by injuring the health of the occupants of the home or by producing conditions which result in increased possibilities of ill health. Adequate homes may be expected to provide a maximum of safety against fire dangers, to be equipped with modern toilet facilities and to furnish artificial light under conditions which in- crease home advantages. Homes from which people come to serve community interests and to develop community ideals should sur- round such people with ideal conditions of sanitation and cleanli- ness. Where homes fail to provide the advantages here enumerated, the church through the standards maintained in her own institutions may be expected to provide leadership in obtaining superior home conditions. It is not to be denied that continued participation in religious service under faulty heating and lighting conditions, in un- clean and unsanitary surroundings or in the midst of facilities provid- ing a maximum of physical discomfort, will result in a less desirable influence than might result if better conditions prevailed. There is every evidence in the scores allotted on the items heating and ventila- tion, toilet systems, artificial lighting, cleaning systems and the other service systems, that many of the seventeen Maiden church and re- ligious education plants have failed signally in accepting a very im- portant responsibility. The church may be expected to provide model facilities in this field. Not only will such facilities attract larger groups but very desirable changes in home conditions may be expected to follow. The First Baptist Church made a very decided contribution to the development of the homes of the community of Maiden when it provided service facilities which are satisfactory to such a high degree. A. Heating and Ventilation In judging this item the scorers considered six major items: 1. The kind of heating and ventilating systems which are being used. 88 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY 5 1 < S -W 0) O 09 W - C - Is CO 02 3 il 8 S ^2 o o 3 3 fi 00 3 H o 5^ "3 x >i rLCfl-M /. *-M ^ ^S bfl Q >3*G MC bfl K > SSlgli se,2^ s ?' hurc S I O2 Se Q) Q; 03 C PH^ etc. 3. The air supply, its source and the provisions for foul a.ir exhaust. 4. Fans and motors installed for purpose of securing adequate ven- tilation. 5. The distribution of heat. 6. Temperature control. Reference to the detailed standards, covering the item of heating and ventilation as given on pages 172 to 183, will show the desirable char- acteristics of a heating and ventilating plant. A few of the important standards will bear repetition here. The direct-mechanical and indirect-mechanical systems of heating ILLUSTRATION 47. AIR INTAKE OF THE ILLUSTRATION 48. AIR INTAKE OF THE UNIVERSALIST CHURCH, LOCATED AT FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH LO- GROUND LEVEL CATED AT GROUND LEVEL OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 91 ILLUSTRATION 49. GROUND LEVEL AIR INTAKE OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. IT SEEMS UNWISE TO TAKE AIR FRO VI DUST COVERED WALKS EVEN THOUGH IT IS WASHED BEFORE 'BEING SENT INTO THE ROOMS ABOVE and ventilation are considered most desirable for a church and re- ligious education plant. The direct-mechanical is a system of direct heating with mechanical ventilation. It means that the heat is im- parted directly to the room or rooms by means of radiator surfaces or heat sources located within the room heated. Steam and hot water radiators are classified under this heading. A mechanical sys- tem of ventilation is that system from which the required air move- ment is maintained by the use of blowers, fans or similar mechanically operated appliances. Indirect heating means that heat is imparted directly to the room by air initially warmed by radiating surfaces or heat sources located outside of the room heated and the warm air is conveyed therefrom to the room through suitable air ducts or flues. Hot air furnaces and standard steam and hot water indirect radiators are appliances classified under this heading. The "furnace-gravity" system is much less desirable than the direct- mechanical above described. More than half of the church plants of this group are equipped with the "furnace-gravity" system. In only one case, .viz., the First Baptist Church, is the direct heating system joined with an adequate system of mechanical ventilation. In all other cases, no system of ventilation other than the unsatisfac- tory so-called "natural" system has been provided. This "natural" system may be made satisfactory to a certain degree if properly 92 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 93 designed deflecting ventilators are installed at the windows. Such installation is totally lacking. The heating facilities in some of the seventeen churches bore evidence of having been installed without plan or program. Some of the worst offenders in this respect are the First Congregational, the Mystic Side and the Maplewood Congregational. The battery of five fur- naces installed in the Congregational and the two furnaces of some of the small churches demonstrate this fact. Where basements have not been planned for the adequate housing of the heating plant, as the picture of the First Congregational basement in illustration 45, page 83, indicates, the undesirability of the situation becomes quite clear. The multiplication of heating units is also highly undesirable from the standpoint of janitorial care, especially to the degree exist- ing in the First Congregational. Another standard for heating plants requires their enclosure in fireproof construction. This standard has been followed in only one instance. The fire risk resulting from the installation of one of the Mystic Side furnaces as shown in illustration 50, page 92, ought not to be assumed by any community group in the expenditure of their funds. Heating standards require that the furnace in a "furnace-gravity" system be located below the room or rooms to be heated. This rule is violated in the Linden Congregational, Union Baptist and Mystic Side plants, much to the disfigurement and detriment of the rooms wherein the furnaces are located. The disadvantages of such location is clearly shown in illustrations 35, 18 and 50, pages 72, 51 and 92. Supplementary heating by means of a small gas stove, as shown in illustration 75, page 143, of the Falconer Methodist cannot be rated with a high score in the light of the standards which have been devel- oped for this score card. Heating engineers are agreed that a separate duct to each room to be heated is essential when such ducts are relied upon to convey heat from its source. Illustrations 41 and 42, pages 78 and 79, show how Maiden Churches have failed to observe this rule. The Maplewood Methodist as shown in illustration 51, page 94, has a huge stack mounting directly from the furnace in the basement to the church auditorium on the second floor. The opening in this stack permits the heated air also to enter the assembly room on the first floor. According to physical law the heating of both rooms is hardly possible at the same time. That the Linden Methodist has attempted to violate the same physical law is shown in illustration 42, page 79. 94 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 95 Floor registers such as are shown in illustration 66, page 125, illus- tration 71, page 137, illustration 34, page 71, do not conform to standard requirements. Such registers are dirt and dust gatherers difficult to clean. Some of the pictures of the First Baptist Church illustrate, high-grade installation of radiators, piping, air intakes and outlets as follows: Illustration 59, page 108, shows properly insulated piping and well- located radiators for a basement room. Illustration 52, page 95, shows the proper location of radiators under windows and adequately sized foul-air outlets protected with the proper grille. Illustration 46 shows a similar outlet. Illustration 80, page 149, shows an air intake and an air outlet for a classroom, properly located, as well as the radiation provided for one of the smaller classrooms. Illustration 58, page 107, shows insulated piping properly hung for a basement room. There has been only slight conformance in the seventeen Maiden churches to the standards involved in "Air Supply and Exhaust." ILLUSTRATION 52. A CLASS ROOM IN THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, THE PLAN OP WHICH WAS MADE SECONDARY TO THE PLANNING OP THE EXTERIOR 96 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY One of the most important standards under this heading concerns the source of fresh air supplied. The standards suggest the following: "The fresh air supply for ventilation should be taken from an uncon- taminated source, preferably from above the roof, or at a point at least fifteen feet above the grade level. The air supplied should be free from dust and other impurities." Illustrations 47, 48 and 49, pages 90 and 91, point out the pre- vailing arrangement for securing fresh air in the churches which have made provisions for fresh air supply. Such intakes, even though screened, cannot be as desirable as those located sufficiently high above ground level, and cannot prevent the entry of small dirt particles or dust and filth blown directly from sidewalk or alley. Air drawn from ground levels should be filtered or washed. All heated air should be properly humidified before entering large audience rooms. These provisions are expensive and yet are found possible in large plants. It should be borne in mind that a hot, dry air may be the cause of colds and sore throats for a surprisingly large proportion of an audience. The control of temperatures through automatic thermostats is most desirable in buildings serving large groups of people. Such installa- tion has been partially provided in the First Baptist plant. B. Fire Protection The history of fire disasters in buildings in the United States wherein large groups of people are housed from time to time has led to the establishment of rigid standards looking toward safety and the re- duction of fire risks. Reference to Table V shows that fifteen of the seventeen churches have been allotted less than twenty-five per cent, of the possible maximum score on the item of fire protection. It clearly indicates that little attention has been paid this highly im- portant element. The church fires, which Maiden has already had, make it clear why full consideration should be given this problem. Below are listed some of the elements wherein the seventeen churches fail to safeguard sufficiently the men, women and children invited within their doors. a. Four "second-story" church auditoriums without adequate exits. b. Entire lack of fire apparatus in many buildings. c. Non-fireproof store rooms filled with combustible materials. d. No fire escapes for non-fireproof buildings. e. Heating apparatus installed without proper fireproofing. f. Fire extinguishers not properly tagged to show dates of refilling. g. Class rooms of small children located on upper floors. OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 97 ILLUSTRATION 53. AN ATTRACTIVE INTERIOR OP THE CENTRE METHODIST CHURCH. THIS SHOWS THE SECOND STORY AUDITORIUM FLOOR WITH PART OF ITS THIRD STORY BALCONY, WHERE ABOUT IOOO PEOPLE MAY BE SEATED. AUDITORIUMS, UNLESS IN STRICTLY FIREPROOF BUILDINGS, SHOULD BE AT GROUND LEVEL 98 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY h. Class rooms of large groups of children provided with insufficient exits. i. Electric wiring installed contrary to National Fire Underwriters' regulations. j. Basements littered with inflammable materials that should never have been allowed to accumulate. k. Kindling and waste paper piled in immediate vicinity of heated furnace or boiler without regard for possible fire danger. The desirable standard in construction is a building as highly fire- proof or fire-resisting as possible. Where this construction has not been used, encased fireproof stair wells with stairways cut off from corridors with metal and fire-glass doors are essential. All large second story audience rooms should be provided with such fire exits whether the building is fireproof or not. It is difficult to conceive why Maiden has erected four of its churches with their main auditor- iums on the second floor. Illustration 32, page 70, shows one of these second story auditoriums, that of the Maplewood Methodist. The left door at the front of this auditorium leads to a narrow, poorly planned stairway and could be used by only a few persons in case of danger. The only stairway at the rear of the auditorium leading to the main entrance of the church is shown in illustration 34, page 71, This stairway is of none too substantial wooden construction, and without adequate handrails. The illustration shows the turns which must be made by any group using the stairway. No attempt has been made in this building to reduce the fire dangers of the basement arising from the location of a hot air furnace system of heating under wooden joist construction. The "second story" auditorium of the Robinson Methodist presents nearly equal possibilities for disaster. The exterior view of the Rob- inson Methodist in illustration 5, shows the steep ascent from the ground level to the first floor. A second steep broad stairway with- out adequate handrails runs from the first floor as shown in illustra- tion 31, page 67, to the floor of the auditorium shown in illustration 29, page 66. The extreme width of this church auditorium would add to the danger in case of fire. The careless storage of old shingles and other materials in such a manner as to increase the fire danger was noticed in this basement. Approximately 1,000 people may be seated in the very attractive "second story" auditorium of the Centre Methodist plant, if the balcony and choir gallery are included. The two main and the chief secondary stairways do not permit of sufficiently ready egress for such a throng. Some of this number would be compelled to wait until eighty to one hundred other persons had passed out before they OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 99 100 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY OF MA L DEN, M A S S.A &JJ ti ; S E I 5 *S 101 could reach safety. It is unfortunate tlit'thfe*auditofiurh*has been located as it is. The close proximity of other non-fireproof build- ings, the non-fireproof nature of the Centre Methodist structure and the wooden construction of its stairways, as shown in illustrations 25 and 26, page 65, make further precautions for safety quite neces- sary. Other elements adding to the dangers are the store rooms, and other rooms under the stairways and the fact that the balcony with its seating capacity of 350 to 400 may be considered as being on the third floor. From the viewpoint of "fire protection" the Linden Congregational "second story" auditorium has little to commend it. Located in a relatively thinly populated section, it should have been possible to have secured a large enough site for a one-story building instead of the present poorly conceived building. The secondary stairway in this building will supplement the main double stairway only slightly. Illustration 33, page 71, shows how poorly planned the latter stair- ways are. Much of the construction in the seventeen church plants is not fire- proof. Many of the standards under this item have, however, been followed in the reconstruction of the First Baptist plant. The fire- proof stairways of the building are especially to be commended. No building to be used for public or semi-public purposes should be built of wood if the height is to exceed one story above the basement. This standard, highly necessary for safety, is violated in seven of the seventeen churches. Illustrations 43, page 80, 28, page 65, and 54, page 99, confirm the necessity for this standard. These three pictures lead from a most disreputable basement with every possible fire danger lurking about, to the equally dangerous store room adjoining a class room and located under the partially concealed roof rafters. To be sure, conditions shown in these pictures ought not to be tolerated in any church. Fireproof construction would, on the other hand, ward off the pos- sible results of such disregard for the safety of human beings. In illustrations 45, page 83, and 57, page 105, may be seen the base- ment of the First Congregational Church with the large assembly room for its church school located on the floor directly above. It seems unfair to children to ask them to attend school in the large room below which such possibilities of fire danger exist as are to be found in this basement. The basement is congested with furniture, jani- tor's equipment, fire wood, waste paper and the multiplicity of hot- air furnaces which heat this building. The open electric wiring, the piles of paper, the uncovered warm air flues, the unprotected 102 C-HURC.H BUILDING SURVEY joists over the furnace and the gas jets may be noted as possible sources of fire danger. The disregard of fire dangers evidenced in the basements shown in illustrations 43, 44 and 45, pages 80, 82 and 83, was found to prevail in other church plants only in slightly less degree. In fact it seemed to be an outstanding feature of the plants taken as a whole. Types of heating installation involving a minimum of pro- tection against fire hazards may be seen in illustrations 50, page 92, and 44, page 82. No fire escapes have been provided for any of the seventeen churches. The need for such escapes has been pointed out with respect to the churches with "second story" auditoriums. The need is also clear in other instances. In illustration 55, page 100, may be seen a large section of the primary room on the second floor of Centre Methodist plant. This room has many attractive features, but its location on the second floor and its rather unsatisfactory approach detracts from its desirability. The door at the right center is the main exit and under certain conditions it seems that it may be the only exit. The door at the left rear is reported as usually being locked. When opened, no satisfactory outlet is furnished for children at this point. The doors in the center of the picture lead to the low room under- neath the choir gallery, used as a cloak-room for the church school. The main exit is through a narrow corridor into which other class rooms empty and down the stairway of illustration 26, page 65, It must be borne in mind that other class rooms on the third floor use this same stairway, that the stairway narrows down at its mid- dle section and that these children belong to the Primary Depart- ment. The loose chairs and tables of this room will also add to the difficulty of exit in case of danger. The rooms on the third floor directly above the Primary Department are most inadequately provided with exits. Fire escapes for these rooms are most essential. The wooden residential structure used by St. Paul's Church for in- structional purposes also fails to safeguard its occupants to the degree possible and desirable. Such a three story structure without fire escapes suffices for residential purposes. The situation changes immediately when many groups of young people are housed therein. Electric wire, in order to produce a maximum of safety should be laid in conduit. The faulty wiring to be observed in illustrations 43 and 45, page 80 and 83, is typical of the situation in the majority of the seventeen churches. OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 103 104 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY C. Cleaning System The preferable type of cleaning system is the stationary vacuum with permanent piping and discharge into a proper receptacle located in the basement. Such a system has been installed in the Centre Methodist plant and from the condition of the floors and walls seemed to be very satisfactory. The condition of the First Baptist Church, Linden Methodist, Eastern Avenue Baptist, First Congregational (with exception of basement) and People's Church of the Nazarene, placed them above the others as to cleanliness. The standards in- volve three elements, the kind . of equipment, its installation, and efficiency as judged from the prevalence of dirt, dust, rubbish and the like. Church plants should be models of cleanliness and orderli- ness. The example set by the church may well be expected to trans- fer to the homes of the church. If the example set by a few of the seventeen churches of Maiden were followed in any of the homes of those churches, the efficiency of the church might be seriously ques- tioned. No church should fail to provide a maximum of cleaning apparatus and materials and should then assure itself that they are constantly applied. D. Artificial Lighting In institutions such as a church and religious education plant, the most desirable artificial illumination is a semi-indirect electricity sys- tem. Indirect lighting may also be employed with especially satisfactory results where the wall coloring permits of a maximum of reflection of light. Direct lighting is rarely acceptable since the source of light frequently lies in the line of vision and thereby causes eye- irritation or is at least distracting. Lighting of large rooms by gas is also unsatisfactory because of the need for frequent replacement of appliances, the odor and discolorations that frequently occur, and the difficulty of lighting. Both gas and electricity should, however be provided in corridors and stairways of church buildings so that a means of lighting may be available in case accident cuts off the electric power. Examples of the varying degrees of installation and illumination by means of artificial lighting found in the seventeen churches may be ob- served in the half-tones of this book. SAMPLES OF VERY DEFECTIVE LIGHTING Illustration 81, page 51. Basement of the Union Baptist Church. Gas fixtures only partially equipped with mantles and globes. OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 105 5 H 106 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY Illustration 81, page 151. Maplewood Baptist class room and kitchen. Very meager gas equipment. Illustrations and 62, pages 92 and 117. Mystic Side Congrega- tional Church School Assembly and Church Auditorium. Lighted by gas only. Illustration 51, page 94. Maplewood Methodist School Assembly Lighted by direct method of electricity. Obsolete gas fixtures also provided. Illustration 71, page 137. Linden Congregational Kitchen. Insuffi- cient number of fixtures. No wall fixtures for tables and sink. Clear glass bulbs for direct lighting. Illustration 71, page 137. Maplewood Baptist Church School Assembly. Direct wall lighting at front of room into which auditors must look. Gas side lights of questionable value. Central chandelier of direct lighting which cannot provide adequate diffusion. Illustration 56, page 103. St. Paul's Church School Assembly. Very objectionable unprotected direct lighting hanging too low. SAMPLES OF FAIR LIGHTING Illustration 42, page 79. Linden Methodist Church School Assembly. Lights distributed throughout room. Direct lighting with ground glass tips and opalite glass reflectors. Illustration 55, page 100. Centre Methodist Primary Class Room. Direct lighting but placed near the ceiling, properly distributed and with porcelain shades which partially protect the eyes from the source of light. Illustration 32, page 70. Maplewood Methodist Church Auditorium. Direct lighting, but because of its height and location away from the center of the room not so objectionable as it otherwise might be. Illustration 73, page 141. First Parish in Maiden, Universalist. Community Room. Direct lighting made fairly satisfactory through proper location of fixtures and shading of lamps. Questionable loca- tion of wall fixtures on stage. SAMPLES OF DESIRABLE SEMI-INDIRECT LIGHTING Illustrations 76, 52 and 46, pages 144, 95 and 84. First Baptist Church Class Rooms and Parlor. Source of light hidden. Walls properly tinted to reflect light. A sufficient number of fixtures provided. OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 107 108 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 109 ILLUSTRATION 60. THE EXTREMELY UNSANITARY TOILET PROVISIONS OF THE ST. LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 110 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY Illustrations 77 and 57, pages 145 and 105. First Congregational Class Room and Church School Assembly. Well lighted by semi- indirect method with proper distribution of fixtures about the assembly. Illustration 67, page 172. Eastern Avenue Baptist Small Assembly Room. Light well diffused through porcelain. Church auditorium also so lighted. Fully equipped gas fixture at left for auxiliary lighting. Illustrations 64 and 65, pages 121 and 122. First Baptist Church Auditorium. Well distributed light through translucent bowls. SAMPLES OF DESIRABLE INDIRECT LIGHTING Illustrations 58 and 82, pages 107 and 153. First Baptist Church. Dining Room and School Assembly. Lights suspended in opaque bowls and in close proximity to ceiling. Reflected light only reaches diners or auditors. E. Toilet Systems This equipment varies from such ' excellent installation as is to be found in Centre Methodist and First Baptist plants as shown in illustration 59, page 108, to the very inferior and ill-kept equipment such as is shown in the illustration 60, page 109, and is to be found in St. Luke's and Maplewood Baptist plants. The toilet equipment of the church plant should be superior in every respect. It should set the standard for all other public and semi-public buildings and especially for the homes. The utmost of cleanliness and perfect sanitation should prevail. This standard was being successfully achieved in some of the church plants. In others, highly unsatisfactory con- ditions prevailed; the equipment was inadequate, no provision was made for the separation of the sexes; toilet paper was lacking as in illustration 60 page 109; evidence pointed toward almost total lack of care; and in one instance the presence of considerable obscene writing in the toilet booths indicated a lack of proper supervision. The foul toilet in the basement of the Maplewood Baptist plant should not have been allowed to exist in any institution, expecially not in a church. Every church board in Maiden should assure itself that the standards of sanitation and cleanliness are not being violated in its institution. F. Water Supply The standards for water supply include three divisions: 1. Drinking fountains 2. Washing provisions 3. Hot and cold water OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 111 With the exception of the First Baptist Church, the seventeen churches fail in great degree to meet the standards of this item. Drinking fountains are conspicuous by their absence. The splendid fountains in the First Baptist Church are in marked contrast to the total lack of provision for sanitary drinking in other plants. Illus- tration 80, page 149, shows a class room for young children with a drinking fountain installed. With similar installations in corridors and other class rooms for very young children, this school and church plant is given a high score on this item. Such installation as is shown in the Maplewood Methodist, illustration 61, on this page, with- out the sanitary bubbler equipment, is adequate reason for a very low score. Past failure in the establishment of standards in this field is no doubt responsible for the inadequacy that Maiden churches display on this item. The provision for washing the hands are superior to the facilities provided for drinking water. It is highly satisfactory to find two churches with such high-grade wash bowl installation as is found in the Centre Methodist and the First Baptist churches. In illustration 59, page 108, may be seen the high-grade plumbing of one of these ILLUSTRATION 6l. UNATTRACTIVE, POORLY-EQUIPPED KITCHEN OF THE MAPLEWOOD METHODIST CHURCH 112 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY plants. Soap dispensers, paper toweling and waste paper basket are attractive elements in this situation. In some plants, wash bowls are lacking entirely or remote from toilets. In other plants the only place where hands may be washed is the kitchen sink which also is apparently used as a slop sink for the janitor. The standards on page 186 covering this item should be adopted by all church plants which are to be used over a period of years. Adequate toilet provision should be paralleled with the necessary wash bowl installations. It is desirable that hot water be supplied at all wash bowls and sinks. The instantaneous heaters, to be observed in illustrations 86, page 163, and 83, page 159, make this provision easily possible. High-grade kitchen sinks may be seen in illustrations 83, page 159, and 86, page 161. The sink of the Linden Congregational plant, illustration 84, page 161, with its supply of cold water only, presents a real handicap to adequate kitchen service. G. Other Service Systems The standards for these auxiliary systems, such as clocks, signal systems, telephones, and service lifts are met in varying degrees in the seventeen plants. The efficiency of a plant depends in consider- able degree upon the amount of acceptance that is found of the stan- dards as outlined on page 187. Large plants, destined for community service, cannot be expected to be efficient without telephones, clocks and signal systems. The scores allotted these items indicate that advantageous changes can be made in some plants. The auxiliary service systems of the First Baptist and Centre Methodist plants were rated high by the judges. H. Service Rooms and Fuel Rooms On page 188 are incorporated the standards for these rooms. The janitorial force of a building cannot be expected to serve that building efficiently unless provided with a proper workshop and with proper tools. Adequate provisions for janitors will, in the future, be considered more and more necessary as buildings become better equipped to perform the service demanded of them. In the majority of the seventeen church plants the fuel room has also been located and constructed without regard to modern standards. Such ele- ments as fire-proofness and dust-proofness have evidently not been included among the considerations on which they have been built. A scale of fuel rooms will show the First Baptist fireproof room at the upper end with a large number of fuel rooms at the lower end, such as those of the Faulkner Methodist, the Mystic Side Congrega- tional and the Maple wood Baptist. OF MALDEN, MASS. 113 CHAPTER V Item IV* Church Rooms A IS to be expected, the item of "Church Rooms" is more ade- quately cared for in the churches of Maiden than in any other of the six main divisions of the score card. Even though this is true, the total scores given to the churches on this item show that most of them do not even approximate the maximum standards set for these rooms. The total score for this point is the sum of the scores given on the items: A, Convenience of Arrangement; B, Auditorium; C, Chapel or Small Assembly Room; D, Parlor and Church Board Room; E, Church Office; F, Pastor's Study, and G, Church Vault. The rank, actual score, and highest possible score of each church for the item of Church Rooms and the score for the above sub-items are given in Table VII and shown in Chart V. An analysis of the several sub-items will show existing conditions in Maiden better than the total scores, since it will indicate more specifically where the strong and weak points are and some of the possibilities of remedying them. The lower chart shows the upper chart divided according to the major subdivisions of the item, Church Rooms. A. Convenience of Arrangement In some of the churches where the score for this item is relatively high, it is because the convenience of the rooms was definitely planned for at the time of building. This was the case in the First Baptist, the People's Church of the Nazarene, the Linden Methodist and others. In some of the churches the fact that the present plant is the result of one or more additions, with the limitations thus placed upon convenience of arrangement, makes the scores relatively low. This is particularly true of St. Paul's Episcopal, the Robinson Methodist, St. Luke's Episcopal and the Maplewood Methodist. In several of the churches the " Church Rooms" consist largely of the auditorium, and when other rooms in this group are provided they are frequently put into any available space regardless of their con- venience with reference to the main auditorium and the principal entrances. There are several arguments against having a church or school auditorium upon the second floor of a building, only one of of which 'is the inevitable inconvenience of arrangement with the other rooms. Four of the churches surveyed have second story audi- 114 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY 2 c 2 o 3 I isi -3 ^ I CQ *S5 I! C w --2 n a> * o ~ V O a; ~ s W C8 O S H o S M-i 73 O 0) ''_ * fl^ 1*1 01 . .2 S r w o i- 2" g^ Is O m ^3 C ^ 1C s ICCOOCCOOUSlOlOOOOr-IOOOO CM rH i I i ( I -< (M T-H C\l CO OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 115 X ffi ? > g 116 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY toriums. These are the Centre Methodist, the Robinson Methodist, the Maplewood Methodist and the Linden Congregational. In a sense the auditorium of the Maplewood Congregational may be con- sidered as being on the second floor. The desirability of the splendid auditorium of the Centre Methodist is seriously reduced because of this fact. In the Robinson Methodist the second floor auditorium is reached by two straight, steep flights of stairs, one on the outside of the building. The inadequacy and inconvenience of the arrange- ment of church rooms in the Maplewood Methodist is as bad as any in the city. The auditorium shown in illustration 32, page 70, is reached only by the stairway shown in illustration 34, page 71. This narrow, poorly arranged, wooden stairway is wholly inadequate, since it does not permit more than two people abreast to ascend or descend. The stairway to the choir room and choir gallery is so nar- row, winding and poorly lighted that it is inconvenient and dangerous even for ordinary use. The same inconvenience of arrangement is caused in the Linden Congregational Church by having the auditor- ium upon the second floor. It is impossible to reach the auditorium from several of the first floor rooms without passing through other rooms. Illustration 33, page 71, shows the awkward sunken en- trance to the school auditorium and one of the winding stairways to the auditorium upstairs. In St. Luke's Episcopal Church the joining of the two buildings which make the present plant was not done with any idea of convenience in using the two buildings at the same time. The sketch of the floor plan (not drawn to scale) will show the difficulty of passing from the church auditorium to the school auditorium or school rooms. If this is to be accomplished without going out of doors, it must be done by going through the robing-room, and around the organ through an opening just large enough to permit one person to pass at a time. Illustration 39, page 76, shows the way the two buildings are united and illustration 38, page 76, shows the main church and school foyer and the passage into the room back of the organ. The Maplewood Baptist Church is one of the churches where the rooms are conveniently located both with reference to each other and also to the entrances. The one outstanding defect in this element is the location of the church parlor in a back second floor room reached by the steep narrow stairway shown in illustration 28, page 65. The Eastern Avenue Baptist Church is a good example of church rooms arranged conveniently and in s'ich a way as to secure a maximum of use. The main church auditorium opens directly by means of large sliding doors into the smaller assembly room at the rear. This makes OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 117 118 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY it possible to supplement the seating capacity of the larger room by that of the smaller. This use could be made moire readily if the pews in the smaller room were permanently faced in the opposite direction, which would have the added advantage of keeping the congregation, when using the smaller room, from having to look directly into the windows in front. This is shown in illustration 67, page 127. The pastor's study, the church office, the clerk's room and the mother's room are all conveniently located off the smaller auditorium. The First Baptist Church is another example of conveniently located rooms. Illustration 65, page 121, shows the supplementary location of the smaller religious assembly room with reference to the main church auditorium. The other church rooms, with the exception of the church office, are conveniently located with reference to the entrances and the main church auditorium. The church office is very inconveniently located on an upper floor of the church school building. As the community activities of the several churches are enlarged and the rooms are used at anything like their maximum capacity, the item of arrangement will be given much more consideration than it has in the past. B. Auditorium The church auditorium is considered, by the judges whose opinions determined the allotments of points on this score card, to be the most important single item in the church and religious education plant. In the group of church school rooms it represents over half of the total score possible, being responsible for 95 of the 170 points. The church auditorium is so fundamental to the existence and per- sistence of any church group that the auditorium is provided whether any other room is or not. Because this room represents so large a proportion of the score and because it plays such an important part in the religious service which any church renders to its community, the score has been divided into the thirteen sub-items which appear on the score card and which makes it possible to evaluate more accur- ately the adequacy of the auditorium when considered as a total. It will present the situation in a more helpful way if the auditoriums of the seventeen churches of Maiden which were surveyed are dis- cussed with reference to the sub-items. 1. SIZE OP AUDITORIUM Because of the importance of the auditorium, it is fairly safe to as- sume that it is adequate in size for the congregation using it. When OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 119 ILLUSTRATION 63. THE VERY ATTRACTIVE INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH AUDITORIUM OF THE ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 120 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY ILLUSTRATION 64. THE WELL-LIGHTED, ATTRACTIVELY DECORATED AND PLEASINGLY PLANNED AUDITORIUM OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 121 M ILLUSTRATION 65. SHOWING THE BALCONY AND DESIRABLE CONNECTION BETWEEN AUDITORIUM AND CHANEL. FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 122 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY it is evident that the auditorium will not accommodate all who desire to come when, in other words, it is obvious that the size of the audi- torium is keeping people from worshipping who otherwise would come, it inevitably starts a building campaign. It may be said of the Maiden churches that most of them have auditoriums large enough to seat the present congregations. This is conspicuously not true of the Mystic Side Congregational Church and the Union Baptist, both of which are overcrowded and seriously handicapped by lack of space. Practically all of the church auditoriums, with the exception of the First Baptist, the Centre Methodist and the First Congregational, are too small to accommodate well-attended union meetings, or en- larged community gatherings. 2. SHAPE OF AUDITORIUM The auditoriums of the surveyed cnurches in Maiden are quite gen- erally satisfactory in shape. Most of them are rectangular, with the pulpit and organ at one of the narrow ends. They are also uniformly good in the ratio of width to length, which should be approximately three to four. The length should never be more than twice the width. Only two of the churches in Maiden are not given perfect scores in this item, and they are the Mystic Side Congregational and the Robin- son Methodist. In both of these, and particularly in the Robinson, shown in illustration 29, page 66, the width is too great for the length and makes it impossible for all the congregation to have a direct view of the speaker. This fact is true of the auditorium of the People's Church of the Nazarene, when the doors are open and the school assembly makes a part of the main auditorium. 3. SEATING Nine of the seventeen churches received a perfect score for their audi- torium seats, which would indicate that the pews are comfortable, properly faced relative to the pulpit and platform and arranged with aisles so that not more than twelve seats are between aisles. The seats used in the Eastern Avenue Baptist, Maplewood Baptist, St. Luke's Episcopal, Maplewood Congregational, Linden Congrega- tional and Union Baptist are not standard and lack either in form or comfort or both. 4. BALCONY A church auditorium seating less than three hundred people should not have a balcony. Unless the room seats over four hundred, the balcony should be located at the rear of the room. The balcony of the First Baptist Church is inadequate, and it has the disadvantage OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 123 of being reached by winding stairways. With the present arrange- ment, people seated in the upper seats of the balcony face an annoy- ing glare from the auditorium lights. The relation of balcony to auditorium is shown in illustration 65, page 121. The balconies of the Centre Methodist, illustration 53, page 97, and the Maplewood Methodist, are the only two to be given the total possible five points. Several of the churches have small balconies, inaccessible and with poor seating arrangements. One or two show by the conditions of the seats that they are not used. 5. PULPIT AND PLATFORM All of the churches surveyed, have, of course, provided for pulpits and speaker's platform. The pulpits are in almost all cases remov- able, so that the platform may be utilized for other purposes, but the platform is generally inadequate in size for such uses. The low scores on this item in several of the churches were due to lack of equipment, chairs of pulpit not in harmony with the remainder of the room, in- accessibility of the platform from choir gallery or from main auditor- ium, too low or too high elevation of the platform or inadequate size or shape. 6. BAPTISMAL EQUIPMENT This item was provided for in varying degrees of adequacy, but in most cases sufficient provision was made for the needs of the church. In the Eastern Avenue Baptist Church and the People's Church of the Nazarene, there was inadequate provision for dressing rooms and for seclusion in entering and leaving the baptistry. The most adequate provision for this rite is made in the memorial baptistry of the First Baotist Church, shown in illustration 64, page 120. 7. COMMUNION EQUIPMENT Practically all churches have adequately provided for this item. In a few cases the service is not complete and several of the churches do not have on the pews the containers for the individual cups. The maximum of equipment is reached in the Eastern Avenue Baptist Church in which a room is set aside for this service. 8. ORGANS The organ equipment of the seventeen surveyed churches varies from the large, adequate organ and echo organ of the First Baptist to the ordinary portable box organ of the Union Baptist and the Linden Methodist. Many of the churches have purchased good pipe organs and show their realization of the important place of music in their ser- 124 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY vices. In several cases the organs have not been as carefully installed as possible and inadequate space is left for the full speaking power of the organ. Detailed standards for two and three manual church organs are given in Appendix II, pages 205 to 210, 9. CHOIR GALLERY Most of the Maiden churches have made provision for their choirs. Few have, however, made any provision for larger choruses in com- munity pageants or holiday choral programs. The choir gallery in the First Baptist would be much more effective if so much space were not wasted in order to provide passageways to the baptistry. But few of the churches have choir galleries which can be used in con- junction with the platform and thus increase the available space upon occasion. The choir galleries in some of the larger churches are seri- ously handicapped by difficult, narrow stairways or doors leading to the gallery. This is true of the First Baptist and the First Parish in Maiden, Universalist, and in the Maplewood Methodist. If the galleries are to be used for pageantry and processionals it is desirable to have inclines for approaches rather than stairways. Most of the choir galleries lack many of the special provisions which make them more usable, such as special lights, music holders, floors constructed on two levels or portable risers for banking choruses, etc. 10. CHOIR ROOMS A standard choir room is not be found in Maiden. Many of the churches have places where a small choir may assemble, and hang up their wraps, but only three or four of the churches have made any attempt to provide choir rooms. In St. Paul's the present choir room is in the old building. See illustration 66, page 125. It is a large, barren room with a piano, uncomfortable benches and inadequate lockers for the choir robes. This is the only choir room large enough to serve as a rehearsal room. For further standards of these rooms as to size, number, location, and equipment, see pages 193 and 194. 11. ACOUSTICS In the large auditoriums of the Maiden churches surveyed there is practically no acoustic problem. The length of the auditorium and balcony of the First Baptist is such as to cause a slight echo which is not at all annoying when the room is well filled. Many of the churches received perfect scores on this item because they are correct in shape for good acoustics and the auditoriums are so small that there is no trouble about being heard in all parts of the room. OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 125 126 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY 12. ESTHETIC EFFECT Three Maiden churches received the maximum five points on this item. They are the First Baptist, illustrations 64, page 120, and 65, page 121, the Centre Methodist, illustration 53, page 97, and St. Paul's Episcopal, illustration 63, page 119. St. Luke's Episcopal, the Linden Methodist and the Eastern Avenue Baptist provide examples of smaller auditoriums which are clean and bright and decorated in good esthetic taste. The impression of the auditorium of the Eastern Avenue Baptist is marred by the various colored borders of the win- dows. In some respects the auditorium of the First Parish in Mai- den, Universalist, is one of the most attractive in the city, and, on the other hand, its windows are so heavily colored and with such a varia- tion in the colors used that it results in a trying light so inade- quate as to produce a depressing gloom. There were only 0.2 foot candles* in the center of this auditorium at the middle of the day, while at the pulpit and in the balcony there were respectively only 0.08 and 0.02 foot candles. This was not enough light to read by without the severest eye strain. Some of the auditoriums were scored very low on the important item of esthetic effect because they had not been recently decorated, large water stains and discolorations were conspicuously present, and there was no attempt to provide a unity of color scheme throughout the room. The unconscious appeal of a bright, attractive auditorium, typifying in many respects the things that the churches are teaching, is a strong element in the success of the work of any church. It is hardly consistent, and, even if not inconsistent, it is poor pyschology to ask people to leave their homes in order to worship in a room which is less comfortably furnished and less appropriately decorated. 13. CLOAK ROOM There is practically no provision in the Maiden churches to care for wraps and umbrellas. Four or five of the churches have provided hooks about the halls and foyer and two have umbrella racks. In none of these is there a separate room conveniently located in which coats and wraps may be left or where an attendant may easily and sys- tematically care for these during services or special programs. Pro- vision should be made for wet rubbers and umbrellas in racks or cases similarly numbered to the lockers in which the wraps are placed. This will facilitate the use of any checking system. Eleven of the seventeen churches have made no provision for this item. It is difficult and not very satisfactory to generalize upon the ade- * Measured with the aid of a Macbeth Illuminomcter. OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 127 III 128 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY quacy of the church auditoriums of the churches of Maiden, but since the auditorium is one of the elements of the church and religious education plant which is always provided, it is at least significant to notice some facts about the entire situation. According to the scores allotted by the four judges, 12 per cent, of the auditoriums receive less than 50 per cent, of their possible score, 59 per cent, receive less than 75 per cent, of their possible score. The remaining 29 per cent, receive between 75 per cent, and 89 per cent, of; their possible score. These figures are only interesting as they indicate that some of the standards which would make the church auditoriums more effective as meeting-places for the communities have been neglected. C. Chapel or Small Assembly Room Such a room is deemed an essential in the church room equipment of most churches. It gives a meeting-place for smaller gatherings, prayer meetings, large committees or other organizations where the nature of the meeting calls for less formality and the free participa- tion of those present. The need for such a room is realized by every one of the churches,, but special provision for such a room has been made by only two or three. The small assembly room in the First Baptist Church is adequate and convenient for the holding of these smaller meetings. Illustration 68, page 129, shows the platform of this room. The Eastern Avenue Baptist has a room distinctly used for this purpose. See illustration 67, page 127. In both this room and the one in the First Baptist, however, the audience is compelled to look directly into windows, which is very trying because of the direct light and also because of the colored glass in the windows. The Linden Methodist and the Maplewood Baptist each have rooms which easily may be used for these smaller meetings, but which also had to serve other purposes as well and so cannot be as appropriately furnished. In the other churches these smaller meetings are cared for either in the large auditorium or in the religious school assembly. Neither of these makeshifts will secure the same easy informality so essential to the success of many of these meetings. D. Parlor and Church Board Room There are certain functions of a church, such as small receptions to visiting ministers, lecturers, etc., meetings of the church board or meetings of combined or joint committees when a room is needed which is not distinctly a church room in the literal meaning of the word. It should be more "homelike" than the usual office and yet should be furnished with the proper facilities for carrying on the different kinds of service assigned to it. The most adequate pro- OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 129 ILLUSTRATION 68. A SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSEMBLY ROOM IN THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. WELL EQUIPPED PLATFORM, AND ATTRACTIVE ROOM, BUT AN ANNOYING SERIES OF CROSS LIGHTS FOR AUDIENCE TO FACE 130 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY vision for this room is in the First Baptist Church shown in illustra- tion 46, page 85. This double room can be divided and used for two groups or thrown together for larger groups. It is attractively fur- nished and lends itself readily to a number of uses. The First Parish in Maiden, Universalist, also has made special provision for such a room. It is not so conveniently located as in the First Baptist. Provision for this room is made in St. Paul's Episcopal, Mystic Side Congregational, Maplewood Methodist, First Congregational, and Maplewood Baptist, although in these as well as in the other churches the rooms are often used for other purposes and thus lose the distinc- tive character which they would otherwise possess. E. Church Office If a church is to be a constant factor in community service it must be reachable at all times or at least at frequent and regular times. It must have accurate and usable records of its members and activi- ties. It is significant that only four of the seventeen churches pro- vide a church office where permanent records may be kept and where the church secretary may do his work. These are, in order of the adequacy of their provision, the Centre Methodist, the First Baptist, the Eastern Avenue Baptist and the First Parish in Maiden, Univer- salist. The efficiency of the office of the First Baptist is seriously handicapped because of the inaccessibility of the room. The office of the First Parish in Maiden, Universalist, presents only slight evi- dence of efficiency. F. Pastor's Study The First Baptist, the First Parish in Maiden, Universalist, the Mys- tic Side Congregational, the Centre Methodist, the Eastern Avenue Baptist, and St. Paul's Episcopal, may be said to provide pastor's studies which can be used for that purpose. In the People's Church of the Nazarene, full credit was given because the parsonage, con- taining a study, is attached to the church. In the other churches the pastor is expected to maintain his own library and study in his resi- dence. This makes it less easy for him to be in the church and in touch with the various lines of activity which the church is sponsor- ing. To be sure, when in the church building, his reading may be more often interrupted, but it is equally true that the opportunities for exerting his influence upon the play and work of his congregation and upon the individuals who will go to him for help and advice when he is accessible will be so much greater in number that they will more than offset the disadvantages of interruption. OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 131 G. Church Vault There is now a clear realization in modern institutions that it is necessary to make and preserve accurate records of their work. It is only from the intelligent study of accumulated data that we are able to plan the future development of any work in a way to avoid the mistakes and profit by the successes of the past. The time, effort and expense of making such records of a church's activities are hardly justified unless there is a safe place provided for keeping them. A vault which is both fireproof and damp-proof and large enough to store the accumulating documents over a long period should be part of every church and religious education plant. This is particularly necessary where the religious school hopes so to do its work that it may be a real factor in the education and development of boys and girls. Such a vault is provided in the First Baptist Parish House, but it is the only one in the seventeen churches surveyed. ILLUSTRATION 69. SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSEMBLY ROOM OF THE FIRST PARISH IN MALDEN, UNIVERSALIST. A WELL FURNISHED, IMPROPERLY LIGHTED ROOM, SHOWING BALCONY CONNECTION TO INADEQUATE CLASS ROOMS 132 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 133 CHAPTER VI Item V* Religious School Rooms SCHOOL rooms for the adequate and efficient teaching of religion in the churches of Maiden range in score from 140 to 13 points of a possible 200. Three churches only (First Baptist, 140 points, Centre Methodist, 119, Universalist, 102) manage under this heading to exceed one-half the standard score on the basis of the judg- ments rendered. The scores on this main item of the score card are given in Table VIII and graphically represented in Chart VI. The lower charts show the upper chart divided according to the major subdivisions of the Item Religious School Rooms. Most of the buildings reflect the uniform lesson standards prevalent twenty years or more ago. Some progress toward the full separation of departmental and class rooms may be noted, even in the smaller churches such as Mystic Side Congregational and the People's Church of the Nazarene. For the current systems of graded lesson teach- ing, with separate departmental assemblies and organized class life, the larger and newer churches have made creditable provision. A desire to make the best of available facilities is everywhere apparent. The standard here employed assumes that every church school is responsible for an effective and adequate teaching of religion. To be effective, this teaching must be done, grade by grade, under the conditions which experience has shown to be necessary for the doing of good school work in that grade. To be adequate, it cannot be confined to an hour on Sunday, but must reach into the school hours of the week. The class instruction must also be supplemented by assembly worship and instruction and by various forms of class and club life, recreation and platform expression. Rooms that fail to reach this standard fall short of making possible the full discharge of the church's educational responsibility; and the shortage cannot be met by any amount of human skill and devotion. A. Location and Connection Proper location of each room and proper connection and relationship^ between rooms are necessary -to the educational efficiency both of the class room and of the assembly. There is excellent connection be- tween the rooms in each of the two buildings of the First Baptist, but a full assembly cannot be called without many classes having to 134 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY 5 OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 135 O o & o o ffi I 3 3 136 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY face the weather. A covered way, conveniently entering both' build- ings, would meet this defect. See illustration 22, page 59. The connections made between class rooms and assembly rooms in such plants as the Centre Methodist, St. Paul's, First Parish in Mai- den, Universalist, First Congregational and others leave much to be desired. The relationship between class rooms and assembly rooms in the Centre Methodist is not conducive to effective school manage- ment. The corridors and stairways of the upper floors are inadequate for a mass movement to or from the floor below. From the church auditorium of First Congregational the descent to the Sunday school floor is by rather narrow stairs to a narrow and dark passageway, from which one reaches the main room only by going through one of the department rooms. This is clearly shown in illustration 37, page 74. The kindergarten room of St. Paul's Episcopal is reached by climbing a winding stair such as is seen in illustration 27, page 65. The class rooms in the residential annex of St. Paul's are approached only by the narrow, single stairway of the old residence. Faulkner Methodist has one narrow, winding stair as the sole interior connec- tion between its church floor and the basement rooms, as seen in illustration 36, page 74. Other examples of inadequate connections may be seen in illustration 51, page 94, of the Maplewood Methodist; 40, page 77, of the Maple- wood Congregational; 81, page 151, of the Maplewood Baptist plant; and 62, page 117, of the Mystic Side Congregational Church. In the latter instance, the kindergarten room is located on the second floor with three windows overlooking the church auditorium. The school assembly is on the floor below the auditorium, while another class room is on the auditorum floor. B. Assembly Room Twelve of the seventeen rated churches reached the standard score (10) as to the adequate size of the church school assembly room. The adequate size is due in such instances as the Maplewood Baptist and the Robinson Methodist to the fact that the school assembly room is an outgrown church auditorium. Thus this excellence is in most cases inherited; the tendency of recent years being toward re- duced general assembly space and wholly separate departmental assemblies. But the new conceptions of church school responsibility and scope of service demand a large and fully equipped assembly as well as separated assemblies for the beginners, primary and other de- partments. OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 137 138 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY It has been frequently suggested that the proper assembly room for the Sunday school is the church auditorium. There are, however, serious drawbacks to this combination. Where one service follows the other, the friendly greetings and conferences that properly delay withdrawal clash sharply with the need for a prompt and reverent opening of the service that is to begin. When the standards for the pulpit, chancel and setting of a church auditorium are compared with those for an efficient church-school assembly, with its platform, stage, picture screen, entrances and lighting effects, it is seen how difficult a problem it is to combine the two without injury to either. On location the assembly rooms of the Church of the Nazarene, Linden Congregational, Maplewood Baptist and Methodist and Eastern Avenue Baptist received full scores. These were well situ- ated above ground with good entrances. Several were located in basements or otherwise inconveniently, and thus were reduced in score. The First Baptist, Universalist, Church of the Nazarene and First Congregational received full score as to seating of the as- sembly room. The seating of these rooms may be seen in illustra- tions 82, 69, and. 57, pages 153, 131, and 105, respectively. Inad- equate seating may be observed in illustrations 71, 51, 50, and, 35 pages 137, 94, 92, and 72, respectively. No divided opinion obtains as to the value of good daylight for all parts of school assembly rooms. On this vitally important item only one church, Mystic Side Congregational, made full score (10); Maplewood Congregational reaching 8 and First Baptist 7. Size and location of windows in the last case were sacrificed in the main building for the sake of a massive architectural effect; in the community building on account of limited lot room. In order to utilize the ground up to the line, a dead party wall was built, requiring that all illumina- tion should come from the other side, already shadowed by the main building. The blank wall of one side of this school assembly is shown in illustration 20, page 57. The interior view of the adult assembly, illustration 82, page 153, shows this room lighted from the right side only. There are no windows to the left. The departmental assembly, shown in illustration 80, page 149, is also lighted from one side only, viz., from the right. The main light passes through the four windows to the immediate left of the side entrance shown in illustration 22, page 59. It is quite evident that these four windows cannot furnish adequate light for a room which runs the entire width of this building. The secondary light entering this room only slightly supplements the light from the four windows. The front lighting of the Maplewood Baptist assembly as seen in illustration 71, page 13 7 , is a particularly faulty typeof lighting and one to be avoided. OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 139 140 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY The high standards for platform and stage have not been approached. These standards suggest a utilization of the school assembly for pag- eantry, dramatization and other school and community activities which cannot become possible because of the inadequate provision of the majority of assemblies in the seventeen plants. The highest scores on this item were allotted the First Parish in Maiden, Univer- salist, and the First Baptist plants. These platforms may be seen in illustrations 73 and, 82 pages 141 and 153. The inadequacies of even these situations may be seen by a careful perusal of the standards on pages 197 to 199. The total inadequacy of the " Platform and Stage " of other plants is quite apparent in illustrations 71, 72, 51, pages 137, 139, and 94. Under "Moving Picture Booth and Stereopticon (10)," only six scored at all, First Baptist having full score, Maplewood Methodist 7, and Centre Methodist, Universalist, Mystic Side Congregational and First Congregational, 5 each for the lantern. The need of an equipment for picture teaching and dramatization has apparently not yet been conceded by all the churches. The standard for "Decoration of Assembly Rooms (5)" is reached by the First Baptist Church with its harmonious combination of dark wood, white walls and well chosen pictures and furniture. The People's Church of the Nazarene also rates high. Far too little attention has been given by the majority of the churches to the "unconscious tuition" ministered by walls, windows, pictures and the general atmosphere of the church rooms. The best type of assembly room in the seventeen plants is shown in illustration 82, page 153. The seats are comfortable and well spaced, the pictures are exceedingly high grade and desirable, and there is good, indirect artificial lighting. Note the lantern screen in platform ceiling; this should be mounted inside the proscenium arch, out of sight. Large class rooms with fairly tight movable partitions occupy the rear corners of the room, that to the left being much in need of daylight illumination. Another type of assembly room is that of the Maplewood Methodist illustration 51, page 94. Note the front illumination; long benches, making class grouping difficult; the church stove taking up part of the room; attached rooms for the children's departments reachable only by raising the movable sashes. The library also has no separate room, the shelves being ranged along the wall to the right. There is a begin- ning in the work of wall decoration. OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 141 142 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY C. Class Rooms No uniform or adequate standards have been the basis for the plan- ning of the class rooms in the seventeen plants. A scale of class- rooms beginning practically at zero and extending to a point at some distance remote from perfection may be readily established from the samples found in these plants. The need that each class shall have its separate class room, freed by a solid wall from distractions visible and audible, is fundamental in any plan of effective teaching. Releasing at once that part of the teacher's energy that in a "main room" is expended in neutralizing counter-attractions, it also makes possible the handling of a much larger class without disturbance of others, permits free use of black- board, maps and manual methods, encourages the functioning of the class organization, and may be developed and decorated as the organ- ization's week day headquarters and home. Such rooms as are shown in illustrations 76 and 77, pages 144 and 145, contrast sharply with the back-to-back benches of the Maplewood Baptist, or indeed with any of the numerous efforts at class segregation brought to light in this survey. For the cradle roll class of older babies a suitable nursery room is needed, adjoining the beginners' room and the mothers' class. For ILLUSTRATION 74. ONE OP SEPARATE CLASS ROOMS MADE BY SCREENS AT THE SIDES OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSEMBLY OF THE FIRST CONGRE- GATIONAL CHURCH OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 143 144 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY ILLUSTRATION 76. CLASS ROOM OP THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, EQUIPPED ONLY WITH CHAIRS AND COAT RACKS the beginners' and primary department rooms the table-circles shown in illustration 70, afford all the segregation needed for that small part of the hour that is devoted to class work and the telling of the lesson stories. A wide floor that can be cleared quickly for room activities is relatively of far greater importance. This picture from Centre Methodist illustrates some of the furnishings of a good begin- ners' room, as currently advocated. How a well-equipped primary room may be ruined by poor lighting is well shown in the two pictures of the First Congregational Church, illustrations 77 and 21, pages 145 and 57. Viewed by the photogra- pher's flash, the room seems nearly ideal. But through those large windows almost no light comes except at certain times of day; and the second picture shows why. The shadow of the adjoining house falls on the windows like a black curtain, making artificial light a necessity. The church has wisely made this light as soft and per- vasive as possible. This view of the joint beginners' and primary room in First Congre- gational Church shows the seats when arranged for the circle talk at OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 145 146 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY the opening of the hour, with blackboard and class tables ready for use later. The low-hanging pictures, teacher's desk and rack for cloth- ing should also be noted. For the junior department the class question is harder to handle. The view of the large junior room of First Baptist, illustration 80, page 149, with many classes, each a few feet from its neighbor and each circled around a table, illustrates what seems at present the only way to handle class teaching in a large junior department. So long as the church continues to employ amateur teachers, substituting numbers for quality, this arrangement will doubtless continue to be the rule. Where the room is small, as in Faulkner Methodist, illus- tration 75, page 143, it is more difficult to avoid interference of class with class. Large classes, each in its own well-planned class room, and each in the hands of a well-trained teacher, would seem the proper educational provision, Sunday and week day, for the junior grades. When we reach the intermediate and senior classes, the need of en- tirely separate class rooms is felt to be imperative by every teacher with a clear teaching ideal. Maiden is full of attempts to meet this. St. Paul's Episcopal houses several of its classes in the rooms of a converted dwelling house, illustration 24, page 61, and endeavors for the rest to get good class conditions out of a series of long tables, with separating curtains, under the windows of its large assembly ILLUSTRATION 78. ONE OF THE BEST CLASS ROOMS IN THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PART OP ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 147 ILLUSTRATION 79. KITCHEN AND CLASS ROOM OF MAPLEWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH USED AS A STORE ROOM BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO PROVIDE SUCH SPACE IN ORIGINAL PLANS room, illustration 56, page 103. The First Congregational in a somewhat similar situation, uses burlap screens, with narrow collapsible tables, as shown in the view of such an improvised class room, and of the school assembly, illustrations 74 and 57, pages 142 and 65. The Centre Methodist for some of its classes uses merely a table with chairs, with many classes provided for in the same room. The Maplewood Baptist Church as seen in illustration 71, page 137, uses an arrangement of four assembly benches to give these children a sense of class segregation. The Centre Methodist, First Parish in Maiden, Universalist, illustration 69, page 131, and the First Baptist provide for such classes a supply of small class rooms, not always well shaped, conveniently reached, adequately lighted or with suitable ventilation. Several of the other churches supply one or more rooms for this need as their facilities allow. Somewhat larger rooms, to seat from sixteen to thirty each, would be more in line with indicated tendencies in church school architecture for the needs of tomorrow. Little attention has been given to the matter of class room floors in most of the churches. This is partly due to the fact that in many cases the class rooms are occupying the oldest parts of the building, which have been outgrown for other purposes. The contrast in this item may be seen in the floors shown in illustrations 70 and 56, pages 148 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY 132 and 103. If these rooms are to be used as "home rooms" for the various classes the effect of a good floor which can be kept clean, and upon occasions adorned with rugs is a decided advantage as well as a good influence. The same lack of attention which characterizes so many of the floors of the religious class rooms in Maiden is even more true of the walls and ceilings of these rooms. Many of them present a very uncared-for, dismal appearance because of old, faded and dis- colored paper, cracked and broken plaster, and large weather stains. In practically every case where recent redecoration had been done it was in the church auditoriums and not in the class rooms. Not much attention is given in the class rooms of the Maiden churches to the use of pictures on the walls. In many of even the better rooms there were no pictures while in many others the pictures were poor prints of inappropriate subjects. Examples of the use of better pictures are shown in illustrations 82, 70 and 77 on pages 153, 132 and 145 re- spectively, while illustrations 71 and 51, pages 137 and 93, show the use of less desirable and less appropriate pictures. The total absence of pictures in the class rooms of some of the churches and the resulting barrenness of the rooms is evidence of a failure to use the elevating influences exerted by artistic masterpieces. Blackboards and bulletin boards for the easy mounting of pictures, exhibits and notices were conspicuously rare. In only a few class rooms was there more blackboard space that is furnished by one or two movable blackboards. The use of blackboards for instructional purposes, especially with the younger children, is entirely impossible. A bulletin board or other display surface where pictures or samples of the work of the children may be attractively shown is an easily obtain- able and highly desirable asset to modern instruction, and yet it is found in but very few of the religious class rooms of the seventeen churches surveyed. Such a surface made from a strip of burlap is shown in illustration 77, page 145. A standard class room has doors swinging either outward or having a two-way swing. Even in the most modern plants in Maiden this highly desirable standard is not followed. Class rooms should have built-in closets or cases for the storage of books and supplies and where a class room has no built-in closet, a neat cabinet for books, supplies and class exhibits would seem to be indispensable; even in the class rooms like those of illustrations 76 and 70, pages 144 and 132, inade- quate provision is made in this matter. The standards on natural illumination of class rooms require the placement of windows to the left of the pupil or student, with the elimination of all window area to the rear. They require that the OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 149 150 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY ratio between clear glass window area and floor area may be as 1 to 4. The non-conformance to such standards may be readily observed in the illustrations of class rooms. The standard, it must be remembered, is what public school leaders have found indispen- sable to secure satisfactory results in class work with avoidance of deleterious eye-strain. Only the light and casual use that is made at present of church school facilities saves them from more severe con- demnation. It may not now be possible to enlarge the glass area to the standard of 20 to 25 per cent, of the floor area; but at least the seats of some classes might be so turned as to bring what light there is to the students' left and not in their faces. Seats and desks for a church school, when of standard efficiency, rate at 10 points. Two churches only, the First Baptist and the Centre Methodist, reach half of this score; the Universalist and Robinson Methodist followed. While the single movable school desk has not appeared as yet in many church class rooms it will be introduced as time progresses. For most of the seating surveyed little can be said in extenuation. In most cases a few children's chairs are provided, but not all of these are in good order (see illustration 77, page 145 of First Congregational, primary room, page 143, and the evidence of careless handling shown at Maplewood Baptist, illustration 81, page 151). The teacher's need of a good desk is almost entirely ignored. The tables used for the smaller children's classes in many of the churches have been counted as standard when of satisfactory size and construction with chairs to suit. In handling classes of boys and girls from the third grade and upward of the public schools, the seats to be found in most of the Maiden class rooms will not suffice. Boys and girls should be given desks with working surfaces, with storage place for books and materials. These desks should be assigned so that each child feels a responsibility for his own. The remainder of the instructional equipment was in the majority of cases as inadequate as the seating and blackboard provisions. Bur- lap class walls, with rickety sewing tables as desks, uncomfortable auditorium benches for seats and one map on the wall do not make for much efficiency. Boys and girls do not desire to be talked to only, but wish to participate in class room work by activities of their own and by handling concrete materials. The standards, page 201, sug- gest that the equipment should include maps, globes, display exhibits, scrapbooks, stereopticons and tables, pianos and the like. The most adequate provisions were those of the Centre Methodist and the First Baptist plants, (see illustrations of class rooms for details.) OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 151 152 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY No teacher who has struggled to hold attention against the imperti- nent interruptions of main-room noise will undervalue the item of separateness in class room construction. On this vital point the score is 10; and such class rooms as the churches have provided scored under it from 9 points (First Baptist) all the way down. Reliance on so-called sound-proof partitions, some of which formed the only doorway to the rooms, was the cause for many of the low scorings. D. Cloak Rooms What inconvenience, loss and confusion is regularly caused by the absence of such provision, and what distractions arise when any movable article of outdoor wear is carried by the child to his seat, the Sunday school teacher knows full well. Proper installations under this head are the cheapest of all ways to increase educational efficiency. The standards suggest that "Cloak rooms should adjoin class rooms of little children and be under teacher control. Cloak rooms should provide ample space for winter wraps for each child. The heights of hooks should be adapted to heights of children. Um- brella racks should be provided. Cloak rooms should be easily acces- sible to children and so arranged as to avoid confusion. Cloak rooms should be provided with natural and artificial light." That these standards are not met may be seen from the racks of illustrations 76 and 77, pages 144 and 145, and the hooks of illustrations of 81 and 54, pages 151 and 99. The nearest approach to the standards is to be found in the cloak rooms under the organ in the Centre Methodist plant. E. Superintendent's Office Centre Methodist, taking seriously the work of the superintendent of its church school, has provided him with an office for the better per- formance of his duties. It is not much of an office, being but a little space available under a stairway, but it is good as far as it goes. It may be seen in illustration 26, page 65. The First Baptist has fur- nished its primary superintendent also with a room for his work and the storage of department supplies. The other fifteen churches have given their superintendents no office whatever. F. Laboratories As the church confronts its social responsibilities and plans its educa- tional service for the years to come, various forms of manual train- ing, available as means of religious culture, eome into view and must be provided for. Daily Vacation Bible Schools are already bringing OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 153 154 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY into the churches many types of handwork for boys and girls, and our share in the great crusade of Americanization will extend this movement to seniors and adults. A geography room, equipped with sand tables and facilities for modeling maps in pulp and plasticine, is now in regular use in some well-graded Sunday schools and has fully justified its installation. Work rooms of some sort, therefore, are properly specified for the standard plant of the church school. This is what should be. As to what it is, the story is not long. On a score of 10 points, First Baptist, Centre Methodist, First Congre- gational and Mystic Side Congregational score 1 point each. The other churches score zero. G. Supply Rooms A supply room for the many stocks of printed matter, lesson helps, blanks, forms, etc., needed in a live church school, is a need obvious to all. In the Union Baptist nothing to correspond with this could be found; in ten others there was enough to score 1; in three more, 2; while Centre Methodist scored 3 and First Baptist, 4. When week-day work comes in, the need of an ample room for both storing and handling supplies will have to be met. But as to this and every other accessory item, why should these real needs of the Sunday school, however incidental, be so easily passed by? Surely the best we can provide for Monday's lessons in arithmetic and spelling is none too good for Sunday's lessons in Christian character. OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 155 CHAPTER VII Item VI* Community Service Rooms IT'S a far cry from the four-wall-pulpit-roof-and-steeple church of yesterday to the standard church and religious education plant of today. The contrast is indeed great, but no greater than the contrast between the pioneer home of our parents and the home we hope our children may enjoy. Every phase of our social and indus- trial organization has made such rapid strides in the development of its physical plant, equipment and machinery within the past few years that the old shells that were adequate in their day have been abandoned as obsolete and useless. We have only to note the trans- portation facilities, the highways, the public buildings, the schools and the like to appreciate the rapidity with which standards are changing. The school that at one time kept such children as wished to attend fairly dry, reasonably warm, and taught them the "three R's" was sufficient in its day. It was adequate in terms of the standards of that day. But not so today. Increased demands for greater educational opportunity have come with leaps and bounds. The old buildings have failed to meet the new demands no less cer- tainly than the old curriculum has failed to satisfy conditions of modern life. Church and religious education plants do not seem to have kept pace with the increased social demands. Except in rare instances, church organizations are endeavoring to attract and hold with nineteenth century facilities for service the members of a society who live in twentieth century surroundings. Only as the church organization, through improved facilities for rendering broader social service, reaches out into the lives of the people of the community, can it hope to combat successfully the undesirable influences that are competing for the interests of people in general and especially of young people. It is with the idea of this greater social service that the standards of the church and religious education plant have been formulated. It is especially true of that part of the score card dealing with com- munity service rooms. Items I to V have long been recognized in some degree of development as essential to the church organization, but the conception is not generally accepted that the church plant should have: a recreation and dining-room, kitchen, library and reading room, women's and mothers' room, club rooms for girls, men, and boys, nurses' and rest-room, day nursery, civic center gymnasium, locker rooms, and game and amusement rooms. 156 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY 2 5 i! 3 o 1 rt o. 8 > - (A 3 s a if - I x> SS H O GO + ** ^N - = - OQ 5 =s= 2 .- r M ^1 "S S X ' 2 w i 18 B 8 - o u Gemsh orn metal 73 V Dulciana metal 73 R 1 Unda Maris metal 61 1' Flute d'Amour wood and metal 73 2' P'rrnlo . . metal 61 r Tuba reeds 73 (All stops except Nos. 1 and 2 in Choir Swell Box) OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 209 SWELL ORGAN 12 16' Bourdon wood 73 pipes 13 8' Open Diapason wood and metal 73 " 14 8' Stopped Diapason wood 73 " 15 8' Flute Traverse wood 73 " 16 8' Viole d'Orchestre metal 73 17 8' Vox Celeste metal 61 18 8' Aeoline metal 73 19 4' Flauto Traverso wood and metal 73 20 4' Principal metal 73 21 2' Flautina metal 61 22 3 Rks. Dolce Cornet metal 219 23 8' Cornopean reeds 61 24 8' Oboe and Bassoon round tone soft reeds 61 25 8' Vox Humana very soft small scale reeds 61 26 8' Salicional , metal 73 CHOIR ORGAN 27 8' Geigen Principal metal 73 pipes 28 8' Doppel Flote wood 73 notes 29 8' Melodia wood 73 " 30 8' Gemshorn metal 73 " 31 8' Dulciana metal 73 " 32 8' Unda Maris metal 61 " 33 8' Viola da Gamba metal 73 pipes 34 4' Flute wood and metal 73 notes 35 2' Piccolo metal 61 " 36 8' Saxaphone reeds 73 " 37 8' Clarinet reeds 61 " ECHO ORGAN (Played from Great Manual) 38 8 Spitz Flute wood 61 pipes 39 8 Muted Viola metal 61 " 40 8 Flute Celeste wood 49 " 41 4 Wald Flute wood and metal 61 " 42 8 Vox Humana reeds 61 " 43 Chimes 20 bells PEDAL ORGAN 44 16' Open Diapason wood 44 pipes 45 16' Bourdon wood 44 " 46 16' Violon from No. 1 32 notes 47 16' Lieblich Gedeckt from No. 12 32 48 8' Octave Bass from No. 44 32 49 8' Violoncello from No. 33 32 50 8' Dolce Flute from No. 45 32 " 51 8' Gedeckt from No. 14 32 52 16' Tuba.. . .20 from No. 11 .. 32 " 210 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY COUPLERS 53 Great to Pedal 65 Choir 4' 54 Swell to Pedal 66 Choir 16' 55 Choir to Pedal 67 Swell to Choir 56 Swell to Pedal 4' 68 Swell to Choir 4' 57 Great to Pedal 4' 69 Swell to Choir 16' 58 Swell to Great 70 Swell 4' 59 Swell to Great 4' 71 Swell 16' 60 Swell to Great 16' 72 Choir to Swell 61 Choir to Great 73 Swell Unison in Key Jamb 62 Choir to Great 4' 74 Choir Unison in Key Jamb 63 Choir to Great 16' 75 Echo "On," Great "Off" 64 Great 4' MECHANICALS 76 Swell Tremulant 78 Echo Tremulant 77 Choir Tremulant Crescendo Indicator Affecting Great and Echo Organs with duplicate Pedal Studs ADJUSTABLE COMBINATIONS (Operated by pistons placed under respective manuals, also by corresponding pedal pistons) Piston No. 1 Piston No. 2 Piston No. 3 Affecting Swell Organ with duplicate Pedal Studs Piston No. 4 Piston No. 5 Piston No. 1 Piston No. 2 Piston No. 3 Piston No. 4 Piston No. 5 Piston No. 1 1 Phto^NoJ Affecting Choir Organ Piston No. 4 J Piston No. 1 1 l Affecting PfcWO^n. Piston No. 4 J Piston No. 1 ] Piston No. 2 [ Affecting Full Organ Piston No. 3 J PEDAL MOVEMENTS 1 Great to Pedal Reversible 2 Balanced Swell Expression Pedal 3 Balanced Choir Expression Pedal 4 Balanced Echo Expression Pedal 5 Grand Crescendo Pedal Organ Bench with Music Shelf of same material as Casing Concave Pedal Electric Blower of ample capacity OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 211 APPENDIX III List of Illustrations Illustration Page Number Number 1 First Baptist Church 18 2 Centre Methodist Church v 20 3 First Parish in Maiden, Universalist Church 22 4 St. Paul's Episcopal Church 24 5 Robinson Methodist Church 26 6 Methodist Church 28 7 Linden Methodist Church 30 8 Mystic Side Congregational Church 32 9 People's Church of the Nazarene 34 10 First Trinitarian Congregational Church 36 11 Eastern Avenue Baptist Church 38 12 Maplewood Baptist Church 40 13 Linden Congregational Church . 42 14 Maplewood Methodist Church 43 15 Maplewood Congregational Church 46 16 St. Luke's Episcopal Church 48 17 Union Baptist Church 50 18 Basement of Union Baptist Church 51 19 Environment of First Congregational Church 57 20 Blank Wall of Parish House, First Baptist Church 57 21 Side View of First Congregational Church 57 22 Parish House, First Baptist Church 59 23 Rear of Maplewood Congregational Church 60 24 Religious School Building, St. Paul's Church 60 25 Main Stairway, Centre Methodist Church 65 26 Side Stairway, Centre Methodist Church 65 27 Winding Stairway, St. Paul's Episcopal Church 65 28 Stairways of Maplewood Baptist Church 65 29 Auditorium, Robinson Methodist Episcopal Church 66 30 Front Stairway, Robinson Methodist Episcopal Church 67 31 Main Exit, Robinson Methodist Episcopal Church 67 32 Auditorium, Maplewood Methodist Church 70 212 CHURCH BUILDING SURVEY Illustration Page Number Number 33 Stairways, Linden Congregational Church 71 34 Front Stairway, Maplewood Methodist Church 71 35 Sunday School Assembly Room, Linden Congregational Church . . 72 36 Inner Stairway, Faulkner Methodist Church 74 37 Stairway Connection, First Congregational Church 74 38 Floor Plan, St. Luke's Episcopal Church 76 39 Foyer, St. Luke's Episcopal Church 76 40 Primary Class Room, Maplewood Congregational Church 77 41 Kitchen, Linden Methodist Church 78 42 Sunday School Assembly Room, Linden Methodist Church ... 79 43 Basement, Maplewood Baptist Church 80 44 Basement, St. Luke's Episcopal Church 82 45 Basement, First Congregational Church 83 46 Parlors, First Baptist Church 84 47 Air Intake, First Parish in Maiden, Universalist 90 48 Air Intake, First Congregational Church 90 49 Air Intake, First Baptist Church 91 50 Furance in School Assembly Room, Mystic Side Congregational Church 92 51 Sunday School Rooms, Maplewood Methodist Church 94 52 Class Room, First Baptist Church 95 53 Interior of Centre Methodist Church 97 54 Class Room and Storeroom, Maplewood Baptist Church 99 55 Large Class Room, Centre Methodist Church 101 56 Sunday School Assembly Room, St. Paul's Episcopal Church . . . 103 57 Sunday School Assembly Room, First Congregational Church . . . 105 58 Banquet Room, First Baptist Church 107 59 Toilet Room, First Baptist Church 108 60 Toilet, St. Luke's Episcopal Church 109 61 Kitchen and Storeroom, Maplewood Methodist Church Ill 62 Auditorium, Mystic Side Congregational Church 117 63 Auditorium, St. Paul's Episcopal Church 119 64 Auditorium, First Baptist Church 120 65 Balcony, First Baptist Church 121 66 Choir Room, St. Paul's Episcopal Church 125 67 Small Assembly Room, Eastern Avenue Baptist Church 127 OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS 213 Illustration Page Number Number 68 School Assembly Room, First Baptist Church 129 69 Sunday School Assembly Room, First Parish in Maiden, Universalist 131 70 Beginners' Class Room, Centre Methodist Church 132 71 Sunday School Assembly Room, Maplewood Baptist Church . . . 137 72 Sunday School Room, Centre Methodist Church 139 73 Community Room, First Parish in Maiden, Universalist 141 74 Type of Class Room in the First Congregational Church 142 75 Primary Room, Faulkner Methodist Church . 143 76 Class Room, First Baptist Church 144 77 Primary Class Room, First Congregational Church 145 78 Class Room, St. Paul's Episcopal Church 146 79 Kitchen and Class Room, Maplewood Bpatist Church 149 80 Class Room, First Baptist Church 149 81 Class Rooms in the Maplewood Baptist Church 151 82 Assembly Room, First Baptist Parish House 153 83 Kitchen, First Baptist Church 159 84 Kitchen, Linden Congregational Church 161 85 Kitchen, Faulkner Methodist Church 161 86 Kitchen, First Parish in Maiden, Universalist 163 14 DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED LOAN DEPT. This book is due on the last date stamped below, or on the date to which renewed. Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. Y \\rnf to .,.^ ^ JRN'^ 959 t">rT"n i i 5 J/ tt ICiH >^9 V O Iw'J 9 .10 Aprs) o.... I..C MAR 2 7 '65 -5 3 M T I, """TrL'',',; 11 ''"'"" 1 VD 'D UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY