This is the outline / notes that I am using for a presentation I am giving tomorrow evening (November 16th, 2010) as a case study of Old West Church in Boston, Massachusetts. I have attempted to frame the physical structure within its political and theological milieu as a lens to understand the functionality of the space. I may turn this into a self-contained presentation with narration, but as for now it is two items: 1) the outline here contained; and 2) the Open Office presentation that matches up with the notes. If any one is interested in either or both feel free to let me know. Old West Church in Boston, the political pulpit in three parts: first, the history 1737 until 1820 or so; second, the architect Benjamin Asher; third, the building itself.
History 1737 until 1820(ish)
Charles Lowell, the fourth pastor of West church gave a sermon on the fifteenth year of his pastorate and in the midst of this he tells a brief history of the society that now occupies West Church.
Lowell hearkens back to John Robinson, the pastor of the Pilgrim Father's in Leyden as the progenitor of the church now settled in America.
Whether he can actually trace a line back to the original dutch and english puritans is questionable, but his choice of characters to pick from history is interesting
Robinson left England to go to Leyden where he and his followers could practice their form of puritan worship outside of the constraints of 17th c. england.
His theology and politics were fairly radical, pushing for non-prayer book oriented congregationalism that focuses on the church society as the prime structure toward salvation – this is held in contrast to the concurrent english Caroline Divine theology which upheld scripture as interpreted through tradition and reason
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The choice of Robinson then shows the strong attachment that lived in West Church to the English dissenters, as well as the traditions of congregationalism
Pastors: Hooper, Mayhew, Howard, Lowell
while each man had his place as a political figure in eighteenth, or early nineteenth century boston the man who I would like to focus on is Jonathan Mayhew
Mayhew, a 5th generation American became pastor at West Church 1747 after graduating from Harvard – as was the custom of most of the West Church
congregational pastors.
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Preaching heavily against an episcopal model, and emphasizing a unity with nature Mayhew becomes a political figure in America.
Mayhew is considered one of the forerunners of Unitarianism, he held an arian theology which meant that he understood Jesus to be the son of God, not coeternal with God. This obviously drew some questions from both local pastors as well as English Anglicans.
Mayhew became one of the greatest polemical writers in eighteenth century America.
This makes him both the target, as well as the shooter of ecclesial politics across the Atlantic, and he often exchanged letters and tracts with both English dissenters as well as the Anglican defenders.
At his death Mayhew was considered a “transcendent genius” and one of the greatest men of his time
Mayhew is decidedly the most public figure that occupied the West Church pulpit, but his legacy continued. The political nature of the sermons given can be drawn out all the way into the middle of the nineteenth century. The relationship that the church had with the community, and the nation was set.
Asher Benjamin
Author of five books on the study, and practice of architecture Asher Benjamin was an early influence on the building style of towns throughout New England.
His books emphasized a correct way, and hierarchy of all the various architectural accouterments that you could use
He was one of the leaders in the federalist style of architecture.
Federalist style is a Renaissance of sorts, all the buildings you think of when you think of Boston and the Colonial look are typically Federalist style buildings
The style is very concerned with appropriating symbols, and styles from Roman and Greek architecture – this very conscious effort leant a sense of history to the very new country and its buildings
The style permeated all building types, houses, civic spaces, and church buildings
Working in Boston in the first years of the nineteenth century Benjamin was an engineer architect, or housewright as he was listed in the town directory. (1807)
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His emphasis on correctness of form, reduction of vanity, and the way in which a structure is to be used made him very suitable for the task at hand for the congregational churches in Boston.
To his name he has more than ten churches, and over 40 different major works.
The emphasis in the congregational church as non-liturgical, and eschewing vanity and ornament within their building meant that Benjamin's aesthetic fit well with the theological understanding of the church.
The Building itself
old church was built in 1737, and was a wooden building with a steeple
was taken down by continental troops in 1775 because there was fear that they were signaling to cambridge from the elevation in the tower
original building was razed in march 1806
new building corner stone was laid april 4 1806
27th November the church was “opened to the service of God” -Charles Lowell, 1820 sermon reflecting on his 15 years in pastorate. Note the language of opened versus the language of liturgical consecration.
The building itself was
75 feet long, and 74 wide; the walls 34 feet high; the porch 17 feet wide, and 36 feet long, the walls of the porch 73 feet high and finished after the Doric order.
On the porch is erected a cupola 29 feet high which is finished in the Ionic order.
The house contains 112 pews on the lower floor and 46 in the galleries, besides suitable accommodations for the singers
The ceiling has a dome in its centre 42 feet in diameter at the base the horizontal part of the ceiling is ornamented with pannels fans &x, and the house is warmed by four close stoves
Of interest is that the total cost, after selling the old lot and donating money to the African Church was $51,921 dollars 60 cents
Pews sold for $300 - $700 each, first days sales were on 20th november $49,555. All but 13 were sold by 1820
Now that we have a grip on the theological and political milieu that the building occupied we can examine how the space meets those needs
White washed walls
No ornament in terms of paintings or stained glass
some very subtle wood-work in the form of carvings on the stairs and in the columns
No formal liturgical movement in the space, simply the centrality of th
e sermon – which often takes on strong political overtones.Clock –Characterized as an “excellent clock” by Charles Lowell, first pastor at the new building, it was donated by John Derby Esq. Son of Richard Derby of Salem, a shipping magnate. Interesting because of the contrast of two items:
One of the very few pieces of actual ornament in the whole building and
Note the eagle atop the clock. Interesting to contrast the civic nature of the eagle, as well as the symbolism of having a clock inside the building at all. Shows a dedication to the outside world – unlike in churches where there is an expectation of being away from the worldly, here you have a clock which ties you to the outside world
Conclusion:
West Church Boston marks a fascinating place in American history – the combination of a political pulpit with the highly influential federalist period, in a city that was heavily congregationalist all added to make West Church an American institution. And a model for rethinking politics in the pulpit outside of a state mandated church.
