St
John's the Baptist Church was designed by Brothers Louis & Michael Beezer
and Architect John T. Comes in 1901. The facility was built in 1902 with the
combined efforts of Irish and Scottish immigrants. It replaced the previous
parish facility located at 32nd & Penn Ave. The parish was stratigically
located between other Irish churches: St. Mary's located at 46th Street and St.
Patrick's located at 17th Street, reducing the distance parishioners had to walk
for services. The ceremonial laying of the corner stone of the chucrh occurred
on June 2, 1902 and was well attended by ladies sporting parasols and gentlemen
of the community. The church was originally built at a price of $56,300 by the
Deed Brothers. The School and Convent were built in 1907 and the Rectory was
later added in 1923.
The
central part of the church housing the uppermost windows is called the
clerestory. These windows are made of "marbleized" glass, a mixture of
clear and translucent glass. The large windows are made of clear glass with
magnificent hand painted details. In every other stained glass window, there is
a miniature version of the Rose Window, the Church Brew Works logo. The nave
columns are built of stone and the wainscoting surrounding the church is of
brick which is a fairly unusual architectural feature. The church originally
accommodated 1020 parishioners.The appearance of the church is reminescent of San Miniato al Monte in Florence, Italy.
The original bell tower extended an astonishing 175 feet into the air and was a full three tiers higher than it is today. The tower tapered from a 19 foot base to a 17 foot 10 inch area at the top. The tower was reduced to half of its height for safety reasons in the 1960s.
The Church Brew Works has a website http://www.churchbrew.com where you can download the menu, read about the brewing process, find directions, or view photos of the facility. To receive information about the new speciality beers being tapped, menu developments, musical entertainment, or special events email the Church Brew Works at churchbrew@juno.com.
