HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC CHURCH NEAR COMPLETION IN SPRINGFIELD

The following Florida Times Union article was published on October 21, 1923 in Jacksonville, FL.

Will Be One of Finest Houses of Worship in Jacksonville, With Rev. Father D. A. Lyons in Charge – First Building in Jacksonville Finished Entirely in Arnold Stone – New Church Is at Corner of Laura and Cottage Avenue.

First building to be erected in Jacksonville with an exterior First building to be erected in Jacksonville with an exterior which is finished entirely in Arnold stone, the Holy Rosary Catholic church at Cottage avenue and Laura street in Springfield will be completed within another four weeks, if present expectations are realized, and dedicated with impressive ceremonies in November or early In December.

Arnold stone is a composition, manufactured by the Arnold Stone Tile and Brick Company of this city. It is cast in block form and before it has completely hardened is chipped off, resembling, when completed, the best grade of Bedford limestone. Arnold stone lessens the cost of construction by an appreciable amount.

Quite a number of buildings constructed in Jacksonville lately have been trimmed in Arnold stone, but the Holy Rosary Catholic church is the first to have both facade and trimming done in the Jacksonville product, the result being so close as duplicate of Bedford limestone that the Rev. Father D.A. Lyons. pastor of the church, has been approached by many who held the belief the more expensive product was utilized.

Handsome Church.

When completed, the Holy Rosary Catholic church will be one of the prettiest in the city. It is a combination of two styles of church architecture, the dominant note of appearance being Romanesque, with many touches of Gothic influence, the two forms combining to produce an imposing place of worship, unique, but not radical. The design is the work of James R. Walsh, Jacksonville architect.

Located on property owned by the church, the new structure is at the northeast corner of Laura street and Cottage Avenue. At each of the corners it is buttressed with pilasters intervening to enhance the Gothic effect. It is surmounted at the southwest corner by a bell tower and at the northwest corner by a spire, The entrance to the church 14 on the side facing Laura street. a cross being placed above.

The entrance is in the form of a rounded arch. Above the doors and beneath the arch is a niche containing a sculptural reproduction of the famous painting "Holy Rosary Group," one of the art treasures for which the Dominican chapel at Rome is noted. The sculptural reproduction is the work of an employe of the Arnold company, Gearge Howard. an Englishman recently arrived in this country who has pronounced talent. Mr. Howard required two months to complete the sculpture, hewing the figures out of the artificial rock after the stone block had been hoisted Into place. The Rev. Father Lyons says Mr. Howard's sculptured group is a remarkable reproduction, the more remarkable when it is considered that his only model was a replica of the painting contained in a book.

A Rose Window.

Above the entrance archway and below the cross which surmounts the church at this point is a rose window of modified design. It Is in simple, geometrical form, but the simplicity emphasizes its beauty. At each side of the entrance is a lamp. The entire facade is of rough imitation limestone finish, the trimming of smooth imitation limestone, and the archway has a semi-circular design leaf form hewn from Arnold stone. The exterior will be coated with a waterproof mixture to prevent the elements from affecting the original gray color at the stone.

Seats 600 Persons.

The Interior, as in all Roman Catholic churches, is devoted solely to a place of worship. The auditorium has a seating capacity of 600 persons. The ceiling is finished in plain plastering with a small frieze bordering the walls close to the top. Later, when the ceiling plastering has hardened thoroughly and is in condition to receive paint,

it will be frescoed. The greater part of the wall space will be a smooth plaster finish.

However, extending upward four feet from the floor will be a wainscoting of a special cement mixture. This will be impressed with the to form with a coat of enamel, giving the wainscoting a perfect tile effect at a more reasonable cost. The floors of the vestibule and the sanctuary will be of tile; the remainder of the flooring will be of hardwood.

Six pillars, three on each side of the center, support the roof inside the church. These pillars are made from a cement mixture which is moulded about form. Two of the pillars support the balcony, which is arranged to accommodate a pipe organ. Toward the front of the church interior are two pilasters, also of a cement mixture. The vaulted ceiling and the pillars and bilasters lend the interior an air of immensity and impressiveness.

The roof is of slate.

Set of Chimes.

Because of a prohibitive city ordinance, a bell will not summon members of the pastorate to worship. but a set of chimes will take its place.

The building proper will cost in the neighborhood of 70,000. Furnishings which are to be installed immediately after the church is finished will increase the cost to $80,000 Although this is not entirely paid, members of the parish confidently expect to lift all indebtedness within a comparatively short time. This spirit has marked the parish since it was authorized.

The Rev. Father Lyons and his parishioners had hoped to conduct dedicatory exercises in their new church on August 15 and their expectations would have been realized but for several delays which held back the work. Chief among the reasons for the delay in completing the building was a shortage of experienced labor, owing to a large amount of construction work starting at the same time. and this difficulty is still besetting the contractor.

Hadlow Is Contractor.

However, the contractor. W. T. Hadlow. said last week that he believed the work would be done within four weeks. All of the exterior work was completed last week and the scaffolding torn down. While plasterers are busy on the inside and have already completed the ceiling and placed the first coat of cement mixture on the wainscoting.

Parishioners are looking forward with anticipation to the completion of their church. For besides giving them a suitable place of worship, it will signalize remarkable growth for a parish so young. Until November. 1921 the parishioners were members of the Lackawanna parish. At that time, the Springfield section became a parish and the Rev. Father Lyons assumed charge. The Rev. Father Lyons came here from St. Augustine where he was assistant pastor of the Cathedral. It is planned to have a number of church dignitaries present at the dedicatory exercises.

When the new church has been dedicated, the frame building, constructed in bungalow style, which at present is in use as a charge, will become a Sunday school room. It also will be used as a community house for social functions and the community like. The present church is located just east of the new building and to the north.

Later, stained glass windows will replace the present plain ones and a marble altar will be procured.