Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/123

1868.] Descriptions. 97 place of the bath-room, and a chamber, instead of the library. Altogether., there are eleven chambers, all of which are spacious, well lighted, and thoroughly ventilated. The entrances are so placed as to make them entirely private. Our full page engraving represents the main front, which has three stories and an attic formed within the French roof. This elevation is continued to the rear of the sitting-room. Beyond this, the stories — also three in number, with an attic — are on a level with the half- landings of the main stairs. Altogether, this bi-conjoined resi- dence, although not so truly in accord with ultimate architectural principles, as if it only afforded a home for one family, will yet yield two good abiding- places to two good neighbors. The Third Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, Pa. THE congregation of the Third Pres- byterian Church, at Pittsburgh, have just completed their new edifice, situated on Sixth street, near Grant. The plans for the new structure were matured in the winter and spring of 1864-5 ; and the work was begun early in the latter season. It was discovered, after the com- mencement of the excavation, that it would be necessary to use extra precau- tions, to secure a permanent founda- tion and especially at the corner where the tower stands. This portion, after examination, was found to require a cutting of from thirty to thirty- two feet in depth, to reach a stratum that would warrant permanency. To obviate this difficulty, it was requisite to drive piles, which was accordingly done. The piles, from ten to twelve inches in diameter, were driven to an average depth of thirty-two feet, and were not allowed to be more than eighteen inches apart, over a surface of forty feet square. This included the projections of the buttresses and the footings beyond the tower walls. The piles were then all cut to a level surface, two feet beneath the bottom of the cellar, and the earth re- moved from between them, three feet in depth. The entire cavity thus formed was carefully filled with concrete, closely packed and thoroughly cemented, until it reached the general level of the pile- heads. This whole artificial surface was then covered with three courses of heavy stones, from five to six feet long, com- pletely bedded in cement. Upon the upper course was commenced the regu- lar masonrjr, which was all methodically bedded, and clamped with iron at inter- vals, until it reached its limit, at the base of the spire. The entire length of the building, in- cluding the chapel, is one hundred and ninety-three feet ; the width, one hun- dred feet, including the buttresses. The audience room is ninety feet long, seventy feet wide, and fifty-two feet high to the most elevated point in the ceiling. A gallery is formed over the front vestibule, the front of which is curved to what is usually termed the horse-shoe form, and is capable of seat- ing two hundred persons. The main floor of the auditorium has one hundred and sixty pews ; and will seat comfort- ably eight hundred and sixty persons. The organ loft and choir are in the rear of the pulpit. The whole interior of these inseparable divisions, including the organ case, is fitted up with black walnut, oiled and unvarnished. The vestibule is laid with encaustic tiles of neat design. The entrance doors are all of walnut, and are hung with ten-inch double-jointed wrought-iron butt-hinges, with bronzed straps. Of these latter, which, together with the escutcheons, are antique, and in the Norman style, we give an illus- tration : No. 1, strap to the centre door ; No. 2, the escutcheons and rings to the same ; No. 3, straps to the doors of the side porch ; No. 4, the escutcheons and rings of the same on a longer scale.