USA > New York > Erie County > Buffalo > History of St. Paul's Church, Buffalo, N.Y. : 1817 to 1888 > Part 28
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THE SPIRIT OF THE BELLS.
High in the belfry of St. Paul's A strange, weird spirit dwells, Amid the ghostly wheels and ropes,- The Spirit of the Bells.
But ah ! When Christmas-tide returns, - The birth-night of our Lord,- 'Twould seem a year's glad ringing then Within the bells is stored.
As often as the bells are swung, The Spirit loudly sings ;
Now wild and sweet, now gay, now sad, His changeful music rings.
The Spirit holds high carnival Up in his belfry then ! And "Gloria in Excelsis" sings, And "Peace, good-will to men."
On Sabbath morn the Spirit's voice Loud o'er the city peals. At evening, like the Angelus, His silvery summons steals.
He swings the pealing bells about, The iron cups o'erflow And dash their floods of melody Upon the streets below.
X
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Amid the perfume of the flowers Which Easter morning brings, A risen and triumphant Lord The Spirit loudly sings.
Oh city ! Canst thou e'er forget This tale the Spirit tells High in the tower of old St. Paul's, Among the swinging bells ?
Again, beneath the wintry moon The Spirit's voice I hear,
'Mid flying snow and flying cloud, Proclaim the glad New Year.
Amid the roar of busy streets Which better feeling quells, List to that voice from old St. Paul's - The Spirit of the Bells.
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History of St. Paul's Church.
The Great Tower and Spire.
The proportions of the majestic tower and spire of St. Paul's, so perfect and satisfying to the most critical eye, become more appreciated as they are compared with other examples of such work, either in this country or abroad.
In the accepted design, as at first submitted by the architect, Richard Upjohn, Sr., the main spire had more windows than as finally built, and the junction of the octagon of the spire with the square of the tower was ornamented with small but elaborate open-work buttresses of stone. The angles of the octagons of both the large and small spires, for their full heights, were ornamented with carved crockets. On Decem- ber 21, 1866, when the work of building the spire was about to begin, Mr. Upjohn, in a letter to Dr. Shelton (quoted on page 103), speaks of simplifying the design, as " it will then be quite rich enough to accord with the severity of the tower and church." The change was a happy one, as it brought the fine lines of the structure into much stronger relief.
(See the reproduction, at page 68, of the lithographs of the church, published in 1851 for the benefit of the Chime Fund. Also, the illus- trations of the wooden model of the church in 1850, at page 390.)
The junction of the spire and the tower is most successfully car- ried out, yet with the utmost apparent simplicity of design, without any of the devices of using pinnacles, parapets or other ornamental stone-work to cover up the difficulties of uniting an octagon and a square. It is called, architecturally, a "broach " spire.
Mr. Upjohn's preliminary design for St. Paul's, as shown in the colored perspective drawing, preserved at the Parish House, exhibits interesting differences from the design finally adopted. The junction of the tower and spire is ornamented with corner pinnacles, and small open-work buttresses. The turret buttress is at the northwest corner of the tower instead of at the southwest. The west porch has no pediment and there is no flying buttress above it. The chapel on the
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THE RESTORED ST. PAUL'S. From southwest corner Pearl and Swan streets, showing the Great Tower and Spire. (See pages 314 to 318 )
Photograph by G. H. B., September, 1902.
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The Great Tower and Spire.
north side of the church is only about one-half the height of that in the design accepted later. The general lines of the edifice, as shown in this preliminary study, were not otherwise materially changed in the final plan.
The tower of St. Paul's forms the west wall of the south porch, and the south wall of the west porch, otherwise it is entirely disconnected from the main body of the church. The only entrance to the tower is by the doorway from the first floor of the south, or Erie Street, porch, which opens through the connecting wall into the "tower room." The stone-arched entrance to the west porch forms the base of the adjoining buttress of the tower.
There are curious discrepancies in the various statements of the height of the main tower and spire.
In a description of Mr. Upjohn's plans, published shortly before the work on the new church was begun, in 1849, the measurements of the church are very fully given. The height of the tower from the base line to its junction with the spire was originally intended to be 116 feet, and the height of the spire, 109 feet ; total, 225 feet. (See account of the wooden model, page 390.) The height of the spire was, however, much increased as finally built.
At page 109, in this volume, is quoted an article from the Buffalo Express of August 1, 1870, which gives the distance from the ground level to the top of the finial as 255 feet, the cross adding three feet eight inches, making 258 feet eight inches.
On page 103, in a quotation from the minutes of the building committee in 1867, a plan showing the height of the spire from the square of the tower as 120 feet is spoken of. The height was, however, still further increased.
The Buffalo Commercial of Saturday, August 7, 1869, speaking of St. Paul's spire, then about sixteen feet above the tower, and in course of construction, says : . . " Height of tower, 120 feet ; spire and cross, 130 feet "; total, 250 feet. The walls at the top of the tower are twenty-two feet square and four feet thick. "The carved finial is to be four feet ten inches in height, and surmounted by an Episcopal
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History of St. Paul's Church.
cross of copper gilt, three feet eight inches high, connected with the spire by an iron bar fifty feet long, the lower end of which will be fastened to an oak beam, which will be set in the masonry." The spire of Trinity Church, New York City, is given as 260 feet high. It has been asserted, however, by the builder that it is no higher than that of St. Paul's (see page 109), not having been carried to the height called for by the plans.
In the copyright title of the photographs taken from the scaffold- ing on the spire by C. L. Pond, shortly before the completion in 1870, the height is given as 266 feet. On page 142, this volume, in the description of the church in 1883, the figures 274 feet are given.
A measurement, in September, 1895, computed from the ground by triangulation, by courtesy of Henry L. Lyon, Civil Engineer, gives the height as 254 feet to the top of the cross.
Still another measurement, in August, 1897, kindly made by Lawson Adams, contractor for the new lightning rod put up in that year, gives the height of the main tower and spire, taken from the top of the cross to the ground, by means of a light measuring rope, as 266 feet.
Another computation by triangulation, was made by Guthrie & Diehl, Civil Engineers, in October, 1902, with the following result : Height of tower, 114 feet 5 inches ; height of spire, 132 feet ; cross, 3 feet 7 inches ; total, 250 feet.
These three later computations were made especially for this History.
The cross on the main spire of St. Paul's was put in place August 6, 1870. (See pages 108, 109.)
The Buffalo Commercial of October 3, 1871, says : "The finial of the belfry spire [of the Church Street, or small, tower] of St. Paul's Church was placed yesterday, thus completing an edifice that was begun more than a score of years ago, and which, long before it was finished, was regarded as the most attractive object in the city. [See note foot of page III.] We understand that the distinguished architect, Mr. Up- john of New York, deems it nearer to perfection than any other of the
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The Great Tower and Spire.
many beautiful churches he has designed, and we know that it is the admiration of all beholders. . . . But there is an ancient and dilapi- dated structure near by that is not so handsome. We allude to the venerable looking shed in which the stones have been cut and worked for St. Paul's, and which has disfigured the street more years than we care to specify - so long, that the memory of man runneth not to the contrary. This hoary old nuisance of a shed should not be suffered to cumber the ground a day longer, now that there is not a shadow of excuse for it."
The old shed shows in the photographic illustration opposite page IIO, in this volume, taken before the small spire on Church Street was finished.
(For a description of the arrangement of the interior of the main tower, belfry, etc., and of the turret buttress at the southwest angle of the tower, see pages 310, 311 of the chapter in this book on "The Chimes of St. Paul's."- For height of smaller tower and spire, see page 142.)
An examination of the exterior of the main spire, which we recently made through a powerful glass, resulted in some interesting discov- eries. Running up the stem of the finial, facing towards Pearl Street, is carved the name of the superintendent of the construction of the spire, "HURLBERT." (See pages 107, 121.)
Upon the opposite side of the stem, facing Main Street, is similarly carved the name of the master stonecutter and mason, " CASS."
(See page 107.)
A short distance below the finial are four small, round openings in the stone, facing north, south, east and west. Immediately below the level of these, upon the southwest face of the spire, is a stone bearing the following inscription :
"FOUNDED 1817 COMPLETED 1870 WILLIAM SHELTON RECTOR."
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History of St. Paul's Church.
Some distance below this, about half way to the tops of the highest windows, at the westerly angle of the spire, facing down Erie Street, is a stone marked in large letters :-
"S. E. M. 1870."
The significance of this we have been unable to ascertain. The stone bought with money given in 1864 by the Right Rev. W. J. Trower, Lord Bishop of Gibraltar, and which it was intended to mark with his name and the initials of his diocese, we have been unable to identify. Bishop Trower resigned his see in 1868, before the spire was built, and a different inscription, -- one perhaps even suggested by him,- may have been adopted. Possibly, if the story of the letters "S. E. M." referred to above, were known, they might prove to mark the stone he gave. (See pages 432, 433.)
We have found no record of any of these interesting inscriptions, nor have we found any one who knew of their existence.
It will be noticed in some of the illustrations in this volume, from photographs taken in former years, that the church in its entirety, and especially the great tower and spire, seemed to dominate the surround- ing buildings of the smaller city almost like a foreign cathedral.
The general effect of this noble piece of architecture is now some- what interfered with by the numerous high buildings since erected about it, marking the progress of Buffalo from a small to a great city ; but the view of the "cross-topped spire" from the southwest, as one looks up through the wide expanse of Erie Street towards Main Street, is particularly impressive and beautiful.
" It peereth in the air O'er the holy place of prayer . . . Like a watchman, at his post, : Let it say - Here the Lord Jehovah dwells, Here ring the holy bells, Here the Church's service swells ; Come and pray !"
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The Music, 1817-1903.
The Music at St. Paul's.
1817-1903.
" And these that sing shall pass away ; New choirs their room shall fill :
Be sure thy children's children here Shall hear those anthems still."
The rendering of the musical portion of the services has always been a matter of importance in St. Paul's Parish. Beginning in a very small and primitive way, the music improved as the parish emerged from its missionary beginnings early in the century, and grew and increased with the growth of the church. The musical affairs have been under the general direction of the music committees appointed by the vestries. These committees usually engaged the organists, and consulted with them as to the rendering of the music, subject, of course, to the rector's approval. The different committees did efficient and faithful work, but they did not consider it necessary to keep for- mal records of their proceedings, and few of their reports made to the various vestries can now be found, and those that are in existence are usually lacking in details. It has been consequently difficult to follow the different changes and growth of the music. It has been necessary to consult the books of the various treasurers, and many other old rec- ords and documents of the parish, old newspaper files, scrap books, and programmes. The Buffalo newspapers paid little attention to church festivals or church music, or indeed to music of any kind, until about the year 1864, when John R. Drake began his interesting musi- cal and dramatic notes in the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser. These notes and similar information in other Buffalo papers have helped in filling out some parts of the record given here.
In the very early days of St. Paul's the choir was composed of Jacob A. Barker, Dr. Josiah Trowbridge and Stephen G. Austin, assisted by a few of the ladies of the parish whose names are not men- tioned. Dr. Trowbridge was also a member of the first vestry. There is no record of any musical instrument being in use at St. Paul's at this time. On March 29, 1820, the oldest musical society in Buffalo was organized, called the " Musica Sacra Society," and the Rev. Deo-
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History of St. Paul's Church.
datus Babcock, who, a few weeks later, became the second rector of St. Paul's, was its leader and teacher. This society's membership list of fifty contains the names of most of the prominent residents of Buf- falo of that day.
The first frame edifice of St. Paul's was consecrated February 25, 1821. The village newspaper, The Buffalo Patriot, of July 10, 1821, had the following in regard to St. Paul's choir, which was a voluntary one, on the occasion of the fourth of July celebration in that year : ... "The procession marched to the Episcopal Church." . . . The services were " commenced by singing an appropriate hymn," and " were concluded by singing Hail Columbia. The able manner with which the choir acquitted themselves on the occasion was highly grati- fying to the audience." . . And of the celebration of the fourth of July, 1824, the same paper reports that, during the services at St. Paul's, "the singing was performed in a style creditable to the choir and highly gratifying to all." These are probably the earliest recorded musical criticisms in Buffalo, and serve to make almost audible to us those far-off strains of "Hail Columbia," sung by voices so long ago hushed. At the beginning of the rectorate of the Rev. Addison Searle, in March, 1825, he was given authority by the vestry to pur- chase an organ for the church. This was done by subscription, dated March, 1825 (see page 25). On August 22, 1825, " the organ recently placed in the church by Hall and Erben, was accepted, and the treasurer was instructed to pay them $430." The new organ was in place in time for the laying of the corner stone of the City of Ararat, September 2, 1825, on the "communion table of St. Paul's " (see pages 27 and 366), at which time, according to Major Mordecai M. Noah's own account, "the full-toned organ commenced its swelling notes, performing the Jubilate," and "'Before Jehovah's Awful Throne' was sung by the choir to the tune of Old Hundred."
At this time the number of communicants reported by St. Paul's to the convention was twenty-seven, and the following year, thirty-five. In 1827, the report was fifty communicants.
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The Music, 1817-1903.
The name of the organist who played at St. Paul's prior to 1827 is not known. The first recorded name is that of James D. Sheppard, who, in a letter written by him in 1840, says : " May 14, 1827, I arrived in Buffalo, and commenced my engagement as organist of St. Paul's Church, at a salary of $200 per year, and an additional sum of $50 per quarter for instruction to the choir."
Mr. Sheppard was an Englishman by birth, and a musician by nature and education. In England he was known as a clever oratorio singer, and at times had played the violin in various orchestras, and he had heard, and performed with, the great celebrities of his day. He was a man of sterling character, and the value of such an organist to the little village congregation in those primitive days can be readily appre- ciated. His service as organist lasted, with one or two short intermis- sons, until the old frame church was sold in 1850. Mr. Sheppard opened the first music store in Buffalo, in May, 1827, originally in his own name, and now known as Denton, Cottier & Daniels ; and in the same year he brought the first piano for sale to the village. People came from miles around to see this "strange machine."
In 1827, the choir consisted of Noah P. Sprague, J. M. Langdon, Dr. Stagg, B. Higgins, and Miss Katherine Kip, Miss Fanny Pomeroy, Miss Katherine Ransom, Miss Belinda Radcliffe, afterwards Mrs. Rob- ert Hollister.
On November 28, 1827, a subscription amounting to $113.50 was made " for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the music in said church, for six months ending on. the 28th November, 1827." From time to time subscriptions were made by different members of the con- gregation, in which they promised to pay certain sums per quarter for the tuition of pupils by the organist of St. Paul's. From May 27th to December, 1829, two "singing schools " were held each week.
In the minutes of the vestry meeting of April 23, 1828, occurs the first mention of a music committee, Dr. H. R. Stagg reporting for such committee. In the year 1828, the church edifice was much enlarged, as stated elsewhere in this volume. April 4, 1829, George
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History of St. Paul's Church.
Beach acknowledges receipt of $2.40 for "blowing the organ in the church." Another receipt, giving a glimpse of conditions at that time, is that of Loring Peirce, the sexton, dated April 18, 1829, for candles. Among the items is one of fifty cents "for four pounds candles for singers "; also, " sperm candles for chandelier," of more elegance than those for the singers.
In a letter written in 1829, Dr. Josiah Trowbridge says : "Our organ is closed, as I understand, on account of there being no funds to pay an organist." This stringency, however, could not have lasted very long, for in June, 1829, the vestry appointed Dr. Trowbridge a committee to sell the organ, and purchase a new one. The subscrip- tion list for the new organ, to cost $1,200, is dated September, 1829, and amounted to $950.
On Sunday, September 13, 1829, the Rev. William Shelton preached his first sermon as rector of St. Paul's. From December, 1829, to September, 1832, a "singing school" was held each week. On January 19, 1830, the first vestry meeting at which Dr. Shelton presided, it was resolved, " that Mr. Sheppard be paid at the rate of $200 per annum from the Ist September, 1829, and $150 per annum for the nine months previous," for his services as organist.
In 1831, the missionary stipend to St. Paul's was discontinued, and the parish became entirely self-supporting. In 1832, Buffalo was incorporated as a city, with a population of 10,000. In March, 1833, the vestry dispensed with the services of Mr. Sheppard as organist, on account of lack of funds ; but the new vestry, a month later, in April, reappointed him. In 1836, Trinity Parish was organized, at a meeting held at St. Paul's. In 1837, Miss Agnes L. Thompson (after- wards Mrs. Edward S. Warren) and Miss Kate Kipp are spoken of as singing in the choir. In April, 1839, it having been represented to the vestry that many of the congregation were dissatisfied with the church music, George B. Webster, Lester Brace and Dr. James P. White were appointed the music committee. At this time Mr. Shep- pard made a new arrangement with the vestry ; this was to have two
The Music, 1817-1903. 323
singing schools each week for the instruction of the choir, for which he was to be paid $400 per year in quarterly instalments.
In the autumn of 1839, six members of the choir left Buffalo, and others were secured to fill their places. The record mentions no names, but the choir usually consisted of ten or twelve singers.
On the first Monday in December, 1841, R. H. Heywood, Henry Hamilton and Lester Brace were appointed as the music committee.
A musical storm-cloud appears at this time, and on December 6, 1841, Mr. Sheppard resigned as organist, his resignation taking effect on January 1, 1842, at which time the parish was considerably in his debt.
On January 1, 1842, the new music committee employed Emory Taunt to take entire charge of the music of the church. Mr. Taunt was to employ an organist and an organ blower, and also to lead the singing and to give all instruction necessary to the choir, at least once a week, and to give musical instruction in the Sunday School room, and keep the organ in repair and tune. The first organist employed by Mr. Taunt was Mr. Barton, and later in the year A. L. Webb succeeded Mr. Barton. December 27, 1842, the music committee made their report saying that, in spite of Mr. Taunt's faithful and zealous efforts, they had "not fully realized their expectation of durable improve- ment " in the music, and asking that a new committee be appointed. E. S. Warren, Lester Brace and Joseph G. Masten were then appointed, and they discontinued the services of Mr. Taunt, January 1, 1843, and employed A L. Webb to play the organ for one month, after which Mrs. George Moore became organist and leader of the singing until Easter. For lack of expert attention the organ had become badly out of repair, and in March, 1843, William Williams made a full written report on its condition, in which he referred to Mr. Sheppard as "a long-tried friend of our parish."
In April, 1843, at the vestry election, church music was the burning question of the day, and fifty-seven votes were cast, being about three times the usual number. The new vestry appointed George B. Web-
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History of St. Paul's Church.
ster, J. A. Barker and Josiah Trowbridge as the music committee. The organ being found in very bad condition, from amateur attempts at tuning, they were given authority to employ a competent person to have it repaired. Mr. Sheppard was engaged to do this work, and was also reinstated, from Easter Monday, 1843, in his position as organ- ist, which he held until Easter, 1850.
The committee suggested that it might be advisable to pay certain members of the choir who were not members of the church and whose services were especially desirable. Mrs. Fallon was so engaged at Easter, 1843. This is the first mention of a paid singer in St. Paul's choir. Referring to Mr. Sheppard, the music committee said : " The committee are also of the opinion that the services of a person well qualified to have the charge and direction of the music of the church, to play the organ and to be depended on to keep it in tune and preser- vation, is greatly undervalued, and most poorly appreciated ; and when to these qualifications there are united in the same person a devout and reverential spirit and manner, securing respect and consti- tuting an important and influential example in the church and especi- ally in the gallery, where there is more likely to be levity and a disregard for the sacredness of the place - the value and importance of such an individual to the church can hardly be over-estimated."
An entry of 28th January, 1845, says : "For one flute stop to organ, by direction of the vestry, $50." On April 1, 1845, an agree- ment was signed between Miss E. P. Tryon and "St. Paul's Society for her singing at the regular services of said church," at $100 per year. Miss Tryon sang there until 1850.
In the choir, in the middle '40's, Miss Joy sang, Miss Webster, Miss Elizabeth Hersee, Mr. Houghton, A. H. Caryl, Hunting S. Chamberlain, Mr. Hagar and others. About 1845 Robert Denton sang alto in the choir. The members met socially and for practice at the home of George B.Webster, on the northwest corner of Swan and Franklin streets - where the Roman Catholic see house was afterwards built, adjoining St. Joseph's Cathedral ; also at the homes of R. H. Heywood and
The Music, 1817-1903. 325
A. H. Caryl. The choir in the frame church was a voluntary one, with the few exceptions referred to. During the last year in the frame church, 1849, Mr. Denton was assistant organist under Mr. Sheppard. One of the drawings made in 1849 of the frame church, reproduced at page 38, shows the pipe organ in the gallery over the main entrance, at the east or Main Street end of the edifice. This was the loft for the organ and choir from the earliest times.
March 8, 1850, the building committee reported the sale of the frame church ; the bell, organ, font, and certain other furniture belong- ing to the church were reserved. The frame edifice was sold to the German Evangelical Church of Buffalo (St. Peter's), and the last ser- vice of St. Paul's congregation in the building was held on Sunday, March 17, 1850, after which it was removed to Genesee Street, north- east corner of Hickory Street, where it was occupied as St. Peter's Church until 1877. The corner stone of the new stone edifice of St. Paul's was laid on June 12, 1850. During the building of the stone church the congregation leased Clinton Hall, on the southeast corner of Clinton and Washington streets, and worshipped there. This build- ing was afterwards known as St. Pierre's French Roman Catholic Church, and was demolished in 1900. At this time, Easter, 1850, James D. Sheppard severed his more than twenty years' connection with the parish as organist. His letter of resignation is dated Decem- ber 3, 1849, to take effect at Easter. Robert Denton succeeded him as organist of St. Paul's, at Easter, but Mr. Sheppard sang in St. Paul's choir for several months after this time, and later became the organist of Trinity Church.
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