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BREAK GROUND FOR MEMORIALCHURCH FRONTWorkmen Start Work On St. Francis Xavier Church Memorial Front.Work of laying the foundation for the memorial front to St. Francis Xavier church, West High street, for which the State Knights of Columbus contributed the sum of $25,000 at their convention at Easton in 192*1, has been started. It is expected the new front will be completed by Christmas.It will be dedicated in May, 1925, when the Pennsylvania Knights of Columbus hold their annual State convention here.The front will take the form of aGrecian portico, supported by sixcolumns of Indian limestone, eachweighing ten tons. The front wall ofthe church, which is now of brick,w ill be replaced with a limestone front. The Hoosier Limestone Company, of New York City, has been awarded th* contract for the limestone.The portico will measure 40 by 10feel Two steps leading to the portico and the door of the portico will be of granite supplied by a York firm.Prominent Sculptor Samuel Murray, of Philadelphia, a sculptor of nation-wide prominence, who did the sculpturing of the Pennsylvania monument on the Battlefield here, has been awarded the contract to design and work out in bronze two tablets which will be placed on either side of the main entrance to thei hurch.On the one tablet will be sculptured a scene, showing Father Corby, a Catholic priest, who administered the la»t rites to hundreds of soldiers on the battlefield here during the fighting on July 1, 2, and 2, 1863. giving general absolution to a soldier. The scene is taken from a famous painting, showing the same setting, hungat Notre Dame University.Sisters of Charity ministering to wounded soldiers will be the scene depicted on the other tablet which Mr. Murray has been commissioned tosculptureThree Entrance*Instead of one entrance to the church proper as now, plans for the new front call for three entrances, 1 one on either side of the main entrancewhere the sculptured tablets will heplaced.The floor of the portico will be on a level with the vestibule of the church, thereby eliminating the steps into the church under the present arrangements. Two steps will lead from the pavement onto the portico.All stone used in the constructionof the new front will be cut and fitted before it i shipped here. F. X. Kuhn and Sons, marble and granite workers, of Hanover, have been awarded the contract to set the pillars and stones as they are shipped here.County Man ArchitectBernard Starr, of Harrisburg, formerly of Littlestown, is associate architect for the new front, being con- j nected with the firm of Cram and Ferguson, Boston architects, who aredesigning the memorial.When completed the memorial will completely trar^form the front of St. Francis Xavier church, making it the most beautiful church front, arehitec-»turally speaking, in Gettysburg. I
Newspaper Details
Gettysburg Times
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, US
Fri, Sep 05, 1924
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PA, USA 14 Jul 2020
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