Sunday Church Feature
St. John's Episcopal Cathedral
Spokane, Washington

St. John's Episcopal Cathedral at 127 Twelfth Avenue commands the escartment south of the downtown area of Spokane.  Its spires and carillon bells are  beacons to the Christian community throughout the city.

"Notice the large rose window over the west entrance as it changes colors with the varying light of day."(See photo above.) (Reference.)

West entrance

"Often called the finest cathedral in the North west because of its beauty and authenticity, this Gothic-style cathedral was constructed between the years 1926 and 1954. Architect Harold C. Whitehouse adhered strictly to the principles of Gothic design in construction in this "labor of love".  Mr. Whitehouse worshipped here every Sunday until his death.  The solid masonry tower, which houses a carillon, stands 166 feet above the cathedral floor.  The interior is well worth a  tour." (Reference.)

Sanctuary

"The Cathedral organ is an instrument of generous size and genuine majesty representative of the finest period of cathedral organ design in America. It consists of three divisions and pedals plus a gallery division, over 4,000 pipes. It is installed in two chambers high above the entrance from the crossing to the chancel, with four ranks and the state trumpets mounted above the balcony at the west end of the Cathedral. The organ was designed, built and installed by the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company of Boston, builders of the most notable pipe organs in America. In 2000, the console underwent major renovation and received new keyboards, drawknobs, digital combination action and digital control for all the pipework, performed by Marceau and Associates Pipe Organ Builders of Portland, Oregon.

"It is rare indeed for a city the size of Spokane to have a carillon at all, much less one as fine as this. The carillon in the tower of Washington National Cathedral, also cast and installed by Taylor and Sons, has only four more bells, 53 instead of 49." (See Link.)

One of a pair of front doors

Reference: Spokane's Historic Architecture, 1977.

Photos: Taken in October 2010 by SW.

Link: http://www.stjohns-cathedral.org/about/about_index.php

Happy U. S. Thanksgiving
Celebrating With Jefferson

The Jefferson Apartment building at 614 Jefferson Street sits on the bluff above the heart of downtown Spokane.  The apartment building was constructed circa 1910 in this area known as the lower South Hill.  The homes and apartment buildings of this area remain dusty jewels of  "Spokane's Age of Elegance" 1890-1910.  No matter the size of these homes they are iced with cornices, moldings, arches, lintels, bay windows, pediments, pilasters, verandas, scrolled brackets, finials, and columns.  Many of the original details can still be seen; this is the case with the three storey Jefferson.

Note the original diamond outlined leaded glass front door and side panels.  The brass kick plate runs up both sides of the door and ends in a decorative cut out. (See photo below.)

Front entrance and doorway.

The front interior staircase also dates back to 1910.  The carved spindles, rosettes, and square topped knoll posts shine in the dark wood. (See photo below.)

Front interior steps leading to third floor

The  original features in each apartment have been maintained.  Apartment #4 has a hallway leading to one bedroom, a bathroom,  a living room/dining room, and a hall pantry leading to the kitchen, and another small bedroom/office.  In the living room of apartment #4  are the 1910 built in buffet  and windows looking out to the side yard and .  Similar to the front door, the buffet again has the  diamond shapes in the leaded glass windows of the doors of the upper shelves. The handles on the lower drawers are in the original style.  The dark wood is not only on the buffet, but on all the doors and moldings. (See photo below.

Apartment #4 built in buffet

Between  the living room/dining room and the kitchen is a hallway pantry with a built in buffet covering two of the walls.  The  upper shelves can be seen through the glass in the doors.  A wide counter separates the shelf area from the lower drawers and cupboards with their original pulls.  And yes, this lower area includes a pull out flour bin. (See photo below.)

Apartment #4 built in buffet in hallway pantry

From the hallway pantry with its built in buffet is the entrance to the kitchen with windows looking out the back of the building.  Off one side of the kitchen is the hallway to the back entrance and stairs to the street.  Off the other side of the kitchen is a small bedroom/den/office, again with windows to the side yard.

The bathroom to the right of the front hall boasts the original bathtub with its claw feet. (See photo below.) The floors throughout the apartment are the original wood.  And in the basement the foundation walls are built of  large rough stone.

Apartment #4  Original claw foot leg on the bathtub

Note: Laura Wilson, daughter of Suzanne Wilson lived in apartment #4 at the 614 Jefferson in 2002 and 2003 while attending Gonzaga University where she received a Masters Degree in Education.

Photos: Exterior taken in 2010 by SW.  Interior taken in 2002 by SW.

Sunday Church Feature

Manito United Methodist Church

Spokane, Washington

The 1999 church booklet "Manito Memories" reports that the original  Manito Methodist Church was chartered in 1909 and a building designed by Kirtland Cutter built across the street from the existing parking lot in 1911.  The present building at 3220 S. Grand Blvd. was also designed by Kirtland Cutter. Construction was started in 1923 and the building was dedicated in 1924. The tower of the building was modeled after the Basilica of San Francisco in Assisi, Italy. (See Note.)  


"After the building was completed in 1924, the Spokesman-Review article described the church as..."The main auditorium seats 300 the gallery 125. On the same floor are the Epworth League room, a prayer room and the pastor's study.  On the street level floor are a ladies community room, a community hall seating 100, a dining room seating 100, and an electric kitchen.  The community hall will be a valuable for general purposes at any time.  The gymnasium is two stories high, extending from a sub basement through the ceiling of the street floor.  It will have a basketball and handball courts with shower baths, barber shop and toilet facilities for both men and women."(Link 3.)


The tower of the building was modeled after the Basilica of San Francisco in Assisi, Italy.  The sanctuary can hold a congregation of 250 and there is also a small chapel for intimate weddings and memorial services. (See Note.)

"After World War II, the South Hill area, like the rest of the nation, experienced a baby boom and the church was bursting at the seams.  Plans were drawn up for a three story educational wing addition that would contain classrooms, a chapel, bride's room, offices and library.   A new sanctuary was also part of the plan.  The educational wing cost $275,000 so the new sanctuary building was postponed.  The new wing was consecrated on January 17, 1960.  The new sanctuary was never built, which leads to a challenge since the two buildings don't line up well.  As a result, there are many steps to move from one level to another. " (Link 3.)

In 1968 the church became Manito United Methodist Church.  Today approximately 100 worshipers attend the Sunday service.  (*See Note.)


"Kirtland Kelsey Cutter was primarily a Spokane architect with a significant practice in Spokane, Seattle, and Southern California, as well as commissions as far away as England. Of Spokane’s many prolific and successful architects, he is the best known to the general public today. Spokane is where he first made his reputation, his buildings giving clues about the “economy, power structure, social life, and changing fortunes” of the growing city ... Cutter’s career spanned 50 years, from 1889 to his death in 1939. His legacy of large-scale houses and public buildings still standing in Spokane, Seattle, Southern California, and elsewhere is varied and impressive.

"With the encouragement of his uncle, Horace Cutter, a Spokane banker, Kirtland Cutter came to the fledgling city in 1886 and decided to practice architecture rather than to pursue a career in art. Initially Cutter supplemented his income from architecture by working as a teller in his uncle’s bank. His first residential designs were for his uncle and for his own house, “Chalet Hohenstein,” in 1887. On the basalt-strewn South Hill overlooking downtown Spokane, both were in a somewhat Swiss style. He received two important commissions in 1889, probably through his uncle’s banking connections. He made a success of two fine Tudoresque half-timbered houses, also on the South Hill, for James N. Glover (1837-1921), considered the father of Spokane, and businessman F. Rockwood Moore. With these residences, Cutter “had begun his long career in Spokane designing houses in an Arts and Crafts manner that seemed to grow out of the rocky hillsides”..." (See Link 1.)

Among the other Spokane buildings that Kirtland Cutter designed are: 1898- Amasa B. Campbell House, now part of the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture; 1898-Patsy Clark Mansion 2208 West Second Avenue which contains the largest stained glass window ever made by Tiffany Studios;
1910-Spokane Club; 1911-Monroe Street Bridge; 1912-Waikiki Mansion, now Gonzaga University's Bozarth Center; and 1914-The Davenport Hotel. (See Link 1.)

Photo: Taken in Spokane, Washington in 2007 by SW.
Note:   Thank you Rev. Flora Bowers for the history information given in our
               2010 phone conversation.
Link 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirtland_Cutter
Link 2: http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=115
Link 3: http://www.manitoumc.org/history

Special Birthday Feature
Happy Third Birthday Holly!

"The Riverfront Park Carousel, also known as the Looff Carousel and the Natatorium Park Carousel is a carousel in Spokane, Washington originally built in 1909 by Charles I. D. Looff. The carousel was a gift for Looff's daughter Emma Vogel and her husband Louis Vogel, who owned Natatorium Park in Spokane.[1] It remained at the park until 1968 when the park closed. The carousel was relocated to its present location at Riverfront Park in 1975 where it continues to operate.[2][3]


"The carousel still contains its original 1900 Ruth & Sohn Band Organ, although due to deteriorating player rolls, a digitized recording is played during the carousel's operation[3]. The organ was manufactured in Waldkirch, Germany and imported by Looff around 1900.


"The carousel contains 54 horses, 1 giraffe, 1 tiger and 2 chariots, all hand carved by Looff himself. It also has a brass ring dispenser that allows the outside riders to grab a ring during each pass and then toss the ring at a clown with a hole for his mouth. If the rider is successful in capturing the brass ring, he or she can turn it in to win a free ride on the carousel[4]." (See Link.)

Happy Third Birthday Holly!

Photo: Of the Carousel in Riverfront Park, Spokane October 2003  taken by her
Nana, Suzanne Wilson.
Photo: Of Holly taken on the Carousel in Riverfront Park in Spokane, July 2010 by her mother, Laura (Wilson) Misner.
Link:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverfront_Park_Carousel

Saturday Travel Feature
Spokane Milk Bottle

"The Benewah Milk Bottle is a landmark in Spokane, Washington. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the milk bottle was one of two constructed in the area to accompany a successful dairy operation's stores.

"The bottle was completed in 1935 and is a classic example of literalism in advertising. The bottle is stuccoed from its base to where it begins to taper to the bottle's neck. The neck and cap are sheet metal over a wooden frame. The entire bottle had an original white paint. It was Paul E. Newport who built the milk bottles. Newport owned the thriving Benewah Dairy Company. Company ads stated the bottles were "designed to build better men and women by making dairy products attractive to boys and girls. No expense will be spared to make these new stores as sturdy as fine, and as good as the products they represent." Wikipedia.

This first store was just as described, only a milk bottle shaped building. The sign put up on the stack of this building depicted a Native Indian in full feather headdress advertising Benewah Creamery, Fresh Milk and Cream. Later a rectangular store was added to the milk bottle. The first sign on the stack of this building was simply Benewah Dairy Store. Posters in the windows listed Butter 69 cents a pound and Cottage Cheese 19 cents a pound. Inside the store a sign read Lady Borden peach ice cream 20 cents. The next sign that appeared on the stack and the one that is present today is a neon oval that simply says The Milk Bottle. Above the oval is advertised the types of food that is served, such as burghers.

The color scheme inside the store has always been black and white. Photos that line the walls show the original long counter on one side and upholstered booths on the other side. The original floor was medium sized square black and white tiles. Today the sides of the long counter are covered in white tile and the upholstered booths have been replaced with small tables and chairs. The floor is covered in small white tiles grouted in black.

The Milk Bottle is located at 802 Garland Street in the heart of the Garland District of Spokane. Other neighboring buildings of the same era are the Ferguson's Fountain Cafe, the Brown Derby with it brown derby shaped sign, and the Masonic Temple on the corner. The Garland Theater, art deco in design and built in 1945, is just a block away. All these are worth a look when visiting The Milk Bottle that is only open 11 am to 4 pm and is always crowded. This is not only because it is a piece of history, but the food is fresh and reasonably priced: $7.83 for a milk shake, cheeseburgher, and fries or a salad.

A second 'Benewah Milk Bottle" is South 321 Cedar Street in Spokane, but is not thought to be presently in use.

Photo: Taken March 2010 by SW.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benewah_Milk_Bottle

Sunday Church Feature
St. Aloysius at Gonzaga

Gonzaga University in Spokane Washington sits on the bank of the Spokane River just north of the downtown area. Gonzaga University was started by the Jesuits in  1887 on a 320 acre of land purchased in 1881 for $936 by Fr. Joseph Cataldo. "It was named Gonzaga College after Italian Aloysius Gonzaga, the patron saint of youth." (Link 2) When the building was completed it was the largest building in Spokane except for the County Courthouse.  The tuition and board for the 20 students at that time was $250 for the ten month term.  A second building was added in 1892. Today 5,000 students attend Gonzaga University. "The campus now includes 94 buildings on 131 acres...Gonzaga employs over 1,200 people " (Link 2)  making it one of the major employers in Spokane.  The university is not only known for its academic excellence, but for its basketball team, the Bulldogs and affectionately called the Zaggs, and for one of its alumni, Bing Crosby.  Bing Crosby grew up in the area and at age 13 served as an altar boy.

St. Aloysius Catholic Church is at 330 Boone Ave. and is the eastern anchor of Gonzaga University.  A framed church was originally built in 1881.  It could accommodate a congregation of a few hundred people.  The church and the University recreation hall were moved in 1899. And in 1911 a new St. Aloysius Church was dedicated. 

"The present St. Aloysius church was dedicated October 12, 1911.  It has the largest seating capacity among Catholic churches in Spokane, able to accommodate 1,100 worshippers.  The church, which replaced an original wooden structure, was designed by the architectural firm of Preusse & Zittle of Spokane.  An adapted Romanesque style, its many rounded arches and graceful circular features help to soften construction lines.  The church, begun in 1909, took almost exactly two years to build at a cost of $176,125.

" Interior features of St. Aloysius church include oak woodwork, altars and ambo of matching Italian marble, and a true pipe organ with 37 ranks of keys.  The Stations of the Cross, in three-dimensional plaster, were made by the Mayers’ Studio of Germany.  This firm was also responsible for the magnificent stained glass windows (25 by 12 feet) flanking the nave, the great rose windows surmounting the east and west balconies, and the smaller niche windows, depicting Jesuit saints and the life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, positioned around the apse.  In recent years, four new windows have been added depicting  St. Jude, St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.

The church is open for visitors and for private prayer during daylight hours throughout the year.  Brochures providing a self-guided tour are available in the narthex near the main doors and near the Visitors' Guestbook, and guided tours are scheduled at intervals after the Sunday Masses.   Docents can be available for group tours throughout the year by appointment; call 313-7006 to schedule.

"The distinctive twin spires, housing the great bell Catherina, rise high above the surrounding area and are visible from vantage points throughout the city."(Link 1.)

Photo: Taken in 2006 by SW.
Link 1: http://www.stalschurch.org/aboutus/index.htm
Link 2: http://www.gonzaga.edu/Academics/Libraries/Foley-Library/Departments/Special-Collections
/exhibitions/GonzagaHistory1887.asp
Link 3: http://www.gonzaga.edu/Academics/Libraries/Foley-Library/Departments/Special-Collections/Collections/Bing-Crosby-Collection/CrosbyandGonzaga.asp

Saturday Travel Feature
Spokane Railroad Tower

"This tower is all that remains of the great Northern Depot that stood on the site from 1902 to 1972. The building was removed while clearing the downtown site for Expo '74. The tower symbolizes the role the railroads had in the development of the city and is a focal point of the Riverfront Park." (Quote from the book Spokane's Historic Architecture published by Eastern Washington State Historical Society.)  One wishes that the whole of the Northern Railroad Depot could still be seen. The tower is 155 feet in height and does play its carillon bells each day and noon.


The Great Northern Depot with its Clock Tower was built at a cost of $150, 000. It was thought to be the finest railroad depot west of Chicago. "It was made with pressed brick and trimmed with native sandstone. The four clock faces are 9 feet across on each side, making it the largest Clock Tower in the West. The 8 ft. pendulum and weight which powers it weigh 500 lbs. The clock has to be wound once a week by a hand crank. A Riverfront Park employee climbs up every week to keep it running on time. The original depot  served the train the "Empire Builder"." (Thanks to the Discovery School in Spokane for this information.) The Empire Builder still runs today between Chicago, Illinois and Seattle, Washington. Some train buffs consider it the most beautiful ride in North America.


Riverfront Park runs through the downtown Spokane area along side the Spokane River. The river is crossed in this area by three bridges.  Across the river from the Northern Depot Tower is the 1909 Carrousel with its hand carved and restored horses as well as a tiger and a giraffe. You can ride it most days of the year. You can also ride the aerial tram with a spectacular view of the Spokane River's waterfall. And of course, there is the worlds largest red Radio Flyer wagon with a slide even adults slide down.


Photo: Taken  2009 by SW.


Links: http://www.historicspokane.org/NationalRegister/clock_tower.htm