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| Image Bartley Archive 2003 |
The 1882 construction of St John's was
a huge undertaking for the Wesleyan Methodist community. The architect’s fees alone amounted to more than £2000.
Six months were allowed for the construction, which included moving the
existing building further back, to be used as a school.
The new church was
constructed on concrete foundations. The exterior is a feast of tracery and
finials, tower and spire, on a well balanced design.
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| Image Bartley Archive Postcard collection |
The tower, at the north
east corner, stands 50 feet high and is surmounted by a spire of 62 feet in
height. It pays homage to the spire of Salisbury Cathedral, England in line
and proportion. Weather put it to the test before the church was opened, and before
the iron cladding was attached. Auckland experienced a week of gale force winds
in mid- March 1882 and progress was delayed. The task of lifting the Maltese
cross into position at the top of the spire was postponed until the 20 March
and the arrival of calmer weather.[i]
The interior of St John’s
has been altered more than once over the years.
The original design displayed a
sense of drama and a high degree of attention to aesthetics in the finishing
details. The hammer beam roof was filled in with tracery. At the back of the
rostrum was a Gothic screen – a reredos- composed of three painted arches
filled with tracery, standing 22 feet high. The front of the rostrum was also
of Gothic arches with turned columns. The ornamental communion rail repeated
the use of turned rails to complete the effect. Practical matters were not
overlooked.
Acoustics and light levels were accounted for in the design itself
but additional devices for climatic control were incorporated into the design
in such a way as to be indiscernible to the eye. The tower was constructed so as to provide
ventilation for the church. A ventilation mechanism was built into the trefoil
decoration of the cornice, which could be controlled by the doorkeeper, a
solution Edward had first employed in his design for Holy Trinity, Devonport.
The result was a striking building which functions well on a practical level at
the same time as it calls attention to traditions of worship across time and
space.
An April Fool's Day stunt was played out on the site in 1882 - this eloquent report gives a clue to Edward's sense of humour.
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| Observer 1 April 1882 |
St John's is a Category 2 registered building. Refer http://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/643
See also: Laurenson, G I 'A Spire on the Skyline'; NZ Wesleyan Vol 11 p284; Auckland Weekly News Sept 1881 p22 col 1; AWN 30 Sept 1882 p 1 & 3 (Image); NZH 6 Aug 1881 p 4 col 7; 3 Nov 1881 p 6 col 3; 20 Sept 1881 p 6 col 3; 22 March 1882 p 4 col 6; 29 April 1882 p 4 col 7
