Church
The early church of 1895 is situated to the rear of the primary sanctuary building as it was substantially setback from North Sixth Street when constructed. It features a three story tower topped with quadrofoiled pappets and corner pinnacles supported by a bracketed cornice with stone deocrative medallions. Just below is a belfry woth columned openings. Below that is an arched headed stair tower window with aplant at trched entrance areas below at grade. The tower is capped within the parapets with the pappets with a small cupola. The roof of the 1895 building is pitched and slate covered with a stone pinnacle at the gabled-end of the roof apex. The windows below are organized in triplicate and are arched headed on the second floor and rectangular below on the first floor. The main sanctuary building was erected in what had been the front yard of the church. The 1895 structure of the church setback off of North Sixth Street. The new edition is also of stone construction, and it was designed in a complimentary Romanesque Revival style, albeit twenty-one years later. The new edition was completed in 1916.
The most prominent feature of the building complex is the high tower with parapets and pinnacles to match the lower and older 1895 tower. The belfry has arched headed openings with columns capped with Corinthian capitals above which is a dentiled cornice. Within the shaft of the tower are inserted narrow arch headed stairway windows with the church's principal arch-headed entrance ways at the base of the tower facing both Sixth Street to the west and also to the south. The roof of the main sanctuary building is likewise pitched and slate-surfaced. The Sixth Street elevation is dominated by a large stained glass rose window. This part of the sanctuary has a tower at its north corner that is similar in height and designed to match the tower of the 1895 church building. The rear of the main sanctuary building is joined to the 1895 church building by a two story, stone surfaced portion of the later building having both first and second story bay windows.
The chuch's interior sanctuary is a large open space with a second floor seating balcony on three sides. The front of the sanctuary is dominated by a mural of Christ tending a wounded Union Soldier. The mural was painted by C. Day Rudy of Harrisburg. He was also responsible for producing the church's stained windows. Rudy was well-known in this work and maintained a stained glass plant at third and Muench Streets also in Uptown Harrisburg. The mural is framed by an arched and painted entablature which is flanked by plaster pilasters supporting a primary plaster arch.
The santuary's ceiling is barrel-vaulted with richly detailed ribs, panels and cornices of plaster. A series of twin clerestory windows line each side of the sanctuary. .Cut stone columns support the ceiling, and they have ornate capitals and dentilled headers. All windows are grouped in pairs, are arched headed and framed with pilasters all in the Romanesque style with ornate capitals.The rear of the church sanctuary, over the balcony, is dominated by C. Day Rudy's stained glass rose window. Walking to the right of the balcony, we enter the Sixth Street north tower is an archive room displaying artifacts and documents relating to the History of Camp Curtin. The entire interior of the sanctuary is original. (1916 Construction) including the richly paneled wood front altar, choir platforms and railings. A pipe organ with its exposed pipes in the front of the sanctuary was built and installed by Moller & Company of Hagerstown, Maryland upon completion of the church. The organ has been rebuilt and upgraded over the years. Behind the sanctuary is the 1895 church, The first floor was orginally occupied by the 1895 congregation.This first floor section is now utilized as an Adult Sunday School classroom or as a Common Room with ancillary offices. The upper part of the original sanctuary has balconey seating that still exists, but is concealed above a dropped ceiling in the Sunday School room. There is a church parlor to the right of this space. Outside to the right of this room is a small chapel room. This room is used for Administrative meetings and Ministries meetings.
Significant Historical Information
