Thanks to the research of Jessica Hilburn, the Historian & Head of Reference at the Benson Memorial Library in Titusville, we now have some new information to share/preserve about the church's history, in particular the opening of the building in 1904 as related by the Oil City Derrick newspaper. Below is the transcript of that article, the link to the scan of the original is the title below:
Baptist Church Dedication
Impressive Ceremony Before an Audience of More Than Twelve
Hundred
Franklin, March 13 – (Special)- After many tedious delays,
tiresome waits and annoying disappointments experienced by the officials and
members of the First Baptist church, extending over a space of more than three
years, they have finally reached the day when they could say, “At last, we have
a church.” March 13, 1904, will be a
great day in the annals of the First Baptist church, and what a church for a
town the size of Franklin. The entire
plant, consisting of church, Sunday school building and parsonage, is not
equaled by any denomination in the State, except in several of the larger
cities. Just prior to the turning over
of the keys, Treasurer Hart read a valuation of the property as follows:
Real Estate…………………………………......$5,850
Church proper………………………………….30,000
Church parlors…………………………………..8,000
Parsonage………………………………….....…5,500
Sunday school department complete..................58,000
Organ and furniture…………………………....12,180
A grand
total of $113,530 for the entire plant.
The estimate made is considered too conservative, but so it stands on
the books. The ground for the new
buildings was broken in July, 1900, and had it not been for the many vexatious
delays, the new church should have been dedicated a year ago. The outward appearance of the buildings is
both stately and imposing and would attract attention on account of size and
the large area of ground covered. The
seating capacity of the new auditorium is about 500 and when the large sliding
doors, which form the lower part of the partition between the church and Bible
school building, are raised the capacity is increased to 1,250. This takes in only General Miller’s class
room, which is only one half of the auditorium of the Bible school building. Another set of sliding partitions are pushed
up and another 1,000 is added to the seating capacity and when all is thrown
open, presenting one grand arena, the preacher can be seen and heard by 2,700
if it is so desired. The buildings include
35 distinct rooms, besides spacious halls and corridors.
The interior
of the new edifice is a marvel of artistic beauty and arrangement. It is constructed somewhat on the cathedral
order of architecture. The room is
octagon shape and the walls arise to a height of possibly 50 feet. Four walls are each 30 feet wide, with the
corner walls about 15 feet wide. The
wide walls run to a gothic paint (point?), the narrow walls are inlaid at the top with
the dark finished oak wood that reaches down from the ceiling a distance of 20
feet. The entire ceiling is finished in
dark oak. From the center is suspended a
magnificent electroller of 150 lights; another of 25 lights hangs over the
space occupied by the choir. The wall
towards Liberty street and the one towards Eleventh street each contain a
magnificent leaded-glass window about 12 feet wide and 25(35?) feet high; these
windows are wonderfully artistic in their composition of cathedral glass. On the other two large walls are pictures
painted in oil directly on the plaster.
This innovation for a church in a town the size of Franklin is what made
the occupant of the pews today marvel.
The paintings are 50x38, filling in the entire space in width and up to
the ceiling in height. Both pictures
are after Gustave Dore, the one, being “Christ’s Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem,”
the other “The Dream of Pilate’s Wife.”
The former picture has more than 100 faces in it and is a wonderful
study. Both are technically true copies
and are done by well known New York artists.
These
paintings are the gifts of Hon. J.C.Sibley, who, when in Franklin last summer
and while in one of his generous and artistic moods, asked the privilege of
decorating the walls, which he saw, during the construction, were going to be
very large and blank. The paintings are
the outcome. After the artists were here
and had finished them during the winter, he thought that it left the other two
walls rather bare on each side of the big window, so he had four canvases
painted by the same artists and these are mounted on the wall on either side of
the window. They are 8x12 in size and
are: “The Annunciation,” by Plockhorst: “Christ Blessing Little Children,” by Plockhorst:
“The Descent From the Cross,” by Rubens, and “The Ascension,” by Hofmann. So that altogether, it makes one of the
grandest church interiors that can be found anywhere in the country.
The large
new organ of the latest construction, with electric stops, is the gift of
General Miller. The pews, finished in
cathedral oak and upholstered with cushioned seats in maroon colored goods, are
free to all comers and were paid for by the classes of the Sunday school.
The carpeting
was a donation from some of General Miller’s kind business friends, every other
furnishing was paid for through different ways, so that the church was
dedicated today without a dollar’s indebtedness hanging over it. Dr. Maurice Penfield Fikes’ own suggestion
and design. There is an arched opening
in the southwestern wall under the painting of “The Triumphal Entry.” The arch is possibly 12 feet wide and 20 feet
high. The front of the opening is built
up eight feet with gravel rock in a sort of hit and miss way for rustic
effect. Back of the wall is the receptacle
for holding the water, which can be heated to any desired temperature. Set in the arch as a background theme is a
miniature mountain of the same kind of stone, built to a point, the crevices
filled in with moss. Back of this is a
painted scene, representing a mountainous valley, with the rays of golden
sunshine streaming down over the hills making at once a most striking
effect. The pastor and the person to receive
baptism come in from the rear, as if they were coming down the mountainside,
and by a gradual decline, step into the water tank and out on the other side of
a similar gradual incline. The effect is
so realistic that it makes the scene all the more impressive during baptism.
At the morning
services more than 1,200 people sat for two hours, during which time the formal
dedicatory service took place. After the
dedication sermon by Dr. Fikes, Hon. Joseph C. Sibley, as chairman of the board
of trustees; General Miller, as chairman of the board of deacons, and D.J.
Hart, who took the place of H.E.Swan as chairman of the committee on
construction, and Deacon Morgan were invited to take seats on the pulpit
platform. Mr. Swan being sick and unable
to attend, Mr. Hart read a report as to the value of the church property, Mr. Sibley
then, supposing to have received the keys from Mr. Swan, made a most impressive
address, passing the keys to General Miller, who then, on behalf of the trustees,
made a most touching address, paying a marked and glowing tribute to the
pastor. The pastor then received the keys
on behalf of the First Baptist church.
Dedicatory responsive readings then followed, after which several
musical selections were rendered, when the people were dismissed.
At the Bible
school today the attendance broke the record, 1,214 people occupying seats,
which makes March 13 the banner day. The
meeting was a most enthusiastic one, because, as General Miller said, “It is a
great day.”
At the
evening services the attendance was much larger than this morning, although
there were no particular services incident to the dedication. At each of the three services during the day
there were baptisms, some 30 persons being baptized. All in all it was a most notable day for the
First Baptist church of Franklin.
Special services will be held each night the coming week in the new
church.
