architecture ARCHITECTURE of THROOP CHURCH by David S. Lawyer, revised May 1996 Throop Memorial Church, Unitarian Universalist was originally a Universalist church until the merger with the Unitarians took place in 1961. The present building was built in 1922-1923 as a Gothic style church. The architect was Frederick Kennedy, Jr. His works include the 3rd Church of Christ Scientist and a Lutheran Church (San Diego). The Gothic style is of the late English perpendicular type. A true Gothic church would be built of stone, but Throop has an exterior of unpainted rough and rugged textured stucco which was supposed to suggest stone construction. The "stucco" contains larger rock fragments like concrete and is more precisely called "Gunite". The west half of the building is the sanctuary with its steep roof. The east half of the building is the Parish House which is used for administrative and social purposes. Here on the first floor is Throop Hall with a stage. On its ceiling are large decorative wooden girders. They seemingly support the ceiling but steel I-beams concealed inside them do the actually supporting. The 80 ft. high bell tower is above the main central entrance off Del Mar Blvd. The arched sanctuary windows have stained glass created by the famous artist Charles J. Connick of Boston. These windows are divided into segments by "cast stone tracery". The pulpit and choir area are located on the chancel with a richly carved oak "screen" at the rear. Above this is a huge stained glass window depicting Jesus in the center. To the sides are Mary, John, and two archangels: Michael and Gabriel. The Pasadena Star-News printed in 1923: "From the point of artistic merit, this window is one of the finest in California. In its treatment and coloring, it is very similar to those in the Chartres Cathedral in France." The main part of the sanctuary where people sit is called the "nave". From here one sees an "arcade" of sharp Gothic arches which lead to the side aisles. These arches are supported by columns known as "piers". When walking down the side aisles, one walks under more subdued arches suggesting an Art Deco influence. The tinted windows high up on the sides are the "clerestory" windows. On the outside one sees vertical rectangular columns on the walls, especially on the tower. These are "stepped buttresses". The steps are where they reduce in size as they rise vertically. The insides of the tower buttresses are hollow, the tower being actually supported by a reinforced concrete framework. At the very top of the tower is seen a notched wall. If it had no notches this wall would just be a simple "parapet", but the notches make it a "crenelated" parapet. It resembles a "battlement". While wooden beams exist inside the tower for a bell, one has never been installed. Steep stairs (known as a "ship's ladder") lead to the tower observation roof where one may view the city thru the "embrasures" (or "crenels) located on each side of the "merlons" of the parapet. The steep shingled roof has a slope of 14/12 with a "parapet" wall at the W gable. Long decorative hinges adorn the main entrance doors off Del Mar Blvd. Its wooden transom is decorated with Gothic "relief tracery". Decorative details above this doorway arch include concrete drapery with shield and book motifs. The years shown are 1886 for the founding of the church and 1922 for the construction of this building. We are proud that our church has been declared eligible to be placed in the National Register of Historic Places based both on its architecture and its association with Amos Throop who also founded Throop College which later became Caltech.