Friday, November 5, 2010

Union Meeting House today

Today a visitor sees the sanctuary exactly as it was in 1868 since all the improvements made at that time remain untouched. Even the old hymnals rest in the pew racks. The entire building, inside and out is an outstanding survival. It is a time capsule or the proverbial "bee in amber." A visitor truly gets the feeling that he or she is stepping back into the nineteenth century.

Charles J. Schumacher's trompe l'oeil murals give the appearance of columns, arches, and wall plaques while in reality the effect is achieved totally with paint on the flat plaster walls. The apse is only four feet deep yet Schumacher has painted receding arched colonnade that seems to go on forever. It is a masterful optical illusion.

The black walnut and butternut pews, stained glass windows, kerosene chandelier, the wall sconces, painted ceiling, and the lectern are all original. The original Bible also survives.