Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-1999

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Architecture

Major Professor

Josette H. Rabun

Committee Members

Stanley Rabun, Mike Ware

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to document the history and design of Holy Ghost Church in Knoxville, Tennessee and its relationship to typical Roman Catholic church architecture of the 1920s. This study establishes the architectural significance of the church so that unique historic elements can be appreciated and preserved, and Holy Ghost Church may continue to provide a religious atmosphere for its congregation. This report begins with a history of the church and the surrounding area. The role of the architectural firm. Crow and Schulte, and their influences on the church building are described. The historic architecture of Holy Ghost Church is analyzed and documented and compared to other church examples of similar style and period. The central focus of the research deals with Roman Catholic liturgical law as it applies to the architecture of Holy Ghost Church. The study makes use of both primary and secondary literature. Primary literature has provided information regarding the origins of various architectural and decorative elements. The examination of manufacturers and artisans, cited in these sources, shows that many parts of the church are representative. Secondary sources, such as books and periodicals, that contained similar research, were also consulted for this project. Some of these sources deal with liturgical law as it pertains to architecture while others discuss architectural style. Both types of secondary sources contain examples of churches, but none specifically refer to Holy Ghost Church. More than just architectural style played a role in the design of the Holy Ghost church building. Multiple factors, which include parish needs and liturgical law also influenced the design of each element. The religious and liturgical functions added importance to elements and increased the complexity of this analysis. The original Gothic style and the revival styles were widely used to promote religion in church buildings. Architectural elements of Holy Ghost Church compared with other Gothic Revival churches of the period, especially other Crowe and Schulte churches from the 1920s, demonstrate that Holy Ghost Church contains elements typical of Roman Catholic church buildings of the period. Although they are all different designs, the many similarities provide a basis for comparison. The findings show that historic and significant elements exist in Holy Ghost Church and these elements need to be preserved in order for the church building to retain its historic integrity.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS