Genuine ‘Noble Simplicity’ in colonial churches
NOBILIS SIMPLICITAS : BESMIRCHED IN THE MID 20TH CENTURY
During the liturgical reforms of the mid 20th century (in both Rome and Canterbury) the concept of ‘noble simplicity’ attracted much favor. As the Novus Ordo and later the 1979 BCP stripped back supposed excess and needless ceremony in the liturgy, it followed that liturgical art should castrated in a similar way.
All too often, this attempt at removing pomp and gaudiness resulted in the concrete structures common across American Christianity today. The reader is doubtless familiar with these monuments to false reform; often towering, blocky edifices broken up only by bizarre constructions of glass. A quick google image search for ‘mid century church’ will show the reader all they need to see. Needless to say, this interpretation of noble simplicity has not stood the test of time.
In the interest of not permanently scarring the reader, we now turn to a much better expression of noble simplicity which has very much weathered the centuries and remained a dignified and worthy style of liturgical art and architecture.
TRUE NOBILIS SIMPLICITAS IN COLONIAL CHURCHES
The author recently had the opportunity to travel to Virginia and tour two Colonial-era Episcopal churches that are still flourishing parishes today. Due to the place and time they were constructed, as well as the influence of those who built them, they are quite plain in construction, but yet noble and dignified.
The first of these were Bruton Parish Church in Colonial Williamsburg, notable for being one of the two buildings there not owned by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The current building was constructed between 1711 and 1715, and restored to its colonial state around 1907. Needless to say, further work has continued to be done. Note the simple, light colors, plain glass, and colonial motifs. Although not preferable to a more ornate church, it is dignified in its simplicity. Image below by Gerhard Huber, used under a CC BY-NC license.
The nearby parish house contains a chapel, although I am unable to date it. I believe it is newer construction. However, it reflects the church very well and is a dignified, simple space for prayer. Photo is mine.
Nearby, Abingdon Episcopal Church (c.1750) is similar in many ways. A particular feature of this church, so typical of English reformation architecture, is the prominence granted to the (three-tiered) pulpit. Photos are mine, with thanks to Abingdon parish.
CONCLUSION
These are just a few examples of this style, and we encourage those interested in liturgical art to seek it out when in that region. Ultimately, we leave it to the reader to decide the merits of these churches, but it is inarguably a different and superior form of noble simplicity than the horrors of the midcentury.
As we always like to leave the reader with some further reading, here is an article from the NLM blog with a very different, but also worthy, example of noble simplicity. Also of interest may be the website for Bruton Parish.
