This Is the Steeple

Most traditional church buildings are based on a Colonial revival style, or the Gothic style. In the late 19th century, urban Protestant congregations built Romanesque churches—rambling, stone structures with large auditoriums to serve densely populated areas that drew their congregations from a variety of ethnic and socio-economic neighborhoods for accessible and participatory worship. The interior style of these churches was influenced by theater design. Excellent acoustics, good sight lines, comfortable seating, large stages and dramatic lighting began to appear.