The Ascension - St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church - York, PA
N 39° 57.378 W 076° 44.916
18S E 350640 N 4424370
In the reredos is a carved panel of the Ascension, by Lang
Waymark Code: WME65G
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 04/08/2012
Views: 2
When inside this church, this wooden relief was the first thing I noticed. It was all the way to the front of the church, to the very rear of the pulpit. I wondered how old it was until I saw it referenced in the American Guide Series (below) which let me know it is at least 90 years old. It is free to visit on Sundays and they let me up there to take a close look.
8. ST. MATTHEW'S LUTHERAN CHURCH, 849 W. Market St., of modified Georgian design was built in 1933 of local stone and terra cotta. It has a 160-foot tower with a belfry and steeple. A portico with four pairs of Doric columns and pilasters is surmounted with an entablature and pediment. Within, two rows of Corinthian columns set on octagonal bases separate from the side aisles from the nave. From the entablatures spring graceful arches supporting vaulted ceilings Corinthian columns support a canopy above the high altar made of Italian Alta marble. In the reredos is a carved panel of the Ascension, also by Lang. --- Pennsylvania: A Guide to the Keystone State, 1940; page 351.
The relief is rectangular and has intricate carving, not too high so it is mid relief I guess. There are lots of people in it so I knew it took a long time to make. I was unable to find any information about the artist except from the AGS entry which simply lists his name as Lang