Within Our Walls

Main Theater:
Coffered with oak beams and glass ceiling panels for natural light, the theatre is ringed by 12 small gallery rooms with risers for seating and operable doors opening onto the theatre and sanctuary.
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Little Theater:
The upper theatre connects to the sanctuary with interior pocket windows and displays a large rose window. It still hosts an original electric / gas light fixture.

Lower Hall:
In 1994, Pilgrim began the renovation of the lower hall where you will find classrooms, meeting rooms, offices, the dining hall and kitchen, a parlor, restrooms and a boiler room. In each outer room, tall exterior windows bring natural light. Interior transom windows continue to spread natural light to the interior halls. Pilgrim’s boiler room contained a steam engine to power a generator for electricity, a moving wall system, and ventilating fans. A hand-fired coal boiler was replaced with natural gas in 1950s. (Photos of restored lower hall and classroom below).

   Click on any picture on this site to enlarge to full size

Attic:
Climb the stairs to the attic to find a complex system of original knob and tube wiring. The huge wooden beams and roof trusses were actually assembled on site. The original cable and counterweight systems used to control movable walls are still present and dramatic catwalks encircle the dome from above.

Community Building:
In 1919, a community building was added for more recreation space. The ground floor contained a 4-lane bowling alley. (Pilgrim now houses a day center for homeless families in a refurbished former bowling alley.) First floor has a gym (which continues to be in use), showers and toilets. And you will find a boxing ring in the loft. From 1999 to 2001, repairs to the roof, gutters, and down-spouts were made, as well as the installation of a building wide fire alarm system.

Restoration and Renovation

We treasure our building as a legacy and trust, a place of witness and service that has housed, enlivened, and enabled vital ministries for over 100 years. And although a church is always more than a building, much of our ministry is made possible because our wise forbearers built a church home where faith could be put into action. We have much more work to do to improve our venerable building so Pilgrim can continue its tradition as the church of the Open Door, the Open Heart and the Open Mind.

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