# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1926_S80
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

80 Proceedings of Thirty-Third Regular Convention. 1926.

that reflects the grandeur and glory of the work of training men for 4
- the work of the Gospel. 3

It is due to the aid which we have received from all these sources a.

mentioned that we are able to turn over to Synod the new Concordia a
Seminary. Be

The Committee’s fitst task, after the: meeting of 1923, was so to
reduce the estimate then reported——$2,650,000—as to bring it under
the-synodical appropriation. The necessary eliminations were finally 3
made without in any degree detracting from excellence of material |
and workmanship. “q

The next step was so to modify the plans as-to increase the |
height of certaindormitories on the western half of the group. ° “We
believe that the effect thus gained is a very happy one:: Also :this
was done pursuant to _ oral: promises ‘given | on the floor of : Synod
in 1928. : . Makes

The question of materials ‘next engrossed our attention. “By
laborious steps, too many and too: technical. to record in this brief
survey, the proportion of stone now composing. our walls and::the

style of tuck-pointing adopted were arrived at: (The stone used-in 3
the rubble: masonry walls is all of unusual hardness, yet it entailed 2
little or no dressing due to the cross-bedded character which marks *
the various quarries from which.:it originates.) This was in the
fall of 1923. .Next the nature of the soil was ascertained by test-
boring and..the: final plans for grading. and excavation prepared.
The first shovelful- of: earth. was turned by. President Pfotenhauer
January 18, 1924;-and the. corner-stone was laid with appropriate
ceremonies October 26, 1924.

- The Seminary buildings were. built during a season of high
prices both for material,and labor. Indeed, the graphs of a local
statistician show that throughout building operations the cost of
both was at war levels. This fact often taxed the ingenuity of the
practical builders and contractors associated with our Committee,
whose advice was truly invaluable in many critical situations. It
was often a question of saving money at the cost of permanency, or
of. finding some way to retain permanency in spite of some reduction
in cost. We believe that.from the footings upward no changes have
been made which will ever impair the ‘lasting qualities of the
buildings.

The buildings are fire-proof. They are protected from the 3
elements, from water, frost, storm, from decay and corrosion, in .3

every manner. known to the building trade. There is. no exposed s
woodwork anywhere except the doors. The locks, sashes, and other 4

exposed metal are all of such a nature as to withstand the hardest 4
wear. Plastering and mill-work are of the highest type, the slate

and copper, the plumbing dnd the heating, apparatus, the refrigera- 2