A Gift for Missouri

In his famous 1946 "Iron Curtain" speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., Winston Churchill saluted "the fraternal association of the English-speaking peoples." The world remembered the Iron Curtain--and 111-year-old. all-male Westminster has never forgotten the fraternal association.

Reading a story on the architectural achievements of Sir Christopher Wren in LIFE two years ago, Westminster's President Robert Davidson had an idea: Why not rebuild one of Wren's old churches on the campus? Every one of the 47 remaining London churches designed by Wren was damaged or destroyed during World War II. Over the years, 37 of them have been restored; one of the few considered for eventual demolition was St. Mary Aldermanbury, probably named after the ancient alderman's court that once stood near by, and rebuilt by Wren after the Great Fire of 1666. Although the roof and furnishings were destroyed in the blitz, the walls, interior columns, some doorways and a handsomely garlanded east window remain.

Last week England made a sensitively fraternal gift to Fulton. The Anglican Diocese of London agreed to give Westminster the bombed-out remains of the church of St. Mary Aldermanbury. If Parliament and the London County Council approve, the church will be dismantled stone by stone, rebuilt at Fulton with a new interior based on Wren's designs, and renamed the Churchill Memorial Chapel. Cost: about $1,000,000, hopefully to be raised by subscription.

Since London still has plenty of other Wren churches. Anglican antiquarians have uttered little protest. Sir Winston himself strongly approves.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.