Steeples are the signature architectural
feature of churches in the landscape. At the simplest level, that of the schoolhouse
design, it is the steeple which finally declares that the structure is in fact
a church and not a school. In larger churches and in developed urban areas,
the high steeple is both a symbol of the prestige of the church as well as a
visual reference. In suburban areas, church steeples are often the tallest structure
in the neighborhood.
A couple of things should be noted about steeples. First, it is the custom among many southern protestants that the steeple not be erected on the church until the mortgage note on the land or building is paid off. The steeple then symbolizes that the church is permanent on its site and that the building is debt free. Sometimes a double ritual is used by the congregation at this point in the church's life. There may be a symbolic "note burning" ceremony in which the minister and the deacons gather at the front of the church, say prayers of thanksgiving, and burn the mortgage note on a small tray or pan. The second ritual is the steeple raising itself. The congregation, led by the minister, may gather on the church grounds while a crane raises the steeple into final position. This ritual may be less formal and may be accompanied by a church party or picnic. A final ritual in this process which typically would occur after the note burning and steeple raising is the formal ritual of dedicating the church.
A second thing to note about steeples is that until recently--since the late 1970's--southern churches seldom used crosses as the terminus of the steeple. Crosses in southern protestantism were historically regarded as "catholic" symbols and were avoided. Before 1970 the appearance of a cross on a steeple was a reliable indicator that the church was either Catholic or Episcopal, or occasionally town Presbyterian. In rural or small town churches the weathervane globe, arrow, or even an animal figure was deliberately chosen to make the point that the terminus was NOT a cross. The last two decades have seen a shift in southern protestant practice. Many new churches are now built and the steeples when erected have a cross as the terminus. Some churches have added a cross without steeple to the rooftop while others have attached a cross or a pattern of three crosses to the exterior of the church. One southern church tradition has introduced crosses--erected in patterns of three on hill sides facing highways--as a landscape rather than as an architectural statement.
As a practical matter, most steeples are bought not made. In the biggest churches and in the smallest rural churches the steeple may be constructed locally--in the former instance from the necessity of size and in the latter instance from the necessity of economics. In the large run of middle-sized churches, however, the deacons or the building committee picks the steeple pattern from a catalog--usually from a mid-western supplier. From time to time on the Interstate roads, one can see a trailer truck loaded with a new white steeple headed for a church somewhere in the south.
Sampler of steeples and crosses.
Steeples Crosses/ Manufactured steeples
