Newly restored Seung Dong Presbyterian Church in Insa-dong
Former East Hall of Pai Chai Hak Dang in Jeong-dong
Here are some shots I took Sunday of historic Seung Dong Presbyterian Church, which has finally been put in working order after a major facelift, and Pai Chai Hak Dang, Korea’s first modern (read: Western) intermediate school.
Seung Dong Presbyterian Church
Seung Dong Presbyterian Church, or at least its previous incarnation, was founded in 1893 by American missionary and expat provocateur Samuel Moore. Its history is closely tied with Korean nationalism and the social justice movement.
The current Romanesque red-brick chapel in Insa-dong was built in 1904, although the (ugly, IMHO) entrance area was added in 1959. When I visited in July 2007, the church was in pretty desperate need of restoration. And a restoration is what it got — I would have preferred the 1959 addition were removed, but hey, I’ll take it.
Always liked the two-story hanok-Japanese combo in front of the church.
Oh yeah, gotta love that red brick. And the original Romanesque arched windows.
You get a good view of the church and its surroundings from the church’s multi-story parking facility. As you can see, it’s a pretty massive meeting hall. The contrast between the red brick and roof tiles of the low-slung hanok nearby is quite striking.
This old hanok used to be used as a classroom and dormitory for the church’s seminary students.
East Hall, Pai Chai Hak Dang
And in Jeong-dong, I revisited the old East Hall of Pai Chai Hak Dang.
We’ve seen Pai Chai Hak Dang back in April 2007. Pai Chai Hak Dang, the predecessor of Pai Chai Middle and High School, was founded in 1885 by American Methodist missionary Henry Gerhard Appenzeller, who also founded Chungdong First Methodist Church. It was Korea’s first modern intermediate school.
The old schoolhouse was built in 1916. It’s a beautiful building and typical of mission school architecture of the period. The interior has been renovated as a museum.
Seoul Museum of Art (Former Supreme Court of Korea)
Just some snaps of Seoul Museum of Art — originally the Supreme Court of Korea.
Built by the Japanese in 1928, the building would serve as a model for many other colonial public buildings. It was extensively renovated in 1995 for use as Seoul Museum of Art; all that remains of the old structure is the magnificent facade.
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