will stand forth in the fullness of the original design it gives even now a fine conception of its intrinsic architectural merit." The initial architectural plan for the College, including St. Basil's Church, proved to be beyond the funds initially raised for the purpose. The cornerstone was officially laid on Sunday September 16, 1855; and over the following year the Basilians and a group of laymen headed by Elmsley strove mightily to raise the £12,000 (about $20,000), estimated construction costs. They were unsuccessful, however, and the plan was scaled back in line with available funds. Compared to today's figures, construction costs seem unreal. The overall cost amounted to some $12,000, which included the building itself, attendant stables, fencing and some furnishings. Records show the architect's fee was $1,000; the painting contract came to $988. The final cost of the excavation was only $464, the initial estimate having been defrayed by selling the excavated sand that was found to be suitable for use in mixing concrete. The original St. Basil's Church was small, more accurately described as "very lofty, very short and definitely unfinished". At its consecration the Church was 100' in length and 50' in width, with stone foundation walls some 30" thick tapering to 13" above which were double brick walls with small buttresses topped by a gabled roof with dormers. The initial brick work was done in Flemish bond style, the later brick work in English bond style. The ceiling was of open timber construction, the great oak beams visibly supporting the roof. A small sanctuary was formed by a semi-circular apse extending out from the north wall. It contained an altar and several choir stalls enclosed by a semi-circular communion rail. Three glass windows behind the main altar and the two side altars were covered with some colored material, probably red bunting. There were two side aisles but no centre aisle. Seating was provided by rough wood benches. The Stations of the Cross were simple etchings. The church had a small manual organ, purchased for $800.00. At the rear (south) end of the nave a wooden partition extending from the side walls separated the nave from small vestibule area that contained two confessionals, one on each side wall. The entrance from the south façade consisted of a high wooden platform reached by two steep flights of stairs from both the east and west sides down to ground