New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-11-30
JOHN STREET METHODIST CHURCH.

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struggle between tire psrry fsvcrue ans the one %
posine the movement, have ed some ins'rei Ia re-
leious circles End much eIcem Mt among those I'M
medatey corrected Wit, tie MISTER. The fset ths'
this wss the frs. Methodist Church established IN
Americs- 1hn Wesley aiieG 10 erecting the orig
Bsl eoihoe that SummeIfed preached 10 t, an tasi
o,ber events which remark sol.. and associations
which are sacred TO Mst1odists are identified whit
render in history, briefly given, acceptable This
has beer cleaned ON vsrious sources.
Tie frs. Methodist Society in the City Of New
York, or in America, vas formed in the year 1866.
Tbose who f1rmed i. hsd beea holding meetings In The
private residence and work shop OF PHILIP bury, q
Methodist locs preacher from Ireland, s'o carpenter
by trade who resdeo in what was then Barrack sreet
Lear sbert the present City dalis.snds. HePreached
biz frsi sermon in his work shop to congreg ,ton Of
only siI persons. 0nly 90 !esrs have eispsed aud
thai Determination has grown b be the largest 10 the
couD ry With lie thousands Of churches, s Numerous
insitptsJs Of Il srniDg sx thousand regular and
eight beussnd local preachers, and mem oeshp, in
clueDe We.ley an, Welcb Primitive and african Meth
.disi. q over ore and quarter millions.
One dsy, while this little congregation va. wot.
.hipiDe, porty man, wearing ire form OF the
royal American troops, entred The room and joined
them Ihis vas Captain rhoms Webb de had
served sDder General Wolfe, and it the bat le ON the
Pain, Of Abr. hsln, ct Quebsc, recsived two wsinds,
by ems If which be lost ore OF his e,'s Hess'rwsrd
became follower of Mr. Wesley, in England. sud
.ubst qusntly va. appointed o,rsck-nas'es at Aba
NJ, which post be held at the line be joined his con-
gregaion. he swsys wore ribbon acr rs his fire.
head, TO support bin TO conceal his wounded eye
and from this pecuh,ry be was aferwsrG fantiarly
called One ey cd Webb He used to preach TO the
little congree alton in his nniferm, wi DIS cap aud
sword hing rpon the tsoe before him. Captsin
Webb s anne heads the fret subscription with ta5,
10 buio the first Methodist church II Amen q, aud 1t
stood upon he site OF the pesent john S. Get Method
ist Church. John Wesley also subscribed to this
church. The conergatcn in Philip Emburys shop
increased 90 rapidly under Capt Webbs presching
,ha larger m was found necessary for its scc)m
moe alton building about sixty fee thong snd eighteen
feet wide which had Deeu erected az riggng.houae,
WAS secured ltwas situated in William street. vii ch
was then called Hose-snd.cart street Great
numbers attended tbs new place OF worship,
which continued to be occupied until l76s. The old
rigging house remsneG Standing Until about two
years since, when il was demolished, and on its site
low stauds the new building No. 100 William street,
between John and Fulton streets. Tho congregation,
having greatly increased, resolved to erect church
ia order 20 give permanepcy TO their services. They
entered upon their unde ntous seemed
to thu m-wth three days of fasting snd pfa. er The
pres ent site in In street., between Nasssu AID Will
Lam streets was selected. Il was situated on what
was known a. Golden Hill, then in the suburbs of
the CITY, and so called from the name Of farm 10
which il was inc uded that celebrsted for its or ps
of wheat. Two lots were obtained on credit aud Sc
cuIit,, valued at 1900, and the new building cost
sbcu. G4oo Ii was cailei Wesley CnaP pei sfter John
W.sey. and was dedicated Oci. 80, l76S. Mr.
Er,bury, the carpenter who erected The pulpit
in the rev chapel, preached from it the first
discourse on the occasion of its dedication. The
buoir WIS unfinished 10 the interior for number Of
ysaIs For long while the seats on the first floor had
no backs and lac der was used to ascend TO the GAL
lery which consisted Of plain platform withoat seats
At that time Lo services were allowed IN churches
except such as were established by law and TO avoid
this fireplace ard chimney were built in the ediice
and il wes aims cousdeIod to BIO priv stc dwelling
In Two years after the dedication OF this chape the
congregation WAS increased TO over one thousand
pers DE- filing the church and the space in front OF it
Meesrs BOaromsn and Pilnoor were the first Meth
ooist Mission aries sent over tOm England to this
country; they arrived in 1869. The Rev Messrs.
Asbuiy and Wright came ove' in l77l. During the
var of the Revolution this ediice was used for
several weeks as prison, regiment Of
An eiicsn sole ies being confined in it. The
smallpox broke out among them, and they
abandoned it The British, imagining that by favor
ing the followers of Wesley they could secure them TO
the ir cause. allowed the to hold meetings at night
The services were however, frequently interrupted by
men belonging to tie army. Ga q Christmas eve
party entered the church for this purpose One OF
The De sonated the devil, wearing coveD feet long
tail, and mask with horns, and had pischfork 10
bis hands As he was ascending the pulpit stairs, ne
Of the brethren courageo1sly struck q: hin WITH nus
care and knocked off his mask, whec, 10 i. was dis.
coverec that be was wellknown B1teh co on7l!
He was seized, ana locked up in the church. HIS
companions made an essult upoa the buudlug
to rescte him, but the guard soon arrived, dis
terssd them, and ok the colonei into custody.
lie was obliged to make public apology. Ia
l7s4-5 the Methodist Episcopal Church in
the Utitei States was organized, snd then
John Wesleys power over the Methodist societies In
America ceased. This denomination grew rapidly,
and in 1877 there elk Methodist churches In New
York. 1t vas also found necessary TO rebuild John
street Church which was dore in that year. The
new edice was dedics.ed the ish day OF January,
Isis. The Rev. DIR. Bangs, Samuel aer~in and
Joshua Soule, since bishop delivered the dedicstoy
sermons. This bui ding was sixtytwo feet front by
eiehty.seven feet in depth and cos. $4,000. 10
thi. edfce was besutf1i ceDotsph 70 the memory
Of John Summerfeld In lsil the present edihce
Wa. constructed TIE site Of John street. Church
having be,ome By this time business neghb'f'
hood tbs present edfce, orly 70 ty two fee. front
by eighty feet in dep'h, was erected and on the
ground belor gg to the society two four story houses
were built each ii of the church. In the lecture