The New York herald., 1866-07-08
Laying tho Corner stone or tho Fourth
Presbyterian Church, West Thirty
FOurth street.

Al half-past four O'Clock yesterday afternoon the
u the Fourth Presbyterian church laid
in West Thirty fourth street, near Broadway. rhe now
edincc which Is IN of erection there Is intended
for tho accommodation of the flock that but recently
worshppcd In the large church the Of Grand
and Crosby streets under the charge of The pres nj
pastor Rev. John Thomson, u. d. The building Is
70 be in tho pure Gothic style, Of Becye stone,
trimmed with Dorchester and viii be about sxty-.wo
feet wide by hundred foot deep. II Is TO
have spirc the norhcastcry corner, which VIII
IN ne ght hundred and scyenty-sx feet
from the tIewaik The dimensions OF tho auditory VII
BE- nfiyeight feet vide hy seventy Tx eot long aud
forty feet high Tho height from tho sidewalk I, The
apex OF the front the main entrance viii bc eighty
tSo foot ono striking feature ia the building vii be
ta ~ columns The Galleries ~ b. depend
from The waa Messrs. ~ a J Jard'nc tho
architects Tie cost of the caco will be about ninety
th0usnul dollar, and i Will be completed about the
pant of June, 1861 "a present the congregation
worshii- ~ large hall In the Of thr Everett Rooms
broadway
The ceremonies began with m Invocation rs Rev Dr
Adams, after whirh was sung tho i00th psam--"Al
roplc that On Earth a. Dwell" Ihc Roy. ]. Mingns
neu renl appropriate seleci IONS rom the scurtfrns
Aftcr be haf iakon his scai Rev John Thomson, D. D.
~ s0r q The church read historical statement, VI
winch the following j. ~ abstract -
We have assembled this afternoon to partake IN
ceremony whrh both - cngTossing interest Ia itscf
and suggestive 81 many Interesting and aluary
IN laying the stonc y this structure which
hope ere long ~ completed and sUlemnly ded-
Gated to the worship 0f Alm ghiy God the Father Son
ard Holy Ghost have neither eccir iastical Law
command us ritual 10 guide rs; oar assembly
4 spontaneous one and orr uicances 10 prayers and
thanksgyius arc thc outflow OF grateful and humble
hearts. This day 70 Him.
living and o,iny Head The church organization for
whom tbs edihcc T. designed neither recent one,
unkn nown among the churchrs ~ tho city of New
York had - origin IN times that tired the temper of
mems souls this city while the Revolutionary Ores
yet smouldering, and whilo the Unod states br
teen 10 number yet their earliest infancy There
but three Presbyterian churches IN the city when
this htsle one saw the light and took ~ place among
the candlescks IN the mHst Of which the God ~ glory
and " grace walkeh Il named tho Associate Pres
bytcran church The church during two years asscm-
bicd for Sabbath worship 10 upper chamber ~
beers few In numbers and - resources small The In
come of the church Ia I,s first year amounted 70
hfty one pounds two shiiings and penny,
aud III expenditure 20 about pound less;
and even then they 'ignazed their organza.
tion by making special contribution for the education
OF young for the ministry, aud this thoy continued
for several years The Organization comPls.ed In
lTs5 under the supcrniendence Of Rev Thomas Devcr
iige who aft 'r~ards seuled at Cambndge. wash
ington county, y r., and did al Barnet VT 1Tgs In
1871 the conre alton erected place ~ worship lot
~ in Nassau street between fnon and John streets
The lot cost f250 and tho church about ESQ all u
which they IN short time fuh-crbcd and paid The
church dcs rDcd 70 ns by still with and who
worshipped within ~ walls a small Franc building.
with bat two ranges q pcrs either side Of
passage that led from the door 10 the pulpit Here Rev.
John Cree FIRST pastor ~ the church. ordained and
lns allied Ig2 After patorate of about two years
he resigned aud removed 20 Peansylyana During eight
years alter, tho church without a settled pas
tor: but, nevertheless, enloyed a regular sup.
ply 81 ordinances Al tho hands % Roy. hcsns.
u paid fr their services al the rate of E2 to
"a per sabbath Ia addition q their board and lodging
In fsO2 the Rsv. Tbomk Hamilton, native " Penn
aytAna Installed u tn past0rate u tho church,
which seems nj the beginning of hh ministry " have
beer greatly revived aud strengthened ne1 and large
81 bee wa erected partly on be ground q Tho od one
and parity ground adjoining easei from tho Dutoh
church, through tbo Kind ntositon % Df Livingston.
pastor of thai church IN the city During the
iiOn ~ their church hs Asrocists congregation
grautei the u adjoining Tho church At
the Of william and Fulton streets probably occu
rying the site Of he widely FULTON street Prayer
Meeting Mr. Hamilton continued IN ths pasioraio till
bis aih 10 1918 IN 1872 the Rev. Andrew stsrk
III ~ vas ordained and installed pastor whosa name il
yet green IN many memories, saf ~io@s abundant abors
We're blessed 2 many ssus Or shortly ate, hls ordi.
further up town Lott we're purchased AZ The corner of
Grand and Mercer street,, ard comfortable cfi1oe
There they continued 10 pouhip tll 1854 whan
the church tho ~ Cnni and Crosby streets
Was finished Al a o. $4,000 nr Starr oou,no.d
pastor ul his death m isl3 IL June 1851, the pre-.
pastor Installed and continued tll 1901 when
samuel Wilson, - ~, nov ~ Louisville, Ky. who
resigned 1888 whsn the present. pastor -as recalled
and reins.aled In 1854 The congregation deemed u
right 70 aitah themselves % ito Pres6ytsran charrh of
the Tinted raies and " the name % ihs Grand
street Presbyterian church. k,N hoseysr, having -
have deemed rght 70 tile hls,ors name, "
which, by birth. In the Pr~stgt gterian family they
sntlued and WITH the consea y me -avr-rn~ oar u
tho state New YORK they shAH hereafter b. tbOvh
tho "Fourh Pre~hyter Al churfh
Its Interesting 70 note that - have ono s,i sBrviv
Ing sm0nF us rho w0fshlps~d he orsinai church In
Sassaa street. nBd Who prett Al ths nstAaiioe ~
Nr Hamilton VI 1sy2, and sbo .0nsd TIE chnr.h unisr
h ministry IN lso4 land y ~ hia s1rrys That he
not b. among = day and dhers -to ~~fs har'zad
ia tie earlier years ~ NJ HAAlitgns fu4nsafy,
besides uihcn long connee.f vth The chsrrh
/ cAnua, lnd hat financially the churrh hNs arty
En0wu dcalty depreNslgn, thst has ever falied
IN srdsng the hsnd a heipt otbsr. whsn 10 ussf.
-sty.fusr years tsncfc Al sacsiy SaA offAniTs3
for sldinx paor sDa sgsf rasr1ts n ~. chgffh Is
nti IN and f0art.aiDa 70 NE Bosrd q tte
ef4grh ens y slsb -. ssiss - ~ arse,csa nlen
MNrHsr sad ne 49, "a N~t FFmet So Nfv ~
shefca hss 1ng tser fe4ulAf tlntfbabI wNh t1~ss
fex gistSlc mssks nur TTssei n lAy tta 11rner
HHra of-iflfyrt = - g. thr lord
rfa caff.ef bor gan1 inssre< n ~ Ft0n- o1n
talns elp~f y As Wv fyaf usntU = Jaly 8