Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-10-19
OUR oHUaCHEs.

l
the leading churches of Nashville, the arti-
cles to be continued from week to week un-
til the churches have all been noticed. We
begin with
| THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
Quoting freely from the very valuable history
of the church prepared in 1868 by the Rev.
Robt. F. Bunting, D. D., at that time pas
tor of the church.
According to DR.. Bunting, Rev. Thos.
b. Craighead was the first Presbyterian
minister who preached In the
| vicinity of Nashville. He came
here In 1875, and continued to preacn,
(most of the time regularity, in the vicinity
of Nashville up to 1916. The first church
wac Organized in Nov, 1914 ,Dy
Rev. Gideon Blackburn, and called
"rhe Presbyterian Church OF Nash
ville," the following named being members:
Mrs. Andrew Ewing, Mrs. Mary McNairy,
wife Of Frank McNairy. ST., Mrs. Josiah
Nichol, Mrs. Tom Talbot and dsughter,
Mrs. Sophia Hall, wife OF Elihu 81, and
Mrs. Margaret L., wife Of Col Patton An
derson, u. S. a., (now Mrs. N, L. Bybee,
OF Memphis, Tenn,) and Robert Smiley,
who was elected. Ruling Elder.
In addition to the above the fol-
lowing were among the early
members Of the church: Geo. M. MartiD
and wife, Mrs. Joseph Coleman, Mrs.
Catharine Stous, Mrs. Martha Childresz.
Mrs. Catharine Robinson, Mrs. Jesse
Wharton, Mrs. Felix Grundy, Mrs.
Randall McGavock, Mrs. Alpha Kingsley,
Mrs. Robert Armstrong, Mrs. Alex. Porter,
Mrs. Harriet Mclaughlin, Mrs. Mary Ann
Richardson, Mrs. Ellen Kirkman, Mrs.
Anna NJ. Carroll, Mrs. John Baird, Mr..
| Calvin Jackson and wife, Mrs. Michael G.
Dunn, Mrs. Marg Sret Tannehill, Mrs. Sarah
Glenn.
The first church building was very
small one and stood upon the same ground
the present church now occupies.
1t was destroyed by fire about the year
| 1882, and the building which succeeded it
was also burned in 1848. On the second
occasion the fire was caused by spark from
charcoal furnace used by some workmen
| who were repairing the cupols. The vol
unteer fire company was promptly on hand,
and in few moments had carried line of
hose up into the cupola, or steeple and the
flames could have been extinguished
without difficulty and in few moments,
but Just then there was rush OF people
into the building, the hose was thrown
down and before It could be again carried
up the flames had made such headway that
they could not be checked.
In 1S43, at their own request, the follow
| lug named were dismissed from member
ship with the First church, in order to form
the Second Presbyterian Church of Nash
vile: Alpha Kingsley, Elizabeth Kingsley,
James Erwin, Margaret Erwin,
James B. FurgasOn, Samuel Hill,
Phebe Caldwell, Harriet Rosser,
Lucy Wingfeld, L. A. Wingfel6, Agnes
NorvelI, Mary Kelly, Nancy Peabody, Eiz-
abeth T. Clark, G. Foster Williams, NJ. a.
Eastman, A. g. Adams, James Al. Hamil-
ton, Abram Stevens, Andrew j. Smith,
John McCrea, Janet McCrea, Geo. T.
Thompson, Horace c. Berry, G. 81. Pea.
body, and G. A. R. Thompson.
The following named are the ministers
who have besn connected with the First
church:
/. Rev. Thomas B. Craighead removed
| from Kentucky to the Cumberland early in
1875, ami located at Hsysioro, where a
stone church blilding was erected. He
| preached at Nashville and Haysboro up to
! 1872. and occasionally at Haysboro until
his death, in 1924.
2. Rev. William Hume came to Nash
vile in 1901, and on the I'd day of Decem-
Der hswas admitted Pastor of the Seceder
(Scotch) Congregation By the Presbytery
to which it belonged. He preached 10 it
until about 1918, when be joined the Pres
byterian General Assembly Of the United
States. He supplied the First Church Of
| Nashville when without pastor, and
phurches regularly in the neighboring
reached until his death, May %, 1888
Rev. Gideon Blackburn, ID. D., began to
preaeA in Nashville occasionally in 1Sll. In
1914 he organized the First Presbyterian
| Church. He removed to Nashville, from
Williamson county, about 1916, but soon
| returned there with bis family; still howev-
| er, supplying the Church regularly until
| 1918 or 1919, and occasionally sfterward.
In 1928 he removed to Louisville, Kentucky
and in 1888 to Iii nois. He died at
Carlinsville, Illinois, August %, 1888.
4. Rev. Allan d. Campbell removed to
Nashville in the fall of 1920, and was the
| first pastor of the church. Resigning in
the snring of 1927, he returned to Pitts
burg, Penn, where be died September 20,
1851.
8. Rev. Obadiah jennings, D. D., re-
moved to Nashville April, 1928, and took
! charce of the Church. He died in the Pas
torAle, Jan, 2, 1882.
6. Rsv. John TODD Edgar, D. D., remov-
| ed to Nashville in 1888, and began his Ia
bors Aug. A.. He was installed pastor Dec.
25, 1888, and died the senior pastor of the
church, Nov. IL, 1860.
7. Rev. Joseph Bardwell wss installed
co-pastor with DR.. Edgar, December IL,
1859. This relation was dissolved in April,
llS51. when be was installed pastor, which
relation was dissolved June 26, 1864.
s Rev. j. T. Hendrick, d. d., supplied
the pulpit from March l, 1862, to August
1. 1852. He then took charge of the Pres
byterian Church at Paducah, Ky.
o. Rev. r. f. Bunting, d. D., began his
labors as Stated Supply July 8, 1865, and
was installed pastor June 10th, 1868, sus-
tanning that relation until July II, 1858.
In November of that year he took charge
of the Presbyterian church at Galveston,
Texas.
10. Rev. Thos. v. Moore, D. D., of Rich
mond, Va, was elected pastor on the 30th
of August, 1868, taking charge of the
church about the close of that year. He
died in the pastorsie, August 8, 1871.
1l.ReY. Henry j. Van Dyke, of Brooklyn,
New York, was el:cted pastor In June,
1872, but before being installed he sent in
his resignation and returned to Brooklyn in
Nov, 1872.
12. Rev. Thos. A. Hoyt, of New York,
was installed as pastor in January of the
present year.
The present officers Of the church are:
Railing Elders--Jsmes Nichol elected in
1S34) Daniel F. Garter, Adam G. Aiams,
James Ii. Hamilton, E. Il. McClannahan,
II. Hill McAIIister, W. B. Thompson, VIM,
Fl. Smith, Chss. A. r. Thompson, Jas. B,
O'Bryan, Paul F. Eve.
Deacons sc. M. d. Csntrell, VIM. K.
Hunter, Robt. Lusk, Andrew. j. Smith,
Robt. g. Throne, Bradford Nichol, j.
Douglass Cross, VIM. D. Kline, George g.
O'Bryan, Edgar Jones, Francis Pcrterfeld,
VIM. G. Collier.
In addition to the Sunday-school held in
the basement of the church building and o1
which the officers are: Adam G Adams,
Superintendent; Vim. Henry Smith, Assist
ant Superintendent; Thos. Il. Nancy, Sec,
retary; Yeatmsn Hsrdcastle, Treasurer; A
B. Foster, Librarian; the following branch
schools have been established:
Cottage school, corner Bass street and
Stevenson avenue. III. II. McAllister, Su.
perintendent; Robt. j. Gordon, Assistant
Superintendent; Frank Elliott, Librarian.
EDGAR Mission Chapel, corner McGavoct
and Foster. Jas. B. O'Bryan, Superlnten-