Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-09-05
THE OLDEST CHURCH IN AMERICA.
From the New York (EpiscopaD Church
Journal.


From the New York (EpiscopaD Church
Journal.
The first house of public worship
erected 10 Portsmouth was an Episco-
pal church. This was prior to 1898.
Its first minister was Rev. Richard
Gibson, who continued Its pastor until
1912, when he was summoned to Bos-
ton to answer the charge of marrying
and baptizing in the Isle of Shoals;
for the laws of the Massachusetts, col
ony forbade the practice of clerical
duties by ministers of the Church of
England. He was held In custody for
several days, when he made full
acknowledgment, and asked the favor
of the court As he was a stranger,
and was about to leave the country,
the magnanimous officials discharged
him without further punishment. A
new edihce was erected on the site of
the present building, in 1732. 1t was
called the Queens chapel, in honor of
Queen Caroline, who gave the bible
aud prayer book, the plate, and two
elegant mahogany chairs. which are
still used. Among the names of the
benefactors of the church is to be
found that Of Benjamin Franklin. The
rector, Rev. Arthur Brown, died in
1713, and was buried under the west
entrance of the church. After an in
terval of several years, Rev. John
Cosens Ogden became rector. 1t was
while the church was under his charge
that Washington attended service ia
it, on the occasion of his visit to this
vicinity The edifce was twice des-
troyed by fire, and the present build
ing was erected in 1908 Rev. DR..
Burroughs became its rector in 1872,
and held the position until 1857, when
he resigned His widow, now beyond
the good old age of eighty, still resides
here. The present rector is Rev Joel
f. Bingham, ID. D.. to whose kindness
and attention we are indebted for the
pleasure which the visit to Portsmouth
afforded US. With church with such
a history, one very naturally expects to
find some curious and interesting as
sociatiOns; and he is not disappointed.
The building is plain brick, as homely
and unchurchlike in exterior appear
ance as coald possibly be imagined.
The interior is not unlike many of our
very Oldest churches, with galleries.
The walls are frescOed, and many mural
tablets are seen about the chanccl aud
other parts of the church. In winter
the building is warmed-not with fur
naces nor steamheaters, but-with the
old-fashiOned stoves which burn wood;
and the sexton passes around among
the pews, fOot-stOves and sospstOnes
for the comfort of the congregation.
The first thing that attracts the eye of
the stranger is the font. 1t is a mass
i've, egg-shaped bowl, thirty -eight by
thirty inches, made of porphyry, high
ly polished, and resting upon a shaft
of the same material. 1t has roman
tic history. 1t was the property of a
Roman Catholic church in Senegal
Africa. Originally lined with silver,
it was stolen by Some pirates, from
whom it was taken by the French. In
a naval engagement in the Bay of Bis
cay. it was captured by the English
under Captain John Tuition Mason.
In 176l his daug liter presented it to
st. Johns church. A Latin inscrip-
ton engraved on the bronze lid re-
cords the presentation. At everySun
day morning service there appears upon
this font a parcel containing a few
loaves of bread Slowed away IN the
tower among some other relics saved
from the flames, is a board upon which
is painted record of some of the bene-
factions of the church. Among others
is one to the effect that in 1779 Thomas
Atkinson bequeathed two hundred
pounds, invested in three per cent.
stocks, the annual income of which
was TO provide loaves of bread which
were to be given weekly in the church
TO poor widows of the congregation.
Among the gifts handed down from
Olden time are some massive silver
plate, handsome mahogany chairs, AN
honest table" for the communion, and
bible% and prayer-books from Queen
Caroline and Queen Anne. Early In
the revolution, as from this place
prayers were offered for the king and
royal family, the marshal of the town
with posse of men entered the church
and with his sword cut out the morn
ing and evening service from the prayer
book That book still lies upon the
altar, and the marks of violence are
still seen. Subsequently the missing
pages were replaced by leaves cut from
another book. The organ was built
in 1892 In the chapel belonging to
the church is now used another organ
which was sent from England in lib
TO Kings chapel, Boston. But the
prejudice against such an instrument
was so strong in that city that it was
not used Rev. DIR. Burroughs subse-
quently bought it, and placed it in its
present position. 1t is said to be the
oldest organ in the United States. A
graveyard nearly surrounds the church.
But beneath the building are extensive
vaults where rest the remains of those
who generations ago worshiped within
its sacred courts. And so amply is
the space provided, that hears with
two horses attached can be driven
under the whole length of the edi6ee.
deposit the coffin and return.