The Baltimore County union., 1875-10-02

The VENERABLE THOMAS HopE-CHEsTNU
GROVE CHURCH, &o.-The Presbyterian Weekh
of Sept. 23d says On Monday last there gath
cred at his home in Hartford county, numerou!
descendants of Elder Thomas Hope to observe
his 9lst birthday. Mr.. Hope is probably the
oldest elder in the Presbyterian church. H,
has been appointed by the Bethel church tt
represent them at the Presbytery which meet:
| at Chestnut Grove ON the 5th of October, eigh
miles from his home.
1t is expected that there will be a large at
tendance of the members of the Presbytery
and the people Of Chestnut Grove will give tc
| Presbytery hearty welcome to their hospital
ity, and that people together with those Of the
Bethel and Ashland churches, will give to them
| the welcome of large attendance. Seeding
| time will be then over, and the country people
| will expect preaching once in the day, and ex-
pect to stay all day. The people will come
with their lunches to be eaten at recess. The
| Presbytery will open at IL o'clock, Tuesday,
| 9th Of October, with sermon by the last Mod
orator, the Rev. Ebenezer Finney, of Belair.-
| The committee Of arrangements are elder Chas.
| T. Halle, Deacons Piper and Green, aided by
the pastor.
CHESTNUT GROVE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
This is the church where the Presbytery of
Baltimore meets on Tuesday the 9th of October
to hold its fall meeting. The church building
is located on the Joppa road near Sweet Air,
vile Turnpikes 1t is country church with
a mem bership of 70. Its pastor is the Rev. Mr..
Rathbun. It's elders are Chas. T. Halle, Sam
uel M. Rankin and Mr.. Atlee. Its board of
deacons are Joshua Green, Robert Piper and
Edward Jessop. 1t has been about 30 years
since the Presbytery met within this church,
which then worshipped in what was then the
Long Green Academy Building, on the farm
owned by the Rev. George Morrison, deceased,
now tenant house on the same farm belong
ing to his son George. Its history is about on
this wise: About the year 1922, the Rev. Geo.
Morrison who was then licensed to preach the
Gospel by the Presbytery of New Castle, at the
age of 25 years, was called to preach one-half of
his time at the Bethel church, while principal
of the Academy at Belair. About the year
1924 Mr.. Morrison was transferred from the
New Castle to the Baltimore Presbytery, when
he located his homo at Sweet Air, Baltimore
county. At that early period there were no
Presbyterian ministers in Cecil, Hartford, Balti-
more and Carroll counties, nearly one third of
Maryland save DR.. James Magaw, the Rev.
William Finney and the Rev. George Morrison,
and but little Presbyterian preaching save
what these ministers did, aided by the Rev.
Mr.. Parke and the Rev. DR.. Samuel Martin of
York county, Pennsylvania. There were then
but 5 churches and but 643 communicates in
the Presbytery of Baltimore. There are AZ
churches and 4,709 members. The co labor
ers of that generation of ministers in Baltimore
were the Rev. DR.. Glendy and DR.. William
Nevin. About the year 1925, the Rev. George
Morrison made the Long Green Academy one
of his preaching points. He rode and preach
ed over large circuit of country from 1922 to
1887, the time of his decease, and from the an
nails of the church seems to have been one of
the cordial co-laborers with Nevins, Breckin-
ridge, Hammer and Musgrave, in the interests
of our Zion within the bounds of the Baltimore
Presbytery. About 1885, the congregation
(now of Chestnut Grove church, but then of
Long Green Academy held a four days meet
ing under cherry tree in the lawn of Mr..
Morrson's farm. Mr.. M. was aided at this
meeting by r. j. Brecknridge, J. G. Hammer,
S. M. Martin and G. W. Musgrave. An i'm
mense concourse of people for 20 miles gather |
ed day after day at that meeting. In 1884, |
three years before his decease, Mr. Morrison |
suggested that church building should be |
erected at the spot where the present building |
now stands. Being great su fferer and great |
lab9rer, in May, 1884, he was compelled to ask |
a leave of absence from the General Assembly |
that he might return to his home. In that AS |
sembly, as commissioner from his Presbytery,
before leaving it, he recorded his vote against |
the innovations of that period represented by |
Drs. Lyman Beecher and Beeman, &c. 1t was
during his illness at this period that the site of
the church was suggested. Some years after
his decease preaching was conducted still in
the Academy Building. About 1910, the church
was organized with Is members, and with |
Moses Rankin and Charles T. Halle as elders
In 1912 and 1S43 the present building was
erected on a site donated by Henry Carrell Sr.
The church successfully under the Rev. DIR.
Yerkes, Carter, Stewart, Myers and Rathbun
has continued to worship and grow.