Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-04-16
A Church Free From Debt.
TRINITY cHURcHs CONTRIBUTIONS IN
THE PAST EIGHT YEARS-SOME INTER-

TOR.
&C., &C., sc.
At Trinity Church last Sunday morning,
Rev. w. @. Hullihen read the official dec
laration OF the Vestry that the church is
entirely free fiom debt. He said that next
November will be the twenty fifth anniver-
sary of the occupation OF the present
Trinity Church building; about the semi
cent nnial of the occupation of the second
building which was erected, and the one
hundred and twenty-ffth anniversary of
| the erection of the old church, and if the
| congregation desire, there will be in No
vember a suitable celebration of these
facts.
There are still among the congregation
Mr.. Hullihen remarked, a few, who in ear
| ly youth worsiipped in the old colonial
church., which had stood just North of the
| Or sent building. He had been privileged
to minister ill this sanctuary to some who
| had been vestrymen Of the old colonial
church, and one of the vestrymen OF 1870
had acted as his (the speaker's) senior
warden i'll the parish Of Botetourt. MI.
Hullihen then proceeded to give history
of the financial struggle that had attended
the keeping of Trinity Church open since
it Was established and with what steadfast-
ness The congregation has come through
them. 1t appeared from the records OF the
vestry iii early days tnat it was just as
much lis they could do to support the min
lister aid keep the church in repair.
LII 1881 he congrega ion moved out OF
the colonial church building into the new
one, but the vestry had to adopt a resolu-
tim to negotiate "a loan for $500 to pay
/ what vas due the nitch anics. At that
point Il bank of ten YEARS occurs in The
books OF the. ch,irct. now III possession
When The record begins again the vestry
We're eudes voiing for d whole Year to raise
snoney enough to purc Use llinds 'or the
church OF 1881 but wer. unsuccessful until
tue ladies OF the congregation raised the
SUN. The preparations for the meeting
IF the Convention We're Of the most lavish
character for those days and consisted OF
painting the cupola ami organ; the repair
lug OF the front steps and the church was
ordered 20 bs ',ueatly secured, and the
palings of the church yard white washed. -
For these expenditures a special commit
tee was appointed to raise the means.
1t was about 1912 that the custom OF
taking up collection on the first Sunday
of the month tor contingent expenses was
put in force. The record gives specimen
of these collections February s4.71, March
Sc 4S, April 1888. In 1913 the church
determined to build parsonage and
bought a house and lot from John G.
Sewers for S2,O31. In 1S4S the church had
fallen behind 1925 in its contingent expen-
ses. 1t was in the next year that Comma
dOre Chas. William Skinner, U. S. N. pre-
sented the communion service now in use
! to the church ''as token of his affection
ate regard for our Holy Catholick and
Apostolic church,
In 1852 the necessity was felt to build q
new chur h, but the only way of getting
the money that presented itself was the
sale OF the church building then in use, sc
committee of three gentlemen was ap
pointed ION behalf Of this vestry with full
power and authority to sell the present
Trinity church building, with as mucf
ground as may b. necessary for pass way
around the same, provided the sum of moi
less than s., 500 can be obtained for thu
same: provided also, that the church have
the use Ut the building Il reasonable time
until the erection of a new building fol
the use Of tn: congregation. This sale
however Was happily, never contaminated
The new building costing $11 200 was com.
peted and occupied in November, 1855
In 1870 il was enlarged and arrangement.
; made for its heating, at a cost of $5,S72.
Mr.. Hullihen said the parish was com
mitted to him Sunday eight years ago an6
Sin looking over these years it seems to YOU
rector that you must have secretly agreed
that no rector hereafter should ask for
anything that you would not heartily en-
deayor to accomplish" In those eight
years the congregation had expended So 200
on repairs to the church, had contributed
$4,000 to the building OF a rectory unsur-
passed in the diocese and had Quilt chap
ell, SURPRISING any in the diocese. costing
$4,000. Mr.. Hullihen then read the offic-
Ial statistics showing that in those past
eight years the CONGREGATION had given
for all purposes SAT 1888, and in the worst
year Of the late financial depression it had
given the largest contributions 81 ,2O8, OF
this total amount there was expended in
the parish not including regular expenses,
S1S,6S9,77
In audltion to this they have lived in
peace with their neighbors. He found in
the records as far back ..s 1922, the follow
ing resolution. ''At the request Uf the
Presbyterian Elders of Stanton, it was
| resolved by the Vestry of this church
that they be permitted to use tine Episco-
pal church during tile cold weather, on
condition that the sexton return the key
TO the sexton of this church and keep it in
the usual order" And in 1855 similar
resolution was adopted in regard to the
second building, Offering its use to the
Presbyterians.
These figures which we have reproduced
from Mi. Hullihen's sermon slow a re-
| markable financial history for congrega
ton which is not wealthy and which like
every other has passed the greater part
of the eight years since the present rector
took charge, in a season of unexampled
financial depression.
FIRE.-Sunday at III o'clock A. M
while strong wind Was blowing, the barn
of Mr.. f. e. Keller near Churclville, was
discovered On fire and notwithstanding the
efforts of Mr. Keller and his son ub.