The Portland daily press., 1882-07-10

| II Peter, 30. The bishop preached again in
| the afternoon to about twice as many.
During the years 1800-1803 occasional SER
vices weres held in school house, con-
Quoted by James Lewis, local preacher, and
Rev. Asa Heath. In March, 1904, Rev. JOSH
ua Taylor spent a Sabbath in Portland, and
learning that the old Episcopal church was to
be disposed of, he consulted with Samuel Ho-
| mer and Daniel Lewis, the only male members
of the society, who, through the generous as
sistance of Mayor Enoch Isley, purchased the
house, having removed it to Federal street and
repaired it, and thus furnished the society Its
first church home. Brother Taylor was APP
pointed in July preacher in charge, and during
the two years of his very successful ministry,
the society of II increased to "a, and the at
tendance on worship became ESQ large as to
make demand for enlarged accommodations.
By great self-denial and sacrifice, lot was
purchased on Chestnut street, October, 1903, a
little north of the present edifice, and COM
modious church erected, which, while yet I'M
finished, was dedicated Feb. 18th, 1871, by
Rev. Epaphras Kibby, the preacher in charge
The lot was bought of Joseph TItcom6 Tor
$3.50, by William Waterhouse, Thomas Della
no, William True, Thomas Runels, Samuel
Homer, Lemuel Gooding and Thomas Dodge,
IN trust for the society.
Theneeforward the society had steady and
increasing prosperity under Martin Ruter,
John Lindsay Elijah Hedding, and such apos-
tolic men, until 1918, when large secession
took place for the reasons Gas good and suti-
Gent as church secessions usually havel thar
pews were put in the church In the place OF
wooden benches and instrumental music was
admitted and the meetings were not suInclent-
ly noisy and boisterous to suit some! Inc So
ciety again had peace. though with greatly re-
duced members, and continuing to increase. A
Sunday School was organized IN 49,. In 1870,
under the pastoral labers of Rev. Ephraim
Wiley, gracious revival occurred, which ex-
tended to many of the other churches, and Is
known in the ecclesiastical history OF the city
as the great revival"
In general terms, thenceforth the society has
had a remarkably prosperous history; that not
withstanding the vigorous of-shoots 1t has sent
out to found the Pleasant street, Pine street,
Congress stree1, Woodford's and Peaks Island
churches, it has found it necessary to repeated
ly enlarge its places OF worship. Inc hlssory
of this house, the third owned and occupied by
the society, dates back to Feb 16, 1856, when,
under the ministry of Rev. Chas. w. Morse,
(whose presence with us this evening gives us
great pleasure) an association was formed TO
procure funds for the purpose OF aiding In the
purchase of a parsonage and OF suitable lot OF
land and erecting thereon church for the use
of the First Methodist Episcopal church IN
Portland"
At the next meeting of the Trustees, Feb.
70, 1886, the secretary reported the ladies had
donated the Board $210, net proceeds Of levee
at Lanaster Hall, whereupon DIR. Eliphalet
Clark moved the vacancies in the Board be
Immediately filled and that the trustees pro-
coed to sign the stock book W hen the sum
OF 81, 800 was at once subscribed. So the la
dies started the ball which they have kept |
rolling ever since The board of trustees at
this time consisted of DIR. Clark, Harris G. |
Barnes Charles G. Harmon, Cyrus Sturdivant |
Moses G. Palmer, Henry G. Babb, George |
Worcester, Richard G. Webster, and Jonathan |
NJ. Heath. After holding for time the refus- |
al of the Haskell lott on the corner of Con- |
gress and Chestnut streets, it was decided, |
March 18th, to purchase of Henry Merrill and |
j udge Emery the site OF the present church |
for 81, 1880 which was 81, 344 so less than the
price of the "Haskell lott On motion OF DR.. |
Clark it was voted, May 2, 1856, ito proceed |
forthwith to erect church on Chestnut street |
at an estimated cost of $4,000 and under the |
fervid and vigorous ministry OF Rev. Henry
Cox the work went rapidly on to the compile !
ton Of this noble edifice which was dedicated |
July 9Th, 1857. The cost slightly
over run the estimate The architect
was Mr.. A. c. Alexander, and the
building committee DR.. e. Clark, George Wor-
csster, and Moses G. Palmer. The entire cost
of the house, land and furnishings run up to
debt which has been heroically borne and bat
tied with till, at last, within few days, the
last dollar has been paid at an expense to the |
society for original cost and interest of about |
$40, 900.
The historian then says, with a brief inter-
ruption IN 1865, the prosperity OF the church Tor
the past twenty-five years has been most Won
derful He referred 10 Revs. J. r. Day and
G. j. Clark as the two of his predecessors who
did so much to cancel the debt of the society,
as well as to the ladies of the congregation who
worked nobly. The church to-day is active,
vigorous, united with membership of 600, of
whom 100 have been gathered in the past year,
and Sunday school with 600 children and
teachers. May it continue its glorious career
till the millennium shall dawn!