The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-21
DIR. DlX'S PARISH.
History of the Richest Church Parish in the
COuntTy-Confoundns Real Estate
with Religion.
Gath. in Cincinnati Enquirer.

Trinity Church, New York. was organized
in the year 1886, under Governor Benjamin
Fletcher, an aristocrat, who took deep hos
tility to the paramount importance of the
Reformed Dutch Church in this province.
He had an evasive act passed by the Assem-
bly, at Albany in 1893, which he construed to
be recognition of the Protestant Episcopal
instead of the old Dutch Church, which was
the parent faith of this colony. He then
built Trinity Church, which remained until
the Revolutionary war, about eighty years
afterward, when the great fire which fol-
lowed the British occupation of the city
burned it down. When the British cap
tured Yew York, in 1864, they found one of
the Dutch churches standing inside
OF the fort at what is now the battery.
Confiscating this church as part of
the conquest, they changed its name to the
Kings Chapel, and put the Episcopal wor-
ship there. This church remained Tor about
third OF a century the only Episcopal
church on this island, until Trinity was fin
ished. After Trinity was burned it was re-
built the year before New York became the
American capital In the year 1910 this sec
ond church was pulled down, and the pres
ent very expensive edifice of brown stone
was opened for worship in 1876.
Trinity Church is Gothic edifce, about
200 feet long by about eighty feet wide, with
spire 2S4 feet high. This church was en-
dowed by Queene Anne. 1t is considered
the mother of Episcopal churches in Amer
lea A Dutch woman named Anneke Jams
owned a farm on the island, now COW
cred with costly buildings, which
was conveyed to this church, and is the
source of its riches. About eleven years
ago the value of Trinity real estate was con-
sidered to be $40, 100000 to $50,000000, and
many of our streets are named for rectors and
yestrymen q Trinity corporation. From
Trinity have emanated such later churches
as st. PauPs, half a mile further up which
was dedicated in 1866; st. Johns erected in
1907, the square before which was bought by
Vanderbilt for 81 100000, and st. Georges,
dedicated in 1852, all three of which were in
the Trinity Parish. Later Episcopal churches
here have followed the nomenclature
adopted i'll England, and we have the Church
of the Holy Apostles, of the Holy Innocents,
of the Holy Communion, of the Holy Mar
tyrs, of st. Adams, st. Ambrose, st. Andrew,
etc Since 1922 no burials have been allowed
in Trinity graveyard
The Trinity Church farm lay north of Full
ton street, on the west side of Broadway,
aud was cut up IN lots about the year 1860.
This farm extended to Duane street, and had
been the property of the Dutch West India
Company. The infamous Lord Cornberry-
a man who used to dress in woman's clothes
and who inflicted fine and imprisonment on
poor Presby terrain preacher who ventured
to preach in his private HOUSEKEEPING very
Jealous for the Established church. gave this
confscated farm III 1705 to the Trinity cor
poration. The old farmhouse stood where
the Aston House now stands. Trinity began
to lease thG3s lots in 1850, at f8 year.
With the grawth of this city the Trinity
Church property has become an enormous
hDnoDgo M wonder thot hoe t,,- Nd tl,o
head of young priest whose father spent
his entire life holding office, and finally got
to consider himself as a privileged office
holder,
Dix came to this State in the war of 1912
as young staff officer, and picked a wife in
a growing part of the State, and took up his
residence here. He finally went into what
was called the Albany Regency with Van
Buren, and others. A sharp old man, taking
advantage of every situation, he saw the
wealth of Trinity corporation, and his son,
during the old mans lifetime, was made its
pastor. There is very small congregation
at Trinity, it being a show church. having a
connection with many of the old families
and it supports parish schools and other
things on which it can draw with almost
military discipline for congregation. In the
church-yard are buried Alexander Hamil
ton, Robert Fulton, the Livingstone family,
Cooper, Lawrence, some of the Astors and
By the New York State census of 1875
find that there are about $50 Episcopal
churches in the State of New York, with
only rs, 600 members; but the value of the
church property is put down as considerably
higher than that of any other denomination.
The Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterans and
Roman Catholics are more numerous and
have far more churches than the Episcopal
lians. In the city of New York, which is the
stronghold OF the Episcopal church, there
were about seventy-four Episcopal churches,
with about 81 900 members.
Mr.. Dix is fruitful in his denuncation of
divorce. l frequently see injustice exefted
under the divorce laws, but often as great in
justice because OF the obstacles to divorce In
my acquaintance is very intelligent woman
with wealthy father, who married thief
He stole her very wedding presents, robbed
her father, never gave her dress to wear,
could not pay her board was low and SEN
sual and she grewto loathe him out of the
purity of her moral nature. Yet that woman
returns to her fathers house with apprehen-
sion of the law, and her father is coolly noti-
fed by the scamp that on the payment of
large sum of money to him he will consent
to a divorce, otherwise he will be a terror to
his wife as long as she lives.
Dix has confounded his religion with the
real estate belonging to his church The
publcis DESTROYS of hearing a sermon from
him on the text: master, what shall do to
inherit eternal life? Then said Jesus: Go
and sell all that thou hast and give to the
poor, and come ard follow me-"