New-York tribune., 1885-01-18
MEMORIES or OLD ST JOINS PARK.

SOME or THE FORMER REsIDENTs-PEH HOLDERS
TnE CHURCH.
There is no square at present in the city that
can compare beauty with the old st. Johns Park IN Its
pamy days. and citizens who were fortunate enough to
live opposite IT, In its immediate vicinity. look back
with great pleasure and attachment to Its beautiful
walks flowers and shrIbbery They cannot forget
their happy days as boys there, Old Cisco" the
coorcd gardener who watched for nfracton Of tho
rules. expcng them from the park II they were mpcr
ncnt very proud and Jealous OF his domain and
kept every thing In perfect order The neghhorhood was
probably prime from the 1888 to lS45 ana ST.
Johns Church was ~ fashionable. in those days as
Grace or st. rhomas's Churchr, at later date. On
beautiful sun Law morning Varick st would be lined
with hanomc private equipages. No one VINO saw them
can forget Sidney Masoas creancolored team and open
carriage Anthony Barclays magnificent bays In the
middle aisle of the church. sat Messrs Robert iiyslop
John C. Hamilton Thomas T. Gbbcs In the side alses,
Mrs General Morton and her two sons Hamilton and
Quincy the Iydgs, wilkes. Cadwaladers. Coldons,
Tlos and in the galleries. Philip Hone In
his military coat with his two daughters, Maur Living
ston. Van Brugh Livingston. L. ~ Hoffman. the Cotheai
swords. Bayies, and many others Bishop Wainrisht or
DR. wainrigh as he at that day Dr. Highly. with
sometimes the Rev Henry De kOyen, were the ttyorito
and drew large and attentive congregations
The houses ON tho square nearly all first class
the residents mostly wealthy and cultured people
In Beach-st were A. r. Wemore, D. k Iaulu,nR; r. A.
Georgo Grnln William Komblo. Robert Iyslcp. Daniel
Lord John c. Hamilton. Robert H. Mintnrn and Madame
Bnsse In Varckst william Aymar. Henry Cont. koD
srt Norris James Bernhard Dr. Bcrran H. Mcfaria, ~
B Dash, and NJ. Jones; In laight-st, Ruius Lord iop
rrt j, Murray, q. g. Golden Philip Lydig. llanit0n
wilkes General Morton. r. X. rllon, and Dr. Canaan
ia Hudson st., Ebert Anderson Dr Hunter. ~ T. Ran
doph, l.. NJ. Holman, DIR. Watts, Mrs Russell, Df
Drake, r. j. Cornell Moses Allen. aud William Gary III
makes old residents sad TO yi, the locality now ana 500
how fallen IL s from It's high estate We're u not Tor to
bcraity Of Old Trinity IT. Johns Chhrch o0uu not oo
main tainod save as "A mission. Tho church elihce.M ~
Iaigt and Varick sts IN tho charge prior u lS5o
of the Rev Samuel Hansen Coke Presbyteran' and
man OF kablo talent. lie was the hther OF tne
present Bishop Coke, Of Western New YORK, ana
nclo Of Grover Cleveland He was great llnSust anu
could read tho Scriptures In any language
His sermons admirable ana an hour or cSoh
longer In delivery. IIe early took strong abolition
ground and In church lectures made an unfortunate TO
mark In regard Christ being OF swarthy complexion
tho time Of the abolition riots The church was
InObbed and the windows brokon, Arthur Zap
pens and other houses being sacked ht tno
same time. Dr. Coke then accepted pro
fessOrship mt Hobart College, and was sue
ceeded by tho Rev. Favel g. Mines. who also was re-
makaby eloquent man, but he soon went INTO the fps
oOpal Church. The Franklin street Dutch Churcn tneh
united with the Iaight street Churoh ana calied Df
Hadenburgh bat the church had seen It's best DAYS ana
purchased by the Baptists who stii nold it
The residents began to 10 the upper part OF the Guy
early lS45, And by 1860 tho neighDorh0od nad o
trely changed The park was sold ny trinity Churon
and the property holders to Commodore vanderbilt anu
his great freight depot covers the the grOuu wherc
the beautiful square Onoo hOlrshed