Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-03-23

A PEW RENTED FOR MIR. CLEVELAND AT
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

a FEW RENTED FOX MIR. THE
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
President Cleveland on Saturday rented a
pew in the First Presbyterian church. on IL,
street, and yesterday morning it was occupied
by Miss Cleveland, Mrs. Hoyt, his sisters, and
Miss Van Nechten, of Albany, who is guest at
the White House. Rev. DIR. Sunderland, the
pastor of the church, occupied the pulpit, and
preached O suggestive sermon from the words,
"My Times are in Thy Hands," The First Pres
byterian church is one Of the oldest church or
CARNATIONS in this city, and during the many
years of its existence it has had on
its rolls the names of distinguished men
prominent not only in the community but in
the nation. The church was originally
located in structure south of the Capitol
building, but was removed to the present site
on 412 street. During the years that the church
has occupied its present location the city has
undergone many and wonderful changes. The
center of the fashionable life, which before the
war was in that locality, has gradually moved
to the northwest The houses on Louisiana
and Indiana avenues, on street, 4th and 5th
the homes of the social leaders of the city, and
many of the old families still cling to that
locality. Andrew Jackson, Franklin Pierce,
White House, at different times attended divine
service there. 1t has sent forth colony after
colony to form churches in other parts of
and in its old age it shows a vigorr
and vitality that organizations of
not possess. Rev. Byron sunderland, d. d.. the
pastor, is we'll known in this District. During
the thirty years of his pastorate he has gained
well-established reputation for pulpit oratory,
and personally he has won the love and re,
spect of q large circle of friends. He is stanch
and earnest expounder of orthodox chris
tianity.
A LONG RECORD.
The church dates its existence back to 1895,
when in June of that year the presbytery met
ct Bladensburg and ordained and installed
Rev. John Breckenridge pastor of the church at
the Federal City, as Washington was then
called. The first known place of meeting was
in 1897 in the carpenter and joiners' shop
erected for the wOrkmen employed in building
the White House. Afterward they met for
time in a frame building on + street near 10th,
and subsequently in the Academy East" a
frame edifice near the navy yard. After the
old Capitol building had been nearly COM
pieted the congregation used the United States
Supreme Court room: During the was of 1912
ing. They then built what was known as
the "Little White Chapel under the Hill" where
the church continued until 1923, when the con-
gregation moved to the present site on a., street
and sold the old church building, which stood
directly west of the site now occupied by Gen.
Buffers houses. This location is now filed i'm
and the coiored congregation of the Israel
Bethel church, which bought the property oc-
cupy the large brick structure at the foot of the
HILL The building as originally erected on 41,
street was a sand colOred structure with three
or four columns in front upholding a kind of
pOrticO. In 1859 the church was renovated as
it stands at present. Mr.. Breckenridge con-
tinued with the church for a number of years
and then he was succeeded by Rev. Reuben
Post, who was pastor from 1919 to S36. He
was succeeded as follows: Rev. William Nc.
Lain, 1886 to 1S4O; Rev. Charles Rich, 1910 to
1S43; Rev. William F. Sprole, 1S43 to 1S47;
Rev. Elisha Ballantyne, 1S4S to 1851. The
present pastor. Rev. Byron Sunderland, was in
stalled in 1858 and has occupied the pulpit
ever since.