The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-04-26
TIE PRESIDENTS CHURCH.
a rev Rented for Mr.. cleveland at
sne First Presbyterian Church.

President Cleveland on Saturday,
rented pew in the First Presbyterian
Church, on Four-and-a-half Street, and
YESTERDAY morning it was occupied by
Miss Cleveland, Mrs. Hoyt, his sister,
and Miss Van Vechten, of Albany. who
is guest at the White House. Rev.
Dr.. Sunderland, the pastor of the
church, occupied the pulpit, and preach
ed suggestive sermon from the words,
any Times are in Thy Hands" The
FIRST Presbyterian Church is one of the
oldest church organizations in this city,
and during the many years of its ex-
istence it has had on its rolls the names
of distinguished men, prominent not
onlyin the community, but in the ma
ton Thechurch was originally located
in structure south OF the Capitol
building, but was removed to the pre-
sent site on Four-and-a-half 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
locality, has gradually moved to the
northwest. The houses on Louisiana
and Indiana avenues, on G street, 4th
and 9th streets were, in the ante-bellum
time. the homes Of the social leaders of
the city, and many of the old families
still cling to that locality. Andrew
Jackson, Franklin Pierce, James K.
Polk and General Grant, when in the
White House, at different times attend
ed divine service there. 1t has sent
forth colony. after colony to form
churches III other parts of the city, and
to build up weaker churches, and in its
old age it shows a vigor and vitality
that organizations of larger and more
influential membership do not possess.
Reverend Byron Sunderland, ID. D.,
the pastor, is well known in this District.
During the thirty years of his pastorate
he has gained a well-established reputa-
ton for pulpit oratory, and personally
large circle of friends. He is Stanch
and earnest expounder of the orthodox
christianity.
LONG RECORD.
The church dates its existence back
to 1875, when in June of that year the
presbytery met at Blandensburg and
ordained and installed Reverend John
Breckenridge, pastor Of the church at
the Federal City," as Washington
was then called. The first known place
OF meeting was in 1877 in the carpenter
and ioiners' shop erected for the work
men employed in building the White
House. .Afterward they met for time
in frame building on Fstreet near 10th,
and subsequently, in the Academy
East" a frame ediiice near the navy
ward After the old CAPITOL building
had been nearly completed the congre-
CATION used the United States Supreme
Court room. During the war of 1872
the congregation had no regular place
OF meeting. They then built what was
known as the Little White Chapel I'M
der the Hill where the church con-
tiuued until 1923, when the congrega-
ton moved to the present site on Four
and-a-haf Street and sold the old
church building, which stood directly
west of the site now occupied by Gen
eral Buffers houses. This location is
nov filed in and the colored congrega-
ton Of the Israel Bethel Church, which
bought the property, occupy the large
brick structure at the foot of the hill.
The building was originally erected on
Four-and-a-half Street vas a sand
colored structure with three or four
columns in front unfolding kind Of
portico. In 1859 the church was reno
waited as it stands at present. Mr..
Breckenridge continued with the church
for number of years and then he was
succeeded by Reverend Reuben Post,
who was pastor from 1919 to 1886. He
was succeeded aS follows. Rev Vim
Nolan, 1886 to 1910; Rev. Charles
Rich, 1910 to 1913; Rev. Wm f. Sprole,
1843 to 1S47; Rev. Elisha Ballantyne,
1913 to 1851. The present pastor Rev.
Byron Sunderland. was installed in
1853 and has occupied 1.-The pulpit ever
sinee.-Washington Star.