Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-09
ALLEGHENY BAPTISTS
Organizers of the First Protestant
Church in This County.
GROWTH OF THE DENOMINATION.
Trials of the Early Congregations and Their
Pastors.
CHURCH DIRECTORY AND STATISTICS.

honor of claiming the first Protestant
church in Allegheny county. 1t was or
ganized in 1773 and known as Peters Greek
Baptist Church. The first Baptist church
in Pittsburg was the Fourth Avenue Bap-
tist. organised in 1912. Only little band
thev made, six families all told, not making,
in numbers, more than II. Like
other pioneer churches they had at
first no regular place of meet
ing. The first public place was
a hall over a shop on old Fifth avenue.
After a time a lot was secured on the corner
of Grant and Third avenue. This one-story
frame building was but 30x4O feet in di-
,mensions, and does not much resemble the
spacious building in which the Fourth ave-
nue. congreg alton now meet to worship.
The first pastor of the church was Rev.
Edward Jones. He continued pastor for
two or three years and was succeeded by
Rev. Mr.. Newcomb, from New England,
whose pastorate covered two years. He
then went from PittSburg to New York.
The next pastorate was assumed by Rev.
John Davis in 1918. He came from En-
gland and was for years a devoted and
popular pastor. With these changes the
church had made
ITS FIRST DECADE
of history, and added to its members
until the 12 had become 96. The
church had been regularly constituted up
to this time, but did not receive a charter
until October of 1922. In '27 the Rev.
Samuel Williams was called to be the pas
tor. He began his work on the second Sab
bath of May, 1927. His salary was $500 per
annum, and he was pastor for % years.
There had been a break between the years
i A,,A -
and care of this devoted pastor the church
was gathered again into its own meeting
house, the frame building on the corner OF
Grant street and Third avenue.
In 1888 plain brick building took the
place of the frame, costing s., 900. This
was DESTROYED bv fire in 1845. In q very
short time another building wss erected at
a cost of S. 900, afterward occupied by the
Hebrews. The church added greatly to her
membership during the years of Mr.. Will
iams' postorste. He was q fluent writer,
and did battle for the doctrines of his
church by pen as well as by personal effort
and the practical word of the gospel. Dur
ing his pastorate he was instrumental in
the organization of six other churches.
CHURCH GROWTH.
The church continued to grow in men,
bers and influence The changes were like
those which follow in the wake of any
church history. Changes were made in pas
tors and new churches were formed. In
June, 1866, the old site on Grant street
and Third avenue was sold to the Uni
versalists for $40, 900, and lots on the corner
of Fourth avenue and Ross streets were Sc
cured. On Sunday morning, February "a,
1867, the chapel of the commodious Fourth
church was dedicated. Atterward the First
Baptist Church of this city was known as
the Fourth avenue. Baptist Church.
In the meantime two new churches were or
gsnized. Thus the church began its work
In the suburbs that the denomination might
have opportunity to grow as the city in
creased in its territory and population.
In September of 1874 the cornerstone of
the Fourth Avenue Baptist Church was
laid, and in 1876 the great structure was
ready for occupancy. 1t is not completely
furnished and finished, and is one of the
large churches of the city. Its missionary
work has not been a small part in its career,
for throughout the city this church has
planted its mission churches, many of which
have grown to be influential and indie
pendent churches.
THE FIRST MISSION
was established only IA years after the
planting of the First Church. 1t was in
1926 that seven of her children departed to
form the Welsh Church. Its first pastor
was Jacob Morris. In 1885 Is members of
the Fourth Avenue Church were dismissed
by letter to aid in forming the Sandusky
Street Baptist Church, of Allegheny.
This church commemorated Its fftieth
anniversary in March, 1885. Its first pastor
was Rev. William Shadrach. He was sue
eeeded in 1888 by Rev. John E. Thomas,
who came to labor among the people as an
evangelist He was afterward called to the
pastorate of the Baptist Church, in ALLIE
gheny. Like the original Fourth Church,
Tor years there was no regular church build
ing, but the church worshiped for a time
over a carpenter shop on Park way, and
stterward in the building of the
Pittsburg Academy, located in the limits
Of the present park grounds-it was not un-
til as late as 1912 and 1S43 that steps were
taken to erect the present building-amid
some discouragements the work went on,
carrying for some years the burden of debt,
but this debt was lifted after the pastorate
of Rev. A. K. Bell. The present pastor,
DR.. B. f. Woodburn, was called to the
church in 1870, and his successful pastorate
is too well assured for comment. From
this church grew the Nixon street
Church, organized March IL, 1867, and
again 16 were dismissed in 1868 to unite
with others in forming the first colored
cnurcn OF Allegheny county.
The South Pittsburg Church was formed
in 1S48. The Mount Washington was al
most, if not wholly, organized by mem bers
from the First; so that in 1872 when one
Baptist church in Pittsburg represented the
Baptist Church in this city with member
ship Of II, to-day there are is churches with
membership of 3, 800.
BAPTIST DIRECTORY.
and Twenty eighth street-Rev. John Robin
son, pastor.
Ebenezer (eolored),I Colwen and Milton
streets-Rev. j. H. Pryor, pastor.
First German, South Nineteenth, between
Carson and Sarah-Rev L. H. Downer, pastor.
Fifth Avenue, near market house, Fifth
avenue-Rev. Alfred Turner pastor.
Fourth Avenue, Ross street. near Fourth
avenue-Rev. Z. T. Fox, pastor.
Green Street (African). Lacock street, near
Anderson, Alegheny-Rev ]. ]. Jones' pastor
Shiloh--No pastor.
Nixon Street Nixon street. near Manhattan.
Allegheny-Rev John Brooks, pastor.
Sandusky Street, Sandusl1y and North alley,
Allegheny-Rev. b. F. Woodburn, d. D.,
pastor
Shady Avenue, Shady avenue. East End
Rev. E d. Hammond, pastor.
Tabernacle, Howard street and North ave-
nue., Allegheny-Rev. J. w. Taylor pastor,
Thirty-seventh Street, on Thirty-seventh,
below Butler-Rey. j. X. Cramer, pastor.
Union, South Nineteenth street. near Carson
Rev. J. w. Riddle, pastor.
Sloan. Liberty Hall, East End-Rev. W. M.
II. Duvall, pastor.
BAPTIST STATISTICS,
Fourth Avenue Baptist Church-Consti-
tuted in 1872; pastor. Rev. E. T. Fox; member
ship, 6Sl
sandusky street-constitutedi in 1885; b. F.
Woodburn, d. d., pastor; membership, 454
Fifth Avenue-Constituted in 1873; pasto-,
Rev. Alfred Turner; membership, S.
Shady Avenue Baptist Church-Constituted