Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-06

On Thursday next notable event IN the his
tory of the venerable St. Paul's Rock Creeh
parish will be commemorated. Fifty years age
Rev. DR.. Buck, the rector, was consecrated q
priest in the Episcopal church. He had just
graduated from the Episcopal theological sem.
| mary in Alexandria, and among the members
of his class the following survive; Bishop VIII
mer of Alabama, Rev. DE-. Nelson, the dean Of
the Washington conyocation, Rev. T. w.
Leavell of West Virginia, and Rev. DR.. Scott
With the exception Of the first named, all will
be present to take part in the exercises which
commemorate tho golden jubilee OF Rev. DR..
| Buck. The clergy of the District and a large
number of the older church people have been
| invited to be present. There will be religious
| services in the morning with the celebration OF
| communion. Rev. DIR. Nelson will deliver q
historical sermon and at the close of the services
a reception will be held in the rectory.
DIR. BUCKS CAREER.
Rev. DR.. Buck has spent all but thirteen years
of his pastoral life rector Of st. Paul, and in
point of service he is the oldest minister in the
| District. His passionate extends over a period
OF thirty-seven years, and during that time he
| has witnessed many changes in the churches as
well as in the families in this city. His life
work is identified with the parish, whose his
tory goes back for nearly a century and three
quarters, antedating for long period the Or
ganization of any church in this part of the
country now in existence. In fact st. Paul is
one of the pioneer church organizations in this
part OF the country
AN INTERESTING HISTORY
From the rare historical researches made by
Rev. DIR. Buck some interesting facts have
been obtained in regard to the old church.
What is now known as st. Paul's Rock Creek
parish was once the parish church of Prince
Georges parish. which included all the terri
tory between the Potomac and the Patuxent
rivers and the northeast fork of the Eastern
| Branch and extending indefinitely west This
was many years before Montgomery county
was formed or the District Of Columbia thought
| of. On September IL, 1719, Rev. John Frazier.
| rector of st. Johns parish, Prince George
county, Md, called a meeting of the inhabit-
ants for the purpose of raising funds to build
! chapel in the Eastern Branch and Rock Creek
Hundred A number of donations were
received, but the largest was the gift
| OF John Bradford Gent of Prince Georges
county, Md, who gave 1000 pounds of
| tobacco and 100 acres of land. The gift was, of
course, accepted, and the land is that which to-
day constitutes what is known as the glebe of
the Rock Greek parish. About one-half has
been laid off for the Rock Creek cemetery, and
there the old church stands. There have been
two church buildings. The first one was built
OF wood, and services were held there by Rev.
John Frazier, the rector of st. Johns parish,
| as 17l0. 1t remained chapel but few years,
when, in 1925, 1t was designated as
| the parish church of Prince Georae
parish, Prince Georges county, Md. St
Johns parish was one of the original thirty
parishes into which the province of MARYLAND
was divided. Prince George parish covered a
large extent of territory aud in a few years a
chapel was built near Rockville, some IL miles
from the parish church. In the course of time
some twenty parishes have been carved out of
its territory. leaving the old parish church
with about 6 square miles. As il had been
known popularity for some time as the Rock
Creek parish instead of by the proper name,
Prince George parish, that name was taken
when its metes and bounds were defined in
1856
THE SECOND CHURCH BUILDING.
The original church building remained stand
ing for some fifty years and then became use.
less through decay. The order for building
the second church building was passed in 1868
and it was still unfinished at the breaking ont
OF the revolutionary war in 1875. The walls
then built are still standing. They are built
OF brick brought from England and are twenty
two inches thick. The building was 40x60 feet
and the ceiling was rs feet high. II remained
for many years without a roof and for many
more without either floor or ceiling In 1870
the yestry thought the church building was too
large for the accommodation of the surround
ing population and it was concluded best to
build
AN INSIDE CHURCH
Awaiting themselves Of ledge in the walls
twelve feet from the floor, left for a gallery,
girders some forty feet long were procured
and stretched across and then lathed and plas-
tered. From the west end twenty feet was cut
off for a lecture and school room. Thus
they had within the old walls two rooms, one
4Ox4O and one 4Ox20. In 1910 another change
was made by removing this temporary ceiling
and building gallery in the west end, where
an organ was located Originally there were
three doors to the building. one on the south
front and two on the west. There were only
two alsles IN the church and no robing-room
for the clergy. The vestry, however decided
to enlarge the church by adding chancel. or
gah and yestry room on the north side The
west doors were also closed. The two ranges
OF windows were made into one and filled with
stained glass, new pews were put in and the in
terror as well as exterior beautified and
| adorned, rs those who visit the old church to-
day may see.
THE LIST OF REcToRs.
The first rector was Rev. George Murdoch.
who was commissioned By George Calvert, the
governor of Maryland, to take charge Of the
parish upon the recommendation of the lord
bishop of London. The vestry January 10.
ll27, invested Mr.. Murdoch as rector and he
served in that capacity for thirty-four years.
Inc next rector was Rev. Alexander William
son, who was sent to the parish by the governor
of Maryland, remained as rector for fourteen
years. He was followed by Rev. Thomas Reed.
IN lIf6, whose pastOrate continued for thirty
eight years. The time covered by the three
first rectorships was eighty-six years. During
the seventy-three years since there have been
some ten rectors, and as the present incum-
bent has served for some thrty-seven wears.
the average Of the terms Of the others is not
more than four years.
During the rectorship OF Rev. Mr.. Reed he
lived in or near Rockville and. in consequence
OF the almost abandoned condition of the parish
church. he and the lay delegates from the
chapel located there were received into union
with the convention of Maryland in 17e4 as
representing Prince George parish Of which
St PauIs Rock Creek church YVES the leCiti-
mate parish church. The plate and records as
well as the name we're taken possession of By
the chapel and efforts were made to sell and
divide the glebe. Mr.. Francis s. Kew, aided
| By Ny. Chas. ii. Wn4erger and others, came
TO the rescue and prevented the execution of
this purpose. After Mr.. Reeds time the first
record OF ministerial services in St. Paurs is in
| 1870 by Rev. C. C. Austin. whose term was short.
! He was followed by Rev. W. d. Addison Rev.
A. L. Mccormick came in 1928 and Rev T. Ash
I in 1880. and he was followed by the Rev. Chris
tan Wiitberger in 1881. In 1886 Mr.. d. NJ.
| Miller was lay reader and as rector in 1887
| Rev. X. j. Stewart was rector in 1882 and Rev.
w. A. Harris in lS4L He was followed by Mr..
Wood and he by Mr.. Kerr, the first in 1S49 and
the second IN 1851. The present incumbent,
Rev. MIR. Buck, next came to the parish.
Hot Weather Maxims.
Il r..