Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-22

First SL AndrctGs church-iSketched From
| Memory By John McLdren, Esq.
Lives of the Apostles" In Rev. DR.. John
Fleetwoods Life Of Christ" Is given IN
account of st. Andrew and his martyrdom,
in which the following Is stated:
'There seems 10 have been something pc
culiar In the form Of the cross on which he
suffered. 1t was commonly thought TO have
been cross decussate, or two pieces Of tim
Der crossing each other In the center in tho
form OF the letter X, and hence usually
known by the name Of st. Andrews cross. |"
ORGANIZATION OF ST. ANDREWS.
In the "History Of Allegheny Count y, T"
volume 1, pages 1886 10 33S, II is stated In
reference to Episcopal Churches, that Trim
ity Church was founded in 1797--at Pitts
burg; Christ's Church, Allegheny City, in
1880. About the same time with the
City, 81, Paul's, Laceyyile, now part or
PittSburg, was founded, and had for
It's rector, DIR. @. w. Andrews, afterward
Rector Of 81. Andrews Church, and later
on, famous man In the diocese Of Virginia,
In 1887 still more important step was
taken In The formation Of H. Andrews par.
ish, by The union OF such ehufehmet a. field
what we're known Hs "L6w Church" views
Of doctrine and ministry and the minimum
Of ritual observance, AT this period party
lines we're sharply drawn ID the diocese Of
PeRhsFi iyahiA, and II was inevitable ~ seeH
A. that element In The church became sHf,
feently stfeRg and numerous, II would sci
~ i6f iiselt + The result was The foundation
NJ ~ Andrews church, \ congregation
which fef many years had u powerful inhHs
angs IN all church MGveiHtHiA, and Ia still
ene ef The wsalthiest and foremost In all
Heed works IN the I've stiles,
IN ihs Iisesfief'A eiiies NJ Allegheny
eeuhly will bs feuDd=ehArisF hoax, vel.
aBe I, and m. rage iM.it Ia stated IN tss
spseI 10 amendment ef shHfjsti sLe, that lbs
fiahbufg, was chartered on application NJ
The Judges af HE Supreme g6ift OF feBBs
sylVealai that this charter was granted
bsAflHe The e6rb6Ials name Tbs dats Gf
this charter u September ~, A. a. 1891
order by The above Judges approving ahaFs
ler dated October 10, A. H. 1877, signed by
III then judges, VIAL Hens, J6hR u, Glib
son, Milton o. Rogers, Charles Houston,
J9hH Kennedy aud Th0mas baFgsaRtI At
tested by h Simpson, FF0tleBetaTy above
eeuTt, ete,l deveTn0r's enrolment endorsed
recorded In the office at the Secretary Of the
Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania, Harris
burg, N charter book No, Q, pages 900, 2b6
and ab7, The original members .betiii0Dipg
for this charter we're Samuel q, Neal, II, l.,
Bollman, Jos, II, Henderson, John 0reigh-
ton, Alexander Smith, Jeremiah Butler, @,
II, Jones, w, A, Hill james +, James,
Samuel q, Hill, Andrew Hutton, Alex.
ander Glass and Thomas Forster,
THE FIRST MEETING.
In the ohuroh's register, page 2, II 10
stated Us 10 this ohuroh's origin, ete,, that
several members Of Trlnity Church, Pitts
burg, being Of opinion that the interests Of
religion would be advanced by the forma-
tion Of n second Episcopal congregation In
the city OF PiItsburg, o meeting was held, at
which Charles II. Jones, II. L. Bollman, J,
Butler and others were present, who pro.
ceeded 10 organize themselves into q church
under the style and title OF st. Andrews
Church, Plttsburg, where yestry was
chosen, composed OF the gentlemen above
named and others. Application was made
for u charter, etc. The congregation met
for the first time on Easter Mondny, In 1887,
when II appeared that about 20 communi.
cants were present In the summer of the
same year, the Rev. Rewell Keith, d. D.,
OF the Theological Seminary OF Virgins,
was elected rector, and accepted the call of
the vestry, agreeing to take charge of the
congregation in April, 1888. Meanwhile,
the Rev. G. H. Page, ol Virginia, was called
to supply the vacancy, who labored faith
fully for six months. Application being
made to release Rev. DR.. Keith from his nc
ceptance OF the call OF the yestry on account
of the objections of the Trustees of the SEM
mary to mis- leaving that Institution, he was
released. Whereupon, the Rev. Charles w.
Andrews, Of Virginia, was elected the rector
of the parish, and accepted the call of the
vestry ia January, 1888, and entered upon
his duties on the 9th OF May, following.
The congregation met the first time in the |
West ward schoolroom, but subsequently |
wotshiped for 1S months in Concert Hall,
Penn street. The vestry contracted for |
new edifce In May, 1889, the basement |
story of which wns occupied in December, |
1889, the main room In May, 1910. Rev. q. |
w. Andrews rellnquished the charge of this |
parish Easter, 1S41, and was succeeded on |
the following Sunday by the Rev. William |
Preston, of Columbus, o., who left Septem-
Der, 1850, and resumed charge OF st. An |
drew's Church April, 1856. Interim sup |
piled BY Rev. Charles W. Quick and Rev. |
N. Il. Cornwall, each about tive years or |
more. Dir. Preston found the parish much |
weakened and reduced. In April, 1865, |
Rev. William A. Bhively wss assistant reos |
tor OF the parish. He continued two years |
and left, being called 10 the feetefshib of |
Christ Church, Cincinnati, D,
A POPULAR SHEPHERD.
Referring 10 Hev, William PfesteH, ., |
d., The minute In this register states that In |
the winter OF 1879 and 1873 bF, Preston, |
feeling his charge becoming to9 labeFieus, |
resigned, resignation 10 take effect Easter, |
1879 As lehg 10 sHy Of his pafishieHefs |
live, Il 10 further stated, they will bear
hearty testimony OF Rev, bF, Preston a. a |
devoted and faithful minister, which, with |
his personal qualities, endesFed him 70 ali, |
The Vestry called The Rey, Reese y, Al.
sop, of New York, whose acceptance toek
effect Easter, 1873, The original edifes
having become very dilspidated, and the
basement damp from oveFfaw OF the
river, il was decided 10 erect Q new ene, The
old building Fas torn down In the spring OF
1868, and the present one occupied in 1870
the lecture room In the spring, the church
proper IN October, that year, The congre-
cation held services In the chapel OF the
Methodist Episcopal College, Hancock
street, during the rebuilding.
As To the early times Of the church, In
Harris Directory OF Pittsburg, A, D, 1887,