Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-03

the congregation, through the vestry, have
had the edifice thoroughly renovated. repaired
refurnished and beautfied and it will be re-
opened on Thursday, the Sth instant, with ap-
propriate services. for which the following pro-
gram has been arranged:
Service and holy communion at o'clock
am; service and sermon at IL am; service
and sermon at 7:30p.m At the II O. clock serv-
ice the sermon will be preached by the Rev.
Alfred Harding of st. Paurs Church, Washing
ton. At 7:30 pm. service the Rev. DR. R. H.
Mckim OF Epiphany Church, Washington, will
preach the sermon.
ITS EARLY HISTORY.
The records Of the church open with the
statement that the petition for the formation
of the parish of that part of st. Johns parish,
Prince Georges county, contained in the city
of Washington, and of St. Pauls parish, Mont
gomery county, in Georgetown, was forwarded
to the legislature OF Maryland in 1874; that the
act was passed and q meeting was held May Is.
1875, at which the following vestry was elected
VIM. Deakins. jr.. John Templeman, Charles
Worthington, James Simmons, Joseph Clarke,
Thomas johnson, jr., and Gustavus Scott.
Henry Edwards was elected register, Clot-
worthy Stevenson and VIM. Prentiss, wardens.
reserved the right to appoint rector
for that portion of the parish within the
limits of Georgetown and elected Rev. Ed
ward Cant for that part of the parish.
1t will be seen by those acquainted with the
early history of the District that the vestry was
not confined to the neighborhood Of the church
or the eastern section, for the first named
resided in Georgetown and others in the western
part of the city.
LAND AND TIMBER PRESENTED.
In 1795 James Greenleaf presented the vestry
with lot in square 456, east of the Post Office
Department, and Samuel Blodgett, who built
the Great Hotel on the present site of the
Post Office Department, gave an order for the
timber necessary for framing the building to
be taken from his plantation-Jamaica Farm
Extending In southwest direction from LIE
Droit Park nearly to goth street northwest)
The books of the vestry show that the erection
Of a church west Of the Tiber was abou. this
time in contemplation, and the rector, Mr..
Ralph, was authorized to purchase the lot ad-
joining that given by Mr.. Greenleaf, but there
is no record that he did SO. and
the church was not built. In March, 1876,
Thomas Law, Gen. Davidson and John
Croker was appointed vestryman in place of
Messrs. johnson deceased, Clarke and Sim
mons (removed from the city. On April 2,
1906, the vestry elected was as follows: Com
modore Thomas Tingey (who commanded the
navy yard OF the war of 1922, Butler Cooke,
Thomas II. Gillis Gather of the admiral Peter
Miller, John Dempsie, Andrew Way, jr well
known printer, Thomas Washington and Rob-
ert Alexander. Later Lund Washington post
master) and Griffith Coombs, wardens, and
Henry Ingle, register.
THE PRESENT GROUND DONATED.
On May IL, 1906, AR. VIM. Prout gave the
lots on which the present edifice is located,
Nos. and Z, square 877, on the north side of G
between 9Th and It'll streets, on the condition
that the church be erected within one year.
Messrs. Law and Carroll offered three lots
20, "a and Is, square 732-facing the east grounds
of the Capitol, but the offer of Mr.. Prout was
accepted. In March, 1907, Rev. George Ralph,
as the only legal rector, called q meeting for