Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-06-11
BREARING GROUND.
Reasons Assigned by Dr. Cook for the
Transpianting of the Second Baptist

4
Transpianting Of the Second Baptist
Church.
The ceremonies of breaking ground
for the new Second Baptist Church at
Ninth and Franklin streets took place
Saturday evening last.
Following prayer by the Rev. Mr..
Heath, the pastor, the Rev. DR.. Cook
| spoke as follows:
Breaking ground for any strictly earthly
| enterprise is an important event but of
| greater moment is the building of house
| for Christian worship.
| We are not here to plant but to trans
| plant church. The church about to
| build on this spot is more than half a CEN
fury old. This will be its third house Of
worship. 1t may be asked, why not stay
| where You are? 1t may as well be asked
| why did you not stay at your first house
at Fifth and Walnut streets? There were
| good reasons for the first removal and the
reasons are equally good for this.
| When the church building was erected
| at Fourth and French streets there was no
better location for the purpose in the city.
| Other churches wanted the lot. 1t has
1 since become business locality. Will
| mington was then confined to narrow
| limits. Delaware avenue was unknown
and West and Washington streets were the
4 city's western limits. Within the last ten
years even this new and beautiful section
Of the city has been wonderfully de
veloped. II is through this part of the
city that every street line runs. Houses
are going up and people are coming in
| Years ago the attention of Baptists was
| called to the needs Of this field, then desti-
tute Of churches Finally the Second Bap-
fist Church resolved to occupy it and
bought the lot on which it now proceeds
| to build its church home first the chapel
| in M
| the people who have come to dwell in this
| locality are many of our own members.
| They have been rapidly leaving the neigh
| borhood Of the old church, but still re
| tanning their membership there and now
want the church to follow them and the
house to be situated where it will be the
most convenient for the many Of the
| 479 members there are not 10 living east
| of French street, while hundreds live this
| side and feel that this is the location for
| their church. We are then but following
our people.
But why desert the few who live down
! town ?' is asked. 1t is a fact that some of
| them will follow the church uptown, and
| the removal, there is reason to hope, will be
an undivided church. Again il is asked,
why neglect or abandon so important II
field of labor?' | am sure that none of
the churches remaining in the eastern sec
ton would like to consider that portion of
the city neglected No one can accuse the
Baptists Of neglccting any section, how
ever remote or destitute Is not the city
surrounded with our missions2 Is there
not one in South Wilmington and one in
East Wilmington, and have we not for
years maintained city missionary This
church has contributed its share of men
and money for the work, and you may
depend upon it that the eastern section
will not be neglected. Our people will be
cared for and kept together.
In selecting site for the new church
ediice We may have been tempted to locate
a few squares one way or the other from
this, but the comfy that should ever exist
between Christian churches restrained us
And yet we consider that we have made
a wise selection, both with reference to the
present and the future. This spot is
nearly CENTRAL whether we regard the
present territory Of the city or It's future
population, Only few squares off is the
high school, its site selected because of its
central POSITION and our boys and girls,
many of whom attend there, are already
accustomed to come to this neighborhood
from all parts Of the city. They will ex-
perience no difficulty in finding their Sun
dayschuol and church on the Sabbath.
The truth is that we believe in the future
growth and greatness of onr city. Those
vacant lots will be filed with houses and
the houses be filled with people, who will
look down upon the smoky, busy city be-
meath them. The industries of Whining
ton assure us Of its future. Onr statesmen.
lawyers, manufacturers, editors, &C, are
not the great men of a small town, but
men of national and international reputa-
ton, foremost in the world in their line,
while the skill of our workingmen has
made them famous in every civilized land.
With such people and such enterprises
and with the natural advantages it pos
10 md 70
one of the great cities of the Atlantic
coast.
These convictions explain our move
ment: The historic Second Church, the
mother of churches, in removing to the
west end, is following only in the line of
the progress Of the city. In seeking this
new centre it seeks TO gather force TO take
n new lease upon life. 1t builds to-day
not only with reference to the present. but
also to the future. If the older members
should not live to see the work they begin
completed, there is host Of young people
by whose consecrated energies the work
begun will be cunsummated, and the main
building be prepared for the coming popu-
latiOn.
At the close of the address Alfred
Gawthrop, chairman of the building
committee, spoke and then Washington
Jones, the senior deacon of the church,
took the first shoveful of earth from
the lot He was followed by others,
among them the Rev Mr.. Trotter of the
Church Of the Redeemer, the Rev. O.
G. Buddington, the Rev. b. r. Moore,
John Taylor, w. f. Taylor, G. F. VOL
laston, @. 5. Morgan, T. @. Dill, S. A.
Hodgman, William Conner, w. b.
White, Edward Gibson, James Patton,
Robert Cooling, William Weyl, Deacon
Starr of Delaware Avenue Church, A.
Gawthrop, the Rev. NJ, Heath, the pas
tor and many others, All united in
singing, "Praise God from Whom all
Blessings Flow" and the Rev. o. G.
Buddington pronounced the benedic-
ton.