Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-13
THE PREsENT cHrncH.

population of over 5000. 1t is impossible to
believe that it would have been completely
ignored by the preachers OF the Frederick and
Montgomery circuits, In whose bounds it
situated. or by the presiding eiders of those
days, especially when 1t il remembered that
men Ike Wilson Lee. William McEendree.
fnoeh George, William Walters and Daniel
HIT were among tie men that Represented the
church In the surrounding places Methodism
early secured a foothol3 az Bladensburg. 1t
was the Frederick circuit also and the
preachers going thence to Georgetown, pass
ing over the old Bladensburg road. crossed the
territory now occupied by the city to reach the
Georgetown bridge.
In 17s2 Alexandria was a SEPARATE station and
entertained the annual conference. and Ezekiel
Cooper, 1.-THE walking encyclopedia" was
pastor He was accustomed to make preach
Ing excursions There is record of trip he
made to preach for the colored people at Oxon
Hill Church His contemporaries were men of
much she same habit and Mr.. Ferguson thinks
II Is reflection on their foresight and zeal to
suppose that the city of Washington. that could
be seen on clear day from the parsonage
window, had no place IN their plans. The
records Of the period are very meager. All the
circumstances mentioned make it reasonable
70 believe that Washington did not wait until
!sO2 for the planting of tne Methodist church
At the conference held in Baltimore in 1902
VIM Walters was appointed pastor Of George
town and Washington
AT sEEENLEAF's POINT.
We first find Methodism in Washington To-
Gated on Greenleafs Point IN the southern part
OF the city. At what is now the corner Of South
Capitol and streets there stood THE Twenty
Buildings They were two-story and basement
houses, the Easements Of stone and the remain
der OF good quality bricks. In one OF these
the first society held divine worship. Trsdi-
ton saws that II was the corner house and n
blacksmith shop Il pointed out as the place
where Rev. William Walters performed the
functions Of bis ministry. The buildings were
aftervard nearly ali burned down 1t is sail
TO have been cone by the people to rid the COM
m1nity OF a nuisance. The first known Method
LIST OF this city Mrs Elizabeth Lipscomb
(nee Degge) OF Prince William county, Va
bhe came here with her family IN 1855 Sne
had been converted under the ministry OF Rev.
Francis Asbury IN one Of the lower counties O.
that state, and coming kither attended upop
the ministry at Georgetown until the society
was organized a. Greenleaf's Point She gave
three sons to the ministry. Philip ID. and Rob
ert NJ were for many years members of the
Baltimore conference and william e. Lipscomb
was q local preacher. Let Us LOOK at tine Wash
tngton OF that time. More than ten years
had elapsed since the act was passed
by Congress Ting the capital of the nation
here. and more than 600 persons were scat
tered over the field ii occupied. Greenleafs
Point had the largest number of houses of any
section In $500 1t had the Appearance of a
considerable town. There were fifty or sixty
spacious houses. but 10 fences gardens and
but little business. New Jersey avenue was a
very prominent street at tina. time business
must have thrived there. Houses of entertain
ment for man and beast. hardware stores book
selling and printing establishments, boot dry
goods shops and rival dressmaking establish
mens are advertised in the papers Of that
period As being located on New Jersey avenue.
reaching from the Capitol to the Eastern
Drancn- Pennsylvania avenue was in a ye-v
mArshy condition and could be but little used
Tor travel The CaPito. was unfinished. but
one wing having been built. Clippings of the
stone Of which the Capitol was being bull, were
put In places to make sidewalks The Presi-
dents house, not yet completed, was sur
rounded BY massive forest trees. The depart
ments OF the government were all accommo-
dated IN single brick house located on the
line OF Pennsylvania avenue at what is now
sd street East Of the Capitol in the direction
OF the navy yard was the Prout farm which
- It was expected the city would be built east
tiers that remain Of the Congressman OF the
TIME show their opinion OF the city.
THE CITY OF MAGNIFICENT DISTANCES.
Here was g magnificent plan, but as vet little
had been done to execute il, and the Honor
able n. C.s seem not to have made any at
tempts to conceal their disgust at its condition.
Some Of the epithets they applied to it show its
state. They called it the "Wilderness CITY.
Capital of Miserable Huts." City of Streets
tanees. a Mudhols Equal to the great Ser
bonian Bog"
This was the field over which the Methodist
preachers had to travel in connection with
6eorgetown- Not much information can be
obtained concerning these early times. Who
we're the members and who were the Office
bearersf Some facts have come down to rs
but the record Is far from complete. Near
where me United States arsenal now stands q
Bro. Wheat had . vegetable garden, frou,
which he supplied tho workmen at the navy
ysrd- Further east lived a Methods. baker
named Peter Miller, who supplied the navy
yard with bread Near the baker shop O.
Bro. Miller stood the cottage OF Bro. Palmer,
. useful member Of the Methodist society
Il was at his house that the Rev. Lewis r. fech-
big died September Is. 1873. being taken sick
when Waiting two sick persons IN company
with Bro. Palmer.
soNE OF TEE EARLY RKcoRDa
The first Official meeting Of which there is
any record was held in Georgetown April 2.
1sos. Rev. John Pitts was the preacher. The
seeisty 81 6rsenleafs Point was represented