Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-02
THE NEW BAPTIST CHURCH.

known in the denomination as a preacher
and writer. In the afternoon there will
be a service which will be participated in
by the pastors OF the other Baptist church
of the city and which will be attended, |
1t is hoped, by the members of the sis
ter churches. In the evening the pastor
will preach.
The exterior Of the church, as may be
seen from the cut which accompanies this
article. Is Of rather pleasing design. From
the tower which graces the corner along
the broken sides OF the two fronts there is
variety and yet harmony which will prob
ably crafty the eye and please the taste
Brick Is the material used and the archi-
tect not combining himself to one style has
rather culled what seemed to him the
choice flowers found in several architectu-
raj gardens with the result that the tower
suggest the Romanesque and has Moor
ish roof and the windows have the pointed
arch which belongs TO the Gothic.
The Interior Plan.
The arrangement of the interior makes
the auditorium. which, with the gallery, is
estimated 20 have a seating capacity Of
about twelve hundred, somewhat oblong
In shape, with the pulpit in the center of
the east wall and the Sunday school room
adjoining on the north. The pews which
are of maple, trimmed with oak. ar
ranged along diverging lines with the pull
pit the central point, the floor having a
gradual descent The walls are frescoed
In soft shades of sage and olive green and
the hangings correspond in color. The
windows are filled with stained glass; which
lends its hues to the general scheme Of
decoration.
A novel feature is the arrangement for
the baptistry, which is located in the CEN
ter of the platform with the top and sides
covered with plate glass. The water is
always in view from the auditorium and
when the baptiStry is in use the descent
of the persons into the water can be plain
ly seen by the congregation. There is
rounded recess In the wall at the rear of
the platform and above il is the text in
scribed, BE We doors of the word" To
the left OF the platform, but on a level with
the gallery, is the alcove for the organ, and
it is the intention TO nh the upper por-
ton OF the space above the pulpit with the
organ pipes. The Sunday school room,
which is on the north, is separated from
the auditorium by sliding windows filled
with opaque glass. There are commodious
class rooms at each end of the Sunday
school room, which are shut off by glass
partitions. thus making IL possible to in
olude the entire sweep in one room. There
are also class rooms up stairs. which over
look the room beneath and can be used
galleries for occasions. Much of the Sab
bath school room can also be made a part
Of the auditorium IL needed, SO that the en-
tire ground floor of the building, to q large
extent, forms one big room.
Good Investment.
The basement is used for the heating
apparatus and water closets. There is a
coy study for the pastor and an entrance
from the rear of the parsonage which ad-
joins the church building on the north so
that the pastor can pass into his study
and from thence to the pulpit. The pulpit
is electrically connected with the janitor's
| room. with the organ loft and with the
station of the head usher, so that the min
lister can give directions to these important
auxilaries OF a church without taking the
congregation into his confidence. The entire
building Is heated with steam and is sup
piled with all the conveniences which
modern church needs. The cost Of the i'm
provement, which was carried out under
the direction of the contractor, Mr.. Peter
Hepburn, is placed at about $4,000, and
It is said by good judges that the money
has been wisely and economically expended
and that the congregation has a good deal
of church for the money.
| History Of the Church.
The Second Baptist Church of this city
was organized in McLeod's school house,
near the present location. on June 3. 1910.
Elders jeremiah Moore, VIM. Grimstead
| and Robert Latham of Virginia being the
| council, and Bartleson Fox, Clement Bos-
| WELL Harvey Bestor. Joseph Borrows
and Sarah Borrows the original mem
bers. After meeting a few months at the
1 school house they removed to a small frame
building near the corner OF 4th and q
/ streets southeast, and in the following Sep
| TENDER the opening sermon was preached.
4 In 1914 Spencer IL. Cone, the converted
| actor preached his first sermon here He
subsequently gained the reputation of being
one of the most eloquent preachers of his
time. The following year, 1SlJ, he was
! elected chaplain to Congress. Rev. Thos.
! Barton was called TO the passionate in 1919,
| and il was while he Was with the church
! that a brick house of worship was erected
/ on the present site, corner Of 4th street and
I Virginia avenue southeast, which was COM
pleted and occupied in July. 1873, and in the
I same year the Sunday school was organized.
| Among the prominent divines who subse-
quently supplied the pulpit We're r. II.
! Neale and Rev. Emerson Andrews, who was
1 a very successful evangelist and many
united with the church during the special
! services held by him in the year IS4l.
| In May, 1913, thirteen members were dis
missed by letter to form the Third or Z
Street Baptist Church. Truly the old Sec
] ond Church may be called the mother Of
| churches, for from her fold have gone forth
those who have been mainly instrumental
in organizing and establishing four white
and colored Baptist church in this
city. In 1853, the building being out of re-
pair, it was decided to rebuild, and in June
iSoo, the contractor, Mr.. Robert Clark, had
completed the second building on the pres
ent site. at cost to the church of 5000
which was all paid for, with the exception
of $500. V hen they took possession. In 1873
Rev. Isaac Cole being pastor. the building
was thoroughly repaired and .beautified
| since which time no further changes were
made until the old house was torn down.
loss in the death of the oldest and one Of
the most faithful of its members, Mrs
Sarah Davis, the widow of John Davis of
| Abel, who Joined the church prior to 1870
and was for over half . century active In
all church work.
The Present Pastor.
| In the early summer OF the year 1884 the
church called the present pastor, Rev. Ed
mond Hez Sven of New Albany, Ind, who.
while on a visit to this city, had supplied
the pulpit one Sabbath. and although very
young. had made a most favorable i'm
preston an earnest and energetic Chris
tan. On August l. 1854, when he began
his work here. the membership numbered
less than 800.
To afford a better seating capacity for
its membership which had increased
from less than 800 to 616, the erection Of
the new building was decided upon. The
church now stands second in point OF mem
bership on the list Of the Baptist churches
of the city
Officers of the Church.
The deacons Of the church are: G. w.
Dulin. c. b. Smith, William A. Henderson,
Thomas Z. Simpson. John p. Cohili, Ben
jamin A. Henderson, and William Lacy.
The trustees are: William A. Henderson,
George F. Gulick, William Cooper, John