Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-12

city to the little group OF houses which
marked the intersection OF Boundary street
with the great northern line Of approach
to the city via 9Th street. This spot was
chosen by the Rev. DIR. 7. y. Gurley. pastor
of the New York Avenue Church, and GER
tain of his members the point Of loca-
ton of future church which they would
plant. They began humbly, in private
house, soon exchanged for the second story
of a large stable belonging to the street
railroad. For two years they Iabored on:
Scripture texts and prayers interspersed
with the distant shouts OF the stablcmen
and the stamping of horses. In 1869 Coy
Alexander Il. Shepherd made a visit TO the
school, which so strongly impressed him
that he erected, at his own expense n
frame chapel at the corner Of Florida
avenue and eth street, on the site occuDjed
by the drug store of Mr. hoss. In 1872 n
church was organized which had an indie
pendent existence Of only two or three
years. The members, finding rnemselves
weakened by the removal of the strongest
of their numbers, took letters of admission
to the mother church or 10 other o-ganiza-
tons, and the permanent organization WAS
delayed several years The ministers Of
this early period were Rev William 1T
Logan and Rev. William II. Rice
The Present building.
In 1885 the building which now constitutes
the main church edifce was erected at an
expense of 5000 a lot having been pur-
chased from the Howard University within
the limits of lie Droit Park about a SQUARE
east of the first location. BY some il WAS
thought useless TO erect so large an ediaca
at 50 great a distance from the built DOR
ton of the city
The Rev. Ward Batcheler preached a,
the chapel for a time but was OBLIGED 10
leave on account of i'll health in his family.
He was succeeded for a few months Nv
Rev. Robert II. Fleming of Woodstock Va
VINO rs now pastor of the Second Presbv-
terrain Church of LynchOurg, Va All mis-
Tune the SUNDAY school had been carried on
with great fathfulness and energy bv an
earnest band Of teachers under the sinner
intenGency successfully Of Messrs n +
NinsIow. now deceased, IL. c. Studley now
of Cleveland, Ohio, William B. GurIey we'll
known in business circles, and Mr. Y. s.
Robbins, 50 well known in connection with
the Central Union Mission.
In January, ISIS. Rev. William Sydney
Miller of Port Perry, Pa. assumed cbsrce
. Of the work, there being over 100 members
borne on the roll of the New York Avanila
Church. but who wOrshiped at Gurley. Ad-
ditional land was purchased, a new building
for the Sunday school was erected at a To-
tai expense of $1,000 and. on February %
lNS9 church of l35 members was oryaniz-
ed. About year and a half since the
church purchased a considerable strip OF
ground adjoining the church and now las
sufficient land to erect a building which
will seat 1000 and provide a separate room
for Sunday school OF equal numbers with
the congregation. which shall all be on the
ground floor. The green fields of a few
years since have vanished and the church
. is already bemmel in by long, solid rows Of
fine dwellings, the carriage track which
once marked the center OF the street. has
! been replaced by concrete pavements. and
/ the nearest street corner is one of tie
principal centers of the electric and street
/ ear systems, four principal lines meeting
/ there.
After pastorate OF over five years Rev.
Mr. Miller resigned and is now at lakewood.
a part of Grafton, near Pittsburg Pa
! The church was without a pastor for near
/ ly half a year, when IL gave a unanimous
1 call to Rev. j. Russell Eerbrycke Of the
1 Reformed Church, Piermont on the HUDSON
! y. Y. The church has never had debt
/ and numbers over 2GO members of which
! twenty-four were received within about a
month past. The hopes of strong and
useful life for this young church seem very
| bright.
The New Pastor.
| Rev. John Russell ,Verbrycke was born
November > 1850, at New Brunswick, y J.
| AS his name would Indicate his ancestors
were of good old Holland STOCK having
come to this country about a century since.
In Holland and in various parts of CONT
mental Europe, the church or denomination
known in England, Scotland and the United
States as the Presbyterian, is called the
Reformed Church, thus discriminating 1T
! from the LutherauS. The first settlers in
New York city, partly Dutch and partly
HusUenot, brought with them the faith of
their ancestors and organized the Reform