The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-10-04


A souvenir containing views of the
exterior and interior of the church is
IN preparation, and will be sold for
the benefit of the organ fund.
The first years subscription to the
Diocesan paper has expired, and
subscribers are requested to renew
for the coming year. The price is
fifty cents, and can be paid to the
rector, or sent direct to the editor,
Rev. +. B. Angel, Harrisburg, Pa.
Three ladies with either alto or
soprano voices, and four boys between
the ages Of ten and fourteen years of
age are needed in the choir. Will
any one volunteer
The Rev, Archdeacon Kirkby, of
Rye, New York, is expected to visit
his son, the rector, some time this
fall.
The Sunday School will give an
entertainment in the Parish House
soon. The proceeds will be used in
procuring carpet for the chapel.
The program will consist of an oper-
eta by the children, a Brownie
March, music &c. The date in No
vember has not yet been fixed.
The Circle of Kings Daughters
will meet in the Parish House next
Monday evening at the usual hour.
The Vestry meeting, postponed
from last Tuesday, will be held next
Tuesday evening at o'clock.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
Bishop Simpson in his Cyclopedia
of Methodism says: '' In 1881 Rev.
George Lane occasionally preached
in Bloomsburg which was then a
small village. A few persons had at
tended services at distant appoint
ment and had united with the church,
prominent among whom was DIR.
Gearheart who was popular physi-
clan. They applied to be regular
appointment on the Berwick circuit
and so continued for some years.
The first class consisting of nine per-
sons, was organized September goth,
1882. They worshipped for time
in the village school house and then
in wagon shop fitted up for their
accommodation" Who the original
nine members were we can not state
with certainty; but the following
were probably eight of the nine /:
Jesse Shannon, Moses Coffman, De-
lilah Creveling the late Mrs. Caleb
Barton, Thomas Bennett, a colored
man, DR.. Gearhart, Mrs. DIR. Gear
hart, Ziba Ruggels, Joseph Stoufer.
December 18th, 1896 a subscrip-
ton was started for the purpose of
securing money with which to buy a
lot and erect a house of worship.
This effort proved unsuccessful. But
on January 9, 1887 they started out
again and were this time successful.
The original subscription book is still
extant and it is quite interesting to
look over the names of the subscri-
bers and the amounts they gave. The
largest amount given was $4,000.
The lot then purchased was the
one on which the present Methodist
Church now stands. The building
was small and of frame structure.
This served the purpose for twenty
years. In 1857 it was torn down and
the present brick church was erected
instead.
In recent years Bloomsburg has
grown rapidly and the membership OF
the Methodist church has of course
largely increased. The present build
ing is entirely too small to comforta-
bly, accommodate the members of the
church and Sunday School, to say
nothing about the friends of the
church. For some time there has
been talk of erecting new church
building. At the first Quarterly Con
ference of this present conference
year a committee on church plans
was appointed. During the past five
months this committee has been busy
in securing plans for church that
would meet the present and future
needs of the congregation, Mr..
Thos. P. Lonsdale of Philadelphia
has been selected as the architect
and he has submitted plans that have
been accepted by the committee and
been unanimously adopted by the
official members. Blue prints OF
these plans have been framed and are
now hanging in the vestibule of the
church.
| 1t is proposed to erect the new
church of stone. 1t will consist of a
main audience room located on the
vacant lot corner of Third and Mar
ket Street, which with the gallery will
have seating capacity of 1900 per
sons. Adjoining this and communi-
| eating with IL and located where tbe