Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-02
CHURCH ANNIVERSARY
Improvements in the Edifoe of the First
Congregational Society.

citrate two important events in its history
! namely, the completion of the most extern
sive repairs and Improvements ever made to
| the edifice and the reopening exercises Incl
! dent to them, and the thirtieth anniversary
| of the organization of the congregation.
| Tomorrow at the morning service Rev. s. NJ
Newman, DID,, the pastor, is to deliver a
| sermon appropriate to reopening. and in
| the evening the choir, under the direction
of its leader, DR.. ]. w. Bischoff, is to render
| a special choral service. Communion will
not be administered tomorrow, but has been
| postponed until the following Sabbath. On
Thursday evening following the first portion
| OF the thirtieth anniversary exercises is to
| be held. This will be in the nature of a
reminiscent evening. all the addresses to
| contain anecdotes of the church in the vari-
| Gus stages of it's career. Friday evening will
occur the regular anniversary social. 1t is
| expected both events will attract a.large at
| tendance, including some guests from out
side the city.
History Of the Church.
Attempts were made to plant Congrega-
| tional church in Washington as far back as
| 1S47, but the measures which were destined
| to prove successful date from 1864, when
several meetings were held by those who
| were Jealous for the object. Their consulta-
| lions after more than a year resulted in or
ganizing society on the 18th of August,
| First Congregational Society of Washing
| ton" incorporated under an act of Congress-
| approved in January, 1867.
| On Sunday, the 18th of September 1865
public services were held under the direction
of committee, by Rev. c. B. Boynton, D. D.,
in the building at the corner of 9th and D
streets northwest which was hired for three
months, and, at the expiration CT the lease
the Columbian College Law building was Sc
cured, and the church and the society held
all their meetings in it until May, 1868, except
that the preaching services were held in
MetZerotts Hall from February, 1866 to the
| LIST of December. 1867. and afterward for
one season, while Congress was in session,
| in the hall of the House of Representatives,
of which the pastor. DR.. Boynton, was chap
| lain.
| In 1866 the Congregational Union advanced
| money to purchase a site for house for
| public worship on the northeast corner of
| 10th and G streets northwest. The corner
stone of the present. edifice was laid with
| appropriate ceremonies October 4, 1866 when
| Rev E. johnson of Baltimore made an adj
| dress and history of the undertaking was
| given by Gen. o. o. Howard. The dedi-
catory prayer was offered by Rev. ]. C.
| Holbrook. DID,, of Homer, N. Y. The work
of raising the building fund was chiefly
| through the influence and agency Of Gen.
| Howard.
The First Pastor.
! May S the building was occupied for a
! business meeting, and has been used con-
tinuous!y since that date for public wor-
ship. as we'll as for various conventions of
public interest. lectures and concerts. Rev.
! DR.. Boynton officiated as the acting pastor
from September II, 1865, when the first
| public services were held, until he was
| regularly installed by council on the day
| upon which the corner stone was laid. He
resigned in April of 1862 and Rev. ]. E.
| Rankin, ID. D., was subsequently invited to
! become pastor.
| He accepted the call and entered upon
| the duties of his office in October and was
installed Wednesday. April 20. 1870, Rev. R.
| SStorrs. DID, LID of Brooklyn preaching
| the sermon. The house of worship-was ded-
| icated the same day. DR.. Rankins pastor
| Fifteen years. He resigned June, 1884, and
| Rev. S. NJ Newman of Ripon, Wis, was
| elected to fill the vacancy at a meeting
of the church and was installed by council
| May %. 1885, Rev. Alexander Mckenzie
DID,, of Cambridge, Mass, preaching the
! sermon. Out of the present congregation
have sprung other churches. though only
| two inside the city limits are in existence
| today, namely, the Mt. Pleasant Church
| and the Fifth Congregational.
Extensive Alterations.
| Last spring committee was appointed,
| including in the number several expert
| engineers, to examine into the condition
| of the church and report on the repairs
| needed. They recommended extensive al
| terations, and these have been carried out
for the most part, though some details are
still to be completed. So far nearly $1,000
have been expended in the work, and the
whole of it has been raised by subscrip-
| tons from the congregation. The roof has
| been repaired and three large ventlators
| of approved style have been placed in the
roof. The old plumbing has been taken out
and modern apparatus substituted in its
place. Both the upper and lower kitchens
| have been entirely done over and a new
| equipment added. Steam heating has been
put in for all the rooms in the building, ex-
cept the main audience ROOM and including
| DIR. Biscaoff's room and the choir gallery
! The walls Of the main auditorium have
| been decorated and the Lords Prayer has
| been inscribed In large gilt letters on the
wall on one side of the organ at the end of
the church, and on the other side is a Sc
| lection from the Psalms The work on the
outside has not long been started and con-
| sequently will not be finished for some little
| time as yet. The parking will be surround
| ed by low stone wall. surmounted by a
low iron fence. An important feature of
the whole work is the new and extensive
electric lighting apparatus. at a cost Of
over $1,000, to replace the old. which was
| not only out Of date, but dangerous as WELL