Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-18
CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY
Local Presbyterianism is One Hundred
Years Old.
Sermon Yesterday by DR.. Sunderland
Mt the First Church-FrOm
Small Beginnings.

During the present week a series OF meet
ings will be held in the. First Presbyterian
Church which will be of great interest to
Presbyterians of the city, as they are de-
signed to commemorate the one hundredth
aHniver sary of Presbyterianism in the city
of Washington. This centennial observance
was appropriately begun yesterday by the
delivery of a historical discourse by Rev.
DR.. Sunderland, who has been the pastor of
the First Presbyterian Church for the past
forty-three years. The audience assembled
in the First Church was composed not only
of the members of the congregation, but Of
representatives of other churches in the
city. and they listened with interest to the
eloquent word pictures of the early history
of the city and of the growth and develop
ment of Presbyterianism.
DIR. Sunderland, in the course of his SER
mon, stated that the Presbyterians of Wash
ington uniting in their efforts procured the
use of the carpenter shop in the grounds of
the White House, where they first assembled
for religious worship in 1875. He said that
their first place of worship was frame
building, used also for a school, on street.
near the corner of 10th street northwest
About this time, he said, the Covenanter
portion of the people withdrew, and in 1868
organized what was long known as the F
Street Church, under the pastoral care of
Rev. DR.. James Lowrie and in connection
with the Associate Reform Synod of Phila-
delphia. The building is now known as
Willard Hall.
On leaving the street building, the
preacher said, they removed to the "Acad-
envy East" in the vicinity of the navy yard,
and subsequently permission was obtained
to hold services in the basement room of the
Capitol, which had been provided for the
use of the Supreme Court. There, the
preacher stated, the Lords supper was first
administered Later. he said they deter
mined to seek through the presbytery of
Baltimore church organization and to
erect an edffice for public worship. The site
chosen was near Pennsylvania avenue as
cending the hill just south of the Capitol.
The first earth was turned for the new
building by John Coyle, one of the first cid
ers of this church. His daughter, Mrs Whit
well, then little girl, described the scene.
This building was known as the Little
White Church on the Hill and was dedi-
Gated in the year 1872.
From that date he said, 1.-The permanent
records of the church appear. The nucleus
that met in the carpenters shop in 1875. and
had been nebulous and nomad body of
Christians, began to take local habitation
and name. About the year 1911 1t was
formally organized by the presbytery of
Baltimore, under the title of The First
Presbyterian Church of Washington, D. c.
having for its first pastor the Rev John
Breckenridge, whose grave remains to this
day by that of his wife in a beautiful field
of the old Soldiers Home
But in truth it must he said the church
was never chartered and fully organized as
1t Is this 5ay until 1865, when to the session
a board OF deacons and a board of trustees
were added, filling out the requirements of
the written law of the church in every par
lcular by Its form of government, it's d.
rectory of worship and its society constitu-
ton and bylaws. 1t is the first charter
granted by Congress to any church in this
city or District.
to the west and north. and that also of the
congregation, induced the removal to our
present site. The records of this under
taking read like romance. The first build
ing erected here was dedicated to the sery-
Ice of Almighty God in December 1877 the
then pastor, Rev. DIR. Reuben Post preach
ing the sermon. 1t was day of great re-
joicing in the history of the church.
A1ter many years the space again be-
came too narrow, and in 1869 the present
auditorium was constructed above the old
one now the lecture room. The front of the
building was changed, and it was rededi-
Gated in December of that year.
THE church edifice as it then was re-
NAMED almost untouched for thirtY-two
years. 1t much needed renovation, which oc-
Cured in 1892. The building as it appears
today was the result. and in November of
that year 1t was again dedcat ted"
He then spoke of the general history of
Presbyterianism and the effect on the
church of the agitations of the war In
conclusion. he said: In all my personal eX-
perence in connection with this church
nothing has been more grateful, nothing
more hopeful, nothing for which l more
earnestly and more devoutly thank my God
and your God than the coming to us lust at
this crisis of a minister whom God has so
qualified and sealed for preaching the ever
lasting Gospel to all people am sure INV
younger yoke fellow here most heartily
joins me in this. 1t seems to me like a
vision let down from heaven to cheer us as
we close the present century and enter on
the vast career of the coming years, 1t is
to me personally the final sunburst of nv
evening 81 y, and feel like saying with old
Simeon, Lord, now lettest Thy servant de-
part In peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy
Salvatonv"
Other events in the centennial celebration
will be meetings which will be held this
evening, tomorrow and Wednesday even
fngs. and Friday evening there will be a
reception given by the ladies of the congre-
cation. At the meeting this evening Rev
A. w. Pitzer, d. D., will preside, and Rev.
Charles L. Thompson, d. D., of New York
city will deliver an address on "Presbyteri-
anism and the Nation" Tuesday evening,
DR.. Talmage will preside, and Rev. Henry
NJ. McCracken, D. d., chancellor of .he
bert d. Warfeld, president of Lafayette
College, Easton, Pa, will deliver adore sses
on "Presby and Education" We'd
nesday evening Rev. George o. Little, d.
D., will preside, and addresses on "Prasby-
terianism and the District of Columbia"
will be delivered by Rev. b. F. Bittinger.
d. D., John w. Foster and Rev. J. G. But
Ter, D. d.