Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-10-14
WHERE DR.. TALMAGE WILL PREACH
Interesting History of the First Presbyte-
rian Church of Washington.


The First Presbyterian church of
Washington is historic building, and
its history is closely identified ": til the
great Americans Of early days aI.d the
beginnings of our government. Tie 1.-st
meeting place of the church was a car
penter shop in the grounds Of the White
House, which was being used during the
erection Of that building in 1895. The
| shop, as we'll as the White House itself.
was then known as way up town, and
in fact, in the woods. In those DAYS. ac-
| cOrding to accounts, Ms. Adams, the
wife Of the president, used to have her
clOthesline stretched across BEAST room.
The Adamses occasionally attended the
little carpenters church near them in
the woods. After the completion of the
penter shop was torn down, the congre-
cation which had been formed there met
in an old building which was used as a
schOOlhouse, near the northeast corner
Of Tenth and T streets.
After that they removed to what was
then known as ''the academy east -
near the present site of the Washington
navy yard. Up to this time Dr. Sunder-
land, the present pastor, said that the
church was a kind of nomadic institu-
ton, the congregation worshiping where
they might. When the large block on
First street, northeast, was built, con-
sisting now Of three private residences,
but then used for the sessions of congress
i
ing, the elders of the church obtained
leave to meet there on Sunday and also
in the room Of the supreme court in the
basement of the capitol, where their first
communion was observed. The pastor of
the church at this time was John Brack-
enridge, who served until 1919 While
occupying the room Of the supreme court
in the basement Of the capitol they de-
termined to erect a church to the south
Of the capitol This was subsequently
done, and the church was first occupied in
1912. Tt was known for a long time as
1.-THE Little White Chapel Under the
Hill. It is on Pennsylvania avenue,
between First street and South Capitol,
where some of its walls, still standing,
are buried by the debris deposited there.
In the course of time, the congregation
increasing and the city growing to the
west and north, it was decided to pur-
chase the site Of the present church on
-Four and a Half street on which to erect /
a larger edifice. twas dedicated in De-
cember, 1927, at which time the Rev.
Reuben Post was the pastor. The main
audience room was entered directly from |
the street between four massive pillars,
I,O
ton now used as the Sunday school. |
The auditorium extended so feet to the |
west, where fine old mahogany pulpit |
stood, reached by a flight of circular
steps Oh either side. Back Of the pulpit
was a window recess hung with scarlet
damask curtains. A gallery extended on
three sides of the auditorium. There
was no organ, only huge bass viOl.
Side lights furnished the illumination,
and the old church was most pictur-
esque place.
DR.. Sunderland became the pastor in
1858, and in 1860 the church was much
and put iutO the condition il
which it is at present. 1t is now large,
well lighted edifice, we'll fitted and fur
nished, and the audience hall, with
good acoustic properties, is particularly
inviting to 4 pastor. The roll of mem
bership is not large, nor has it ever
been, although it has contained the
names of many noted public men. The
first record, so years ago, shows a men,
bership Of 50. In 1858 the roll of mem
bers was 269. During the pastOrate the
whole number of names added to the
roll was 1,126, Of whom 1,051 have
been removed by dismission, exclusion
Or death, leaving 344 as the present
If an estimate were made
Of the aggreg . number of church mem
Oers from the beginning, it would prob
ably not be more than 1000, while the
number of pewholders would reach s.
300 or 1000. In this number there have
been many men and women of promi-
lence in church and state
During the four years Of civil war,
situated as it was at the very center Of
ascension, although the capital of the
Union, the church was foremost for the
and emancipation In July,
1868, it was the scene of a great confer
nee, when DR.. Massey of London pre-
ented an address from the French and
English clergy Oh the'question of eman-
,ipation and the issues of the pending
truggle. One Of the most notable and
events in the history of the
hurch occurred i'll the winter Of 1866.
The late Hon. Frederick Douglass then s
delivered from the pulpit his lecture Oh ;
he life and death Of Lincoln. It was
he only door then open to him in Wash I
ngton. 1t cost the church dearly among :
ertain classes Of people who had been
is supporters, but it was the first step :
0 establish the prestige of free speech
or the co1ored people as race in this
ountry. Washington Cor. New York {
I'm.