The Portland daily press., 1896-10-20
CORNER STONE Laid.
st. Lawrence Street Society's New
Home.
PASTORS OF SISTER CHURCHES
ARE PRESENT AND AID.

The Venerated Pastor, Rev, A. H. Wright,
Speaks for State Street, Dr. Fem TO,
High Street.
The laying of the corner stone of the
new church of the ST. Lawrence street
Congregational society, was an interest.
ing and impressive service yesterday af
ternoon. The day was oloudless, aud
the bright sunshine lighted up the scene
OF the exercises and the beautiful blue
waters OF the bay beyond. A chilly wind
blew from the north. but the sun made
it tolerable for the large udience.
The foundation and portion of the
walls are up. The cornerstone is at the
junction of Congress and Munjoy streets.
Besides those who were to take part, and
mem bers of the chur,h and parish were
a number of representatives of other de-
nominations. Among those noticed were
Messrs. E. Corey, Rev. Mr.. Lindsay,
j. j. Gerrish, Mark P. Emery. D. W.
Clark, Charles H. Chase, VIM. NJ. Marks,
Rev. DR.. j. G. Merrill, A. B. Hall, Mar
shal Fl. 8. Trickey. Brown Thurston.
Very shortly after 2. 80 p. M, BENZ.
Thompson, ESQ.,, called the assembly to
order, and introduced Rev. George d.
Lindsay, who made the invocation, in
the course Of which be referred appropri-
ately to the purposes of the meeting.
Then came singing by quartette COM
posed of Messrs. VIM. H. Davis, Alfred
H. Tracy, Frederick Fl. Oliver and Sam
| uel Gilbert.
Rev. Rollin 7. Hack pastor of the
Second Parish Congregational church,
next led the responsive reading, which
was appropriately selected as follows:
Minister And they said, let us rise
up and build
Congregation.-So they strengthened
| their hands for the good work.
M1nister-Except the Lord build the
house, they labor in vain that build it.
Congregation-There saith the Lord
God, Behold I lay in Zion, for foun-
dation stone, tried stone, chief COR
| nerstone, sure foundation.
Minister.-Jesus Christ Himself being
the chief corner stone.
Congregation. n.-Now, my God, let, I
beseech thee, thine eyes be open: and
let thine ears be attent unto the prayer
GhaG is made In this place.
Minister Lord be with us as He
was with our fathers: let Him not leave
us nor forsake us.
Congregation. He will not leave thee
nor forsake thee until all the work of the
House of the Lord be finished.
| All-Now, therefore, our God, we
| thank thee, and praise thy glorious
name.
The poem selected for the occasion
was the familiar one by John M. Neale,
and was read by Miss Marion G. Merrill.
The first verse was as follows:
Tho bounds of the eternal hills,
And yet vouchsafes, In Christian lands
10 dwell in temples made by hands,
Grant that all we who here today,
Rejoicing this foundation lay,
May be in very deed thine own,
Build on the precious cornerstone.
Mr.. Benjamin Thompson, chairman of
the building committee, next SPOKE
briefly. He said that SO large an audience
had not gathered to listen long to the
story of the beginning and progress of the
movement to build thu church. They
had come rather to inspect the progress
now made in the work of erection. The
movement started six or seven years ago.
The first dollar given,-a gold dollar
was given by good woman. He had
that dollar there. About six years ago
Rev. A. Fl. Wright began to move In the
matter. The late DR.. Carruthers advised
and prayed for 1t. Then the work began
and when the skating rink which had
long disfgured the hill, was for sale, it
was bought, though nat with the idea
that the church could be erected at once.
But when the anniversary of Mr..
Wrignt's coming to the church was cele-
brated,f friends came from other parts of
the city and spoke suoh kind words Of
encouragement, that it was decided to
proceed. With the aid of these friends
completed would be an ornament to the
Hill, land a center of eJevating influences.
The first of last July, at IL IN. work was
beg un; but the plans were not perfected
until August Goth. Since then the work
had progressed rapidly, and the building
WAS taking on the form which existed so
beautifully in the plans of the architect.
Rev. A. Fl. Wright, the veteran pas.
tor of the church, was Lnext introduced.
He spoke of the courageous and noble
effort which his people had made, of the
help whicblthey had received from Proyi-
den ce, and of the beautiful proportions
OF the growing temple. He hoped that
in the new edifioe the rich and the poor
would meet together before Him who
makes no distinction fbetween rich and
poor. He said he seemed to see about
him the shadowy forms of the fathers
and mothers of st. Lawrence street
church, many of the noble band which
had gathered SS years ago when they laid
the foundation of the original ST. Law
renee street chapel. We were privileged
to erect more commodious church, and
in loving memory of the old house pro.
posed to give to this the temporary
name OF st. Lawrence church. 1t might
also be the permanent name.
After speaking of the new building and
the hopes and the joy his people had in