Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-26
A NEW HOUSE OF WORSHIP
Plans for One to Be Erected by Ninth Street
Church.
The Corner Stone to He Laid With
Appropriate Ceremony I'm About
One Month.

CHRISTIAN congregation, ard preparing for
the erection of the new edifice which is to
| be located on the site of the present one at
| the southwest corner of 0tk and d streets
northeast. The new building will not be
| fully completed until the LIST of January
next, but this will not interfere with the
church work, for the congregation Is to
hold services in a large tent on the lot ad-
| joining, and when the weather gets cool
| they will move into the lover floor of the
church, which is expected to be ready by
October. The corner stone Is to be laid
| with formal ceremonies in about month.
and when the edifce Is finished 1t will be
formally dedicated.
The Ninth Street Christian Church is one
of the hest known congregations among
the Protestant churches of Washington, in
comparison with its membership, and that
this Is true is because the communicates
are nearly all young and enthusiastic peo-
pie, who have made themselves a power
for good in the church life of East Wash
ington.
Began With Small Means.
AS might be expected, a congregation
composed of young people was not pos
sessed of much money at the start, and
consequently its history of ten years has
recorded some interesting struggles and
ultimate triumphs. Rev. F. ID. Power. pas
tor OF the Vermont Avenue Christian
Church, conceived the idea, In the fall of
1897. OF starting a mission Sunday school
east Washington. This was ultimately car
| ried into effect by the Christian Endeayor
Society of that denomination. with the as
sistance and hearty cooperation of the
church membership.
Several leaders of the church, with others
interested, met at Odd Fellows Hall, on
Sth street southeast, on the LIST day of
January, 1883. for the purpose of .ffecting
a q N n inn, IF fha nh.a nd 4.,l-a
steps to increase the interest and enlarge
the usefulness of the church, with the
view to organizing another society of the
Christi denomination in that section.
Rev r ID. Power. F. b. Hail. Mr.. and Mrs.
N. J. Hillman. Mr.. and Mrs. H. c. St;er
b. +. Moore. Frank Sunny. Henry Gilfrey
Mr.. and Mrs J. A. Scott, Alice and Alma
Knowles, Henry Ralph, Asa Piper. Annie
were present. and perfected the original
organization, which was afterward merged
into what is now known as the Ninth
Street Christian Church.
The Sunday school was organized under
the leadership of the following officers: P
b. Hall. superintendent; ]. A. Scott, secre-
tary; Mrs. Henry .Gilfrey. treasurer: Henry
Ralph, musical director; Bessie Edwards.
organist, and Maud Maxwell, assistant cr-
ganist.
The First Pastor.
Rev. P. B. Hall was chosen as the first
pastor of the organization. and held SER
vices In Odd Fellows Hall from January
until May, 1888, the meetings being then
discontinued for want of interest upon the
part Of the people. Cottage prayer meet
ings were meanwhile kept up, beginning
January %, 1888, at the residence of Mrs
J. H. Tibbits ard continued at the houses
Of members and friends of the mission
who resided in that section till regular
house of worship could be secured.
The last of these meetings was held
April D. 1891, at the residence of z. l..
Bugbee. In the summer of 1888 pledges
had been secured. through the efforts of
Rev. Power and Messrs. Hillman and Hall.
for an amount sufficient to warrant the
purchase Of a lot and the erection of a
house of worship. The ground was broken
on the site where the modest little church
Is now located, the 24th day of November,
1880. The work of construction was pushed
as rapidly as possible. and Sunday, the 9TH
day Of April 1891. the first divine services
were held in the new church.
First Officers.
There was preaching twice that day, at
the regular hour for service In the morning
and evening A protracted meeting follow
ed. which was inaugurated by Rev. E. b.
Bagby, and lasted several weeks. The
church organization was perfected the sec
ond Sunday after the building was COM
pleted and occupied, the following named
persons being chosen elders: J. A. Scott,
P. S. Steele, E. l.. Bugbee, c. A. Hughes,
Charles B. Titus and w. S. McCurdy.
The membership was made up OF sixty
two persons who withdrew from the Yer
mont Avenue Church. and of sixty-seven
acquisitions as the result Of the protracted
services. The Rev. E. b. Bagby was
chosen as first pastor of the church, April
II, 1891, and through his jealous efforts
and the efficient aid of his co-workers, the
congregation has enjoyed wonderfully
rapid and steady growth. 1t now numbers
GIT persons, and the Sunday school 412
pupils, the latter winning the banner of
the Maryland Christian Association four
years in succession
The pastor of the church, Rev. Edward
B. Bagby, is nearly thirty-two years of
age. He born in King and Queen
county, Virginia, but reared in Richmond
He is a graduate of Kentucky University
and has had conferred on him by Yale the
degree of bachelor of divinity, in course
Mr.. Bagby was chosen chaplain of the last
democratic House of Representatives, as
successor to the late Rev. s. ID. Hadda-
way. He is an eloquent pulpit orator, and
popular with his people, especially with
the younger element.
Present Officers.
The present official membership of the
church is as follows: Elders, Messrs. ]. A
Scott, clerk; G. w. Pratt, trustee and
treasurer; ]. w. Van Week, financial sec
rotary; Frank Morrison. trustee and elder;
E. L. Bugbee. trustee and elder; w. S. Nc
Curdy, }. A Runyan, George H. Spire, F.
NJ. Bardly, p. s. Steele and j. w. Bowen.
The details of the new church have been
looked after by the building committee.
composed of the following: ]. A. Scott, G..
w. Pratt. Frank Morrison, F. NJ. Bradley
and William NJ wager.
In selecting L plan, for the new church
the building committee had a somewhat
difficult task, since the edifice to be erect
ed is designed to carry many of the
features Of an institutional church. The
lot on which the building will rest has
not very great dimensions. G0x75 feet, and,
consequently, the plan adopted calls for
what might be called three-story build
ing. consisting of a Sunday school room
ebove grade. a basement. which should
be partly below, and a main audience
room with gallery. The church will cover
the entire lot with the exception of three
feet in the rear reserved to give plenty
Of light and air from the south, and will
face on D street. This will give a seating
capacity OF more than five hundred per-
Sons on the floor. and more than three
hundred in the gallery. making a total of
eight hundred or more in the main audi
Ell &c room and gallery combined.
Will Have Two Vestfbules.
Enfropco IN he odfaoa NTH t,o c,~xotoaa