Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-11-26
REVIEWS THE PAST
Grace M. E. Church Celebrates Its
Thirty-ffth Anniversary,
HISTORY OF The ORGANIZATION
List Of Those Who Have Served as
Pastors.
r E S ENT 81 lem BEERS HIP

L III L > Il ~ L NJ j. VI d l. / > III L l.
The thirty-fifth anniversary of Grace NJ
E. Church corner of 9th and S streets is
being celebrated this week. by the member
ship and friends, assisted by the Wesley
congregation. through which organization
Grace Church came into existence Noven-
Der 26. 1863. 1t is an event of more than
ordinary interest, not only to the denomina-
ton, but to the people of that section, resi-
dents Of what was for many years known
as Goose Level, where, aside from few
houses on the west side of eth street and
the north side of street. there were
scarce half dozen homes within radius
of half mile. Indeed, some of the streets
had not been opened. 1t was, however war
times, and the opening of the 18th street
line of the Washington and Georgetown
railway, with stables and car sheds near
the head of eth street. had given some i'm
petus to the building of houses, largely for
the employees
section as a field for church or Sunday
school work as to numbers. Open streams
one IN Sth street and another in r street
flowed southwest, finally reaching the
I1ber. These attracted the children of the
nelGhborhu"d, ana Sundays especially they
We're to be 1ounG pl y ne 1t ,ut tn ,reIms.
Near the head Ol Sul sLIcet was Il IdVUrlte
play ground, and it 50 happened that. early
III the spring of 1868 the attention OF some
members OF Wesley Chapel Sunday school
was attracted TO the cAidren. Among them
was boy, so badly deformed that as an
OnlOOker only could he enjoy the play
one OF the Wesley folks asked if it would
not be good idea to establish a Sunday
school, II TOR no other purpose than to
please the lame boy. The suggestion was
seconded by the others, and after confer
ring with the children, a meeting, under
some trees near by, was appointed for the
following Sunday afternoon.
Al this meeting a number Of teachers
nom Wesley met thirty-tive children The
members of the Wesley Sunday school, Nav
81, takirg a lively interest in the matter
appointed Il committee to formally organize
school, near the terminus of the 18th
street railway Rev. John Riggles a local
minister Of Wesley took a leading part in
Inc movement, and visited from house 10
hcus9 in the interest of the school Ths use
of room in the sheds having been
secured sessions Of the Sunday school and
Preaching services were held, Mr.. Riggles
and some of the local ministers of Wesley
&C nductIng the preaching services.
MI. Mark X. Woodward served as super
1ntendent of the school, and by August 80
a committee had raised subscriptions of
$3.50 for the use of the school. Then it was
determined to secure lot and erect :,
building. Messrs. G. c. Burr, j. Rigges B.
+. Gettngs, T. j. S. Perry and Henry Bal
ley were appointed a committee to pur-
chase site and erect building
Receives IL Donation
Ihe attention of Mr.. George w. Riggs
was called to the subject by Mr.. Riggles,
he being the owner of considerable real
estate in that section. MI. Riggs gener-
ously donated the present site, and when it
was suggested that the usual clause in
church deeds limiting the use of the land
to religious purposes might operate against
the church in case an attempt were made
10 obtain loan to improve the property,
he directed the deed to be made uncondi-
troEally. With this generous donation
worth over $500 al the time, a starter,
the committee soon had sufficient funds to
tulId the mission chapel, and improve the
!otS, b5 by 03 feet. Work was al once COM
menced, and the building. a plain frame 30
by 40 feet, was opened Thanksgiving day,
November 26, 1863 From that time on
meetings of church and Sunday school
were regularly held Sundays, and prayer
meetings during the week-the Sunday
school, numbering then over a hundred
Messrs. Riggles, Burr, Latham and others
filling the pulpit
The committee, on the arec ton of the
building, with the collection of $50 on the
day of dedication, paid off all obligations,
and had a small sum left, which was de-
voted to the purchase of the addition to the
Sunday school library.
After Mr.. Riggles, Rev. George W.
Shreck acted as pastor for some time till the
1all OF 1865 Kew. James q. Henning, a for
mer itinerant of the Baltimore conference
and then a clerk in the War Department.
took charge. November II, 1866, and served
till the spring of 1870 Rev. L. Dobson fol-
lowed serving till August; then Rev. VIM.
McPhaeterS, another government clerk oc-
cupied the pulpit continuing until the
spring of 1872, when the mission, having
paid moderate salaries to the minister's ap-
Piled to the conference for q minister and
became a full-fedged charge, under the
name of Grace NJ. h, Church
At this time there Were probably 100
members, with growing congregation and
Sunday school, and it was found by the
represe NATIVE of the conference, Rev NJ
F. b. Rice, in full working order-all de-
partments being well organized.
As a mission it was the scene of a num-
Der of REVEALS and numbers of persons
ere taken into the church. some of whom
are yet on the rolls there, while Others hav-
ing removed, are to be found in other
| charges. The revival spirit of those days
has shown itself from time to time and the
rearly POO converts in the mission have been
added to under the regular appointees of
the conference.
The Pastors.
The pastors since 1872 have been Mr. Rice.
who served two years; Rev. G.. w. Hobbs,
for three years: Rev. Harry S. France
three years; Rev. John W. Smith, two
years; Rev. J. c. Hagey, one year; Rev
III. S. France. for a second term of three
years; Rev. w. T. l.. Weech three years:
Asbury R. Reilly, two years; Samuel Shan
non, two years: Watson, Case, two years;
George V. Leech, two years, and Edward
L. Watson. who was appointed last March