Evening star., 1898-10-24
Mount ST. AIban.

In the earlier part Of the century Mount
St Alban owned by Mr. Joseph Nourse
who was appointed by President Washing
ton the first registrar Of the treasury Mr.
NCurse was a devout Christian man, and
his grandchildren recall that il was con
siant practice of his to retire among the
trees, where 81. Alban's Church now
Stands, for prayer and meditation. He
used also frequently TO express the hope
that Church might some day be buiIt
here.
Toward the middle of the century the
Mount was purchased for a church school
80" boys under the name ''St. Johns Insti-
tute.' The first attempt to establish this
having proved a failure, in 1917 the Rev.
Anthony Ten Brock was induced by Bishop
w hIttif gnam to remove his school from
Orange. n. j., to Mount Alban. By him
"a chapel was fitted up in the second story
o. the school building. to which the church
folk of the reighborhood were invited to
come for worship and counsel In this up
per room, no enc was more faithful in at
tendance than Miss Phoebe Nourse,
granddaughter of Joseph, until she was
called to exchange an active service for
the patient waiting of chamber of sick
mess. On March -, 1850, she died leaving
among her personal effects box, inscribed:
''To be given to Rev. Mr.. Ten Brock.
the beginning of a fund for a free church
at Mt Alban." In the box We're so in
gold: the earnings of her own hands ana
needles, during her time of weakness and
suffering. By the efforts of Mr.. Ten
Brock plat was secured on the mount. a
parish organized under the name Of st.
Alban's. and money enough secured to
make ii safe to begin to build On March
Il, 1851, the first anniversary OF Miss
Phoebes death, the ground was broken for
the foundation of the church, by Mr.. Ten
Brock, his two sens. Pembertcn NourSe,
the brother of Miss Phoebe and other OF
the school boys. The building was con-
structed as fast as the means would per
,.fN han in
consequence Of the inability of the trustees
to redeem d mortgage resting upon the
property, Mr.. Ten Brock was obliged in
1888 TO remove his school, and Mount st.
Alban passed out of the control of the
church, save only the little plat on which
the edifice stood.
The little building was completed under
the ministry of Rev. Mr.. Childs, and con-
secrated by Bishop Whttingham. May 2l,
1850. For many years the mount remained
in the possession of n widow, VINO kept it
uEaltered. On her death it passed into
other hands, but finally it WAS secured for
the cathedral and schools of the diocese
of Washington.
Washington City's Progress.
Most modern cities begin in the valley
and afterward climb to the surrounding
heights, and the pathway of their growth
is generally westward. The city of Wash
ington is a striking Illustration of both
these facts. and it has increased 400 per
cent in the last forty years. If both the
rate and the direction of this development
continue in The future in the past, if
Washington only grows 100 per cent in the
coming half century, the site in that time
will be in the midst of a thickly populated
district. For it is only twice as far from
the White House Dupont Circle; or, to
put it in another way, the cathedral will be
about the same distance from the Treas
ury building that Westminster Abbey is
from the Bank of England. But it will be in
a n1IyP mr. M f11 irsr
position than the abbey, for the cathedral
close stands on the brow of hill nearly
400 feet above the level of lower Pennsyi-
vania avenue. 1t cuts against the western
sky as seen from all parts of Washington.
1t stands, moreover. at the junction of
Massachusetts avenue, the longest street
of the city, and Georgetown avenue, which
is already being rapidly built up. 1t is a
nearly level tract, covered with growth
Of forest trees, and 1T slopes on its eastern
front toward the city in a series of beauti-
full and gradual terraces. upon which the
future residences of the clergy and profess
sors attached to the cathedral foundation
can be built without interfering in any way
with the cathedral itself as seen from
Washington.
Gazing down from these heights, the Cap
itol the Library building. the Washington
Monument and the whole city of Washing
ton, from the tower of the Soldiers Home
on the north to the broad ribbon of the Po-
tomac on the south, are spread out before
the beholder.
1t Is proposed tndl tnlS cdtneQral close
shall be open to the public as soon as pos
sible Plans for the building of the Hearst
School, which will be magnificent and i'm
posing structure, have already been adopt
ed and, il 1t had not been for the short
space of time, the corner stone for this
cathedral school for girls would have been
laid during the general convention.
The peace cross was Quarried in Indiana
and the design was by r. W. Gibson, the
architect both of the Hearst School and of
st. Agnes School at Albany.