The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-19

of the Dayton Avenue Presbyte-
rian Church to Be Celebrated Next
sunday-sketch of the Church and
Its Growth.
Next Sunday morning Rev. M. d. Ed
wards will celebrate the twenty-hfth an
| niversary Of his pastorate at the Dayton
Avenue Presbyterian church. In point OF
continuous service DR.. Edwards is the
oldest Presbyterian pastor in Minnesota,
and during his long tenure of service his
clerical relations have been pleasant and
important, as he has held several proml-
nent positions in the presbytery and
synod of Minnesota.
Dr. Edwards will deliver a special an
niversary sermon at the Sunday morning
service, and in the evening a general
Presbyterian rally will be held In the
church auditorium. Rev. James D. Pax
ton, of the House of Hope church, Rev.
w, @. Covert of the Merriam Park
church, and Rev. A. B. Meldrum, Of the
Central church, will have prominent parts
on the programme bringing the greetings
of their respective congregations. In adj
dition to the triumvirate of Presbyterian
clergymen, a special musical programme
will be given, and DR.. Edwards will also
speak in response to expressions of con-
graduation.
Tomorrow evening the ladies of the
church will tender DR.. and Mrs Edwards
a reception in the church parlors.
Just twenty-five years ago Oct. %, DR..
Edwards was ordained and installed as
pastor Of the Dayton Avenue Presby-
terrain church, and has since been con-
tinuously and actively identified with the
charge In his pastorate capacity. DIR.
Edwards only remembers of one st. PAU
minister of, the Protestant denomination
who was here when he was ordained as a
young minister. The one man is Rev.
W. C. Pope of the Church of the Good
Shepherd. Many changes have taken
place since then and the personnel OF
the congregation has almost entirely
changed during the period, although there
are a few of the original members who
still worship on the site of the first frame
structure on the corner of Dayton avenue
and Mackubin street now occupied by
the beautiful stone structure
The Dayton Avenue church was the
fourth Presbyterian church to be Or
ganized in this city, but has not been
least in good works and visible results.
The Central First and House of Hope
were in the field when the Dayton Avenue
church was organized to meet the demand
for a Presbyterian church in the st.
Anthony hill district. Its organization
was effected q few months before the
arrival of DR.. Edwards, then just plain
Mr. Edwards, by twelve House Of Hope
members ten Central church members,
and one from outside the state. The first
three elders elected by the congregation
We're the late S. j. R. Mcmillan, VINO
served as United States senator from
Minnesota at the national capitol,
Deacon w. l.. Wilson, now prom1-
nent member of the House of Hope church
and closely affiliated with temperance
work and l.. A. Gilbert. With these three
men the church made it's first small be-
ginning with a promising future, and
very large field.
Dr.. Edwards graduated from the Au-
burn Theological seminary in the spring
of 1874, and, after spending season at
his old home in Pittsburg, accepted a
unanimous call to the Dayton Avenue
Presbyterian church. He entered upon
his duties July 10 and was ordained Oct.
% and formally installed as pastor.
During the summer Of 1881 an addition
was made to the frame edif1ce, at cost
including the furnishing, of approx
mately $1,000. The lecture room was
thereby enlarged to twice its previous
size, giving sittings for about gu per cent
more than in the past. An organ loft
and pastors study were also among the
improvements made, while the whole
building was made more comfortable and
attractive and in every way better
adapted for church purposes. Three years
later pipe organ was added at an eX-
pense of $2,250.
The next year a new building was con-
templated and early in the summer i'm
4c,Ir1 +rn I1ay
and permanent church building. Cass
Gilbert drew the plans, and after their
acceptance a committee was appointed to
secure the required funds to complete the
building The canvas progressed very
satisfactorily. and in 1885 the ground was
broken and on Oct. the corner stone
was laid with appropriate ceremony. The
building was not finally completed and
furnished until the spring of 1888. Rev.
D r. Breed, D. D., of Chicago, former
pastor of the House of Hope, preached
the dedicatory sermon and DR.. Edwards
conducted the exercises.
The church has been very generally
admired and has received special men
ton in several articles on church arch1-
lecture The total cost of the structure,
including expense Of furnishing and re-
moval of chapel, was s59, 400. OF this
amount there still remains mortgagea
Indebtedness Of 100000.
From a charter membership Of twenty
three the church has steadily grown each
wear until it numbers in its membership
500 communicates. During the quarter OF
century that DR.. Edwards has been
it's pastor he has never faltered in the
performance of his duty, and while the
result in building up the congregation to
a great influence for good in the COM
munity Is a notable achievement, the,
path has not always been smooth, and
the beginnings were small. DR.. Edwards
will on Friday evening receive the con-
gregations of his many friends among
laymen and pastors Of all Protestant de-
nominations, and on Sunday the silver
anniversary will be more formally OBJ
served.