The times., 1899-07-09

now stands, was used for some OF the
services of the church. The little White
Church was occupied for twelve years The
entire ministry of DR.. Danforth and DIR.
Noble and the opening years of Dr. Smith
were spent in it, until the vision of Dr.
Smith beheld larger things and he present.
81 the matter of new church TO the peo-
pie.
cornerstone of the Present Structure
THE cornerstone of the present struct-
ure was laid June %. 1910, vita John C.
Harkness as architect and builder The
building was 6lxS0 feet 1t was d dieated
in just one year from that time. June 20.
1871. | am told that originally the house
had cupola, with small bell in it,
which bell was afterward sold to Father
Matthew, the pastor of St. Patrick who
was great friend of DR.. Smith. When
some one demonstrated with him for using
a heretic's bell, he said, oh, / fist cast
the devil out of it, and then blessed it,
it is all right now This was the same
Father Matthew who, when DR.. Smith
asked him for some contribution toward
building his church. said, Oh. you know
il wouldn't be allowable for me to help
build Protestant church. But the side
walk-that's not a part of the church.
III give you that and so he did. And
so the church went up, and when II was
dedicated it was devoted to God, free of
debt. l am told, also that originally the
church was entered by circular flights of
bluestone steps from the outside, while
there were other flights OF steps inside
from The vestibule down stairs. There
was then, however, no lobby on the second
floor as now, but seats ran under the Choir
loft all the way back to the wall. There
was then no partition. such as we see. but
pillars supporting the gallery. And If We
had been permitted TO enter and take part
in the services OF Gods house at that time
We should have been reminded of the
sackbut, psaltery, and harp with which
the Hebrews praised God, for there in the
choir loft, instead of the organ of the
present day, We should have seen and
heard bass vioI, violincello violins, flute,
and clarionet. / have in my possession
the violineello which my uncle, Joseph T.
Walker, used to play in the choir; and my
father played the flute.
''The church. which has SO long been a
landmark, was remodeled in 1856, during
which time as also in 1862, ] think it must
have been. the church was the guest of the
Assembly Church. That time marked the
disappearance of the high white pulpit,
mounted by a number of steps, and in
which DR.. Smith used to bolt himself in
after he had entered The church in its
the foot of the lot, and windows with
transom windows over them were let into
the west wall. The light from these was SO
trying that they were soon bricked up,
which accounts for the depression and
cracks. The tower must have been ad-
ded somewhere about 1861, for j find this
record in the minutes of session of July
!, 1861. The session met in the new tower
room basement
Cd ~ ,.,oo-7 ,lo
session OF the occupation of the church as
hospital during the civil war. The
church, however. was offered to the Gov
ernment and used for eight months as a
hospital The pews were fioored over, and
the organ boarded up, and where there
used to be pews filled with worshipers
were placed the cots on which the sick and
dying soldiers lay. During this time We
worshiped at the Assembly's Church, but
the family and school life were sadly brok-
en- in upon. After the building was re-
stored to us by the Government the services
were resumed and the work went on as in
old times"
The Rev. Mr.. Kelly stated that early In
the history OF the church, chiefly through
the energy and devotion of Mrs. Jacob Gid
con, free school for girls was maintained
There were no public schools in the Dis
trict until lSi9, and for thirteen years
the church and for a good part of the time
was conducted in the basement of the
church building Miss Mary Wannall was
the first and Miss Margaret Wannall the
last teacher OF the school.
Mrs. Mary Preston, the sole surviving
member OF the original organizers of the
Fourth Presbyterian Church, was present
at the dedication of the Little White
Church which stood opposite the present
building and was also present when the
cornerstone OF the now abandoned church
was laid In 1910, and but for the inclement
weather last May she would have wit
messed the laying of the cornerstone of the
chapel now used by members of the Fourth
Presbyterian Church at the corner of Yale
and Thirteenth Streets northwest.
On the site OF the old church small stores
built of brick win be erected which viii
be rented until such time when the prop
erty can be sold for a fair price. With
the proceeds OF the sale it is the purpose
Of the trustees to build handsome struct-
ure.