Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-06
ITSSEMI-CENTENNiAL
Anniversary Celebration by Grace
Protestant Episcopal Church.
EARLY HISTORY OF CONGREGATION
List Of Those Who Assisted in
Organization.
THE CORNERSTONE LAYING

| semi-centennial celebration will be held
| IN the course of few weeks by Grace
| Episcopal congregation to commemorate
| the establishment Of that church in 1850
! 1t will be made the occasion for appropriate
services, in which Bishop Satterlee and
members of the clergy will take part as
| will also representatives of the families
whose heads were communicates before the
| formal organization of the parish and a.
| few who were teachers in the school house
cocoonery, engine house and public hall be-
| fore the church was erected at 9th and D
| streets southwest.
| 1t was In the 40'S, when the island Sec
| ton OF the city, then surrounded by the
waters OF the canal and Potomac had
not taken the name Of South Wash
ington. nor had 1t better facilities for
travel than dirt roads for carriageway
and gravel walks with paths for pedes-
| ,rians. and, as may be supposed, sadly
| lacking in accommodations for religious
| worship. During this decade there was
| much missionary work in that section. The
| MethodistS started a prayer meeting in an
| abandoned engine house at Maryland ave-
I nue. and 10th street, and had formed the
| church organization now known as Ryland
| in 1876; and the Old School Baptists had a
| frame church on the site of the Fifth Bap-
| list Church tRev. DR.. MeadOrs) on D street
| between A. and 9th streets. Though that
| portion of the city was then but sparsely
| settled, there were many religiously in
ciined, and. if of other denominations than
| those named, to enjoy worship with con-
| gregation of their own faith it was neces-
| sary to make their way to the city
| churches. There being public transpor-
tation service other than by hacks, many
| seldom enjoyed public service In this class
there was goodly number inclined to the
| Protestant Episcopal faith. some of whom
| had previously attended services in Apollo
| befu
streets northwest. The families of Col. w
| B. Randolph, VIM. NJ. Morrison Lewis
Thomas. V. Willett, Jabez B. Rocker. G.
w. Henning, w. r. Riley, Col. F. w. Ritter
and VIM. burroughs We're among them
The Misses Rocker, living in 1916 in the
| house at the southwest corner of 18th
street and Maryland avenue Quilt In the
| last century by Robert Brent. the first
| mayor of WashingtOn), engaged in school
teaching. They opened a young ladies'
seminary. and the following year they per-
mltted the use of their school rooms on
sunday afternoons. for the religious in
struction of the children of the neghbor-
MOOD the first attendants being Joseph Will
lett, VIM. c: Burroughs, Charles Morrison
and Miss Lilly Willett. About this time
Mr.. Morrison, residing at the southwest
corner of 10th and C streets having aban=
doned his "cocoonery as such, conceived
| the idea of having Episcopal services there
and invited Rev. DR.. J. w. French. the rec
tor of Epiphany parish. to conduct them
He complied and Sunday afternoons con-
Quoted services for few months
Sunday School Removed
The Sunday school was moved here and
a1terWard, with the little band of worship
ers, located in frame school house. known
as Caldwells. on 18th street between d
street and Maryland avenue Here Rev.
Ashbell Steele, father of the late Rev. A.
F. Steele, of st. Marks, gave his services
to the congregation. in which he was as
students EntSrnnol iub
School near Alexandria, and among those
pleasantly remembered as student helpers
Is a Mr.. Rambo, who aftcrward became
prominent in the missionary work of the
church. and who died in the field at Cane
Palmas, Africa. Another was Mr.. j. w
Cheseley. who for a number of years served
as superintendent of the Sunday school,
ana, entering the ministry, has served in a
number OF parishes in Maryland. He is now
at Mechanicsville, st. Mary's county Md,
and is expected to take part in the cele-
bration.
The growth of both congregation and
school at Caldwell's school house was slow
and sure, a spirit of unity having prevailed
and the ambition was the establishment of
permanent church home. From here the
congregation removed to the abandoned
Island engine house. on Maryland avenue
ard 10th street, at that time somewhat d.
lapidated. The engine house was removed
to 10th street below d street and the Caid-
well building having been sold and removed
to ID street near 9th street, the latter was
place
WorshiperS moved to 1t.
Before leaving the engine house Rev. DIR.
Alfred Holmead, who for over thirty years
ministered to the little flock, came among
them. DR.. Holmead, a native of the Dis
trict and for many years a well-known
physician, had taken orders in the church.
Being possessed of some means DR.. and
Mrs. Holmead contemplated the erection of
a church, and looking over the field, Sc
lected South Washington, with the congre-
cation referred to as nucleus But, much
to their disappointment they met with
some reverses and were unable to carry
out their intentions to build the church.
DR.. Holmead offered his services, and
served for several years without compensa-
ton. then with a nominal salary and sub
sequently for the most moderate compen-
saton.
The First Vestry Chosen.
1t was in the house on street near 9th
street that the congregation was organized
| under Dr. Holmead, but 1t was not till the
| Easter season of 1851 that a vestry was
elected. The first board was composed of
Col. F. w. Ritter, Col. c. A Alexander
Vim. r. Rily, VIM. Burroughs, A c. Kid
well, Thos. Riley V. Willett and o. H.
Morrison, with Charles Tucker as registrar
May l. following, DR.. Holmead was for
mally elected rector, and the question of
erecting church was at once considered
1t was decided to purchase a site between
b, .E, 7th and 11th streets. and Messrs
John o. Haskins, w. S. Roberts and VIM
committee. The site, over 20 by 80 feet at
the southeast corner of 9th and streets.
was purchased of Mr.. l.. o. Cook for $780,
and the plan of plain Gothic frame build
| ing having been adopted, and the bid of
Mr.. John Sniffen accepted, the building
committee was authorized to proceed as
soon as 81 900 over the cost of the lot could
| be raised. The corner stone was laid DC
| tober I, 1851, and the work proceeded
| AT the cornerstone laying Rev. T..
Smith Pyne officiated, assisted by DIR. lfo:-
H.
| Epiphany, DR.. ellis of the Ascension and
Mr.. Clark.
| At this period there was much activity in
| the little congregation, and the school be-
| ing in fiourishing condition, the tempo
| rary quarters were often crowded. Potomac
| Hall having been erected at the southeast
| corner of Maryland avenue and 18th street,
| by DIR. d. b. Clarke, this was occupied
i y,rhil he CHI he'll tod