Evening star., 1900-08-02
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD
BAPTIST CHURCH TO CELEBRATE
CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY.
The Congregation Organized March Z,
1SO2-Names of Original Members
The Several Pastors.

The First Baptist congregation, which
now worships in the splendid edifice erected
by 1t a few years ago at the corner of 10th
and o streets northwest, and the pastorate
of which Rev. DR. Charles A. Stakely re-
signed recently, is almost century old, and
at the proper time its one hundredth ami
versary will be celebrated in a becoming
manner. The church was organized March
I. 1902, the following-named persons being
the constituent members: Charles P. Polk.
Cephas Fox, Charles Rogers, John Buchan.
Joseph Borrows and Sarah Borrows.
At that date. Congress was in session for
the second time in Washington. The city
had not been incorporated. and contained
less than 1000 inhabitants. F street was
then the principal thoroughfare, Pennsyl-
vania avenue being an unimproved road, OF
difficult passage, and in some parts marked
by the tides of the Tiber.
The first preaching was supplied and the
ordinances We're administered for the
church by Rev. William Parkinson. then
chaplain to Congress. The first additions to
the church We're May 2, when three mem
bers were added by letter and one by bap-
tism. The same day the sacrament of the
Lords supper was for the first time cele-
brated. Immediately following the organf-
zation of the church, measures We're taken
to provide house for worship, and in the
succeeding fall new meeting house on the
corner of 10Th and I streets. was prepared
The First Pastor.
For five years the church was without
pastor. In January, 1907. an invitation to
become the pastor was extended to Rev.
Obadiah B. Brown of New Jersey, who en-
tered upon his duties February 81. The
church had at this time increased to
twenty-three members. This pastoral con-
nection continued for forty-three years. In
1914 Oliver C. Comstock, while a member
of Congress from New York, was baptized
and received as a member of the church.
and little later was licensed to preach the
Gospel In 1919 he was ordained to the
ministry by this church and relinquished
political life to become an evangelist.
Spencer II. Cone. noted actor of those
times and resident of Baltimore. made a
profession of religion in 1915, abandoned
the stage and removed to Washington. He
united with the First Baptist Church and
subsequently was licensed to preach. Later
he was ordained to the ministry and be-
came pastor of the Baptist Church in
Alexandria.
The Sunday school of the First Church
was organized about the year 1919. and was
the first one established in this city. 1t was
for some years conducted as a union school,
the teachers being of different denomina-
tions.
The church building. having been standing
for many years and being of insufficient
dimensions it was found desirable to pro-
vide a new one in a more central location.
Accordingly, IN lS.1.b, q rev eulllce was
erected for the church on 10th street, which
several years previous to the assassination
of President Lincoln. was known as Ford's
Theater, and is row used as the records
division of the War Department. Soon af-
ter the removal TO 10th street, the colored
members were formed into a separate
ganiZation at the old meeting house at the
corner of 10Th and I streets. which they
have since improved and now occupy, the
congregation being known the First Col
ored Baptist Church of Washington. The
present pastor of the latter charge is Rev.
DR.. Walter II. Brooks
In 1850 Rev o. B. Brown, being in his
declining years. resigned the pastoral
charge he had so long held. In accepting
his resignation resolutions were unanimous
ly passed by the church expressing the af
fection and respect which the members en-
tertaincd for him. The church continued to
worship in the edifice 10th street until
September. 1859. when. in pursuance of ar
rangemcnts made with the Fourth Church,
on 18th street. the First Church took pos
session of that building. the members of
the Fourth Church uniting with them.
The Subsequent Pastors.
The second pastor was Rev. DR.. Stephen
P Hill, who entered upon his duties In Oc-
tober, 1850. His connection and labors with
the church were highly conducive to It's
progress and growth. When the congrega-
ton removed to 18th street in 1859, the
pastor of the Fourth Church. Rev Isaac
Cole. became joint pastor with Dr. Hill.
This arrangement terminated in 1860. when
Rev DR.. Samson, president of Columbian
College, row Columbian University, accept
ed the pastoral charge. which. for the pur-
pose of assisting the church. he filled with
out salary for about three years
In February. 1869. a serious loss occurred
in the church in the partial destruction of
their edfice on 18th street by tempest
which rendered the building for a long
time unfit for purposes of worship. Rev
DR.. A. D. Gillette accepted the call of the
church to the pastorate about the close
of the year 1863, and filled the office until
falling health compelled him to resign.
In 1867 the Judson Missionary Society q
| band of youth belonging to the Sunday
school. erected a neat chapel on 14th street
between X and streets northwest, where
| a Sabbath school was conducted every Sun
day afternoon and divine service in the
evening. The North Baptist Church Oc-
cupied these premises from January, 1873
until September 30, 1887, when the church.
disbanded
| In 1869 Rev. DIR. ]. II. Cuthbert accept
| ed the call Of the First Church and con-
tinued his labOrs until January 20 1887
when he resigned the pastorate, which he
| had held for more than seventeen years.
| leaving upon the church, the records saw
| an impress of piety not easy to be effaced
| The church remained without a leader
until December l. 1887, when the pastorate
| was assumed by Rev. Charles A. Stakely
! Its history during that period has been
| already published in The Star