The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-17
ORIGINAL CITY CHURCHES
Earliest Departures From the Old
Established Religion.
First Worship TOT the Protestant
EpiscornIinns' Ina Building Orig
inally Used for n Tobacco Barn.
the Advent q, Catholicism, Into the
District-Undcr the federation Act.

Probably there are few persons anon
| the present residents of Washingto
aware of the fact that there were churche
! in Georgetown and Alexandria forty o
more years before stakes were driven upo
the marshes ard the uplands to indicat
where the Capital City of the Nation wa
to be located. There had been Episcopal
en- and Presbyterian congregations in Al
exandra as early as 1860.
The Protestant Episcopal Church cam
into the District of Columbia as the sue
cessor of the State Church of Maryland
and Washington was first comprised part
ly in ST. Johns Parish of Prince Georg
County and partly in Rock Creek Parish
1t has heretofore been stated that "whel
the parish of Washington was organized
there was on New Jersey Avenue near
Street northeast a building, originally
tobacco barn, but which had been uset
since 1880 as a church. perhaps as a mis-
sion of St. Johns parish, Prince George
county. and service in it was continued tt
be held as the only church outside oil
Georgetown until 1897. In the meantime
propositions were made from time to time
looking to the erection of one or more new
edfices. but without result. At the ves-
try meeting Of July IA, 1895. James Green
leaf presented as building site lot II. IN
square 456, the square bounded by Sixth
Seventh, E, and F Streets northwest, and
Samuel Blodgett gave the vestry an order
for timber to build a church. That body
looked favorably on the plan and passed
| a resolution requesting the rector to also
purchase lot 16. in the same square. The
project was. however. abandoned and no
| church was ever built there.
| After tho REORGANIZATION at meeting
held April 10. 1906 the old New Jersey
| Avenue Church was still recognized as the
| parish church. and resolution was passed
| directing 1t to be known as Christ's
Church. 1t seems. however. to have been
named only to be put on the retired list
for on May II. 1906. the vestry considered
two offers of lots, one by William Prout.
| the site of the present church. one by
Messrs. Law and Carroll. about four
| squares distant
Christ Church Building was commenced
| in 1906 and completed in 1907. and was
worshiped in during the same year. 1t
was consecrated October 8, 1909. by the
Right Rev Bishop Claggett.
Many Maryland families on the Potomac
River had professet the Catholic faith
from 1874 when the. pilgrims OF the Ark
and Dove arrived in that cove. They had
church and school In Georgetown in 1889
Molyneux were made trustees of the Cath
Ollie Church property there. In 1894. Fa-
Their Caffrey purchased from the United
States Government. several lots Of ground
on the square bounded by Ninth and
Tenth. and and G Streets. A small
church was erected by Father Caffrey. who
remained pastor until 1904. when Father
William Matthews. was appointed pastor.
He was president of Georgetown College at
the time of his appointment. He remained
pastor of this church until his DEATH about
fifty years. He was the first native Amer
lean priest ordained in this country.
AT Alexandria, the beginning Of the
Catholic organizntionjiw was made. on the
18th of March. '1I8s. az a st. Patrick's Day
dinner at the house Of Col. John Fitzger-
aid at which General Washington was the
guest of honor.
Advent of the Bnptists.
The Baptists were In Washington at the
beginning OF the century, and as early as
March, 1891, the town council OF Alexan-
dria had granted 1.-The Baptist Society Ii
cense to preach In the court house"
The church in Washington was organized
on the 9TH of March. 1902. in a private
house, by six persons-Charles z. Polk,
Cephas Fox, Charles Rogers. John Blu
IL.
At that time Congress was holding its
second session after the removal of the
Government to the new Capital City,
which had been located on the banks OF
the Potomac.
The First Baptist Church showed con-
siderable vigor from the beginning. The
six members proceeded at once to procure
church building. They purchased lot
on the southwest corner of Nineteenth
and I Streets northwest for S225. A
building was erected upon this lot and
occupied by the congregation in the fol-
lowing November. 1t is only within recent
years that this building has given place |
to the fine structure now occupied by the |
of the Nineteenth Street Bap- |
fist Church (colored). and the one-story !
brick. with the old-fashioned gable roof. !
will be readily recalled by many of the ,
residents of the city. For the first five ,
years Of its existence the church was with ,
out the services of regular pastor. Rev. /
William Parkinson. then chaplain for one !
of the houses of Congress. preached for !
the congregation frequently, and Rev. Mr..
Wood also served the church during the
same period. call was extended to Rev.
Obadiah B. Brown. of New Jersey. In the
year 1907, and on the 21st OF February
Of that year he entered upon his duties as
pastor.
The Presbyterians had been numerous
in both Georgetown and Alexandria for
thirty years before the city OF Washing
ton was laid out. The first worship in
this city was under the Federation act"
which allowed religious meetings other
than those of the State Church. provided
the doors be unlocked. unbolted. and IN
barred" The first meetings there were
held in the city schoolhouse. AS soon as
the town corporation took entire possess
sion OF this schoohouse lot was pur-
chased of Richard Avell on the 18th Of
July, 1913. and the following year. while
the Revolution was Just beginning. the
foundation of what was called the Pres
oyterian Meeting House was laid.
When the White House was being erect
ID in 1895, the first meeting of the First
Church in Washington was
leld in the carpenter shop on the grounds
After the first portion Of the building was
the carpenter shop was torn
Town. and the little band of worshipers
moved to the corner of Tenth and G
streets. where meetings were held until
hey moved to schoolhouse on the Navy
Yard From here they went to base
nent room of the Capitol. where the Su-
'remc Court was held. and where the first
Communion services of the church were
celebrated For more than two years the
congregation worshiped in this room, and
inally built small church directly south
# the Capitol. which was known for years
Is the Little White Chapel Under the
Hill" Here they remained until 1928. {
When the building was sold to a colored 5
congregation and the present site on Four
md a-half Street was purchased.
The Southern Presbyterian Church was {
established in January. 1865. when few ,
bot, ,-tN 4 ,tv.t