Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-03
Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church


invitation. Dr.F NJ r. Rice of Baltimore
will preach in the afternoon and DR.. E. D.
Huntley will occupy the pulpit in the even
ing.
The music of the week will be of special
character and is being arranged for by Mr.
George w. Havell, chairman of the music
committee of the church, assisted by James
Dyre, chorister. 1t is probable that the
choirS of the city churches will assist on
different evenings
The cary history of Trinity Church So
ciety is that of the denomination in Wash
ington, this was the first Methodist Or
ganZation in what were the original bounds
of the city. There was an earlier beginning
of the church in Georgetown but it will be
remembered that Washington and George
town were entirely separate until 1878
When the Methodist Church was organized
in South Washington that denomination was
comparatively new in this country and not
only were there few conferences, but the
membership was small.
While it is likely that Methodist preach
ing services were held in Washington be-
fore 1890, yet the first church organization
of which there is any record was not noticed
until 1902. At the Baltimore conference
held April / of that year William Waters
was appointed pastor of Georgetown and
Washington. The first meeting place in the
city was private dwelling located on
Greenleaf's Point. Fronting South Cap
itol and n streets stood The Twenty Build
ings" and in one of these the first society
worshiped. Washington was appointed a
separate charge III 1910, with " lllldm w at
tiers continuing the pastor. In 1907 the
congregation moved to an old tobacco house
which had been previously used by the
Episcopalians as a place Of worship 1t
was a curiouSly constructed building and
has long since disappeared. During the war
of 1872 after the Methodists had left the
old building, 1t was used as a carpenter
shop, and guns were made in it to equip a
company of soldiers organized among the
boys in the neighborhood.
The trustees of the old church in Octo-
Der, 1910, purchased plot of ground on
4th street between South Carolina avenue
and G street southeast, and proceeded to
erect a suitable house of worship The new
church was built of brick and Of moderate
SIZE but with the addition of a chapel was
at that time sufficiently large to accommo-
date the worshipers. The building was ded-
icated in November, 1911, during the pastor
ate Of Beverly Waugh. who was then
young unmarried preacher and it was the
first structure built by the Methodists in
Washington city. The first trustees were
Henry Foxhall. John Brashears Electius
Middleton, Ambrose White, James Vanza-
nette, John A. Chambers, Leonard Mackall,
John Eliason and Jacob Hoffman. At that
time the sexes were divided during worship
and the women sat on one side of the
church and the men on the other, separated
by partition four feet high. In 1919 the
church was called Ebenezer, which name
the society retained until the new 4th street
church was built.
A number withdrew from this body in
Protestant Church. and in the same year
still another faction withdrew and estab-
lished a separate society. These are the
only records of any disturbances of Sc
rious nature in the church during its eX-
istence. The first church built stood for
forty-six years the sole representative of
Episcopal Methodism in Southeast Wash
ington, but becoming unsuited to the uses
and needs of the congregation 1T was at
length removed and a new one built in 1857
during the ministry Of Rev w. H. Chap
man. and was dedicat ted by Bishop Edward
r. Ames The name was changed from
that of Ebenezer to East Washington
Church, and was thus designated until 1870
when 1t was again changed to Fourth Street
Church. During the civil war the structure
was used as hospital, and many historic
associations cluster about the old building,
which is still standing
The plan to build the present large struc-
ture on 9Th street and Pennsylvania avenue
southeast was originated by DR.. NJ F. B.
Rice, who was the pastor at that time. The
building was not commenced however, I'M
til in the ministry of Rev. G. w. Hobbs,
and was completed and dedicated in May,
1897, during the pastorate of DR.. e. P.
Huntley. The church and parsonage were
erected at cost of $4,000 and in the past
five years the congregation has reduced
the debt on the property $4,000 With
the erection of the present edifice the name
present membership is about 500, and the
pastor is Rev. ]. c. Nicholson. D. D.
On Nicholson was born in Virginia in
1867. In early boyhood he removed to Bal
timore and was educated in the public
schools # that city. He attended Dickin-
son College at Carlisle, Pa, graduating in
1877. After his graduation he taught one
year in Wilmington Conference Academy
Dover, Del, where he occupied the chair of
mathematics He later travelled as a supply
preacher on the Hampstead and Woodbury.
more conference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church in 1879. Two years later he was