The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-27
CORNERSTONE is LAID
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGA-
TION TAKES PART IN CEREMONY.
Laid in 1S41-Character of Yes
terday's Exercises.

For the third time the congregation OF
the First Presbyterian Church assembled
yesterday afternoon at 4:3O TO begin new
era in the history of the church. OF the
hundreds who gathered at Sixteenth and
Delaware streets to witness the corner
stone laying of the new church. only one
was present who attended the cornerstone
laying of the first church building of the
congregation on Oct. 6, 1881. That person
was Alexander Wood, who lives at Broad
way and Twentieth street, and who is now
hale and hearty in his seventy-ninth year.
He also attended the second cornerstone
laying when the brick edifce recently torn
away at Pennsylvania and New York
streets TO make way for the new federal
building was begun. On both these oc-
casions he joined in singing the stone-lay
ing hymn TO the tune of "Old Hundred. :"
which he calls his song" Yesterday his
thin voice could be heard as he gladly
joined in the moving hymn for the third
time.
The services were participated in by all
the Presbyterian ministers of the city
They were in charge of the Rev. John w
Parker, who is acting pastor during the
absence of the Rev. Matthias l.. Haines in
Europe. Hymns were sung by the church
quartet The invocation asked by the
Rev. owen Davies OdelI, of the Second
Church, and was followed by scripture
Memorial Church. Prayer was offered by
the Rev. j. Cumming SmItn, of Tabernacle
Church. The address was delivered by the
Church.
In his address the Rev. Mr. Macintosh
said Christianity began without church
preaching, but the preaching was not done
in buildings. Christian architecture began
with the pagan basilica as its type and then
developed the grandest architecture from it
the world has ever known 1t resulted in
the great cathederalS and their ornate eX-
pressiveness. The Protestant Reformation
brought Christian architecture back to a
simplicity that was perhaps too severely
simple. but IL Is now evolving style that is
more adequately expressive of the church
idea.
BUILDING OF CHURCHES.
The materialistic country in which we
live, he continued, while probably more
the materialistic than any other, yet dem
Onstrated the fact that within the hearts
of the people there is something elemental
and eternal which bids them build more
churches every year than any other in the
world. There were something in spite of
the sordid pursuits of the Nation that was
crying out for expression, and ii was true
hearted religion.
He then spoke of the growth of Indian
apolis as shown by the three eras of the
church whose cornerstone was about to
be laid The present site was in wilder
ness when the first building was begun
Ii was still more remote from the city
when the second was started. Now it
seemed not impossible TO believe that the
great and rapid growth of the CITY might
before many decades claim the site
for business uses. But he said the men
who were building the church were build
ing IL for centuries and the probab fIity
was that II would remain in use for a long
period.
He congratulated the congregation in the
name OF their brethren of the other con-
gregations, and in doing so expressed the
hope that some day all the churches would
live in universal friendship.
The cornerstone was then laid by John
II. Holiday, chairman OF the building COM
mittee. He read the list of articles placed
in the box. Ii included: Old box from
cornerstone of third house, containing also
box from second house; treasurer's reports
containing list of contributors etc: man
ual with list of members, 1860, 1870 1878
1882. 1896, 1898; list OF officers: list of Sab
Dath-school officers and pupils: building
committee, architects, contractors: sub
seribers TO building fund; historical sketch
or church; historical sermon by Rev lanes
Greene; sketch of the church building and
plans, session memorials OF General Har-
rlson and James Greene: photographs of
pastors. elders, officers and old church:
newspapers and periodicals; souvenirs of
monument dedication: memorial sketch Of
Rev George Bush: programme of Woman's
Missionary Society, 1901. 1902-19O3: sermon
by Myron w. Reed and miscellaneous an
nouncements: history of Indianapolis Pres
Dytery; Hymans handbook of Indianap-
oils.
The masons surrounded the tin box with
asphat ana then placed the stone over IT,
Prayer was then offered by the Rev. John
W. Parker and the stone-laying HYMN was
sung by the congregation. The benediction
was pronounced by the Rev. NJ. NJ. Law