Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-30
TO SELL old: TRINITY
LANDMARK OF EARLY RICHMOND
n1ETHoDIsM TO BE AUCTIoNED. t
rs MEMORABLE HISTORY
The Site Of the Second Methodist
Church Of the city, and Itself tn.
Third such Ediace-some of IT,
Interesting History.

Interesting ft16tOEyszt
At 4:50 o'clock this afternoon the Oldest
Methodist church eaitice in Richmond.
known as Old Trinity church, but now
no longer owned by the Methodlsts, or
used as a church, will be 500 at pubic
aucrion by ii. seldon Taylor, real estate
agent.
Ine property is advertised as valu-
abe warehouse site. II is located on the
SCUM sac of tranhlin street. between
Fourteeuth and tiItslntn stree.s, ana
has .ong been unused Tor religious ser
vices, anu, liuteu Tor any otntr purpose.
1t stanus Lo-uay me Specimen ul tne
subs tailIIai aule-Ue iium type Oh buildings
IN lto sLauncn ma-ullty a..iid lIIcoiie4 uouo
Surroundings, Yet Il nuA.AIeht " 1Aic,-
| mona IIeIuvulall, tor LIS History Is almost
the history OF mat now po"efA Vi deno4li-
lila tlon III TINS cl.y.
These oiu Waits have echoed the elo-
quenue OF some OF the s..aiest pulpit
orators ard eApOunuefs Oh lne ia.,4t ut
TINS Church III America, ana nave re-
sounded with the oiu nymns OF ea.1y
ue---oulsm, The resonant prayers, anu
the Snoutlng wtlcn not inllcquenlIy
characterized the services helu mere. II
is surrounded Row by many small SHOPS
ana dwellings,, some OF winch are attrdc-
1--WE neither III appearance nor Itputd-
Ton, but in Vicinity once tne center
OF the city S religious ana social Ire
Nearby IS the ballard House, which
with It's connected Structure, TIE tx
change Hotel. recently RACED TO give
place 10 wholesale house, was for years
Inc most famous and frequented hosiery
of the city. and which mas lost its pres
llSe only within the past two decades
Ine westward and eastward growth and
extension Of the wartime city transfer
lvd the location of the churches and
hotels to those quarters and lett the low
lying section wherein the old church is
situated almost deserted. OF late, there
has been some business revival in that
quarter, and it is probable that in lew
years much of the wholesale business Of
the city will find its way to east FRANK
lin street. owing to its proximity to lne
freight depots of the railways in that
DISPOSITION OF LANDMARK.
What the fate of the Old church will be
cannot be known until after the sale
to-day. Last night Well-known Meth
odist minister remarked that if he were
devote it to some charitable use, pre-
serving its general contour and appear
ance just as it is. He further expressed
layman would buy the property and pre-
serve /. from destruction for the sake
Of its history and the tender memories
commendable sentiment or progressive
business spirit will figure in the DISPOSE
ton of the property remains to be seen.
THE. ORIGINAL TRINITY:
1t was in the year 1899 that Richmond
or station, by the sythodist Church
then a weakling in its infancy in vir.
GINA the Iiy at that time being Itself
five thousand inha bitants. Services were
at first held in the old county court
house and in the hall of the House of
citv'S. first Methodist DastOr
The first Methodist church in Rich
mond the namesake and original of the
ed at the corner Of Nineteenth and
Franklin streets Mr.. Lyel was trans
ferred from the Baltimore Conference
10 this State in May. 1889: by Bishop
this city the eloquent and energetic
young preacher of the olden time began
to make efforts to provide house of
worship. and the fact that the church
sregation ere the close OF the year at
tests his success. Bishop Asbury. In his
journal. states that but for the excessive
rains he would have PREACHED In the new
church in September. 1880.
GROWTH OF METHODTSM
1t was not until 1908 that Richmond be-
cans an,e Permanently sta in the NH,
than one hundred members then. The
membership had increased to nearly $50
members by 1925. when Rev Joseph Car
Z.
so successful that within three years it
had increased to nearly four hundred.
Two wars later another church. known
as shocco Hill-now no longer stand
ing-was built, it being the beginning
Of the present Centenary church. Trinity
the city. still worshipped in their orisi-
nal edifics at Nineteenth and Franklin.
THE SECOND TRINITY.
In 1927 the old Trinity congregation be-
gan the construction Of a new church
edilce on the south side OF franklin
streets adjoining the site Of the old
Exchange Hotel which was displaced a
year or two ago. The location was then
a NEST desirable one. It was completed
Hammett was its first pastor Among
his successors to him in the passionate
In the order of their succession. wire
G. W. Motley. Abram Penn. Joseph Car
SON. David S. Doggett afterwards
Bishop. and Leroy M. Lee DR.. Lee was
appointed in 1885.
Late in June of the same year the
church took fire and was entirely de-
stroyed. The rebuilding was begun al
most Immediately after ,c,. ard before the
was dedicated. DR.. William A. Smith. its
pastor. preaching the dedlcator sermon.
That new building on the site of the old
is the structure which, with its site. is
to be sold to-day. Among the pastors
of thu rebuilt church were Rev. James \.
Duncan, D. D.. Rev. j. D. Blackwell. D.
D.. and the Rev. Alexander G. Brown.
D. D. The last service in the old church
was an o,d-fashioned Methodist love
feast conducted by the pastor. Or
Brown, in the closing months of the
year 1859 or in 1860.
REMARKABLE CLOSING SERVICE
This service was remarkable for the
reclamation of Rev. William Hammett.
the first pastor of Trinity. and largely
instrumental in its construction. Ham
nett, some years before. had abandoned
the ministry and moved to Mississippi,
where he entered political life and was
elected to Congress. At the time he was
in the city passing through en- route
from Washington to Mississippi, and was
stopping at the old Exchange Hotel. next
door to the church. Seeing the church
lighted. and knowing that service Of
some kind was in progress. he quietly
entered and there, unknown by any.
heard the ftrvent and eloquent prayer
offered by a well-known layman for his
reclamation. It was not known that he
vas here at that time. but after leaving
and going to his home tfc effect of that
prayer caused him to &C, 1t minister
there and he was recon- erted. Thus
closes the record of the old church
ABANDONED OLD EDIFICE.
The congregation of old Trinity aban-
doned it to occupy the present Trinity
church AT Twentieth and Grace streets.
rS-