The Washington times., 1902-03-10
| METHODIST CHURCH
| CENTENARY In VIEW
Denomination Making Elab-
crate Preparations.
EXERCISES TAKE PLACE IN MAY
Ebenezer the Oldest Home of Greed in
Washington-Many Prominent Divines
From Other Cities to Visit Capital
During Celebration.

The Methodist Church in Washington is
making elaborate preparations for the
celebration of the Tooth anniversary of
the establishment of that creed in the
District of Columbia.
Exercises in commemoratioH of the
event will be held from May IS to May
% at Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church.
Fifth and c Streets southeast. This
church is the direct successor. thr ough
years of eventful history, of the first
Methodist Church of the National Capt.
tai, the earliest record of which dates
back to 1862.
Rev. J. G. Nicholson, pastor of Trinity
Church, will preside during the meetings
OF the week in which the birthday OF the
church will be celebrated. Presiding Ell
der Naylor and prominent divines from
other cities will take part in the event.
The various Methodist ministers of the
city will participate, and services will
probably be held in several other Meth
odist churches.
The programme has not yet been COM
pleted, but 1t is certain that the centen-
nial will be made one OF the largest al
Methodist Church.
Tells Capital History.
The growth of the Methodist Church
in Washington is really chronicle of the
civic life OF the Capital. The church
came here when Washington was a mud
village" of 1900 souls, and its growth and
advancement have been commensurate
no nf hn
perity of the city.
In the beginning the Methodist faith
found many difficulties in the way of OBJ
tanning firm footing here. Money was
scarce, while the population of the place
itself, largely Episcopalian, was not such
as to be a great factor in the early
growth of the religion.
The first Methodists of Washington OF
whom there is any record were John and
Elizabeth Lipscomb, who united with the
society in 1884. 1t will be seen. t1nre-
FORE that the records of Washington go
back at least that far.
The cradle of Methodism in those early
days was q private residence on Green
leaf Point, Eastern Branch. il one Of the
famous Twenty Buildings
Moved Into New Home.
These buildings are no longer standing.
quarters the neighborhood underwent
period OF degeneration.
Through the years 1902, 1903, and 1904
the Methodist Church of Washington pre-
served its connection with The Church of
Georgetown John Potts and Seely Bum
being the pastors in the last two years.
In 1906 Washington appears upon the
minutes of the Baltimore Conference as
a separate station, with William Waters
as pastor. This was only ten years after
Congress had passed the act locating the
Capital of the Nation on the Potomac and
the entire population of 5000 was scat
tered over the immense area of the city.
Greenleaf Point was the most thickly
settled portion of the city" and New
Jersey Avenue was the principal thorough
fare. Pennsylvania Avenue. now one of
the grandest boulevaTds in the world, was
then a marsh, and people thought that
Capitol Hill would be synonymous with
Washington.
First Meeting Called.
The first official meeting of which any
account has been preserved was held at
Georgetown on April 7, 1903, within a few
days of being one hundred years ago. Here
number OF resolutions. which follow,
were passed, showing the condition of the
Methodist Church in Washington CEN
tury ago:
Resolved, That it is the opinion of this
meeting that our stationed preacher ought
not to keep a horse; the friends at the
Point agree to furnish one for him to at
tend there and return TO Georgetown.
, Resolved, That he attend the Point one
Sabbath in three. and return on that day
| to Georgetown. to night preaching.
Resolved, That he board with Isaac
Owens. at s167 per year. to be found in
washing. mending, etc.
Resolved, The friends at the Point agree
TO pay third of his salary and one
fourth of his boarding, making in all s6S.
and we hereby agree to accept the same.
Resolved, That in case of sickness or
death attending the preacher, the friends
at the Point agree to pay one-thrd of
the expenses incident thereto.
Church Moved Again.
In about the year 1907 the congregation
on New Jersey Avenue southeast, near
the corner of D Street. 1t was the barn
of Dudley Carroll, who owned the greater
! part of the land south of the Capitol, and
had been used as a tobacco house.
The old tobacco house." it wes
called. before II came into the possession
of the Methodists, had been used for
years as the place of worship of the
Protestant Episcopalians 1t was the
predecessor of Christ's Church, on G
! Street. between Sixth and Seventh Streets
southeast.
While occupied by the Eplscopalans.
| Thomas jefferson worshipped there, rid
| ing from the White House each Sunday
| and tying his horse outside with great
! democracy.
When the Greenleaf Point Methodist
Episcopal Church OF Washington took it
the congregation numbered 159. The to
bacco house" with which the history of
two denominations in Washington is con-
nected, was burned to the ground in 1917.
First Church Built.
After leaving this humble place OF wor-
ship the Methodists purchased, in 1919,
from William Prout, part of square S22,
| for the sum of $2276i, and erected on he
| site Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal
Church. This was the first church to be
| built by Methodists in Washington.
| Among the first trustees was Henry
Foxhall, at one time mayor of Georgetown,
| and the maker, in that village, of rhe
| first bored caDnOns produced in America.
| 1t is an historical fact that the cannon
| used by the Americans in the battle OF
Lake Erie were made in C ocgetown, and
| hauled by oxen the entire distance TO the
| Canadian border.
1t was because of this fact that his
| foundry was not burned when the British
entered Washington during the war of
| 1912, although orders had been given hat
il should be destroyed, FoXhall later
| erected Foundry Methodist Episcopal
| Church at Fourteenth and Streets