The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-07-04
AN OLD BALTIMORE COUNTY PARISH.

AN OLD BALTIMORE COUNTY PARISH
History of St. Johns Protestant Episco.
pal Church, Western Run.
The Maryland CHuTchmda.
&C. ~; Johns Church, Western Rum is beauti
5nn9E.on Valley, about three miles northeast OF
| SSa1ooinloon. and eight miles nearly due west OF
NSSckeysville, Baltimore county.
services were first held here in the year 1906
~ nev. John Coleman, in school house which
Stoo ~ opposite the present church on the land
| OF Mr. Charles Walker, of WOODBURY. That
iS4S. 1857 was sun Standing IN Dr. Aliens day. in
inc inc church here had its origin in the desire of
a rev people, who found it rather irksome on
TSuInoays to climb the hills to and from ST.
Iuonas Church, Garrison Forest, and the
Of the r Ul Mor5hington valley With the consent
Ease; Easy for them, but hard on the rector,
t Mno mad to climb the same hills and surmount
me same obstacles of bad roads in winter and
inc trying heat of summer.
In. Inc actual date of the laying of the corner
stone OF the old church was 1876. The corner
tle new building. The land 1.-TWO acres) on
W Wnicn the church was built was the gift of
SS ava e Walker. of WOODBURY., who seems to
nave Deen prominent man in those days. His
nale $1,000 first on the cornerstone, which
READS as follows
St. Johns Church
A. d. 1916
Chs Walker
Ion T. Worthington
Chs Worthington
Key Johns
Managers
Ben Cromwell. Car
Sn Frieze & Ce Ring
Masons
The subscribers to the building were as fol-
l WoStb, John 7 oWorthingtCn 500; Charles
Morthington, $780, Mrs. Eliza Philpot, $500;
Hickman Johnson, 5000; Fayette Johnson, $500 !;
Inc inv
ton, 500; Richard Johns, 500; Edward Gill, ST.,
SSO; Edward Gill, Jr., $50, and SO on down
through smaller gifts The total cost was 5000
Kemp, November IL, 1878.
o m6e first meeting (of which there is any re-
Johns Church, May ~, 1920. This meeting was
presided over by John FOLLY Worthington, John
TIL, Worthington being made secretary. Eight
yestrymen were then elected, viz: Hickman
Johnson, j. FOLLY Worthington. Edward Gill,
John George Walker, J ohm Johns, Charles Worth
1ngton and Kensey Johns; George W. Johnson
and BENJAMIN Johns, wardens.
At this meeting certain rules were adopted
for the regulation of the vestry and these were
signed by the following in addition to those
above Elisha s. Johnson, Richard Johns MINI
rod Cromwell and Fayette Johnson.
We are generally disposed to think that in
those days people were very careless in regard
to the Holy Communion, and yet we read that
these men adopted as one of the rules for the
regulation of their body that mo one can be
vestryman unless he be member of said church
by enrolling and communing with the congre-
CATION"
The church seems to have had very uncer
tain life, so far as rectors tend to keep church
alive. The Rev. Mr.. Jackson, of st. Thomas is
mentioned by the Rev. DIR. Allen as officiating
on alternate Sundays for a time after the build
ing of the church in 1916, just as Mr.. Coleman
and possibly other rectors had done. The first
actual mention of rector in the records of the
church was in December, 1920 when the vestry
unanimously agreed to appoint the Rev. Charles
& S b s pSTabgs Rd
He is supposed to have held the rectorship for
fourteen years, alternating Sunday by Sunday
with St. Thomas, where he resided.
In 1921 John Johns was appointed to superin-
tend the fencing in of the church, which duty
he performed at a cost of SIT.
ard Johns, J. T. 81. Worthington, Charles Worth
ington; Brian Philpot, Kensey Johns, Benja-
min Johns and Garrett Worthington.
Although the laymen seemed to be much in
earnest in those days, in the matter of clergy
the same uncertain condition seemed to prevail
as formerly. The only rector l can find named
in the early records in addition to those already
mentioned, are 1886, Rev. John P. Robinson, who
offciated here on alternate Sundays for per-
in 1912, Rev. George F. Worthington. 1874 Rev.
VIM. n: Pendleton, who alternated with Sher-
wood Church, Cockeysvile. for year or two
teaching at the same time in Baltimore. He re-
ported five COMMITMENTS at st. Johns.
1S47 Rev. Henry W. Woods was the first rector
who gave all his time to the parish. He report
ed to the bishop six communicates With the
exception of the Rev. Mr.. Austin, none of these
remained long in charge, and perhaps for one
In 1848 the church began to show work. The
Rev. Ethan Allen took charge, and for nearly
his faithful administration. His parish register
still exists. showing the ueatness CT his script
and the carefulness of his arrangement.
In the beginning of the third year of his pas
torate noble thing was done in the building of
the large stone rectory, still in use and most
comfortable it is, by one man, John Johns; who
presented it in the following terms: 1.-The dwell
ing house, which, with the permission of the
vestry have caused to be built on the grounds
belonging to st. Johns Church, in the valley of
Baltimore county, designed as parsonage for
the use of the minister of the church for the
time being. and hereby make over and convey
free from, all membranes to the vestry of
said church." Signed, JOHN JOHNS.
BALTIMORE COUNTY, March 20, 1850.
His course is kindly commended as one worthy
to be followed by others who may be blessed
W. iimunfcanIs ana So Tar as ne was aDle Iearn,
there never had been, all told, more than ID in
its whole history. During his eight years rec
torship IL more were added. on his departure
sor, Rev. A. j. Rich. who, in his five years rec
torship, added 10 and on his departure left IL for
his successor, Rev. A. j. Berger
The various steps in the organization of the
church were as follows: 1900, mission services
by rector of st. Thomas; 1876 church built as
kind of Chapel of Ease; 1920 organized into a
church known as ST. Johns in the Valley; 1854,
erected into parish under the title Western
Run Parish; 1869. burned church replaced by
the present beautiful one, which cost, when
completed nearly $4,000.
The church of 1916 must have been well built.
lit required new smuggling IN 1891 ,10rCy-One years
afterwards under the rectorship of Rev. Dr.. Rich.
This gentleman was rector of st. Johns at
three different timcs-1S556l, 1894, 1902 No
rector of parish ever worked more faithfully
and earnestly under all kinds of discourage
ments than did DR.. Rich in this parish.
The Rev. Dr.. Tenant lived in the rectory for
twelve continuous years, and with his faithful
wife did so many good and loving works as to be
hills and valleys of the neighborhood:
The Rev. George Thomas served the church
for five and half years and left monument
long to be remembered, in that the church was
put into number one condition at an expend-
ture of some thousands of dollars, and the rec
tory, which had gone much into decay, was fully
and comfortably renovated, and the outhouses
put into good order, or completely renewed, so
that now the house is thoroughly comfortable.
The rest is quickly told. There are still about
Is communicates, but the males are so few that
not enough can be found to constitute vestry.
and so are content to work on with kind OF
mission, under missionary, VINO IS responsible
to the bishop, under whose direction he works,
and to whom he sends regular reports. A Sun
gay are held On Alternate great deal
of house to house visiting is done by the mis-
sionary and his wife, sometimes together, some
times separately; the sick are visited, children
are baptized, and in other ways we trust much
is done in making Christ known among the poor
and careless ones.
Someone will no doubt be ready to ask, rs it
worth while to try to keep open church which
is not able to sustain itself any better than st.
Johns does? Does it pay ~
In answer look at the result of the work done
by the missionary whose headquarters is at ST.
| Johns rectory. His work runs from the Penn
sylvania line all along the western side of Balti-
| more county and passing by churches here and
| there, runs into Carroll and Howard counties.
He has been enabled to reach 81 church families,
or parts of families, and 80 non-church families,
| including more than 80 communicates, who
| otherwise would be unable to have church privi-
| lcges He has baptized in three years not less
than So children and married nine couples. He
| has presented three persons for confirmation
and has admitted to the Holy Communion two
| Others who many years before had been con-
firmed and were practically lost to the church.
| Il. H. M.
Formation of Protective Association for
Green Spring Valley.-At large and repre-
sentative meeting of the property holders and
residents of Green Spring Valley, held at the
Green Spring Valley Hunt Club on Friday
night of last week, it was decided to form an
association the object of which is to adopt
measures for the promotion of the health and
general welfare of the property-holders and
residents of the valley and to protect their
property from injury, Mr.. Samuel M. Shoe
maker presided, with Mr.. Paul M. Burnett as
| secretary. 1t was decided to call the organiZa-