The sun., 1903-01-06
DR.PARKHURST'S SCHURCHSOLD
METROPOLITAN LIFE INSURANCE
60. GETS WHOLE BLOCK.
The Church. when the sale Has Beea
Ratified by the Congregatien. win
simply Move Across Twenty-sourth
street-New site and ssOO. 400 Paid.

simply Move Across Twentyfourth
street-New site and $500 900 Paid.
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Com
pany has succeeded at last In its efforts to
acquire the entire block bounded by Madi-
son Square, Twenty-third street. Fourth
avenue and Twent y-fourth street. A meet
ing was held yesterday afternoon in the
Seamen's Bank at "a Wall street, at which
repre- Sc entatives Of the company and OF the
Madison Square Presbyterian Church agreed
on terms under which the site now occupied
by that church IL to become the property
OF the company.
These terms have now to be ratified by
the congregation. II that is done. as un-
doubtedly will be the case the church will
simply move across the street to the site
on which now stands the residence Of the
late Miss Catherine Wolfe.
Tbos who took part In yesterdays rn' ct
ing were: President John X. Rege-
man. sole representative on the occo-
sion of the Metropolitan Life Insurance
Company the Rev DR. Charles ii. Park-
hurst, pastor of the Madison Square iurch'
William G.. Sturges, L G. Bodmsn, John
Crosby Brown. ID. Willis James. Ambrose
KEY and Charles II. Luddington. members
of the board of trustees OF the church.
Mr.. Sturpes, who is president Of the board
of trustees az well a. OF the Scamen's bink,
presided.
The ts,istees had previously met and
agreed that the church would remain down.
town under all circumstances and that they
not only worli enter into no agreement
that would necesstatea removal 10 Some
uptown site, but that they would do every
thing within their power to insure against
such a removal in the future. M pre-
hminary step in this direction 1t was de-
cided to raise an endowment fund. To
this fund the sum Of 100000 was SUD-
scribed on the spot by those present.
These were the terms on which Mr.. Hege-
man and the trustees finally agreed; Inc
Wolfe site at the mort theast corner OF MaGl-
son avenue and Twenty-fourth street,
which the Metropolitan Life Insurance
Company bought about month ago Tor
$3.50 900. is exchanged for the present site
of the church, the insurance company
having a cash bonus on the side OF s3OO,OOo-
Jbi, makes the total price paid by the
company N,o5O,ooo. =.
The preparations for the rebuilding OF
the church on the new site are TO begin as
sonn a. the agreement has been submitted
10 and approved by the congregation
The removal across the street VIII be
decided gain 10 the church In many way:
II has been almost lost in the shadow OF
the huge building which enclosed u OH
two sides reering its caves above the crown
ing cross Of the spire. Light has been
scarce and the church has looked wo'uii2y
out Of place among its surroundings All
this will I've changed.
The two exchanged sites are OF exactly me
sama size. rs by 80. The new church VIII
have for neighbors only private residences
of normal height. Ii will I've able to get
plenty of light and 10 adopt an architectural
style that harmonizes with the surrouhd-
ings. . co,,,any
The Metropolitan Life Insurance IompanSy ON
will cover the site it has just acquired with
another addition to the gigantic structure
with which il has gradually been covering
the block. This building, when ready, VIII
probably be unique IN this CITY ana II WIN
have few. ii any, equals ou, sue OF Ne~
York. Inside is walls II will conteln a
larger floor spac, than any other single
building in the city. Nor VIII there oe
another building, private or puoiic, uhiorm
in style throughout. that covers the same
number Of square feet.
The struggle o., the company 10 get me
whole block into ii, hands has been gong
on almo It from tive time that it. org'na!
structure az the northeast corner OF MedisOn
avenue and TwCnty-t hird street was ere cted.
The first - empt TO get an option on the
church site was made nearly two years ago.
One bv one the other sites making up the
block ard including the Academy oi De-
sign and the Lyceum Theatre, were
acquired.
Two small parcels at the southwest cor
ncr Of Fourth avenue and Iwtnty-i1urth
.l rect. one of them occupied by n saloon.
were held back by their owners until a
month ago, when they, too. passed over to
the company. x,.
The tre.ent building Of the Madison
SQUARE Church was erected in 1854, thc year
after the congregations Of the Pear rect
and the Central Presbyterian CHURCHES hao
decided ,o unite and move up town
The first pastor of the new congregation
tn show, against it's membership e 1000
to-day, vas the Rev. DR. William Adam
Ee remained until 1878 when he acceptec
ihe PRESIDENCY of the Union theological
seminary.
Dr.. Parkhur.t became the pastor of the
church in 1850. succeeding DR.. Tucker.