Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-12
EARLY GHJRCHHIsTORY
PAPER ON PREsBYTEHrANIsM IN
THE DISTRICT.
Presbytery Of Baltimore Formed in
17s6-Advent Of Denomination
in Capital City.

The Beginnings or the presbyterian
Church in the District of Columbia" was
the title of paper read by Mr.. w. B.
Bryan at the regular monthly meeting of
the Columbia Historical Society. which was
held last evening in the banquet hall of the
Shoreham Hotel It was stated by the
president of the society, Mr. John A. Kas-
son. who presided. that this paper was the
first of proposed series by different au-
thors. giving an account of the origin in
this District of the various religious de-
nominations.
After giving sketch in outline of the
early history of Presbyterianism In this To-
cality, where. 1t was pointed out, the church
in this country had it's origin. Mr.. Bryan
stated, as Indicative of the conditions, that
when the first presbytery in this country
was organized in the year 1706, four of the
seven ministerial members were from Mary
land. Early development of the church in
this District was undoubtedly due, 1t was
stated, to the influence which Presbyterian
ism had attained in this genial locality. Be
sides the proximity of the District to the
Patuxent and the lower part Of the Poto-
mac. where the pioneer gatherings of Pres
byterians were held, there is link which
connects the District with this historic
period, through Col. Ninian Beall, who was
an important figure in Presbyterian history.
He lived at Marlboro and owned q tract
OF land, upon portion of which the town OF
Georgetown was laid out
Presbytery of Baltimore Formed.
When the presbytery of Baltimore was
formed in the year 1856 the churches Of
Alexandria and Georgetown were in exist
ence, while on the borders of the District
were the churches at Cabin John and
Bladensburg AS early as the summer of
1874 provision was made for preaching
under Presbyterian auspices in the now
CitV Of WASHINGTON which WAS inst
being established. AS result of these
missionary efforts church was estab-
lished in the following year with regu-
larly installed pastor. Owing to the fact
that in the accounts of this period no def
mite mention is made of the pioneer
church, it may be regarded historically as
having been lost" 1t had an existence,
however, for six or seven years and bore
the name of st. Andrews Church. The
building that was used by the congre-
cation was a frame structure located on
the square bounded by 10th and 18th. F
and G streets, and probably fronting on
10th street.
Attention was called to a singular COM
bination of circumstances that resulted in
the pastor of this pioneer organization,
the Rev John Breckenridge, becoming in
the year 1912 the pastor of the First Pres
byterian Church. An account was also
given of the movement begun in the fail
of 1900 which resulted in the establish
ment of what was known the F Street
Church, under the auspices of the Asso-
ciated Reformed Presbytery of Philadel
phia.
Historical Society's Proceedings.
1t was announced that owing to the in
crease in the membership of the society
larger edition Of the annual volume of the
proceedings of the society would hereafter
be printed. The seventh volume, which is
being printed under the direction of the
committee on publication, of which Mr.. John
B. Larner is chairman, will soon be ready
for distribution tpsthe members. 1t will
contain between three and four hundred
pages, and the contents will include papers
that have been, read before the society.
Several of the papers are Illustrated by
half tone plates Of historic buildings and
localities in the District.