Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-26

one after the other in this historic old town.
In those days Bladensburg was not the
place 1t is today, but town of standing in
the state, and prominent men belonged to
1.-THE little church on the hill.' 1t was in
the year 1873 that the church again moved
this time to Hyattsville about mile
away on the Bladensburg pike. 1t has
grown considerably in prosperity and num-
bers in the past few years under the
leadership of the present pastor, Rev. S.
Ward Fighter.
OF special interest to washingtonians in
the history OF this ancient congregation Is
the pastorate of Rev. John Breckenridge.
who labored for four decades in Bladens-
burg. On his tombstone in the Soldiers
Home cemetery in the District is the fol-
lowing inscription:
Rev. John Breckenridge. died May. 1871
the first Presbyterian preacher In WASH
ington city, and who also served the church
forty years in Bladensburg."
Lincoln's Church Home.
Among the old Presbyterian churches in
this city are the First Church, on John
Marshall place, and the New York Avenue
Presbyterian Church. which has had among
it's members many prominent men of the
capital, including Lincoln and many other
Presidents. In President Jackson's time a
split was almost caused in the congregation
of the New York Avenue Church over ques-
lions in connection with the famous Peggy
ONeal scandal. This church today has a
pew known as 'Lincoln's pew" which is
the one occupied by the great war Presi-
dent, AT the seventy fifth anniversary cele-
bration in November, 1908, President Roose-
welt and Secretary Hay, the latter private
secretary to Lincoln, addressed the most
distinguished congregation that ever gath
cred in a local church. Their subject, too
was Lincoln"
The organization of what was known
as the Piscataway parish, within the
bounds of which lay the territory afterward
taken for the District of Columbia, mark
ed the beginning of the Protestant Episco-
pal Church in this immediate locality. In
that parish was built Broad Creek Church,
lying about opposite Alexandria on the bank
of the Potomac. This was in the year 1893,
and an interesting fact In this connection
is that the meeting to organize the vestry
was held in the house of Mr.. Addison
whose descendant more than 100 years
later became the first rector of the first
Episcopal church organization in George
town.
From the Broad Creek Church sprang
other churches, notably one in the Eastern
branch hundreds, as the vicinity of the
Eastern branch was called, and in this
way Rock Creek parish had its start.
mission station was begun in the Eastern
Branch hundreds about the year 1fl2, and
then some years later parish was organ
lied called Prince George parish, of which
Rock Creek Church was the parish church.
The land, comprising some hundreds of
acres, which was given at that time TO
the parish. is still used for church pur-
poses. and there is now located Rock Creek
Church and cemetery. The first Episcopal
church started in the city proper was
Christ Church, in the year 1874.
Mrs. Roosevelt's Church.
One of the Oldest and most interesting of
Episcopal churches here is st. Johns, 10th
and H streets northwest, just north of the