Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1905-05-05
Especial Correspondence

The antiquarians of other parts of
New England, who have made pill
grimages to Rhode Island and taken
keen delight In the inspection of old
landmarks will. when they next: visit
Providence, miss one building or es-
pecial interest to them The old glebe
house, where century. after Roger
Williams had settled in. that hospita-
BILE land the Episcopalians were wont
to greet their spiritual adviser, is no
| onger in existence. .,.
The ravages of time, the adverse in
| fiuences of the elements and the
hands of vandals all combined to
make the historic building unsafe for
habitation and too weak to stand gen.
eral repairs. Respectfully the final
owner, Brown University corporation,
directed that the structure. be RACED.
The demolition occurred a few weeks
ago, and all that remains to mark its
site is a carefully stacked up pile OF
chip stone of which the cellar and
underpinning were constructed. Few
very few, in Providence, have learned
of the destruction of the old 'glebe-
house. The accompanying picture OF
the house is believed to be the only
one in existence. 1t was taken just
before the .workmen. began to raze
the building.
In the year 1920 the Rev. James
Honeyman, the first missionary sent
Tolo I>x hn Gnpintv for
the Propagation of the Gospel in For
eign Parts, who had been settled at
Newport, journeyed to Providence,
and there, in the open fields held the
first service for that part of the state
of the Protestant Episcopal church.
He met with SO much encouragement
that subscriptions of money and Ia
Dor were made for an edifice, the erec-
ton beginning on st. Barnabas day,
June II. 1922. 80 --.-. -'"' - =
The structure was known as Kings
church, and such it remained until
certain historical happening ininiical
to King Georges domination of the col,
onies, when the parish took over to it.
self the name of ST. Johns, and such
it is to-day. =, 9. ., -, =.
Vicar a Stanch LoyalistA ,...-. oil. D.
The Rev. John Graves, born at Dub
lin in 1905, who had been ordained by
the bishop of Chester and had been
vicar of Chaplain in the diocese of
Chester, was, in 1854, appointed by the
missionary society to. Kings church.
He was an extreme loyalist. and his
adherence to the King brought him
into disfavor with his parishioners, as
later events disclosed; otherwise the
romance of the glebe house would not
have been handed down to- the present
generation. -.
The revolutionary war broke out.
the American spirit was asserting IT.
self and spreading. Throughout the col:
ony of Rhode Island, and the parish
toner's of Kings Church had insisted
that their pastor should desist. from
petitioning the throne OF grace IN be-
half of King George. The pastor was
equally insistent that no change
should be made in the wording OF the
ritual, ayerring that his ..oAth of ordin-l
alton forbade his complying with the
wishes of his people. and as they still
pressed him to eliminate that partieu-
lar portion Of the prayer, be, yolun-
tarify absented himself from the sane
tuary. - ..,~.. - - -
One of the principal ARCHITECTURAL
features. of the glebe house was
massive. brickJ chimney. which ,occu.
pied the centre of the STRUCTURE. 1t
provided five large open fireplaces and
a great oven. The living rooms Of
e.. !