Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-25

Rhode Island avenue and LIST street north
west, erecting a fine building
since the war the denomination has
erected a building on North Carolina ave-
nue. hear Sth street southeast, with large
congregation
Lutherans and Others.
There were three Lutheran churches in
antebellum days, the German, now the Con-
cordia, at the southeast corner of Goth and
streets northwest, being the Oldest st.
Pauis English on 18th street, south of III
street, was erected about 1913, and from
handlul of communicates has grown to
congregation of about 500
"A small brick edifice on AZ street near
u street southwest was and is vet the
place of worship for the German Lutherans
OF that section. While the original walls
remain the little edifice has been much
improved. Inc same may be said of the
church at the northeast corner of 4th and
Il streets northwest 1t is one of the best
appointed houses of worship to be found
Inc quaker Church, or Friends Meeting
Honse, on street between 10Th and goth
slreets, erected in the early years of the
century, was well attended blythe Friends
II was originally a plain structure but has
since been remodeled.
Inc Unltarlans, now represented by the
Church of Our Father at the corner of
18th and l. streets had their place of wor-
snip at the northeast corner of 9th and d
streets, the site of the Police Court build
ing, regarded as one of the finest buildings
of its day. 1t dated from the twenties
and numbered in its communion some of
the leading men in ma tional and municipal
affairs.
The Universalists had not In the fifties
church building of their own, but a
small band met in the council chamber of
the city hall and the old Trinity tEpisco-
PAD building, which had before housed the
Baptist congregation by which the E Street
Baptist Church was erected. AS before
stated the site is included in that of
the Columbia law building
Colored Denominations.
The colored people. who slave and free,
formed about a third of the less than fifty
thousand populat ton in 1850, had number
of churches of their own, and some of the
white churches made provision for them in
gallery or other portion of their places of
worship.
The colored Baptist Church, at the cor
ner of 18th and | streets, the prosper
Gus representative of the colored Baptists.
The colored Presbyterian Church had then
an unpretentious building on its present
loeation-15th street above l street. Asbury
NJ. E., then served by a white minister
at its present location 18th and X streets
| northwest, was under the jurisdiction of
the Foundry Church. from whose member
ship the class leaders were appointed.
Little Ebenezer bore the same relation
to the Methodist Church on 4th street south
east ana was located near it.
Other coored churches were the Union,
now the Metropolitan, on NJ street west of
18th street; John Wesley Connecticut
avenue above L street and Zion Wesley on
| D street near Sd street southwest, all OF
| the Methodist pursuasion.
! The race has shown great Improvement
| in the number and character of their church
| buildings and have kept pace with the
| dominant race in providing places of wor-
| ship for their color
There were in the old days some periods
when it was Il question il the doors OF
| some churches should be opened. They had
many trials, ard 1t is a matter of history
! that churches which are now the leading
| ones in the capital were in ante-belum days
! closed for months A disrupted cabinet led
| almost to the death of one such church, but
| it was resuscitated and is now one of the
! most influential agencies in the cause OF
religion.
| The churches of the olden time were not
| numerous and were widely separated
! that announcement of services was made
by the ringing of the bells. Each of the
| Catholic churches. as at present, was pro-
| vided with a bell, as were also st. John 5
| Episcopal; the First Baptist, on 10th street;
|. the Fourth Presbyterian, 9th Street; the
| Unitarian. at 9th and d streets, and one or
! two others.
! Quite often number of calls to service
! We're heard simultaneously from the bells
| and church. goer or otherwise the old
| Washington people were pleased with Tie
| custom