The Washington herald., 1907-03-21
HISTORIC CHURCHES OF
THE UNITED STATES
BY FREDERIC j. HAsKIN.

BY FREDERI
The old churches OF New England are
rich in stories that show the brave spirit
OF colonial days. The earliest edihees
combined military features with the ec-
clesiastical, and White the parson preach
ed with his musket leaning against the
pulpit. sentinels stood at the door ready to
give warning of Indians. The blunderhuses
OF the men-worshippers stood stacked
in the center Of the aisle. and the reserve
supply Of powder for the colony was
stored IN the loft overhead. This plaee
was selected az the magazine. because
there were no fires in the early churches,
it being taken as a sign Of spiritual
weakening if one should grow cold while
at devoti0ns Sometimes these churches
became real fortresses. and it was no
Esasuai thing TO see wolves heads nailed
TO the walls by successful trophy-hunters
The law in New England required that
all houses be built within a certain dis
tance of the church. an arrangement that
guaranteed mutual protection and brought
all members OF the town in reach OF
the drum-b beats that summoned the men
10 church or to war.
The Church Of the Pilgrimage at Ply
mouth. Mass. stands to-day on the site
Of the one where Miles standish wor-
shipped 50 long ago. and up whose aisle
he strode in his mud-stsined clothing only
10 see the lovely Priscilla made the wife
e.n F-1-. n -.
Williams preached before he was sent
away 20 a life OF exile among the In
dians. and from the same old church
William Bradford went out with an ex-
ploTing party one day TO be caught in
gloriously in an Indian deer trap. The
old cemetery where the dead were
buried, and where wheat was sown so
that the Indians might not see how many
OF the congregation had died. has been
robbed by the sea in its encroaohments
on the land. The site and name of this
historic church date back 10 1870.
Centre Church. at New Haven. Conn,
was built by the Episcopalians in 1910
when bullets were used as legitimate cur
rency. and when drum-beats called the
hours for mathis and evensong. A new
house was built in 1870. and here for
a while preached William Hooke a man
Of stern religious convictions. who left
the colony TO become chaplain 10 Crom-
well when the Commonwealth supplanted
the court of Charles in England Hooke
was the first man TO suggest the found
Ing OF Yale College, giving his home lot
for the perpetual maintenance Of a teach
ing officer, or schOolmaster. 1t has been
Vsad ever Cfupa ae ha homo of fha v-aaff.sse
or presidents OF Yale.
This church was the one which had
greatest sympathy for Cromwell and here
we're supported and protected WhaHey
and GOffe, two of the regicides responsible
for the death of Charles I One James
Davids also came to dwell in the town
and attend the church. a peaceable
hkable fellow about whom there was
always an air of mystery. This was ex-
planned when he died, for he was none
other thau John Dixwel, the third regi-
eide. When the present edihce was erect
ed in 1914 il was necessary to extend II
over the graveyard, and there are now
l59 graves in the crypt, among them being
that OF Benedict Arnold's first wife The
communion service stiH in use was given
by Queen Anne
When Philadelphia was the capital of
the United States the churches there had
many conspicuous figures in their congre-
cations. Washington and Adams went to
worship IN Christ Church. and for many
years Benjamin Franklin had a pew there
Part of the church dates back TO 1727
and part of the communion service now
in use was given by good Queen Anne
the almoner to america, where com
munion services We're concerned. The old
est church in the Quaker City is the
Church of the Gloria Del, generally
known as Old Swedes Church, the present
edfiCe having been dedicated ia 1900 St
Peters. completed in I76l keeps guard
over the dust OF Commodore Decatur. in
its churchyard, and at St. Paurs, church
almost as old. Edwin Forrest is buried
St. Paurs. in Kent County. Nd, has
the same walls that we're erected in I713
though the church dates back to 1858, and
the communion service is the same that
was given by Col. Thomas Smythe in
1888 At st. Luke's. Wye. an East Shore
church. the records show the interest
taken by members Of the Kings house
hold, for large part OF the building
fund was given by Col Tighlman whose
wife was a lady-in-waiting to Queen
Henrietta Maria Trinity Church. IN Dor
chester County. Nd, Is one of the many
early churches built OF brick from Eng
land, the brick making excellent ballast
FOR ships that had taken over tobacco
from Maryland and Virginia. Queen
Anne gave the Bible and books to the
church, aud these are still preserved, as
is also cushion said 10 have been used
by her majesty at her coronation.
'Oid Green Hill Church (St BarthoIo-
news, is another old Maryland church.
having been built in 1888 Il has the dis
tinetion Of having had the same rector
for siXty-fve consecutive years. the Rev
Alexander Adams. coming in 1904 and re-
naming until his death In 1863. being then
ninety years old. Christ Church. Chap
tico, st. Marys County, was built in 1854
ana shortly before the war had mem
bership OF slaves so great that the black
communicates were four times as many
as the white. This church Is said to
have been designed by none other than
Sir Christopher Wren himself. the archi-
tect Of St. Paurs, London. In this
church IS buried an eccentric old colonist
who requested that he be planted in an
upright position.
Down on Carter's Creek. Virginia near
the Rappahannock. a wilderness shades
the walls Of the old church where King
s1erter worshipped. and where the naughty
old Nine. Carter lies buried at her request.
under the floor on the poor side" that
those whom she had looked down on in
life might walk over her in death. thus
proving her humility OF spirit.