Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-12

Improvements in the main body of AS
cension Church the past summer have
been made under the supervision of va
! rious committees. Services have been held
in the Sunday school room since the sec
ond Sunday in July to enable the i'm
provements to proceed. The substitution
of electric light for gas, under the Rec
tors Aid Society, Mrs. Il. d. Blackstone,
president. was the first to become an &C
complished fact. The work was we'll done
and the effect Is pronounced artistic. The
quantity of illumination has been in
creased four-fold
The new hot water plant for heating.
making it possible for the church TO be
kept open every day in the winter for
meditation and prayer, will be in order
by November. The work is being done
under the auspices of the property com
mittee of the church.
The Parish Aid Society, whose presi-
dent is Mrs. d. Percy Hickling, daughter
of eX-Gov. William Stone of Pennsyl-
vania. has made radical improvements in
the auditorium. putting it in harmony
with the dignifed beauty of the gray
stone exterior.
The rafters have been restored TO their
proper color. bringing out their stately
outlines, and the stenciling removed from
the walls and replaced with a stain OF
SOIL STeeulSll gray. TeStlul 10 tlle tS
A new pulpit. with walnut base. floor
and railing. and a memorial plate of brass
showing by whom the pulpit is given,
presented to the glory of God and in low
ing memory of Rev. ]. II. Elliott, DID.
Is a feature of the transformation 1t Is
the gift of Mrs. Allison Nailor, Mrs. a. d.
Geer and Mr. B. r. Mason.
Rev. William T Snyder OF the Church
of the Incarnation, a former assistant rec
tor at Ascension. has asked for the old
ttfNff x-icht r,y fn
precious associations, that 1t will still be
used In divine service.
The present editice of the Ascension
Church, whose corner stone was laid June
9. 1874 and which was dedicated the first
Sunday in Advent 1878, is the lneal sue
ceSsor to the well remembered square
built red brick on II street between 9th
and 10th streets northwest the site now
occupied by the medical department OF
Georgetown University. Lots for the cree
ton of an Episcopal church and rectory
had been bequeathed in the will of Mrs.
Marcia Burns Van Ness. by whose desire
her own mausoleum stood for many years
between the church site and the vacant
orphan asylum lot, also donated by her
and now occupied by ST. Josephs Male
Orphan Asylum. Her mausoleum and re-
mains were in 1915 reverently removed
to beautiful location in Oak Hill ceme-
terry.
Certain substantial citizens Of Washing
ton desiring to avail themselves of Mrs.
Van Ness bequest incorporated the re-
ligous society bearing the beautiful name
of Church of the Ascension" and tenn
porarily worshiped in a little schoolhouse
on II street between sth and 9th streets.
while building the plain substantial pile
that was destined to have checkered
history in the period of the civil war.
Among the original vestrymen were VIII
liam A. Bradley, T. ]. Holmead. William
b. Todd, Augustus Waters. James Oar
den and Mr.. Berry. The first rector was
Rev SEWN |. Gilliss, son of Thomas Gill
liss another prominent founder. Rev.
Mr. Gilliss was succeeded in turn by heV.
Henry Stanley. Rev. DIR. Orlando Hutton
and Rev. Dr. William Pinckney. The lat
ter became bishop coadtutor of Mary
land but the congregation insisted on
having at least small share Of his
services An assistant rector was given