Evening journal., 1909-11-01
LAY CHURCH
CORNERSTONE
IT,. Stevenson Reads PrOph-
eCy Before Stone Of Peoples
Church is Put in Position
DOVER. Del. Nov. 1. o.
q Cod Thv door.


"Open wide, O God, Thy door.
For the outcast and the poor,
Who can call no house their own,
Where we lay this cornerstone.
When the sixty singers comprising
the Peoples Church Chorus Choir
raised their voices in a burst of harm
ony, lntoning the above verse, the
site Of the new Peoples Church, Brad
ford and Reed streets. Dover. was
thronged with a crowd numbering be-
tween one and two thousand persons.
Country people lined the streets with
their turnouts, little children in white
and gay colors were crowded upon
an improvised platform and the big
choir stood just beside the officiary
of the church and its minister, DR.. A.
W. Lightbourne.
Nature appeared 10 smile upon tho
scene, for such rarely beautiful day
seemed not possible Of selection by
chance. While tho sun shone directly
down upon tho northeast corner of
the site, DR.. Lighbourne, with c. c.
Buck, the architect, at his left and
Frank p. Collins. the builder, at his
right, laid the cornerstone and the
choir and congregation chanted Tho
Lords Prayer.
The builder and architect we're as
sisted by Mr.. Enright, a mason, and
after the services the stone was secure
iy scaled. But, while the minister and
singers had gone, the people fingered
on Dovcr's street, where the new
church is being built, and Il was not
until sundown that the crowd had en-
tirely disbanded.
In the remarkable procession, NOV
ing from the Dover opera House,
where the congregation is now wor-
shipping to the new church-a process
sion that stretched for two squares
the exercises were begun and "Old
Hundred" was sung with will by the
crowd when the site was reached.
The choir and congregation sang
with much spirit and zest the Portu-
guese hymn, to How Firm a Founda-
tion." DR.. Lighbourne led in prayer
the prayer thanking the Almighty fol
the generous responses of the people IN
building a new House of God, an6
praying that no harm would come tC
/ the builders and that the temple might
be made to ring with the praises ol
saved men and women.
Christ the Corners stone" was suns
to the old tune Of Horton. Professor
Wesley Webb. one Of the trustees o.
the new church, led the audience in al
/ impressive responsive reading I'm which
everybody Joined. Thomas J. Steven
son. senior trustee of the church, wa.
then escorted to the stand and rea,
an historical sketch Of the transac
tions IN Dover church circles that le,
to the organization OF The People
Church movement. Mr Stevenson
paper, while full OF reverential utter
ances. was nevertheless replete Will
witticisms which made the crowd smil
and sway. He closed with prophec,
that a great work would be done II
central Delaware as a result OF the nev
movement, that men would be led q
right living. 20 a higher plain Of citi
zenship and TO a fraternal regard fo
each other that would make life a IA
greater JOY and victory.
1.-THE House of the Lord" was suns
/ by the audience. led by the choir, {,
the old tune of Duke Street"
/ DR.. Lightbourne then. directed b,
the architects and builder. took
/ trowel fun OF brown mortar and tn,
! masons set the stone, after Professor
4 Webb had placed therein the current
I newspapers. the pamphlet and mem
bership card issued by The People,
/ Church, the historical sketch read by
Mr.. Stevenson and a copy Of the day'i
program. DIR. Lighbourne's voic,
reached out until almost the entir,
square re-eochoed with the sound o
his preaching. The exercises close,
with the chanting OF The Lords
| PRAYER. but the people fingered lon,
after the benediction.