The Washington herald., 1910-02-28
CHURCH CLEARSDEBT
MOrtgageOn Dunn bartOnAVe-
nue. Edifice Burned.
PRAISES SUNG BY MErHoDIsrs
of Georgetown House of
Worship Dates Back I25 Years,
When Little Chapel and Tobacco
Warehouse Were Only Places for
Faithful 10 Assemble for Prayer.

Having wiped out the last penny of
Indebtedness on the Dumbarton Avenue
Methodist Episcopal Church, the congre-
cation celebrated the occasion by burn
ing the mortgage at the service held in
that edihce at Il o'clock yesterday morn
ing.
Rev. Or. Charles L. Pate the pastor.
presided, and Rev. r. l. Wright. pastor
OF Mchendree Church, of this city, de-
livered the address, which portrayed the
history of the church during more than
a century.
At the close OF the sermon Isaac Birch.
treasurer Of the church. applied the
match TO the mortgage. which has been
in existence for the last twelve years.
While the parchment, which had become
yellow with age and solled from being
often handled. when payments were re-
corded, was slowly reduced to ashes, the
congregation rose and sang the DoxoIogy.
Mortgage Paid.
Twelve years ago the church was en-
tirely rebuilt at a cost of nearly 10000,
and at that time mortgage was placed
On the property. Last week the last OF
the debt was paid and preparation was
made for the special services yesterday.
The history OF the congregation dates
back more than a century and a quarter.
ln the early days Of the Methodist Church
in this vicinity. when ministers rode from
town 10 town preaching in whatever
building was available. a small church in
Montgomery, nov Twenty-eIghth street.
and an old tobacco warehouse on Green
leaf Point where the United States
Arsenal now stands. were the only two
places of worship for this denomination
in many miles, and Protestants OF ali
denominations attended the services.
Richard Williams was one of the ear
lest preachers. and he preached the first
sermon to a Georgetown congregation
about I772 With William Waters, the
first native-born Methodist minister. as
his associate. he attended the spiritual
wants Of the MethOdists of this locality.
Other prominent Methodist cIergymen
who preached TO this congregation were
later made bishops, including Bishops
Enoch George. Robert B. Roberts, Bev-
erly Waugh, and William Taylor.
History of Congregation.
A small chapel. 30 by 20 feet in size,
was first erected by the Georgetown con-
gregation. but It was soon found too
small and was doubled In size. In is4o,
during the pastorate of Rev. Henry
Slieer, larger building was erected on
the site of the present Dumbarton Ave
nue. Church. and was dedicated the next
year Rev. DR., John Lanahan having as
sumed charge Of the parish. The old
Montgomery street church was sold for
a public school battling. and was used
for hospital during the war, President ,
Lincoln having visited there often while |
the building was used for this purpose
From the modest building erected in |
1879 the present beautiful edlfice has
grown. extensive repairs having been |
made In 1865 and again in 1852 II was |
not until 1895 that the building was prae- |
-ically rebuilt, making it one Of the finest |
church auditoriums in the city
While the mortgage was burned at the |
4 o'clock services, other special services |
we're held in the evening. At : O'Clock |
he Epworth League conducted services.
md DR.. Guyer Kelly. OF Baltimore, deiiv-
cred the principal address.
As was the case in the morning. an |
overflow audience attended the closing |
services at S o'clock last night. Rev. |
Dr.. William L MeKenney, pastor of Yves
ey Chapel, who was in charge OF Dunn |
'arton Avenue Church for several wears
previous to 1855, preached the sermon. At /
Ill services special music was rendered /
by choir OF more than thirty voices,
inder the direction Of W. T. Glover.