The Washington herald., 1911-12-09

Members of the board of trustees Of
All Souls Unitarian Church refuse to
make any statement on the present
status of the plan to purchase the ground
at the northeast corner of Vermont ave-
nue. and X street northwest, now the
property of Redfeld Proctor. son Of the
late Senator Proctor, of Vermont, as a
site for the new All Souls Church. better
known as President Taft's church.
An element OF dissension has sprung
up in the membership Of the congrega-
ton, which strongly opposes any va
cation OF the old edificC at Fourteenth
and L streets northwest. Chief among
the dIssenters Is II. K. Willard, real es
tate man of Washington, whose father,
the late Henry a. Willard, was largely
instrumental in securing the erection of
All Souls Church in the late '10s, and
who Is said to have guaranteed the con-
tribution OF So, 900 by the congregation in
order to secure a like amount from the
American Unitarian Association of Bos-
ton.
Matter Up to Board.
Negotiations for the Vermont avenue.
property are said to have been under
consideration for months. Horatio Tap
lin, who will conduct any deal as Red
field Proctor's agent, asserted yesterday
that the matter was now up to the
church board of trustees, and that de-
poslt Of something like $500 had been
made by the board to secure the prop
erty.
At the last meeting OF the church
board of trustees, adjournment was TAX
en-, subject to the call of the chairman.
James A. Sample. president of the Citi-
zens' Savings Bank of Washington. Mr.
Sample yesterday refused to say when
another meeting would be called. or to
discuss the probability Of purchasing the
lot.
Those opposing the deal are in the
minority. They are said to be composed
of the older members of the church and
are mindful of the wishes of the late
Henry 4. Willard, who desired that All
Souls Church should always occupy its
present site.
The suffuslon OF new blood into the
congregation Is said to be responsible
for the desire to change. H. X. Willard
last night declared that there were yet
many pews in the church not rented and
that overcrowding Is a remote possibility.
Horatio Taplin, in charge of the Proctor
interests. said he had not been notified
of any action by the board of trustees,
which was expected daily.
Z. Z. HaIe's Church.
ALI Souls Church has become better
known since the beginning of the Taft
administration. But before that it was
known as the church of the Late Edward
Everett Hale, blind chaplain Of the Sen
ate. and writer of renown, and also as
the church of his successor in the Sen
ate, Rev. L. G. 3. Pierce, the present
pastor.
Rev. Mr.. Pierce could not be reached
last night to discuss the matter. 1t is
understood that he takes an active in
terest in the deliberations of the board
of trustees and is an important factor
in the determinations of that body.
At the time All Souls Church was
built the Washington congregation asked
support of the parent Unitarian organ
izatiOn, the American Unitarian Asso- |
citation of Boston. That body notified !
the local congregation that $4,000 would |
be subscribed If a like sum could be |
guaranteed in Washington. At this |
time, Henry a. Willard came to the |
fore, whole prospects of raising the |
with an offer to pledge his government |
bonds for the subscription of the re- |
quired Sc. 600. Through this action, the |
parent Unitarian organization in BOs- |
ton gave the required amount and the !
church was erected. Dissenting MEM |
OerS OF the congregation also declare !
that the injection of new blood has |
been responsible for the passing of the |
old order and the power of the old |
families in the destinies of the church. !
Worth 100000.
The site of All Souls Church is va
riously estimated to be worth from $780,
100 to $4,000 exclusive of the church !
building. Real estate dealers of Wash
ington, however, dispute this estimate
as overdrawn. An amount practically
the same is asked for the property at !
Vermont avenue and X street, and
should this land be purchased 1t will |
become necessary to sell the present
edtfice and site. transfer the mortgage
OF the American Unitarian Association
to the new site and build a fine new
church. 1t is understood that permits
sion to transfer this mortgage has
already been secured from the Boston
church authorities.