The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-11-10
7O0MEMDERSfOR
HANOVER AVENUE
Enormous Membership for Two
United Christian Churches
After First of Year.
EW CHURCH BUILDING
Congregation Will Spend $4,000
on Auditorium-Rev. Mr..
Kemper. Pastor.

The members Of the Allen Avenue
ana Marshall Street Christian Churches
which will be consolidated 1t the nrst
OF next year - the Hanover Avenue
Christian Church. hope to place the
contract on January 1. 1919. for the
additions to the present homo Of the
Allen Avenue Church, which VIII COM
plete the structure and house the
united congregations.
The building win b completed along
the general design worked out four
years ago, when the congregation OF
tire Allen Avenue Church moved from
its former location on Morris street
The portion Of the building ALREADY
completed will serve ~ . SUNDAY
school room, while another auditorium
for church services viii bs added to II
The construction Will permit the
main auditorium and tho Sunday
school room to be thrown together.
giving q combined seating capacity OF
more than 1000 persons. The entire
outlay involved in tire church's con-
struction will approximate $so.eoo.
Wa O,ee Msin Street Church.
The Marshall Street Christian Church.
the Oldest Of the uniting congregation.
was founded In 1875 1t occupied
small house Of worship on West Main
Street, opposite Monroe PARK. untl'
1884, and was known a the MAID
street Christian Church.
In 1883 the site OF tho present church
was bought, and the nrst service In
the new home held In May Of that year.
Al that time, the name Of the ccngre-
cation was changed 70 the one WHICH
II win relingulsh whom the eonsohoAA
ton Is contaminated.
Among the original members Of the
Marshall Street Church. were Captain
George f. Ainslie. tho father OF the
present mayor; william H Clement.
VT. Fox. late superintendent OF CITY
schools: T. ]. Bowles and Joseph w.
white. From . beginning OF only
twenty-eight members. tho church nAs
crown until now It has on its foiis
more than 500 persons.
St>rtea - laisslsa SeAesa.
In the late nineties mission scn"oA
waa started by the Suncay School AZ
sociation Of the Christian Cnurcn'
which soon grew, so that was or.
ranized as q congregation In lsoo. Ns
f;rsf homo was In q room or hall over
Ramos's drug stare. at Harrison anu
Cary Streets.
Later q small church was erected
On Morris Street, between MAIN an"
Cary. which the congregation occu.
pied Until 1t removed to it present.
home In 1905. In planning the con-
struction Of the church at Allen ana
Hanover Avenues. the intention va.
to employ tho auditorium now In usN
a. . room for the Sunday school ana
builf a second and larger room Tor tno
regular services Of the church-
Rev. George w. keHDers Pastse.
The gradual removal Of its membsrS
to the West End of the city. eogeen .
er with the encroachments OF coicfe'
nc mutation on tho vicinity OF the Mar-
shall Street Church. made necessary
change of location. The resignation OF
Rev Henry Pearce Atkins. now pastor
Of the Allen Avenue Church, left that
congregation without minister. ana
offered an opportunity for consolioa-
ton that met with the approval OF
both churches.
Rev. George W. Kemper. now pas
tor Of the Marshall Street Church,
win minister to the united congrega-
ton. which will have q membership o.
about 700. Mr.. Kemper has been In
his present charge for two years. nav
ing come here from Midway. KY. IN
October, 1910. Mr.. Kemper 10 ma
tive virginian. however, and . fei-
alive OF Ex-Governor Kemper.