The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-12-17
DIR. HOUGHTON RECTOR OF LITTLE CHURCH AROUND
 THE CORNER" 63 TO-DAY.

Perhaps the most famous religious edifice of it's size in the world is the Church of the Transdguration in Twenty-ninth street, New York, known to the theatrical fraternity and the public at large as ''the Little Church Around the Corner The rector of this celebrated church is Rev. pr. George Clarke Houghton, who was born in New York sixty three years ago to-day, Dec. IT, 1850. and succeeded his uncle, pr. George Church. in 1897-
 Dr. Houghton graduated from the General Theological Seminary in 1870 and in the same year was ordained a deacon, and a year later a, priest, of the American branch of the Anglican church. His first work was a.s cu- rate of Trinity parish in his native city, and he was rector of church in Hoboken for several years before taking up his residence in the rectory of the far-famed Little Church.
 The recent death in Cleveland of B. M. Holland, the actor, for whom
 
 Church of the Transfguration, has re- vtved interest in the incident which gave the Little Church" it's popular name. MT. Hollands father, George Holland, was also actor When he died in 1870 Joseph Jefferson vol unteered to make the arrangements for the funeral. The elder Holland was an Episcopa1ian, and when in New York attended services in a church at Madison avenue and Twen- ty-eighth street, an edif1ce since torn down. MT. Jefferson went to Dr. Sabine, the rector, and made the ar engagements. He was about to leave when he mentioned that MT. Holland clergyman refused to permit the ser vices in his church, explaining that he had been preaching against the stage for a long time, and that it would appear inconsistent in him to deliver the eu1ogy over the remains of an actor.
 "There is a little church around the corner" he added, land perhaps the rector might accommodate you.''
 Dr. George H. Houghton held no. prejudice against the theatrical pro fession, and at once declared that he would be glad to preach the funeral sermon. Jefferson did not remain silent about the snubbing he had re- ceived from the rector of the fash ionab1e Madison Avenue Church. In telling the story at a club frequented by stage people, he concluded with a fervent, God bless the little church around the corner The name stuck and ever since t'the Little Church" has been the shrine of Thespians, while the ''rubberneck'' automobile '1ecturers' have point out the church to millions of visitors to the Ameri- can metropolis, and spread it's name and fame to the far corners of the earth. Since the death of the elder Holland, practically every American actor and actress who has died has been burned from the Little Church.
 Hundreds of actors and ac- l tresses have been married by | the rector of the Little Church, ' but it is mistaken impress sion that the edidce is a sort of Gret- na Green. Dr. Houghton enforces strict rules in the cases of candidates for matrimony, and many couples are | turned away every week. He refuses to perform the nuptia1 ceremony for any one who. has been divorced, and couples who are under the legal age, or who seek to contract secret a1It- ances, are also kindly but firmly turn ed away. Dr. George Hendric Hough- ton, uncle of the present rector, founded the Church of the Transfig- uration in 1848, and remained it's rec tor for nearly half a century, or until