Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-24
VOTES TO SELL CHURCH
. TO- NEGRO CONGREGAT|sN
Inmanuei Baptist Is Almost Unani-
nous, the Ballot Being
1874 to q.
WILL BUY AT PINE AND GRACE
Negroes Need Room to Expand, Says
Pastor-Church United In It's
Plans, and Opposition Comes From
Surrounding Property Owners.


BY r. recorded vote of 1874 to Q tho
congregation Of Emmanuel Baptist
night voted to sell the lot and building,
/, and 1t remains now only for tho City
Circuit Court to take the evidence and
! affirm the sale. and 80 settle q dis
putc which has long agitated property
holders In the neighborhood Tho
property has been sold. SO far as tho
congregation 10 concerned. TO Leigh
. street Methodist Church. colorcd. and
the congregation of Emmanuel Church
: has bought the old sito OF Calvary
Baptist Church, at Pine and Grace
Streets. where II expects to move Just
, so soon IA the matter is ad1udicated
by the court and tho final details of
bargain and sale are settled.
The meeting Of the congregation OF
Emmanuel Church was presided
over by Colonel Eugene C. Massie.
who was appointed commissioner by
Judge r. Carter Scott, Of the City Cir
cult Court, and was In the nature
OF court procedure.
AsCERTAINs WISHES
OF CONGREGATION
Colonel MaasIe read a preliminary
statement. In which he said that tho
meeting had been called by order OF
the court to ascertain the wishes OF
that only members wero entitled to
vote. Ushers were appointed to sec
that only church members and at
torncys representing tho :wo sides
were present, and II outeiders camo
in tho ushers were Instructed to in
( form CD1nnNl MaEpta Then fha
| ton was pu:. and rising vote was
taken. The vote was recorded. and was
verified by Thomas c. Digs. attorney
for the trustees Of the church, and by
! Messrs. Page & Leary. attorneys foE
the prcteatants. Colonel Mnssic will
report to Judge Scott to-day. and II
Ia expected that tao salo will be con-
/ frmed within the next ten days.
The proceedings we're without Rrgu-
ment or discussion. and they were said
the congregation voting on the ques-
tion nearly az a whole. After the
quas.-court procedure, Rev. William
Thomas Hall. pastor. offered prayer.
and the congregation sang 'Blest BE
the Tie That Binds" An oyster supper
/ was served afterwards In the Sunday
school rooms and nearly tho whole
congregation remained.
HAS AGiTATED NEIGHBoRHoOD
FOR SEVERAL MONTHS
The question as to whether tho
church lot and building should be sold
TO a colored congregation has sgitated
tine neighborhood since last July. and
In October the case was brought into
court by protcstants. who stated that
n majority OF the congregation had not
, been notified OF the business meetings
In which the vote favorable TO the
sale was taken. and who petitioned tho
court to order that church records and
-<.1l. I,s. 4
at the time. and the statement WIS
liberated by MIR. Hail. the pastor. laat
night, 'thnt opposition came from
l,property- holders In the neighborhood
who were not members of the church.
Opposition has been based on the single
fact that the church was sold to a
colored congregation. the presence OF
which. Il is feared. will depreciate real
estate values In the vicinity.
But" according to Mr.. Hall, there
has never been any division in the
church. and sentiment In favor of SELL
ing and moving to another location IL
practically solid. The church has voted
ir favor OF selling In three previous
meetings. In addition. all save twenty
five members OF the congregation resi-
dent In the city signed a petition ask
ing that the property be sold. The
meeting tonight was advertised In the
papers. and personal letters were
mailed to every family represented In
the congregation"
Mr.. Hall said further that nonmem-
bers have visited and tclephoned to
the church members, asking them TO
oppose the sale. but no pressure in
favor OF the sale, said Mr.. Hail. was
brought TO bear on the congregation.
NEGROES NEED SPACE IN
WHICH TO DEVELOP
The step was made necessary" said
Mr.. Hall. because negroes are en-
croaching upon US. and 1t is very evil
dent that they Will soon All up the
negro in this city Is bad as that
Of the. immigrants In New York. and
] believe that they should hive
proper place In which to live and grow.
regret that this situation has come
about. but we bear no an:mosity and
been different"
There is said to be no legal barrier
to the sale OF the property to a colored
congregation II the Circuit Court ap-
proves the action taken by the ma
Jority of the membership. Whether or
no the colored congregation making
the purchase can use the building for
purposes of worship Is a question on
which the authorities differ. The City
Council recently adopted an amend
ment to the segregation ordinance, de-
signed to strengthen the hands of tho
Nb'hV pSOPic Al liio pththiSQ1ttI ludtlcT,
the amendment being to the effect that
a. street which enters. but does not in
! tersect, should be considered as an
intersecting street for purposes of de-
term.ning whether the majority living
on the block are white OF. colored.
The Leigh Street block. on which the
church fronts. is white. although It
has been stated that one or more Of
the lots are owned by oo1ored people,
The Fifth Street block Ia colored up to
an intersecting street, and white In tho
immediate vicinity OF the church.
IDENTIFIES NEGRO