New-York tribune., 1918-02-18
First, Madison Square and
University Presbyterian
to Consolidate
New Site Undecided
Encroachment of Business and
Changes in. Population
Causes of Action

The First Presbyterian Church at
Fifth Avenue and Twelfth Street, the
traditions Of which extend back to
Colonial days, the Madison Square
Presbyterian Church, the edifce of
which embodies the genius of Stanford
White, and the University Place Pres
! byterian Church, at Tenth Street, are
to be consolidated. Announcement was
made yesterday that committee rep
presenting the three churches had
reached an agreement to that effect.
Within the present generation, these
churches were in the very heart of New
York. The most exclusive residential
and hotel sections of the city centred
about them. The Madison Square
Presby yterian Church, Of which the Rev.
DR.. Charles II. Parkhurst is pastor,
was built only in 1906, although its
homo was formerly across Twenty
fourth Street.
Yet it was the encroachment Of busi-
ness, with the resultant changes in the
character of population which impelled
the congregations and their pastors TO
decide upon consolidation. For the
present season, at least, there will be
no changes in the services or activities
of the churches. When the consolida-
the pastors, Dr. Parkhurst, DR.. Howard
Duffield of "Old First" and DR..
George Alexander, of the University
Place church, become co-paStors of tho
united church.
To Be Downtown Centre.
The consolidated church will be a
downtown Presbyterian centre, and its
membership and endowment will en-
able it to maintain wide institutional
activities, carry out q strong construc-
tive programme and deal efficiently
with the peculiar problems arising
from the Transformation of the district
Each of the three churches is endowed
with income bearing properties amount
ing to more than 100000. and the
value OF real estate owned by them
would bring their aggregate resources
up to more than s3,000,000. No decision
has been made as to the site of the
headquarters of the combined religious
centre.
The agreement Of the Joint commit
tee on the pro iect constitutes only the
first step in the plan. but it is prob
ably the most important one. The
question will be referred to the three
congregations, and, if they approve Of
the committees recommendation, it
will be brought up before the Pres
bytery. Then, if the Prcsbytery rati-
fies the plan, the new church corpora
ton must obtain the approval Of
justice Of the Supreme Court. 1t was
largely owing to the tentative state Of
the enterprise, it is believed, that
those connected with it were inclined
10 be reticent yesterday concerning
the eventual details.
On the committee which had the
matter in charge We're DR.. Parkhurst,
Arthur Curtis James and Robert W.
De Forest, representing the Madison
Square church; DR.. Alexander VALID
ron P. Belnap and DR.. John p Mum,
of the University Place church, and
DR.. Duflield, James X. Alexander and
James Henry as representatives Of
cold First"
The First Presbyterian Church met
in the Colonial City Hall prior to the
erection OF its first home on Wall
Street in 1719 That structure escaped
the conhagration which demolished
Trinity in 1875, and during practically
the entire period of the Revolution
was used as a military hospital. In
1874 the old structure was removed,
stone by stone, and rebuilt in jersey
City, the New York church moving to
its present cdificc in 1S45.