Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-29

Falls was settled prior to lTl6.
From Scotch and Irish in American Soil,
hy Rev. J. q. Craighead, we find that let
ter was sent TO the Presbytery in Dublin In
ITO saying II they had been equally watchful
as the Episcopal Society In london our In
terests in the foreign plantations might ad-
vance. In 1715 Hugh Conn, John Dradner and
Robert Orr were received. From the same
hook we ind Hugh Conn, in Ills, was pastor
at Patapsco and Bladensburg. The Captain
Johns Church was nine miles from the home
Of Ninan Beall. Sarah, his Oldest daughter,
married Col. Samuel Magruder AID lived tin
Prince Georges county them near Captain
Johns. Ninan Beall who had succeeded Du-
rand. who had led the exiles from Virginia to
the Maryland colony, as elder. was a Christian
and benevolent man. Enterprising in business,
he aided the people by introducing needed
manufactures, such as a -four mill and a fur
mace to smelt the iron ore found at the Great
Falls Of the Potomac. from which he made
shells. He lived to see n single church grow
into vigorous synod.
On the morning Of January 5, 1874, there
gathered In the parlor Of Mrs. M. e. Fl. Carter,
one mile from the old Captain Johns Church,
a small congregation, and Hermon Chapel was
organized by the Rev. j. Garland Hammer, tr,
terrain Church. Mrs. Carter was a daughter
Of Lloyd Magruder, one of the desce ndants of
Ninian Boali and with Mrs. Rurdett had been
connected with old Captain Johns Church IN
der the ministry Of Dr. Mines. Ny father,
John ID. w. Moore, through whose efforts the
organization was effected. was elected ruling
elder and he lived to the age Of ninety. Eve,
holding the church close to his heart till the
nd anAc oil hat Ant.
the reports Of the Washington and Baltimore
Synod have come to us and in several Of these
Hugh CoDns name appears pastor Of Cap
tain Johns Church. l ind this note among
my papers: Hugh Conn married daughter Of
John Veitch. who owned the land on which
much Of the battle Of Bladensburg was fought,
on which Fort Lincoln AID Battery jameson
were built during the civil war and on which
the Industrial Home School for Boys now
stands
In pamphlet entitled ''Presbytery Of
Washington and the Churches Under its Care
uSsS) J. p. Nourse, II. =. Bettinger, John
Chester, committee" sketch of Hermon
Church is given a. . reorgAnisa ton Of Captain
Johns Church organized by Hugh Conn. There
is 4 great difference in the dates given BY
authors regarding all the early churches. Mrs.
people would come from great distances and
spend the day at Captain Johns Church with
morning and afternoon service. A letter from
Rev. Elias Harrison, one of the Ia ter Minister,
states that he often preached to more than q
thousand. The pulpit Of Hermon Church is
now occupied by Rev. George E. Duncan. pro-
fessor Of dead languages and research in Johns
Hopkins and the American Universities. DR..
NH ws.
Cropiey to the people there and he breaches
twice the Sabbath, once at Hermon and once
at Cropley. SO, in addition to translatipg
Assyrian and Babylonian tablets lie Is giving
the Gospel to the needy.
The Janet Montgomery Chapter conferred
with Or. Duncan. who approved and financially
aided the placing Of the marker. We decided
that the date Of the erection Of the first Pres
byterian Church was unknown. but as all
agreed the organization was by Hugh Conn
and A. the settlement and need were
known, and Hugh Conn came to
America in l711 were safe to say
1Il6, and because no connected written
history Of its organizatio ton is known to exist
we decided to set marker the spot that
all the early history Of our forefathers might
not pass into obiviOn-as southerners throw
away the history that northern people make
into show places.
The next time the Rambler finds
his feet straying along the Falls
road in the direction Of the Presby-
terrain marker he is going to kick
himself on the ankle and make what
the automobilists call a detour. Or
perhaps he will turn in his tracks and
beat it in the other direction. 1t
seems curious, or even worse than
that, the Rambler going far into the
country to keep away from discus
sion and debate should run into
warm controversy. There Is an old
phrase about letting sleeping dogs
lie, and hereafter the Rambler is go
ing TO let sleeping monuments lie,
even though they stand upright, as
this particular monument does. But
no matter what kind of an inscrip-
ton a monument has he is going to
let 1t alone. He means to have peace
IL he has to run from every monu-
ment he meets. He will never fight
another monument. So, farewell, lit
tie monument
Along one part OF the road was an
Usage orange hedge and out of 1t
grew broad branching sassafras
tree pair OF mocking birds few