Evening star., 1919-05-04

The Rambler is perplexed by the
number of discrepancies in the two
stories which he has secured. one from
the Rockville paper and the other
from The Star That in the Rockville
paper was written by the historian Of
Janet Montgomery Chapter and that
in The Star was written by reporter
who evidently got some Of his facts
from a member of the congregation
of Bethesda Presbyterian Church on
the Rockville pike. The first account
says that the Cabin John Church was
organized in l716 by the Rev. Hugh
Conn, who also preached at Bladens-
burg or Patuxent Church. organized in
1904. The Patuxent Church was at
Marlboro and the Bladensburg Church
was on the Eastern Branch. There is a
deed for land for site for the Patux-
ent Church dated 1904, but nothing to
indicate that that was the first church
Mr.. Mc1lvain says that the Eastern
branch church was established in 1913
and some man who read that state
it. Wrong, 1744." Mr.. McIlvain makes
no mention OF the Cabin John Church,
the inference being that he had found
no record Of it's origin. The neighbor-
hood of Bladensburg was we'll set
tied before grants to wild land in
Montgomery county were issued by.
the proprietary Of Maryland. The ear
liest land patent covering land in the
immediate vicinity of the Presbyte-
rian Church was issued in 1929, which
would indicate that not many Presby-
terian settler We're there in 171S. There
Creek, and the Rambler finds three Of
earlier date covering land west of
where the Presbyterian Church stood.
One was patent to Archibald Edmon-
ston in 1717. called Cool Spring Level,
and one was tract adjoining it pat
ented in 1Il7 to James Moore, called
Archibald's Lot. Some of the grants
for land through which the Rockville
pike runs We're made as early as 1888.
among them being Leeke Forest, pat
eRted to Henry Dulany. and in 1888 a
grant was made to William Joseph of
a tract which he named Hermitage"
So ii impresses the Rambler as rea-
scnable that the Presbyterians In the
Bladensburg neighborhood built a
church before those in the Cabin John
neighborhood. But. Of course. he may
be wrong.
Now for the account in The Star.
1t says In one place that James Hunt
was the fret pastor. and in another
that it was founded by John Orme,
pastor OF the Patuxent Church. 1t
says that Mr.. Hunt died June 2, 1897.
according to the inscription on the
headstone at his grave" The date Of
mans death on his headstone is
generally right. and it is usual for q
mans headstone to stand at his
grave. But this particular head
stone is inscribed June 2. 1893" The
tombstone says he died at the age Of
sixty-one years. Then he was born in
1892 or thereabouts. and il he came
to Cabin John Church as pastor at
the age OF twenty one which is high
ly improbable. that would fix the be-
ginning OF his pastorate there as 1853.
The information given to the reporter
WAS that "a memorial stone marking
the site of old Cabin John Church on
Cabin John creek, about three miles
west OF Bethesda, is to be dedicated"
etc. The marker stands seven miles
west of Bethesda, where Wisconsin
avenue passes through it. and instead
OF being "on" Cabin John creek 1t is
somewhat more than two miles west
OF the creek
Sometime the Rambler is going out
to see the Rev. Parke p. Flournoy OF
old Bethesda Presbyterian Church
about this matter Bethesda Church
is on the west aide OF the Rockville
pike north OF the Hamilton farm.
south Of the Corby farm and about q
mile west by a tribe north of tho
electric station at Alta Vista. The
Rambler hopes to get at the facts
about the 1716 church Of Cabin
John" There must be some good old
Presbyterians in Montgomery county
or Prince Georges who know the
story OF this interesting church.
ArtiSfic Wives