Evening star., 1925-11-14
BISHOP TO PREACH
At SPECIAL RITES
Right Rev. James E. Freeman
Will Speak at Grace Epis-
Copal Church.

Right Rev James T.. Freeman. Bishop
of Washington. will be the preacher
ut the special service to be held at
Grace Episcopal Church, Ninth and
II streets southwest, Monday evening,
at s o'clock. To celebrate the seventy
fifth anniversary of the laying of the
corner stone of the church ReV.
Meade Bolton MacBrydc, rector, VIII
have charge OF the service. and SeV-
eraI former rectorS of the church will
take part. Following the service IN
the church, a reception will be held
in the parish hall.
Grace Church is the fourth oldest
parish in Washington, and Is one ot
Two churches used as hospitals dur
ing the Civil War. AS early as 1870,
before this section of the city, then
surrounded by the canal and the Po-
1omaC, had taken the name of South
Washington. arrangements were be
ing mate for accommodation for re
ligious worship. Residents of the
neighborhood included the names OF
Coi. ". f. Randolph, William Nj.
Morrison, Lewis Thomas. Y. Wiliett,
osoez K. Rocker, {. w. Hcnnlns, w.
P Riley, Col. +. II. Ritter and Viii
liam BurrouGhs
Services Began i'll Home.
ga SllSSCS kODksr, llNlllS. III lofu.
III the house at the southwest corner
of Twelfth street and Maryland ave
nue., built the previous century by
Robert Brent, the first mayor of
Washington, engaged III school teach
ing. They opened a young lanes
seminary, and in 1917 permitted the
use OF their schoolrooms on Sunday
afternoons for the religious inStruc-
lion of the children OF the nelghbor-
hood. About this time Charles Morrl-
son, residing at the southwest corner
of Tenth and & streets, having ahan-
doned a 'cocoonery," in which he eX-
perimented, conceived the ideal of
having Episcopal services there, and
invited Rev Dr j. W. French, rec
Tor OF Epiphany Church, to conduct
them. DIR. French held afternoon serV-
ices there Tor several months. The
Misses Rockers Sunday School was
removed there. and afterward Went,
with the little band Of church Wor-
shippers, to a frame sChoolhouse known
as Caldwell $" on Twelfth street be
tween ID street and Maryland avenue.
Here Rev. Ashbell Steele, father of the
late Rev. y. Floridus Steele for many
wears rector of st. Marks Church.
gave his services to the congregation.
Among his helpers in this early work
in Grace parish was j. w. CheS!ey,
who for a number of years served as
superintendent of the SUNDAY school,
later entering the Episcopal ministry.
Has Had Many Rectors.
Grace Church, during the 10 years
of it's life, has had many reCtors. The
first was Rev. Alfred Homead, a
grandson of whom is still worshiper
AT the old church. The list of his sue
cessorS includes Rev. Frederick {. Lee.
Rev. J. W. Phillips, Rev. Thomas O..
Tongue, Rev. Charles Sontag and Rev.
Z. X. i. Cogswel.
The present rector. Rev. Mr.. Mac
Bryde. assumed charge of the parish
of Grace in the Autumn OF 1917. His
eight years of service have been mark
ed by many improvements in the par
ish and development of its work. Dur
ing the fifth year of Mr.. MacBryde's S
incumbenCy the large debt on the
church of 20 years standing was paid
in full. The mortgage was burned
with appropriate ceremonies by the
late Bishop of Washington, Right Rev.
Alfred Harding, at a special service
on November 30. 1921. During Mr..
MacBryde's rectorate the parish has
become self-sustaining and has met
all of it's diocesan and missionary
obligations.