Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-15
Traces History of Lost
Hesselius Painting
To the Editor of The Star:

To the Editor of The Star:
The valuable article in The Sunday
Star of July z, magazine supplement,
by John T. Goolrick Of Fredericksburg,
Va, relative to the lost painting by
Gustavus Hesselius, brings to mind
several things in connection with this
historic painting. In the first place it
Is one of the earliest works of art made
in North America, and 1t was bought
and paid for by st. BarnabaS Church,
Queen Anne'S Parish. Prince Georges
County, Md. and the title to the paint
ing has never left the vestry of that
church. For many years after 1922 the
painting occupied a niche behind the
altar. and all efforts have failed to
church of 1774 does not contain Sufh-
cient wall space to hold this painting
The painting was sold at auction in
Georgetown in 1848 and purchased by
Mr.. o. 2. Muncaster of Rockville, Md,
and the painting is now in the possess
sion of one of his descendants, Mrs
John Gassaway of the same place.
Temporarily the painting is with Mr.
John r. Henderson of Fredericksburg
Va. and is for sale.
After a long and patient investigation
Wy HiyoCl1 dllN AbCNs w
a former rector of st. BarnabaS Church,
there is not the slightest doubt in the
world that the painting was removed
from st. Barnabas Church during the
War of 1912, by the then rector, Rev.
Walter Dulaney Addison. The British
Army passed the church door in 1914 on
its way to Washington. DR.. Addison
spent the rest of his life in washington.
dying there in 1S48. The painting was
sold in the same year. An interesting
life of DR.. Addison was published some
years ago by Mrs. Elizabeth Hesselius
Murray, entitled zone Hundred Years
Ago." which is the standard work on
both Addison and Hesselius.
The discovery of this painting is due
to Rev. William j. Williams and not TO
Mr.. Charles Henry Hart. the famous
art critic of Philadelphia. Not until
1907 when the two hundredth anniver-
sary' of st. Barnabas Church was cele-
brated at Iceland, the celebration
having been delayed from 1904 for
various causes, was the existence OF the
painting brought to light, and it came
out in the anniversary sermon delivered
by. the late Rev. william C. Butler, a
former rector of the church. AS DR..
Butler spoke without notes. it fell to the
writer to prepare this historical sermon
for publication, which he did in the
same year, using as basis former
sermon of DR.. Butler on the same sub
ject delivered and printed in 1879, and
crediting the work to DIR. Butler. Then
it was that all hands commenced to look
for this valuable painting of THE Last
Supper" by Hesse1ius, and shortly there
after It was located by DR. Williams at
Rockville. Those were very active days
in the history of ST. Barnabas Church,
with the cooperation of several friends
In Washington. From then until 1912
many improvements were made on the
church, notably the replacement of
stone blocks above and below the win
dows and doors and in the aisles gift
of the president Of the Eastern Viavi
Co. Of Washington, and securing the old
iron fence from around the front OF
Center Market In Washington, all
secured by the writer and placed In
position by DR.. williams, the rector.
For many years the writer has done
everything In his power to have this
valuable old painting restored either to
st. Barnabas Church or TO the. Wash
ington Cathedral, and q duty rests upon
every Episcopalian and descendant Of