Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-30
SEWING OF INVALID
| AIDED CATHEDRAL
Forty Gold Dollars Left "tor
Free Church on Alban
u;lV
sslIfs

of an invalid woman's needle WORK. lelt
after her death, "for free church on
Alban Hill were instrumental in pre-
serving for sacred purposes the most
commanding elevation in the National
Capital was told yesterday by authori-
ties of Washington Cathedral.
The facts in the narrative were dis
closed in connection with the activities
of the committee Of women recently or
ganized with Mrs. Herbert Hoover as
honorary chairman and Mrs. William
Adams Brown of New York as national
chairman to conduct the Nationwide
effort for completion of the north and
south Transcripts of the cathedral by
1892.
The heroine of the story is Phoebe
Nourse granddaughter of Joseph Nourse,
first registrar of the United States
Treasury. Her grandfather lived in a
mansion on the present site of Wash
tngton Cathedral. Looking down from
the heights Of his home, he is said to
have felt that his property, which was
named Alban Hill, was the ideal loca-
ton for a majestic church building
After his death, one of the upper rooms
of the mansion was furnished as a
chapel. Here on Sundays many people
from the outlying districts would gather
for services.
Left Funds From Fancy Work.
Phoebe Nourse was a regular attend
ant at these services until her health
failed. She, too. was imbued with the
idea of q church on Alban Hill. Con-
fined to her home as an invalid. she
devoted herself to fancy work, which
she sold. Nobody knew why she did
tnis, or what she did with the proceeds.
It was thought to be the whim Of suf-
3ering woman, but in 1850, after her
death, box containing 20 gold dollars
was found among her effects. A note
accompanying the money read: For
Free Church on Alban Hill
The sincerity of this offering stimu-
lated others. With the 40 gold dollars
as a nucleus, enough was collected to
effect the realization Of Phoebe Nourses
dream. A small free church was built
on Alban Hill. It was the first free
church in the Diocese of Washington.
Although now incloSed by a larger stone
edifice, the original little church still
stands. a portion Of st. Adams Parish
Church.
And st. Adams Parish Church is the
mother church of washington Catne-
dral. Because of 1t, the majestic hill
side which dominates the northwestern
horizon of the Capital City was avail
able for cathedral purposes when In
1893 a charter was granted by Congress
to the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral
Foundation providing authority for the
erection in the District of Columbia "of
a cathedral and institutions Of learning
for the promotion of religion and edu-
cation and charity"
Woman Gave $4,000.
The cathedral's book Of remembrance.
a record of benefactors which is to be
preserved in the sanctuary OF the COM
pleted edifice, reveals that other women
also have contributed effectively to the
substantial advancement OF the catne-
dral undertaking. The land, which Is
occupied by the great structure and its
associated institutions, Was cleared from
debt in 1906 and the donor OF the last
$4,000 was a woman. Mrs. Julian
James of Washington, who also gave
bronze sundial Surmounttng an open
air altar, which commentaries the hal
lowing Of Cathedral Close.
Both of the two effective secondary
schools now functioning in association
through the generosity Of women. The
National Cathedral School for Girls,
the first to be built, was founded In
1900 by Mrs. Phoebe A. Hearst. while
st. Adams, the National Cathedral
School for Boys, was founded in 1904
through the bequest of Mrs. Harriet
Lane Johnston, a niece OF President
Buchanan, in memory OF her two sons.
Mrs. Johnston'S bequeSt also provided
a fund which provided scholarships 70
Cathedral choristers.
The erection of the apse, the EASTERN
most exterior of the Cathedral and the
first portion of the superstructure OF
the edifice to lift its proportions above
the trees of Mount st. Alban, was
made possible by a gift Of 100000 from
Mrs. Archibald D. Russell in memory
Of her mother, Mrs. Percy r.. Pyne.
This benefaction also provided for the
the sanctuary.
The library, indispensable adjunct Of
this religious center, was started in 1924
as the result of gift from Mrs. Violet
Blair Jantn, who provided for the erec-
ton of the first wing as memorial TO
her mother, Mrs. Mary Jesup Blair.
Twenty thousand volumes are now
housed in this wing and are available
to students and clergymen. The bishops
house, handsome Tudor dwelling is also
q memorial. It was given in 1918 by
Mrs. Susan Evelyn Murray in memory
Of her daughter, Mabel Murray.
Old JeweIry Donated.
other gifts from women have been
devoted to general construction. to the
pursuance of various Cathedral activi-
ties and to the placing of memorial
stones. These have ranged in amount
from a few dollars to the $4,000 gift
from Mrs. Russell. There also have
been appealing contributions. Only re-
Gently a collection Of very old jewelry
was received with a note which read:
This Is truly widows mite. Please
accept it as SUCH"
Even the gardens which surround the
Cathedral owe much to women. Many
of the historic paintings in the bishops
garden are the gifts of women, and ALI
Hallows Guild, which is sponsoring the
Cathedral landscape activities, numbers
many women among its nearly ! 500
members. Mrs. G. c. F. Bratenahl Is
the landscape architect in charge of the
identifying and care OF the spacious
grounds.
The National Women's Committee for
Washington Cathedral, COMPOSED of
prominent women from all over the
country aims at the stimulation of in
terest in the plans for the completion
of the north and south transepts of the
Cathedral by 1882 for use during the
George Washington Bi-centennial OBJ
serpance. The specific objective is the
enrollment Of $4,000 men and women as
members OF the National Cathedral AS
ISOLATION. Gifts received during the
first year Of the committees effort are