Evening star., 1930-11-30
Mural tablet placed in the SWiss- Chapel
in Oak Hill Cemetery, in memory of
Req. Stephen BLOomer BaIch, DID,, by
William W. COrcOrGn.
BY JOHN CLACETT PROCTOR

nominations IN the DlSCrlcC OF Co
lumbia is celebrating its one hundred
~ and flftieth anniversary; and the oc-
casion is a notable one, particularly
in local church history.
OF course, a hundred and fifty years ago
there was no city of Washington, District
of Columbia; in fact there was no certainty OF
a United States, because it was not until 1871
that CORVALLIS made this possible by surren-
dering his forces at Yorktown. However, there
was a Bladensburg, as well as an Alexandria
and Georgetown, and other places as well in
whit we might now call Washington's metro
politan district, but of these only Alexandria
and Georgetown, the two really important
places, were included in the Ten-mile Square
when the District was formed in 1790-91.
Alexandria, is well known, was retroceded
to Virginia in 1916, leaving only to u.s. in the
remaining part of the District, the City of
Georgetown. which at the time of the laying
out of Washington a f1ourishing place of
considerable industry and commerce, and to
this old place we must often look for many of
our earliest institutions and landmarks, as hap
pens to be the case with the Georgetown Pres
byterian Church on street, near Thirty-first
street. which had its beginning when the cele-
brated divine Rev. Stephen Bloomer Balch
d. D., in 1870, rented little frame build
ing which used as a school house during
the week and church on the Sabbath.
This modest structure, told, was on
the north side of M street. near Thirty-third
g. Jarboe True, DIR. Balch did not do his first
preaching there, for, during the preceding year,
when he was passing through Georgetown, he
was invited to preach, which he did several
times, in the German Lutheran Church, log
building on the corner Of Wisconsin avenue and
@ street, then in the charge of Rev. Clement
Brooke, an Episcopal minister
DR BALCH was not only pioneer preacher
in Georgetown, but he one Of the
earliest educators well, and no man did more
for the advancement of religion, for the enlight-
eminent of the people, or for the uplift Of the
citizen than did this worthy during the
many years he filled the pulpit in Georgetown.
u would not be fair to some of the other
religious denominations, long established In
West Washington, to say that DR.. Balch was
the first clergyman to serve his Master there,
nor would it be correct to say that there was
no religion or house of worship there prior to
his coming. But 1t can be said, with perfect
fairness to all others, that no Georgetown pas
tor of his day since was more highly es-
teemed, venerated or beloved than was this
wonderful man who labored untiringly for
nearly 81 years In the vineyard Of the Lord, and
who left behind him a character well worthy Of
emulation by the members of the cloth who
have during their many years. filled the various
pupits in this quaint town, and especially those
Of the Georgetown Presbyterian Church, Of
which it has been truthfully said he was the
father and founder"
When DR.. Balch came to Georgetown, there
seems TO have been no regularly established
preacher in that community That other de-
nominations had preceded him to this place,
there can be no doubt But he came and
stayed and built up an everlasting reputation
and a congregation that started at first with
less than dozen members. He did even more
than this; for he not only filled his own pulpit,
but he frequently served other churches as
well, and upon special occasions even turned his
house of worship over to other congregations.
He ministered to the sick, irrespective of creed,
and he performed the last rites for all when
ever called upon to do so. He was, indeed, an
ideal Christian, whose apostolic mission on this
earth could not have been better filled by any
one.