Evening star., 1930-11-30

Crave of ReU. Stephen BIoonler BGIchs
DID,, in Oak Hill Cemetery. The marker
covering the grace is the same one
placed in front of the Bridge StTeeC
Church BY the family in 1885. The
headsfone is the regulation Var Depart.
n1ent marker. To the rear of the tres
can be seen part of the monument to
John HOrUGrd Payne, author Of Home
Sweet Home"
microbes as they received the wine from t2le
same cup instead Of as at present, individual
cups"
IN talk with Isaac Birch the other day. that
veteran undertaken and well known George
town citizen said that ne remembered well the
Bridge Street Church that stood for so many
years on the southeast corner of Thirtieth ana
M streets northwest exactly opposite the old
Union Hotel, to which President John Adams
was escorted on June 3, 1900, when he made
his first visit to the Federal City. This old
building was destroyed by fire in 1892 and re-
built in 1886, and stands today remodeled into
stores and apartments.
Mr. Birch also said that during the Civil War
the church was used as hospital for wounded
soldiers, and that he remembered at the close
of the war some boys getting into a part OF the
steeple and throwing out some military equip
ment, mainly clothing, that had been removed
from the wounded men and stored there. He
said when the fact leaked out, that it created
much resentment and excitement in George
town. He said he further recalled the placing
in the church of the manned soldiers, returned
no doubt, from the Second Battle of Manassas.
In a check-up, the writer found that this
old church was used as hospital from Septem-
ber 1862, to December 29 Of the same year, and
for this purpose a flooring was laid above the
pews to obvate their removal as was done
with number of churches around Washing
ION at the time.
1t was Joseph F. Birch, father of Isaac who
removed the remains of DR.. Balch from the
wall of the Bridge Street Church to the Pres
byterian Cemetery in May. 1873, an event well
recalled now by the son, Isaac Birch, who says
that the thing that particularly impressed him
at the time was the pulling down of the SteepleS
for much of the material was wanted for use
in building the West or P Street Church.
The seeds of religion sown by DR.. Balch, and
which proved so fruitful in Georgetown, did
not come without effort and hardshipS upon
his part. Indeed, many man less resolute
would have quailed under the burden. In 1893
he was even made homeless by the grading of
street through the hill which his dwelling
stood.
This home, which he called MscSfe and which
he built in 1888, stood on a round, green hill
near the river on the east side of Duck lane,
now Thirty third street, south of what was
then known as Scotch row, where the canal
crosses that street. It was surrounded by few
cottages, we are told, and close by was run
ming brook that made its way to the river.
Perhaps there are very few people in George
town today who ever heard of Duck lane or
Scotch row, and many other places which
were familiar to the early inhabitants.
TOBACCO then was an important part OF
the commerce of Georgetown, and the
grading Of the street through the doctors prop
erty was done in order to connect the tobacco
warehouse with the wharves and shipping.
"The house." it is said, divided itself into
halves and bricks and mortar fell into the
street. In other homes fires were sparkling ON
the hearths, but in the old pastors house was
the scene of desolation and despair, and to add
to their misery the larder was empty-a typt-
cal home of pioneer pastor. The old PASTOR
in his distress, gathered his family in prayer
and supplication to Him who never deserts in
time of need, when kind friends came to his
relief and his wife was domiciled for the re-
mainder of the Winter with one of his parish-
ioners."
The son, Rev. Thomas Bloomer Balch re-
cords in his "Reminiscences" this unfortunate
event as having taken place in 1905, and not
1899, as given by Jackson. His account Of the
incident follows:
I'VE are not afraid of Dr. Balch's being for
gotten in these diggngs; for in 1905 he saw his
house, which stood on a hill below Scotch row.
digged down by the corporation. for just one-
half of the domicile went OFF with a laundering
crash into the newly excavated street. Oh,
what a fall was there, my countrymen! =
1T was the depth of severe Winter ct the