Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-15
DISCIPLES TO OPEN
STATELY ED|F|CE
National City Christian
Church Marks go Years of
Progressive Labor.

since the uDLle frame SCTuCCuT6 OH YcI-
mont avenue that provided humble
place Of worship for the first congre-
cation Of the Disciples of Christ in
Washington was sold under the ham,
mer for $129. Today, as though in
fulfllment of the suggestion that "tall
oaks from little acorns grow" the state
" stone tower of the new s1,750,000 Ma
tional City Christian Church reaches
to the sky.
There is history and romance, a
period of struggle and succeeding TIL
umph, within the span of years that
mark this lowly beginning and the f1nal
dedication next Sunday Of the magnlh-
cent edifice Just around the corner at
Thomas Circle as the National Cathe-
dral of Disciples in the United States.
The man chiefly responsible for the
work of the Disciples of Christ In
Washington gained considerable reno"n
for his writing of the Lords Prayer
in the space of a scent piece and made
o practice of reading the Bible through
about every six weeks. He was Dr.
James T. Barclay at one time owner OF
Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home.
Friend of washington.
Descended from Barclay of Uric, the
NNuhkeI dDOiOSlSb, LII 410ASA0J - ACpANS~
was friend of Washington and Jeffcr-
son. Young Barclay was educated first
at the University of Virginia and then
graduated in medicine from the Uni
yersity of Pennsylvania. He promptly
offered himself as a missionary, but out
of Difference to his elderly mother.
withdrew his offer. Later he became
convinced of the Importance, OF be-
LEVERS baptism, was immersed In the
James River ct Scottsville, Va, and
Joined the movement of the Disciples
of Christ. He volunteered again for
foreign service and became the first
foreign missionary of the Disciples,
going to Jerusalem. There he wrote
the book called. The City of the Great
King" which has had wide circula-
ton.
It was Dr. Barclay. who, in 1914, m
vited a group of six others In WASH
fnrton to meet in his home near the
NAVY Yard to ''break bread" The COM
munion service is the most important
mart of the weekly worship OF this
rroup of Christians. The names OF
those participating in that early meet
ing were Edward Pritchard, Thomas
Jacobs, Joseph Taylor, George Taylor,
Robert Moore and Mrs. Cerucia Moore;
Some others joined the little pand ana
the place of meeting was most freqllent-
" at the home of r. G. Campbell, at
that time at 467 Massachusetts avenue
Organized Church in 1856.
Growing In numbers. they organized
as a church In 1856. Still they had no
building they could call home. Tney
were itinerarts, wandering from one
hall 70 another. Sometimes they met
IN the Medical College at Twelfth and
r streets, sometimes at Temperance
Hall on e street, then in Corcoran La
hrarv on II street, next in City Han,
and successively at Metzerott's Hall, Old
TRINITY and Shiloh Meeting House,
places all gone now save the court
house.
Building Project Started.
Rack In 1851 a movement was started
70 erect a church building in Washing
ton. Some members of the church IN
baltimore made a public appeal or
basis of IS cents per member, ana
although little success attended TINS
effort enough was ultimately occurred
for the purchase OF lot on Vernon.
avenue In the meantime a small
frame building used by another organ
Station on M street between Ninth and
Tenth streets was purchased and dedi-
Gated on June 81. 1869. In September,
1871, it was put on wheels and moved
over to the lot on Vermont avenue. The
CONGREGATION began its worship there
on october %, so that almost So years
have elapsed to the time when this con-
gregation will dedicate on October 10
its beautiful new temple on Thomas
Circle, scarcely more than stones
throw from its former site.
In the meantime history has been
made.
THAT little frame chapel became the
magnet of a worlds interest. For 1t
was there that the frantic Guiteau
planned to kill James A. Garfield, then
President of the United States.
Garfield would probably have been
one of the great Presidents had he not
been assasSinated, for he was a marked
man even before he became President.
His mental equipment was of the first
quality. Driver on a canal-boat,
sweeper of college halls, teacher, college
president, general in political life as
well as general in the Civil War, his
character was marked by unf1inching
principle and "ilIimitable common
sense" Entering Congress he soon took
O commanding position.
Attended Church Regularly.
Even in war time he met with his
s'brethren" in Washington and when he
came officially as a member of the
, House of Representatives he identified
himself at once with the small and
practically unknown group of Chris
tians who we're without their own
church home He and his family wor-
SHIPPED regularly in that little frame
building. once known as that little
Disciple shanty."
One Sunday morning Guiteau saw
the President and Mrs. Garfield start
for church and followed them. He
entered the building with loaded
pistol in his pocket and sat with the
congregation. He decided that II he
attempted to fire there would be danger
Of killing some one other than the
President. When the congregation left
the building Guiteau strolled around it
and determined that he could with
little risk to himself or others FIRE from
the outside through window and hit
the President in the head. He planned
TO do this the next Sunday.
But change in the Presidents plans
saved the little church from being the
scene of his assassination. It was an
nounced publicly that Mr. Garfield
would leave Washington on July 2 to
attend commencement exercises at
Williams College and then join Mrs.
GARFIELD at Long Branch and with her
make short tour. Guiteau lay in wait
at the Baltimore a. Potomac Railroad
station-then at Four-and-a-Half and
b StreetS-and shot the President there.
There followed 70 days, with Death
rs watcher. and the Washington Eve
ming Stars headlines said that 5O,-
100000 people exchanged holiday at
tire for sackcloth and ashes"
That little frame chapel has gone
huctioned off for 1929.
New Church Arises.
On the lot where 1t stood another
church was erected, the funds of which
were largely subscribed by admirers Of
Garfield all over the world. At the