Evening star., 1933-01-21
BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.

BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.
EPISCOPAL CHURCH, Eight
~ Dupont Circle, has become an
object of national interest since
November last, when former Gov
Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York
was elected to the presidency. 1t will
be there that the new Chief Magistrate
will worship during his residence ir
the White House. 1t was his church
from 1918 to 1920 when he was As
sistant Secretary Of the Navy, and il
has been announced that he will re-
turn there as President.
One of the largest and most beau
| tiful temples of the Capital, st
Thomas IS considered well adapted
to serve as a presidential church. II
is conveniently located, suitably ar
ranged and amply conmodious. With
its subsidiary buildings and supple
mentary equipment, it is fitted fcI
such an expansion Of use as the cir
cumstanceS suggest.
The ediflce succeeds the Chapel o1
the Holy Cross or St. Andrews anc
| Calvary Chapel, two small structures
! which. about IS years ago, stood almost
side by side to the east Of Dupont
| Circle at the junction of Massachu-
setts avenue and P streets The move
ment to erect it began in 1892, and q
meeting to discuss the subject was held
November % that year. A few months
later, June 13, 1898, Theophilus p
Chandler of Philadelphia was chosen
architect. Leaders in the new parish
and in the construction program were
Henry E. Pellew, who subsequently be-
came Viscount Exmcuth; Joseph K
McCammon, Archibald Hopkins, B. p
Mimmack, George C. Henning, Charles
J. Bell and c. NJ Foulke.
Contract Let in 1893.
Mr.. Chambers plans were submitted
and approved, and contract was let,
October 3, 1893. The corner stone was
laid by Right Rev. William Paret,
Bishop Of Maryland, June IS. 1894.
More than five years were required for
the contractor to complete his work,
and the first service in the finished
church was not held until June 25, 1899
Meanwhile. Rev. John A. Aspinwall,
who had been in charge of the parish
since June II, 1891, preached and
taught in Calvary Chapel. He lived
to experience the joy of presiding over
occasions of worship in the house of
prayer which he had visioned and for
which he had toiled. But in June. 1902,
he felt obliged to resign, and the
wardens and vestrymen reluctantly be-
gan to search for a successor.
They found the leader they wanted
in Rev. DR.. c. Ernest Smith, then rec
tor of St Michael and All Angels, one
of the largest Episcopal churches in
Baltimore. A committee headed by
Gen. George A. Woodward, senior war
den and veStryman, was appointed to
invite him to consider a call. They ex-
planned that they could offer beauti-
full monument of architecture, place
among the clergy of the Federal seat
of Government, loyal If not numer-
GUS body of members, and their own
enthusiastic cooperation, but that the
corporation was deeply in debt and the
salary necessarily small. DR.. Smith
decided to accept. He was installed by
Right Rev. Henry Yates Satterlee'
Bishop of Washington, November 80,
1902. At the service Mr.. AspinWall
preached the sermon.
DR. smith Immediately began to
gather a congregation adequate to MI
the church. His next task was the re-
duction of the debt. A total OF $4,000
was owing. A large portion Of this OBJ
ligation was retired by apportioning the
responsibility among the commune
cants in ratio to their ability to con-
tribute. Gradually the whole sum was
paid. Then the church ed1f1ce was
formally consecrated by Right Rev. Al
fred Harding, DR.. Satterlee's successor
as Bishop Of Washington, December
2l, 1912. A rectory was built at l32U
New HAMPSHIRE avenue, 19l4-l5, and
a parish hall was constructed and the
chancel extended. 1929.
Completes Thirty Years.
On November /, last, DR.. Smith cele-
brated the thirtieth anniversary OF his
rectorship. He still is in the prime OF
life, active, enthusiastic and tireless IN
his work.
When asked about other eminent men
and women who have attended services
where Mr.. Roosevelt will choose 70
worship. DR.. Smith named Brig. Gen
John M. Wilson. Rear Admiral Silas
Casey. Sd: Col. C. A. Stedman, Col A.
S. Worthington, Augustus P. Crenshaw
Charles Davis Mansfield, George s
Fraser, Ambassador w. w. Rockh1!l
Senator H. L. Myers, Rear Admiral Al
fred r, Mahan, Ambassador George T
Marye. Chief Justice H. M. Clabaugh
Mai. william Bowie, DR.. B. L. Hardin
Maj. r. w. Hills, Brig. Gen. j. A
Johnston, Rear Admiral William D
Leahy, Brig. Gen. P. D. Loughridge
Rear Admiral A. M. D. Mccormick
Rear Admiral c. B. McVay, Rear Ad-
miral G. C. Remey, DR.. Athertor
Seidell, Brig. Gen. Harry Taylor, Col
Clark C. Wren, DR.. Guy Fairfax Whit
ing, Mrs. Cary T. Grayson, and Mrs
Edith Gait Wilson, widow Of Mr.
Roosevelt's wartime chief
1.-THE most remarkable service ever
attended in ST. Thomas" DR.. Smith
says, "was when Col. Archibald Oracle
member of the congregation, gave ar
account of his escape from the Titanic
disaster, April IS. f912. Col. Oracle
was one of four washington men who
were on that ill-fated steamer. OF the
four, the colonel alone escaped. He
implicitly believed that his miraculou.
rescue from drowning was due to pray
ers which had been offered for hi
safety"
The funeral of Walter Reed was hele
from st. Thomas DR.. Smith mentions
the occasion in his book, Under tn
Northern Cross"
| Present members Of the vestry o
the church include Melville Church
Theodore w. Noyes, Comdr. Needhan
L. Jones, Maj. Ennalls Waggaman, Am
bassador Walter e. Edge. Chief Justic'