Evening star., 1933-05-14

World people just seem 10 love their old
0hnrches, but here in America We just seem
- love to get rid Of them.
n HAmlne Church did ct it, beginning
n n street, it was not the only denomination
IA that block to do %. for II b definitely
known that the Mount Vernon n. I. Church
South got its start there IN . little frame
church, which, according to Mr.. Morsen, was
located nearer the center of the square and
not On the corner as stated. After the Mount
Vernon Church congregation moved from this
strest to the building which stood for many
yoas at the northeast corner Of Ninth street
and Mount Vernon place. The little n street
church was bought in 1854. b the Campbell
tba4 q Disciples Of Christ and moved by
them IN 1869 to Vermont avenue between
0txest and Logan Circle, and hare It was that
President Garfield worshiped. y was . modest
structure. 20 feet wide By 90 feet long with
. gallery at the east end. III seating capacity
= said to have been 400. but It did not appear
70 be % large.
When this church was moved nom n street.
& = said that the Rev. o. A. Barthoaomew-
who preceded the Rev. r. d. Power - pastor Of
The church-went ahead OF the mules with oaS
10 coax them along and that M. Rooee gave
the workers their lunches to keep them On the
fob"
The Disciples Of Christ must have had .
stryeRle in the early days, and the little NJ
street building seems to have been tts first
church, for prior to this there seems to have
besn no set place Of meeting. The Rev. James
r. Barclay Is given the credit for starting the
church in this city. the hrst meeting being
held 1t his residence near the Navy Yard,
and the accommodations Of private homes seem
to have sufnced for many years In 1857 We
dnd the congregation meeting In Temperance
Hal, q s14 e street northwest. Nine years
later We find it stated that the christian
Church meets in the Supreme Court room.
City Hall, every Sunday at II O'Clock am.
m its earlier days it also occasionally held
Sunday services in the rotunda o( the Capitol,
- other churches are recorded a. having done
In the days when this privileges was granted.
m. BARCLAY, or Bark'ey-sor the name
- appears both ways-did not remain In
Washington long after establishing the church
hare. but soon went into the neld - mis-
sinary. and other preachers took up the local
work, one Of whom vas The eeaeheated Alex
ander Campbell himself.
Jast when this church W. founded n this
eaty may be judged from what ". =. Bryan has
- - In his History Of the National Capital"
which follows:
~Four years after the Disciples q Christ. q
Christian Church. had, In 1854. become DIS
tanct DISSEMINATION . church Was FOUNDED IN
this CITY," which manifestly places the date
a the origin of the church here - 1884.
When it was decided to erect the present
Christian Baptist Church In Vermont avenue
the corner stone Of which was laid July 2, 1882
the little frame building was moved pack 70
Fourteenth street, Q little nearer to Rhode
Island avenue, and here the congregation woe-
saaipped until the new building was completed.
70 fHA afA
W. p. Iipscomb who superntended the con-
sructiou of the present building on Vermont
avenue, the old building was rased. as the
uullic authorities would not permit 1t to be
removed elsewhere.
Rev. =. D. Power. who followed Rev. Bar
tholomew as pastor Of the Vermont Avenue
church. Is no doubt pleasantly recalled BY
ever 10 many Washingtonians. Not only was
h m excellent preacher. but he was also
loyable man, and whatever success the Chris
tan Church may have had IN this city,
large part, indeed, can be attributed to his
aood work. During his pastorate OF this
church he was honored BY the United STATES
Senate, which made him chaplain of tnss
body, where he served with consloerapie
credit.
The Rev. Earle Wiley, who succeeded Dr.
Power. is now pastor emeritus Of the National
CAPITAL Christian Church, the successor TO the
Vermont Avenue Christian Church, Of which
Rev. H. H. Harmon has been the pastor 1or the
psst two years. This latter church, which was
dedicated about three years ago, stands On
ground once regarded as remote from the city.
indeed, Is We see this neishborhood TN Its
present congested and built-up condition. we
can scarcely believe that In 1924 William H.
Crawford Of Georgia, then Secretary OF the
Treasury, as well as . candidate for President
Of the United States, In seeking . country place
where he might recupefate buie mousse on
this SPOT