Evening star., 1936-03-22

rTcIlCu CIliIld Sct DclIlB III lueIlJlChly
the same design as your supposed doll
set. Wouldn't 1t be wonderful to have
both on display side by side?"
And so, the enthusiasm of the
treasure hunting and the Joy Of shar-
ing the spoils of the chase go on apace,
with every one trying to play favorites,
and the telephones of Chairman
Matthews and of Rev. Gillespie Arm
strong, rector of Christ Church, ring
ing merrily day and night. Mr.. Arm
strong recently came here from An
napolis and is rapidly making a place
for himself in the life of Georgetown.
It's quite consistent that Christ
Church, Georgetown, should have an
exhibit of antiques, for its own Begin
nings go back to 1917, just three years
after the treaty of Client had been
signed with England thus concluding
the unpleasantness of 1872, our Sec
ond war with England.
Visits Christ Church.
Last week I went sightseeing to
Christ Church, which found worth
a second trip any time, just to view its
stained-glass windows from Munich
and its altar of carved wood from
Oberammergau Jack McKeown and
Austin Knight, two choir boys who had
arrived early for the weekly choir re-
hearsal, attended by Thomas Hilta-
bride and his little brother, escorted
me about, and turned on electric lights
that I might better see this historic
church's famed memorial windows.
Just as I was wondering why they
had so simultaneously disappeared,
they returned with the church organ
ist, Richard T. Bell. whom. they said,
will be glad to tell you lot more
than we know about our church"
A gloriouSly lovely window at the
rear of the church was the gift of
w. w. Corcoran. Washington's be-
loved philanthropist, in memory Of
his father. Thomas Corcoran, who
was one of the church'S incorporators
Thomas Corcoran's notary seal is
upon many of the church's early pa
pers and documents. Other memoir
ials in harmony with this largest one
commemorate the lives of such promi-
| nent Georgetown citizens and Christ
Church parishioners as Abbot, Berry,
Keith. Key, Hartley, Lyons, Morton,
Stuart. Dunlop, Marbury, Gordon,
/ Haw, Ridgely, Matthews. Myer. Sny-
| der, Wheatley. Magruder, Talcott,
Slaughter and many others.
Miss Eva Gilbert, custodian of the
Peabody Memorial Room of the
| Georgetown branch of the Public
Library, tells me that all of the me-
mortal windows were executed and
1 put into place at one time, which n
! part accounts for the sense of unity
of design and coloring which possesses
you as you survey them. What a
relief, too, it must have been to the
congregation not to have to survey the
frosted glass ones which must all too
! often fill an interim between gift
windows.
First Service Held in 1917.
Christ Church was founded because
its parent. St. Johns. had grown too
crowded to accommodate its member
ship. A small group consisting Of
Thomas Corcoran, William Morton,
John Stoddert Haw, John Myer, James
A. Magruder, Thomas Henderson,
John Pickerell and Francis Scott
Key, author of THE Star Spangled
Banner" were among those who mo-
tivated the founding of Christ Church.
They held their first service on
Sunday. December 81. 1917. in what
was then the Lancastrian School, on
(BealD o street between High) Wis
consin and (Congress) Thirty-first
street The Lancastrian school svs-
tenn was an en- masse form of teach
ing the young which had its origin
in England and its inception in this
country under Robert Ould in 1911.
Today this former school house where
Christ Church had its beginnings is
occupied as a residence by Mrs. Tracy
| Dows.
Rev. DR.. Ruel Keith. assistant to
DR.. Addison at st. Johns, was the
congregations first rector. Within a
year the present church site had been
selected and the original church
building constructed. The first serv-
ice in it was held at sunrise on Christ
mas day, 1918. The house at 5000 P
street. now the home of Miss Katha-
rine Dougal, was used as the first
rectory of Christ Church. It's present
one, 3ll2 o street, is next door the
church and is in the best George
town style.
| Started after the War Of 1912, the
enlargement of Christ Church Curl
ously enough came about in 1858, not
long after the conclusion Of the Civil
War, during the incumbency of Rev.
DR.. Williams as rector During this
period of the church's growth. Charles
McIlvaine Matthews, grandfather OF
Henry S. Matthews, jr., was for 80
years the registrar of the parish. This
grandparent was named by his father
for Charles McIlvaine, another be-
loved rector of the church. Mr..
Matthews not only became a promi-
nent lawyer but the legal adviser OF
w. w. Corcoran, whose father had
helped found the church.
Family Holds Post Sc Years.
Henry S. Matthews, jr, is the pres
ent registrar, making an unbroker
line of service in this post on the
part of the Matthews family for the
past Sc years, Henry S. Matthews, sr.
having succeeded his father in this
service.
Owing to drastic change of grades
in o street and Thirty-first street
ordered by the Board of Public Works
of Washington in 1885, it was neces-
sary for the church to construct an
entirely new building under the rec
torate of the late Albert Rhett Stuart
Of Charleston, S. c., father of Roger
Stuart of Georgetown. This under
taking, like the building of the first
church on the site in 1918, was COM
pleted in one year, the present church
edifice holding its first service in 1886
Today large bronze tablet under the
Corcoran memorial window COM
memorates the services of Rev. DR..
| Stuart.
IT is entirelv fitting hecaIlse of its