Evening star., 1938-08-14
By John CIageH Proctor.

older than the newer part o.
~ Washington lying to the cas-
of Rock Greek. naturally has
A greater number>Of old homes, ole
churches and old institutions, and
all are historically interesting. Its
churches. particularly, date back FOL
manv years, and with the Presbyterian
faith we find the Rev. Stephen
Bloomer Balch renting little frame
building. as early as 1780, when ne
preached the gospel on Sundays. since
during the week this little frame
building served as schoolhouse
which shows that the people o.
Georgetown believed that education
was as important as religion. ..
This modest structure. we are told
stood on the north side Of M street
near Thirty third. where later was
the carriage factory of Cook 4 Jarooe
True, DR.. Balch did not do his flrst
preaching there. for. during the pre-
ceding year, when he was passing
through Georgetown. he was invited
to preach. which he did several times
in the German Lutheran Church,
log building at that time, located or
the corner of Wisconsin avenue ano
Volta place, then in the charge o
Rev Clement Brooke, an Episcopal
minister.
DR.. Balch was not only pioneer
preacher in Georgetown. but he was
one of the earliest educators AS we'll
and no man did more for the ad-
vancement of religion, for the en-
lightenment of the people, or for the
uplift of the citizen than did this
worthy man during the many years
he filled the pulpit in Georgetown.
IT WOULD not be fair to some OF
the other religious denominations
long established in West Washington
to say that DR.. Balch was the first
clergyman to serve his Master there
nor would it BE- correct to say that
there was no religion or house of vor-
ship there prior to his coming. But
It can be said, with perfect fairness
to all others. that no Georgetown
pastor of his DAY or since was more
highly esteemed venerated or beloved
than was this wonderful man who
lsbored untiringlv for nearly "a years
in the vineyard of the Lord, and who
left behind him character we'll
worthy of emulation by the members
of the cloth who have, during theil
many years, filled the various pulpit=
in this quaint town. and especially
those of the Georgetown Presbyterian
Church, of which it has been truth
fully said he was the father and
founder"
When DR.. Balch came 10 George.
town, there seems to have been M
regularly established preacher in thai
community. That other denomina.
tions had preceded him to this place
there can be no doubt. But he came
and stayed. and built up an everlast-
ing reputation and congregation
that started at first with less than a
dozen members. He did even more
than this. for he not only filled his
own pulpit. but he frequently served
other churches as well. and upon spe-
cial occasions even turned his house
of worship over to other congrega-
tions. He ministered to the sick, IL
respective of creed, and he performed
the last rites for all whenever called
upon to do So He was. indeed, AT
ideal Christian. whose apostolic mis-.
sion on this earth could not have
been better filled by any one.
TWO Jacksons of Georgetown
Richard P. the father, and Willie
s.. the son-have left behind valuable
writings regarding this noted preache,
and the Georgetown Presbyterian
Church. The subject is well treated
IN The Chronicles of Georgetown
D. c." by the former. and in The
Star of April /. 1898. is an extensive
and exclusive article signed by the
latter. who. in speaking of the early
Presbyterian Church says;
The church which he erected ir
1882 at the corner of Tnirtieth ano
M streets NV. after 10 years hao
VldpSSu WOulu IlOI SSdC dll NllU ue.
sired to attend divine worship, ano
1t became necessary to enlarge the
building by extending the north front
in 1898, and with characteristic en-
terprise he had a steeple erected I'D
bell placed in it.
Soon after the removal of the seat
Of Government to Washington City
considerable accessions were made to
the congregation and it was neces-
sary to enlarge still further the
church edifice, which was done under
the immediate superintendent of DR.
Balch. All Protestant denominations
worshiped there and received the wore
of God at the mouth of DR.. Balch
and communed together at the same
altar, such was the liberality that
prevailed in those days. In 1921, the
structure being insufficient to accom-
modate all who desired to attend, il
was determined to pull down the ole
building and erect much larger edi-
flee, which remained standing on the
southeast corner of Thirtieth and N
streets until the spring of 1873 wher
. It was demolished and the materia
used in constructing a new church
on P. near Thirty-first street"