Evening star., 1939-06-30
St. Andrews
Church Sold
To oLutherans
EpiscopoIions Plan
Final Services at
Edifice July Is
BY JAMES WALDO FAwCETT.

BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.
st. Andrews Protestant Episcopal
Church, New Hampshire avenue and
V street NV. has been sold to the
Augustana Evangelical Lutheran
Church.
Announcement of the transaction
was made today by the Rev. Alfred
j. Wilder, rector of St. Andrews
since 1882, and the Rev. DR.. Arthur
o. HELM. representing the congre-
CATION which has purchased the
property.
Final services for the people of
st. Andrews parish, Mr.. Wilder ex-
planned, will be held at and liam.
Sunday. July l6. 1t is understood
the first assembly of the Lutheran
fellowship in its new home has been
arranged for Sunday, July %.
Decision to dispose of st. Andrews
was reached after conferences be-
tween parish and diocesan au-
thorities several weeks ago. DR..
Helms congregation. meeting at
260O Sixteenth street NV. since
1887, offered to buy the building
and its grounds. The Right Rev.
James E. Freeman. Bishop of Wash
ington, advised Mr.. Wilder to accept,
The 200 members Of the parish NAV
decide to erect a new church or
may unite with st. Thomas, St.
Johns or st. Margaret's.
Organized in 1883.
st. Andrews Parish was organized
in 1858. Its original place of Worship
was a room over q store on -Four.
teenth street NV. Later, a chapel
was built at Fourteenth and Cor
coran streets. The Rev. Josiah
Perry became rector in 1880, re-
naming % years. His successors
were the Rev. George Calvert Carter
and the Rev. DR.. j. j. Dimon. the
latter serving until 1881.
The cornerstone of st. Andrews
Church was laid in September, 1918.
Charles Bolton g. Son of Philadel-
phla were the architects. and
Charles Mooney the builder. The
style OF the edifice is perpendicular
gothic, the materials gray tapestry
brick and terra Gotta throughout.
One of the stained-glass windows is
memorial to Mr.. Perry. The organ
was given by L. Whiting Estes in
memory OF his parents: the choir
stalls by Mrs. Mary Moran in re-
membrance of her son, Van der Veer
Moran; the white marble altar and
carved rere4os in commemoration to
Mr.. and Mrs. James w. Sears.
we are parting with one of the
most beautiful churches in Wash
lngton," Mr.. Wilder said today.
The decision to sell has been
forced upon us. Existing income has
been insufficient to meet our ex-
penses for some time past: and it
has been only after great delibera-
ton and many heartsearchines
that We succumb to a dire neces
sity."
Total Indebtedness, it is reported.
was $23,500. Land on which the
church stands has been estimated
to be worth $4,000 and the build
ing itself $4,000. The purchase
price was not disclosed.
Newly organized, but with ap-
proximately 300 communicates, the
Augustana Evangelical Lutheran
Church brings together for religious
purposes men, women and children
predominantly of Swedish stock.
The congregation is one of 1000
belonging to the Augustana Synod
in the.United States, of which the
Rev. DR.. P. o. Bressel of Mime
apolis is president and the Rev.
DR.. c. A. Lund of Escanaga, Mich.
father Of DR.. Wendell Lund of
Washington, is vice president.
DR.. Helm. a newcomer in the Ma
tion's Capital. took up his pastoral
work here in October, 1887. He is a
native Of New York City and was
educated at Upsala College. in New
Jersey. and the Augustana Seminary.
in illinois,. His ministry began az
Bristol, Conn. Later he was pas
tor of Calvary Lutheran Church,
Worcester. Mass, and most recently
pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran
Church, Chicago. His wife, daugh-
ter and two sons are active in mis-
sion and Sunday School enterprises.
The family residence is at 1920
Veazey street NV.
Members of the Board of Deacons
OF DR.. Helms congregation ere
Jacob Larson, L. Kenyon Liljegren,
Victor Lundgren, Carl H. Gustafson.
Gustaf Antonson and B. Walter
Mattson. The Board of Trustees in
cludes Dr. Lund, Walter S. Ahlberg,
F. Herbert Bonnet, N. G. Anderson,
Magnus Y. LARSON, Albert Lind
strom and Carl w. johnson. A COM
mittee to supervise renovation of the
church consists of DR.. HELM. Mr..
Mr.. Liljegren. Mr.. Lars
son. Karl E. johnson and Martin
Franzep.
Miss Lila Knudsen Ks choirmaster
and Miss Lillian Viland organist.
The Home Mission Board of the
Synod will share In dedi-
catory exercises to be held in Ser
tember.