History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana, Part 72

Author: Sulgrove, Berry R. (Berry Robinson), 1828-1890
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 942

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CHURCHES OF INDIANAPOLIS.

twenty thousand dollars, now estimated, including the lot, at only ten thousand dollars. There are two hundred full members and ten on probation. The Sunday-school has about two hundred pupils, with a similar provision of books to that of Meridian Street. Annual expenses, about fifteen hundred dollars ; benevolent contributions, about one hundred dollars. Present pastor, Rev. W. B. Collins, 297 North California Street.

Fletcher Place (formerly Asbury) Church was first organized, in a school-house on South Street near South New Jersey, by Rev. S. T. Cooper, in 1849, and John Dickinson, William L. Wingate, Samuel M. Sibert, Samuel P. Daniels, and John Day were the first board of trustees. Of the origi- nal members there remains six,-John Dickinson and wife, Mrs. Nancy Ford, Mrs. Ellen Smith, Mrs. Monticth, Mrs. Tabitha Plank. It was first organ- ized under the name of Depot and East Indianapolis Mission. In 1850 it was called Depot Charge. In 1852 it was called Asbury Chapel, and in 1856 Asbury Church. In 1874 its name was changed to Fletcher Place Methodist Church. The first church building was located on South New Jersey Street, near South Street. It was begun in 1850 and completed in 1852. The present church, a fine briek strneture, is located on the corner of South and East Street. It was built about ten years ago, but not fully com- pleted till later. It is valued at thirty-five thousand dollars. The membership, which at first was less than sixty, is now over five hundred. The present pastor is Rev. J. H. Doddridge, B.D. The Sabbath-school has at present on the roll eight hundred and forty- nine members. The officers are A. C. May, superin- tendent ; Mrs. H. Furgeson, assistant ; Miss Mollie Roberts, treasurer ; Miss Mary Brown, secretary ; P. M. Gallihne, chorister; W. T. Ellis, Jr., libra- rian.

Ames Methodist Church, formerly South City Mission, is located at the head of Union Street, at the intersection of Merrill Street and Madison Ave- nue. It was organized by twelve members in Feb- ruary, 1867, a mission having been maintained since July of the year before by Rev. Joseph Tar- kington, in an nufinished frame on Norwood and

South Illinois Streets, till cold weather, and then in an unoccupied grocery-room on Madison Avenue. About the time the church was organized, a Sunday- school was formed. Though flourishing well in a moral aspect, the young church was financially strait- ened, and the trouble continued till the pastor, Rev. Mr. Walters, made a resolute push out of it, and bought the present site and building of the Indianap- olois mission Sunday-school for five thousand dollars. Repairs were made to the amount of fifteen hundred dollars, and a good sale of a lot owned by the church on South Illinois Street enabled it to pay off most of the whole expense. It has now two hundred and five full members, seven on probation, and about two hun- dred pupils in the Sunday-school. Annual expense, about twelve hundred dollars; benevolent contribu- tions, one hundred and twenty-five dollars; present pastor, Rev. C. E. Asbury ; value of property, about five thousand dollars.

Blackford Street Church, located on ,the south- east corner of Blackford and Market Streets, built in 1873-74 ; property valued at four thousand dollars ; membership, one hundred and twenty-five; proba- tioners, forty-three ; Sunday-school pupils, one hun- dred; annual expenses, seven hundred dollars, and aided by Meridian Church; Rev. T. H. Lynch, pastor. The presiding elder, Rev. Dr. Poucher, says, " These churches are all out of debt, and have all improved largely in the last three months."

Grace Church, on the northeast corner of Market and East Streets, was organized in September, 1868, on the request of a number of Methodists "residing in and near Indianapolis," as their memorial to the Coufer- ence stated. They believed five thousand dollars could be raised for a suitable church building, and promised to "go forward at once in the enterprise of building a church for the use of such congregation." Rev. W. H. Mendenhall was appointed to the charge, held the first quarterly meeting 19th and 20th of September, 1868, and at the close, one hundred members of Roberts' Chapel nnited with the mission. The first quarterly Conference was organized Sept. 22, 1868. A site for a church was obtained at once, a house erected, and on the 21st of February, 1869, was dedicated by Bishop Clark. Present pastor,

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HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY.

Rev. S. G. Bright ; membership, three hundred and thirteen ; Sunday-school pupils, one hundred and fifty ; teachers, sixteen ; probable value of property, eighteen thousand dollars.

Third Street Church, on the north side of Third Street between Illinois and Tennessee, was organized from a class of thirty-six, led by Jesse Jones, in 1864. A site was purchased in 1866, and a building commenced for a mission church, under the direction of Ames Institute. Finding themselves unable to finish it, the young men of the institute gave it up to Mr. Jones, who completed it at his own expense. It was dedicated Sept. 8, 1867, by Rev. (now bishop) Thomas Bowman. The present pastor is Rev. E. B. Rawls; membership, one hundred and fifty-four ; Sunday-school pupils, two hundred and twenty, under Superintendent Wollever.

East Seventh Street Church, organized in 1874; church building is a frame ; membership, two hundred and fifty-six ; Sunday-school pupils, two hundred and twelve; pastor, M. L. Wells ; school superintendent, H. C. Durbin ; value of property, nine thousand dollars.

Central Avenue Church was organized in June, 1877. It was formed by the consolidation of Trinity and Massachusetts Avenue Churches, both of which were located in the northeastern part of the city. The consolidated organization leased an eligible lot situate on the northeast corner of Cen- tral Avenue and Butler Street, and removed to it the building formerly occupied by the Massachusetts Avenue Society. This building was enlarged so as to comfortably accommodate the membership of the church. The lot bas since been purchased, and is now owned by the church. It is the present plan of the society to erect at an early date a plain and sub- stantial church edifice. The location of the church is an excellent one, and by careful and prudent man- agement Central Avenue Church will, without doubt, be one of the largest and most effective organizations of the denomination in this city. Number of mem- bers, three hundred and seventy ; value of church property, ten thousand dollars ; names of former pastors, Rev. B. F. Morgan, Rev. Reuben Andrus, D.D., Rev. J. N. Beard ; present pastor, Rev. Abijah

Marine, D.D .; total number of officers and teachers in the Sunday-school, thirty-six ; scholars, three hundred and fifty ; Sunday-school officers, superin- tendent, W. D. Cooper; assistant superintendents, W. B. Barry, Mrs. C. T. Nixon ; secretary, H. G. Harmaman ; treasurer, Miss Sallie Pye; librarian, Jefferson Cuylor.

Edwin Ray Church, southwest corner of Wood- lawn Avenue and Linden Street; organized in 1874; frame building ; membership, one hundred and fifty- two; Sunday-school pupils, one hundred and fifty ; John Jones, school superintendent ; pastor, Rev. William B. Clancy.

Coburn Street Church, on northwest corner of Coburn and McKernan Streets.

Simpson Chapel, corner of Howard and Second Streets ; pastor, Rev. Charles Jones.

First German Church, southwest corner of New York and New Jersey Streets; pastor, Rev. Otto Wilke ; organized in 1849, with fifteen members. The first church building was erected in 1850 on Ohio Street, between New Jersey and East. The first trus- tees were William Hannaman, Henry Tutewiler, John Koeper, Frederick Truxess, and John B. Stumph. A more commodious building was needed, and in 1869 was erected on the present site, which was pur- chased in December, 1868. The dedication took place on the 17th of April, 1871, the ceremonies being conducted by Professor Loebenstein (of Berea College, Ohio), Dr. William Nast, and Rev. H. Lie- bert. The membership is about two hundred and fifty, and the Sunday-school has over two hundred pupils. The value of the church property is about thirty thousand dollars.

Second German Church, northeast corner of Prospect and Spruce Streets ; pastor, Rev. John Bear.

North Indianapolis Church .- No pastor and no report of Sunday-school attendance. Brightwood Church, not included in the statements of either of the Conferences which divide Indianapolis and Centre township.

COLORED METHODISTS.

Forty-eight years ago, among the earliest churches of the city following the pioneer bodies, a colored

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CHURCHES OF INDIANAPOLIS.

Methodist Church was organized here, called Bethel Chapel now. It stood on Georgia Street, fronting the open ground to the south, which then extended with hardly a break by house or fence to the river. The house was a cheap little frame, erected about the year 1840-41, and the leading man was the late Augustus Turner. Rev. W. R. Revels, brother of the United States senator from Mississippi, was pastor for four years, from 1861 to 1865. For a number of years after the completion of the first little church Rev. Paul Quinn, of Baltimore (later a bishop of the Colored Methodist Church, and a man of marked ability, and as highly esteemed even in those days as any of his white coadjutors), visited the city and preached there. His arrival was the signal for a revival, and many a peculiarly enthusiastic time have the brethren had on the floor while the sedate old bishop stood in the pulpit and looked compla- cently on, but never giving any encouragement to the boisterous glory of the especially ecstatic members. In 1857, when the first Episcopal Church was re- moved to make way for the present edifice, it was bought by the Bethel Church and moved to Georgia Street, where it was burned in two or three years. The congregation now has a fine brick edifice on Ver- mont Street, northeast corner of Columbia ; pastor, Rev. Morris Lewis ; membership, about six hundred, Sunday-school pupils, about three hundred.

Allen Church, east side of Broadway, north of Cherry. West Mission, west side of Blackford Street, near North.

Zion Church, on the northeast corner of Black- ford and North Streets, Rev. Thomas Manson pastor. The colored churches belong to the Lexington Con- ferenee.

METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH,

on the southeast corner of Dillon Street aud Hoyt Avenue, Rev. Seymore S. Stanton pastor.

CHRISTIANS.

Central Chapel .- This is the oldest religious or- ganization in the city after the three pioneer churches of the three leading denominations at that time. It was made on the 12th of June, 1833. Rev. John O'Kane, who died but two or three years ago in Mis- souri, visited the city in the fall of 1832, and gave | with music, which he occasionally taught in the city

the first impulse to the organization. Of the original twenty members there are none living now but Mrs. Zerelda Wallace, widow of Governor Wallace. Mr. O'Kane and Rev. Love H. Jameson visited the infant church occasionally, as they had an opportunity, and in 1834 or 1835 Rev. James McVey came and held a protracted meeting in the lower room of the old seminary, then recently completed, and won quite au addition of converts. The leading members in the early days of the organization were Robert A. Tay- lor (father of Judge Taylor, of the Superior Court), Dr. John H. Sanders (father of Mrs. Governor Wal- lace, Mrs. R. B. Duncan, Mrs. D. S. Beaty, and Mrs. Dr. Gatling, of gun fame), Ovid Butler, James Sul- grove, Leonard Woollen, Cyrus T. Boaz, John Wool- len, Charles Secrist. The preachers who visited the church most frequently were, as already noted, Rev. John O'Kane, subsequently noted as a debater in the- ological duels with logical arms, Rev. Love H. Jame- son, Rev. John L. Jones, very recently deceased after long years of partial or total blindness, Rev. Michael Combs, Rev. Andrew Prather, Rev. Thomas Lock- hart, and Rev. T. J. Matloek. On the 18th of March, 1839, Rev. Chauncey Butler, father of the late Ovid Butler, founder of Butler University, served as pastor for about a year, and Butler K. Smith, a blacksmith on Delaware Street, whose residence stood where the present Central Chapel stands, occasionally preached. He subsequently devoted himself wholly to the ministry, and made a very able and efficient preacher. The first regular pastor was Rev. Love H. Jameson, who took charge Oct. 1, 1842, and remained till 1853.

Love H. Jameson was born in Jefferson County, May 17, 1811, of Virginia parents, who came to Kentucky, the father in 1795, the mother in 1803. In 1810 they settled on Indian Kentucky Creek, in Jefferson County. He was educated at a country school in winter, and helped his father on the farm in summer from 1818 to 1828. He began preaching on Christmas eve, 1829. He taught himself the classic languages to such a degree of proficiency as to entitle himself to the degree of A.M. from Butler University, and also made himself equally familiar

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HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY.

after he became pastor of the church here. He was married first in 1837 to Miss Elizabeth M. Clark, who dropped dead in the garden when seemingly in perfect health, on 18th June, 1841. In the summer of 1842 he married his present wife, Miss Elizabeth K. Robinson, and brought her with him to Iudian- apolis when he first came to assume his pastorate. He has one son still living by his first wife, and seven children by his second, of whom two sons are dead. Mr. Jameson served for many years as trustee of the Deal and Dumb Asylum, and was one of the fore- most of those engaged with Mr. Butler in founding the Northwestern Christian (now Butler) University. During the war he was chaplain of the Seventy-ninth Regiment, Col. Fred. Knefler, and after nearly two years of service resigned from ill health and general disability, for which he is now in receipt of a moder- ate pension. Since his retirement from the pastorate of the First Christian Church, io 1853, he has been chiefly engaged in serving congregations throughout the county, and occasionally in remote localities. Last fall he went to Europe, at the invitation of a Mr. Coop, a member of the church, a wealthy English- man living at Southport. He will make a tour of Europe and the Holy Land before he returns.

In the summer of 1836 the church built its first house of worship on Kentucky Avenue, about half- way between Maryland and Georgia Streets, on the southeast side. Here the church remained till 1852, when the present Central Chapel, southwest corner of Delaware and Ohio Streets, was completed. In that year, or the year before, Rev. Alexander Campbell visited the city and preached in Masonic Hall, the only visit he ever made here. The present pastor of Central Chapel is Rev. David Walk. The number of menibers is seven hundred and fifty-two; of Sunday- school pupils, about four hundred ; value of property, probably fifty thousand dollars.

Second Church (Colored), corner Fifth and Illi- nois Street; organized in 1868. Present pastor, LeRoy Redd ; present membership, seventy-five; Sunday-school pupils, one hundred and twenty ; value of property, probably three thousand dollars.

Third Church, corner Ash Street and Home Avenue; organized Jan. 1, 1869. First pastor, 1

Elijah Goodwin. Charter members, seventy ; pres- ent pastor, S. B. Moore; present membership, two hundred and thirty-seven ; Sunday-school, about two hundred pupils; value of property, about ten thou- sand dollars.

Fourth Church, corner Pratt and West Streets, organized in 1867. First pastor, John B. New. The present pastor is E. P. Wise; present mem- bership, one hundred ; Sunday-school, one hundred and fifty ; value of property, about five thousand dollars.

The Fifth Church, Olive Branch, was organized in 1868, but lost its meeting-house in the fall of 1880, and the members were scattered to the other churches, principally to the First and Sixth.

Sixth Church, corner Elm and Pine Streets, organized Feb. 14, 1875. Pastor, no regular. Present pastor, J. W. Conner ; present membership, two hundred and twelve.

CATHOLICS.

The following account of the Catholic Churches and Institutions of Indianapolis is furnished for this work by the kindness of Rev. Dennis O'Don- oughne, chancellor of the diocese.

The first Catholic Church in Indianapolis was built in 1840 by the Rev. Vincent Bacquelin, then residing in Shelbyville, in this State. It was called Holy Cross Church, and was situated near West between Washington and Market Streets. Father Bacquelin was killed by a fall from his horse, Sept. 2, 1846, in a wood near Shelbyville. His successor was the Rev. John McDermott, who had charge of Holy Cross Church for several years. The next clergyman in charge was the Rev. Patrick J. R. Murphy, who was transferred to another congrega- tion in 1848. He was succeeded by the Rev. Joba Gueguen, who commenced the erection of the old St. John's Church in 1850. This edifice fronted ou Georgia Street, and was located on the spot where the bishop's residence now stands. Father Gueguen was succeeded by the Rev. Daniel Moloney, who, in 1857, built an addition to the church. This same year the Rev. A. Bessonies took charge of the con- gregation, a position which he still retains.

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CHURCHES OF INDIANAPOLIS.

The Sisters of Providence built a young ladies' academy on the corner of Georgia and Tennessee Streets, in 1858, which they occupied until their present academy was built in 1873. The school building for boys was commeneed in 1865, and was completed the following year, when the Brothers of the Sacred Heart took charge of the school. The pastoral residence was built iu 1863, and was enlarged by Bishop Chatard, when he took up his residence here in 1878.

The present St. John's Church, fronting on Ten- nessee Street, was commeneed in 1867. It is the largest church edifice in the city, measuring two hun- dred and two feet in length and having a seating capacity of one thousand six hundred. St. John's congregation numbers at present four thousand souls. The parish schools are attended by five hundred ehil- dren. There are several religious and benevolent societies attached to the congregation, of which the following are the principal : The Sodality for men, established in 1860, with a membership of one hun- dred ; the Living Rosary Society for women, having one hundred and thirty-two members; the Young Ladies' Sodality, organized in 1877, with eighty-five members ; the Cathedral Altar Society, two hundred and twenty-five members; Boys' Sodality, seventy members ; Sodality of the Children of Mary, one hundred and fifty members ; Total Abstinence Society, eighty members ; Knights of Father Mathew, seventy members ; Catholie Knights of America, one hundred members; the St. Vincent de Paul Society for the relief of the poor, composed of men and women, seventy-five members.

St. Mary's German Catholic Church, situate near the corner of Maryland and Delaware Streets, was commenced in 1857, and was opened for service the following year by the Rev. L. Brandt, its first pastor. The next pastor was the Rev. Simon Siegrist, who had charge of the congregation until his death, in 1879. He was succeeded by the Rev. A. Seheideler, the present pastor. The congregation has large school buildings for boys and girls. St. Mary's Academy was built in 1876 by the Sisters of St. Francis fron Oldenburgh, in this State, at a cost of forty thousand dollars. The pastoral residence attached to the church

was built in 1871, at a cost of eight thousand five hundred dollars.

St. Mary's congregation numbers one thousand five hundred souls. There are three hundred and ten children attending the parish schools. The following religious and benevolent societies are attached to the congregation : St. Mary's Altar Society, two hundred members ; St. Joseph's Aid Society, one hundred and forty members ; St. Boniface Aid Society, one hundred and ten members ; St. Rose's Young Ladies' Sodality, one hundred and fifty members ; St. Anthony's Church and School Society, seventy-five members.

St. Patrick's congregation was formed in 1865. That year the congregation built a church at the ter- minus of Virginia Avenue, of which the Rev. Joseph Petit was the first pastor. He was succeeded by the Rev. P. R. Fitzpatrick in 1869, who commeneed the erection of a new church the following year. St. Patrick's Church is built of briek, and is in the form of a cross, Gothie style, with a spire of neat design over the intersection of the transept. It is one hun- dred and ten feet in length and has a seating capacity of six hundred and fifty. The present pastor is the Rev. H. O'Neill, who succeeded the late Father Me- Dermott in 1882. The congregation numbers one thousand four hundred souls. There are two parish schools, attended by two hundred children. The boys' school is under the management of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart ; the girls' school is taught by the Sisters of Providence in the building formerly used as a church. The following are the societies attached to the church : St. Patrick's Altar Society, one hun- dred and twenty members ; Young Ladies' Sodality, one hundred and sixty members ; Men's Sodality, one hundred and thirty members ; Children of Mary So- ciety, sixty members ; St. Patrick's Benevolent Society, forty members.

St. Joseph's congregation was organized in 1873 by the Rev. Joseph Petit. He erected a two-story building on East Vermont Street, which was to serve as church, school, and pastoral residence. He re- signed in 1874, and was succeeded by Rev. F. M. Mousset, and later by Rev. E. J. Spelman. This building was afterwards remodeled by Bishop de St. Palais and converted into a diocesan seminary. St.

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HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY.

Joseph's congregation, in 1880, purchased ground on the corner of North and Noble Streets, and built the new church in which they now worship. This church is of Gothic style, one hundred and thirty feet in length, and cost seventeen hundred dollars. A pas- toral residence was built in 1881 costing two thousand five hundred dollars. A large school building has just been erected by the Sisters of Providence, which is to serve as a parish school for boys and girls of this congregation. The number of children in attendance is about two hundred. The congregation numbers twelve hundred souls. The Rev. H. Alerding is the pastor. He has had charge of the congregation since 1874. The following societies are attached to the congregation : St. Aloysius Society for Boys, thirty members; Children of Mary, forty members ; St. Joseph's Confraternity for Young Men, fifty mem- bers; Society of the Immaculate Conception, one hundred and six members ; St. Michael's Confrater- nity for Men, forty-five members ; St. Ann's Confra- ternity for Married Women, eighty-five members ; St. Joseph's Association, four hundred members.

The Church of the Sacred Heart, for the German Catholics living in the southern part of the city, was built in 1875, and is situate on the corner of Union and Palmer Streets. The building first erected, and which served as a church, school, and monastery, be- came insufficient, and a new church was commenced in the summer of the present year. It is not yet completed, but will be soon opened for service. The clergymen attending this church are priests of the Order of St. Francis, known as Franciscans. The present pastor is the Rev. Ferdinand Bergmeyer, who is superintending the erection of the new church. There are parish schools for boys and girls. The latter is under the charge of the Sisters of St. Joseph, who erected a school building and residence in 1875. About two hundred children attend these schools. The congregation numbers eleven hundred souls. The following societies are attached to the church : St. Bonaventure's Society, one hundred and forty members; St. Mary's Altar Society, one hundred and thirty members ; St. Cecilia's Singing Society, sixty members; Young Ladies' Sodality, seventy members; Emerald Beneficial Association, thirty-five members ;

Catholic Knights of America, thirty-five mem- bers.

St. Bridget's Church, on the corner of West and St. Clair Streets, was opened for service on the 1st day of January, 1880. It was built under the su- pervision of Rev. D. Curran, the present pastor, and has a seating capacity of five hundred. The congre- gation is now large enough to fill it twice on Sunday, the number of souls being over one thousand. The church measures one hundred and six feet by forty- four, and cost eleven thousand dollars. A pastoral residence adjoining the church was erected in 1882, costing twelve hundred dollars. A large school building was erected in 1881 near the church by the Sisters of St. Francis, from Oldenburgh, at a cost of eleven thousand dollars. There are one hundred and fifty children in attendance. The societies at- tached to the church are: The Sodality for Men, sixty members; Young Ladies' Sodality, seventy members; Altar Society, seventy members; First Communion Society, fifty members.

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History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana, Part 72

Author: Sulgrove, Berry R. (Berry Robinson), 1828-1890 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 942

Author: Sulgrove, Berry R. (Berry Robinson), 1828-1890
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 942