History of Baltimore, Maryland, from its founding as a town to the current year, 1729-1898, including its early settlement and development; a description of its historic and interesting localities; political, military, civil, and religious statistcs; biographies of representative citizens, etc., etc, Part 44

Author: Shepherd, Henry Elliott, 1844-1929, ed. 4n
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Uniontown? Pa.] S.B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1344

USA > Maryland > Baltimore County > Baltimore City > History of Baltimore, Maryland, from its founding as a town to the current year, 1729-1898, including its early settlement and development; a description of its historic and interesting localities; political, military, civil, and religious statistcs; biographies of representative citizens, etc., etc > Part 44

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latter including fifty Chinamen. The Rev. Edward H. Robbins was placed in charge of the church in May, 1886, and still con- tinues to do most effective work at the pres- ent time.

WAVERLY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

This church was organized in the suburb of Waverly October 16, 1887, with twenty- seven members. Its first pastor was the Rev. William Cumming, who served from November 9, 1887, to June 24, 1891. The church was dedicated on October 21, 1888. The Rev. Alfred Evans was pastor from April, 1892, to April, 1896, when he was succeeded by the first pastor, the Rev. Mr. Cumming, who is still in charge. The membership is 220.

CHURCH OF THE COVENANT.

This church is situated in the southwest portion of the city on Hollins and Stricker streets. It was organized November 29, 1889, at a hall corner Fulton and Pratt streets, and has known a steady growth. The first pastor was the Rev. W. L. Austin, who died while in charge in 1896. The pres- ent pastor is the Rev. H. S. Graham. The congregation owns a parsonage at 212 North Carey street. The membership is 150

MARYLAND AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

This congregation is a child of the Frank- lin Street Church, and is attached to the Southern Presbyterian Church. In 1887 its present site, corner of Maryland and Hunt- ingdon avenues, was purchased from the Huntingdon Avenue M. E. Church by the Franklin street congregation. A plain brick church edifice stood upon it. In 1894

this was remodeled at an expenditure of $20,000. It is now a very attractive build- ing both within and without. The property is still held by the Franklin Street Church, which has fostered the new enterprise in every possible way. Under the efficient ministry of the Rev. J. A. Vance this con- gregation has speedily grown until it now numbers 322 members-a remarkable growth in ten years. Its future seems most promising, as its situation is most advan- tageous. A handsome Manse adjoins the church on Maryland avenue.

BOHEMIAN AND MORAVIAN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

In the fall of 1886 Faith Presbyterian Church began to hold services for the bene- fit of the Bohemians and Moravians in the city. These were held in the Faith Chapel and gradually attracted sufficient numbers to warrant an organization, which was ef- fected on January 26, 1890, by the Rev. Vin- cent Pisek, pastor of the Bohemian Pres- byterian Church, New York. He adminis- tered the Lord's Supper to seventy-five communicants. On April 22d the Bo- hemian and Moravian Presbyterian Church was organized by the Presbytery of Bal- timore. The first pastor was the Rev. Vaclav Losa. He was succeeded by the Rev. Vaclav Vanek, the present pastor. This congregation has had the free use of the Faith Chapel, but a suitable lot has been purchased for a church by the Presbyterian Association. It will doubtless be erected in the present year, 1898.

CRISP MEMORIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Brooklyn.

In the year 1890 Mr. Richard O. Crisp, a member of the Central Presbyterian

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Church, died and left in his will $50,000 for the erection of a church in Brooklyn. A prominent site was selected and a very handsome stone church and parsonage erected thereon. His widow, upon their completion, endowed the property to the amount of $20,000. The congregation was organized in 1893. The Central Church holds the title to the property, but the church is under charge of its own officers. The pastor is the Rev. T. L. Springer, who is faithfully administering his trust and ad- vancing the welfare of the community as well as of the congregation. The member- ship is twenty-eight.

RIDGELY STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

The Central Presbyterian Church organ- ized a mission on Ridgely street in 1863 and conducted it as such for a number of years. In 1892 it was organized as a congregation. It is progressing very well and has a bright prospect for usefulness and success before it under the care of the Rev. E. E. Weaver, who has been in charge of it from the be- ginning. The membership is 212, and the number of Sunday-school scholars is 641.

REID MEMORIAL HOPE INSTITUTE.

Mr. Andrew Reid, a member of the First Presbyterian Church, erected this beautiful stone and brick edifice in 1895 as a mem- orial to a deceased daughter. It is situated on Madison street near Harford avenue, and is doing a very good work in a densely populated portion of the city. The Sunday- school, as well as the congregation, is grow- ing into goodly proportions under the min- istry of the Rev. William Caldwell. The membership of the church is 202.

This chapel is still a mission of the First Presbyterian Church, by which it was

started about ten years ago under the name of "The Hope Institute." A kindergarten, classes for instruction and various charita- ble organizations are maintained. A "Res- cue Mission," at the corner of Mott and Ensor streets, was begun in 1896, as part of the work of the Reid Memorial.

PARK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

A few years ago the Brown Memorial Church established a mission on the corner of Madison and North avenues. The Rev. George L. Curtis was placed in charge. The work grew rapidly, and the congregation was organized in 1893. A stone edifice was erected and the church is now self-support- ing. The Rev. Mr. Curtis is still in charge.

ST. HELENA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

The St. Helena Sunday-school was or- ganized on January 9, 1896, at the house of Mr. J. W. Fahnestock. It was at first under the Methodist Church, but owing to a disagreement with the pastor of the Pat- apsco M. E. Church it became independent, and on July 22d it unanimously voted to unite with the Presbyterian Church. The Rev. W. C. Maloy became interested in it during the fall and held services. On Oc- tober 6, 1897, the Rev. Mr. Maloy present- ed to the Presbytery a petition containing the names of twenty persons pledging them- selves to become members of St. Helena Church, and asking to be formed into a church. On October 14th the congregation was organized under the present name with twenty members. On November 23d the foundation for a church was begun and the edifice will be ready for use early in 1898. The Rev. Mr. Maloy has been elected pas- tor and will doubtless be installed by the Presbytery after its meeting in April of

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1898. St. Helena is a suburb of the city, a few miles to the south.

WALBROOK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

On January 13, 1898, this church was organized by a committee of the Presbytery of Baltimore. Its minister is the Rev. Rob- ert H. Williams, D. D. Services are held in the Union Sunday-school building, cor- ner of Clifton avenue and Eleventh street. A church building will doubtless be erected in the near future.

THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

Methodism came to Maryland in 1760 in the person of Robert Strawbridge. He was a Wesleyan lay preacher from Ireland and settled upon Sam's or Pipe creek, in Fred- erick county. He opened his house for preaching as soon as he could get his fam- ily arranged, and preached therein regu- larly on Sundays, until he erected a "Log Meeting House," a short distance from his dwelling. While yet worshiping in his own dwelling he organized the first Methodist society in Maryland, indeed in America, and thus he has the honor of being the founder of American Methodism. He traveled far and wide, going even to Delaware, Penn- sylvania and Virginia, and organizing class meetings wherever he went. The "Log Meeting House" was the first Methodist church built in America; and Bishop As- bury did not hesitate to write in his journal, after holding a conference in the vicinity of Mr. Strawbridge's dwelling in 1801: "Here Mr. Strawbridge formed the first So- ciety in Maryland and in America." This "Log Meeting House" was both rude and small. Its dimensions were twenty-four feet by twenty-four feet, three inches. This

building was soon outgrown and was super- seded by a chapel erected upon land given by Mr. Poulson for that purpose. It was therefore called "Poulson Chapel." In 1783 this chapel, which was of wood, was torn down and a new chapel was erected of stone. This new, and third structure, was always known as the "Stone Chapel." Mr. Strawbridge resided sixteen years at Sam's creek and then moved to Long Green, Bal- timore county, and located on a farm given him by Capt. Charles Ridgely, of "Hamp- ton." He died in the summer of 1781. He was buried near his residence, but later his remains were removed to Mt. Olivet Ceme- tery, Baltimore.

The first Methodist to come to Baltimore Town was John King, of England, who, though a Wesleyan, came to America on his own responsibility and without any su- pervision of the parent society in England. He was a man of university education and possessed marked abilities. He reached Baltimore in 1770. His first sermon was preached from a blacksmith's block at the corner of Front and French streets. Then he preached from a table at the corner of Baltimore and Calvert streets. Afterwards he was invited to preach in St. Paul's Church and occupied its pulpit once. He requested the use of the church a second time, but it was denied him. Thereupon he preached to the congregation of St. Paul's from the sidewalk, as the people came out of the church.

The first person to open his house to this ardent missionary was Capt. Patton, an Irishman residing at Fell's Point. Fell's Point was at this time a separate settlement from Baltimore, situated a mile or more to the east and divided from it by a large

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tract of land. It is evident that John King preached in both these little communities and made converts in each. Societies were formed in each and grew rapidly, so that a church edifice was begun at each about the same time. Though that at Fell's Point seems to have been begun first, that in Bal- timore was probably finished and dedicated first.

The erection of the former was largely due to the influence of the Rev. Francis Asbury, who came to America from Eng- land in 1771. He landed first at Philadel- phia, but in 1772 came to Baltimore. His singular gifts and marked piety speedily won many followers. He preached at both settlements, to which he refers in his Jour- nal as "The Point" and "The Town." At the former he seems to have been specially instrumental in making the first move to- ward the erection of a meeting house. A brick edifice was begun on Fleet street, and when completed in 1774 it was dedicated by the Rev. Mr. Asbury. It was called "'I'he Strawberry Alley Meeting House." It quickly attracted a large congregation. It is said that the marriage of Prince Jerome Bonaparte to Miss Patterson took place in this church on December 24, 1803. About this time the edifice was abandoned by the congregation for a larger church, and it was given to a colored congregation, by which it was used until 1877, when it was con- verted into a hall for a colored society.

The first Methodist church to be erected in the town was erected in 1774 on Lovely lane. It was built of brick, on a lot pur- chased on February II, 1774, by William Moore and Philip Rogers, who took up a subscription for the purpose of securing a lot and erecting a church. In April, 1774,

the foundation was laid. In October of the same year the building was so far completed that Capt. Webb, a British officer, who was also a local Methodist preacher, delivered the first sermon in it. It was probably com- pleted and used before the sister edifice, called "Strawberry Alley Meeting House," at Fell's Point, was finished. Lovely lane ran parallel to Baltimore street and is the present German street. The church stood where the Merchants' Gun Club now is, and a tablet designates its site.

In May, 1776, the first Conference of Methodist Preachers, held in Baltimore, took place in this meeting house, which was known as the "Lovely Lane Meeting House." The first three Conferences of the Methodist Societies were held in Phila- delphia; but the fourth met in Lovely Lane Meeting House in December, 1776. This proved to be a most memorable gathering, for on the 25th of this month the assembled preachers organized the Methodist Socie- ties in the United States into the "Method- ist Episcopal Church in the United States of America." This Conference thus became the first Conference of the Methodist Epis- copal Church. It was at this time also that the Rev. Thomas Coke, LL. D., of Eng- land, who had been sent to America to or- ganize the Methodist Societies, ordained the Rev. Francis Asbury to be the first Su- perintendent of the American Methodist Church. Bishop Asbury's subsequent career was full of honor to himself and of usefulness to his church. He traveled all over the land, and after half a century's ar- duous labor entered into rest at Fredericks- burg, Va., on Sunday, March 31, 1816, at the age of 71. His body was brought to Baltimore and deposited in a vault specially

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constructed for it at the Eutaw Street M. E. Church on May Ioth. Here it remained until June 16, 1854, when it was interred in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. The Rev. Dr. Coke had been ordained Superintendent in Eng- land by John Wesley. At the time of the First General Conference a very earnest overture was made to Bishop Coke and Bishop Asbury by the Rev. Dr. Andrews, rector of St. Thomas' parish, and the Rev. Dr. West, rector of St. Paul's parish, look- ing toward a reconciliation of the Method- ist and the Episcopal Churches. Bishop Coke and Bishop Asbury were invited to meet the two rectors at St. Paul's rectory, Baltimore, and there the views of each were expressed; but the differences were thought to be irreconcilable, especially on the part of the Methodists. Not content with one attempt the Rev. Dr. Andrews made another, and called upon the Rev. Dr. Coke at his lodgings and urged once more the union of the two bodies; but found that "the contempt and aversion with which the Methodists had been treated in England and in this country was an effectual bar in the way of coalition."

The rapid growth of Methodism soon rendered the Lovely Lane Meeting House too small, and another church was erected in 1785-1786 at the northwest corner of Light street and Wine alley. This was known as the First Light Street Church. It was dedicated by Bishop Asbury on May 21, 1786, he also preaching the sermon. The building was 46 feet wide by 70 feet long, and was built of brick. About this time the important subject of education be- gan to agitate the minds of the early Methodists, and at the close of the Confer-

intended to advance religion in America, to be presented to the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church," was adopted and signed by the two Bishops, Dr. Coke and Mr. Asbury. A site was selected at Abingdon, Harford county. The first Methodist educational institution in the country was erected thereupon and opened for students early in December, 1787. It was named "Cokesbury College." It had an honorable career for eighty years, when, on December 4, 1795, it was destroyed by fire at the hands of an incendiary. The col- lege site at Abingdon was abandoned, and the institution was removed to Baltimore. Its life began anew in a building opposite the Light Street Church under favorable auspices ; but on the 4th of December, 1796, both the church and college were destroyed by a fire which originated in a building ad- jacent to the church. The church was im- mediately rebuilt on the opposite corner, and dedicated on October 29, 1797, but the college was abandoned. It had occupied the site of the Second Light Street Church, the building having been a large and ele- gant assembly room.

In 1798 there was a great revival in Bal- timore, and the Methodist Church received so many accessions that it was necessary to create a new congregation. A new edi- fice was erected on Green, now Exeter street. It is still in use, though it has been enlarged three times.

After the destruction of the First Light Street Church the second was built on the opposite side of the street. Bishop Asbury dedicated it on October 29, 1797. This edifice remained in use until 1872. It was remodeled and extensively improved from ence in 1785 "a plan for erecting a college," time to time. The parsonage at the rear

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was a famous resort for bishops and preach- ers. In the upper story was a room known as the "Conference Room." It was first used as a private academy for the instruc- tion of youths. In 1801 the "Male Free School of Baltimore" was organized, and occupied the room for school purposes un- til 1812, when the institution was removed to the new building erected for it on Court- land street. From 1810 it was the place of meeting for the Annual Conference for many years, and was also used for preach- ers' meetings, Sunday-school gatherings, and other church meetings.

In the year 1843 a Sunday-school build- ing was erected immediately south of the church. Bishop Waugh laid the corner- stone. It was designed to accommodate the "Asbury Sunday-school, No. I," which had been organized and conducted for sev- eral years in the Male School on Courtland street.

Great prosperity marked the history of the Light Street Church, and in 1843 a strong colony went out from it and estab- lished a new center of church life at the northeast corner of Charles and Fayette streets. It erected a large and imposing edifice under the name of the "Charles Street M. E. Church." In 1869 Light Street Church, which had become unde- sirable for religious uses, owing to the en- croachments of business, was sold, and its congregation purchased the Charles Street Church for its congregation for $110,000. In 1870 the latter congregation began to erect a new edifice on Mount Vernon Place, and took the name of the "Mt. Vernon Place M. E. Church." This move was largely due to the zeal of the pastor, the Rev. Dr. Thomas M. Eddy. The new church was

completed in 1874 at a cost of $375,000. Its first pastor was the Rev. Dr. Thomas Guard, whose fame as a preacher was well nigh national.

The Light Street Church (also called First Church), congregation occupied the Charles street edifice for the first time on Sunday, March 17, 1872. But the gradual encroachments of business up Charles street rendered removal necessary, and in 1885 a large tract of land was purchased on St. Paul street and Twenty-fourth street. A most imposing edifice, with Sunday- school building and parsonage attached, was erected at once. The pastor at this time was the Rev. Dr. John F. Goucher, who gave large sums of money from his private purse to make this church edifice one of the most notable in the land. No sooner was it completed than it was filled with a thriving congregation, and is to-day to be ranked among the largest and strong- est Methodist churches in America. The buildings are all of stone, and the total cost was $250,000. The chapel was dedicated on November 6, 1885, and the church on No- vember 6, 1887.

The strong beginning made by the First Church was in some degree due to the fact that the Huntingdon Avenue M. E. Church, which had a church edifice at the corner of Maryland and Huntingdon avenues, sold its property to the Franklin Street Presby- terian Church for $10,000, and united .with the First Church in 1885.

The First Church has long been known as "The Baltimore City Station," and has been most active throughout its entire his- tory in missionary work. Among its more recent missions have been: The "Twenty- fourth Street M. E. Church," which was es-

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tablished in 1878, and which became inde- pendent in March, 1898; the "Guilford Avenue M. E. Church," which was organl- ized in 1885, and became independent in March, 1898; and the "Oxford M. E. Church," which was organized in 1886, and is still under the care of the First M. E. Church. Prior to the separation of the first two from their mother, the membership of the First M. E. Church was about 1,000. The present pastor is the Rev. T. P. Frost, D. D.

During his pastorate of the First Church, the Rev. Dr. Goucher conceived the plan of establishing a Woman's College immediately adjacent to the property of the First Church." This he was successful in doing. The first President of the Col- lege was the Rev. Dr. Wm. H. Hopkins, who had been the acting president of St. John's College, Annapolis. Upon the ex- piration of his pastorate the Rev. Dr. Goucher succeeded to the presidency, and the Rev. Dr. Hopkins took a position on the Faculty, which he still retains. The growth of this institution has been phe- nomenal. Its numerous buildings are of the most substantial and attractive charac- ter; its curriculum is very high; its stu- dents are numerous, coming from all over the land; and its outlook is most promising. All this has been accomplished in about a decade.

The First M. E. Church is the owner of the celebrated Mt. Olivet Cemetery, on the Frederick Road. This place of interment is of unusual interest owing to the fact that in it lie interred, the remains of many of the most earnest bishops and preachers who made the early history of Methodism so glorious. A noble white marble monu-

ment was dedicated on June 16, 1854, to commemorate the lives and characters of the bishops who lie at its foot. These are Bishops Francis Asbury, Enoch George, John Emory, D. D., and Beverly Waugh, D. D. Bishop Asbury lies at the rear of the monument. It is a fitting monument to the founder of American Methodism and his co-laborers and successors.

EXETER STREET M. E. CHURCH.

In 1789 a new congregation was organ- ized under the name of the Green Street Church. The first edifice, on the present site, was erected the same year. The con- gregation grew so as to demand a new church in 1850, when the present structure was begun. It was dedicated October 5, 1851. Its size and accommodations were a great improvement, and the congregation steadily grew. In 1876 the membership numbered 311. Since that date, however, the neighborhood has undergone a radical change, owing to the invasion of a large number of Polish Jews, so that this con- gregation is struggling hard to maintain itself, and has a greatly reduced member- ship. The pastor is the Rev. H. D. Mitchell.

EAST BALTIMORE STATION.

This congregation has existed under sev- eral names. It was first known as the Wilkes Street Church, and its first edifice was erected in 1802 on Eastern avenue near Bond street. The congregation retained this name until 1861, when large improve- ments were made, and its name was changed to Eastern Avenue M. E. Church. It was rededicated on April 25, 1861. This property was sold in 1892 to a Roman Catholic Polish congregation, and a beauti- ful new stone edifice, of Gothic architecture,

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was erected at the corner of Baltimore and Washington streets. At this time the Jackson Square M. E. Church sold its property and united with the Eastern Avenue Church to form a new congrega- tion in the new church, which then took the name of the East Baltimore Station. This church is in a vigorous condition, and has a bright outlook. It has 539 communi- cants, and the Sunday-school numbers 500. The pastor is the Rev. F. H. Havenner.

SHARP STREET M. E. CHURCH (Colored.)

This church belongs to the Washington Conference, and is very active and strong. It is situated on Sharp street north of Pratt, and its first edifice was erected in 1802, but this was rebuilt in 1860. The membership is very large, 1,440 communi- cants, notwithstanding its down-town location.

It is now under the pastoral care of the Rev. D. W. Hays, D. D., who was born in Davidson county, Tenn., in 1850. He was educated at Nashville, Tenn., and ordained Elder in 1875. His first charge was the Nashville Circuit. Before coming to Baltimore he was at Washington, D. C. He is a man of high intellectual attainments and received the degree of D. D. from Rush University.

EUTAW STREET M. E. CHURCH.

This was the first Methodist congrega- tion organized north of Baltimore street. It chose a lot on the outskirts of the town, and in 1808 erected a Chapel on the rear end of it. It was dedicated the same year by Bishop Asbury. Its growth was very gradual, and it was not until 1853 that the present front was added to the original building, greatly increasing its capacity.

By this addition suitable rooms were se- cured on the ground-floor for lectures, class-meetings, etc, and a large Sunday- school room was secured above. When finished it was the best equipped church building in the city. Its congregation has steadily grown until it is now very strong and vigorous. It has able men to occupy its pastorate. The church was for many years famous because the bodies of Bishops Asbury and Emory had been interred un- der its altar. They remained there for many years, when in 1854 they were removed to Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Up to 1869 the church was a part of the Baltimore City Station; but it then became a separate or- ganization. It is in a most vigorous condi- tion and has a large membership. In 1896 it inaugurated a mission for deaf mutes under the charge of a local preacher, who is a deaf mute. Special services are held in one of the rooms every Sunday after- noon. The present pastor is the Rev. G. C. Bacon.

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Author: Shepherd, Henry Elliott, 1844-1929, ed. 4n Publication date: 1898 Publisher: [Uniontown? Pa.] S.B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1344

Author: Shepherd, Henry Elliott, 1844-1929, ed. 4n
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Uniontown? Pa.] S.B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1344