USA > New York > Erie County > Buffalo > History of St. Paul's Church, Buffalo, N.Y. : 1817 to 1888 > Part 17
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The Instrument of Donation was then read, and on motion of Mr. Walker, all the members of the vestry then present signed the Instru- ment and the clerk affixed the seal :
Instrument.
" REVEREND FATHER IN GOD :
"We, the Rector, Church Wardens and Vestrymen of St. Paul's Church in the City of Buffalo, having by the blessing of God rebuilt and restored our parish church, known also as St. Paul's Cathedral, after its partial destruction by fire, do hereby offer it to receive at your hands, by a public solemnity, such renewal of its sacred character as in your judgment is requisite. And forasmuch as by an Instrument of Donation, dated October 4th, A. D. 1851, the former house was placed under the jurisdiction of the Right Reverend William Heathcote De Lancey, then Bishop of Western New York, for himself and for his successors in office ; and forasmuch as thereupon the said Bishop did receive the same, and by solemn rites did consecrate and make it a Church on the 22d day of October, A. D. 1851.
"Now, therefore, we, the corporation aforesaid, do hereby renew and freshly assume all the obligations then by this corporation acknowledged and professed. And we do solemnly ratify the said Instrument, and hold it to be binding upon us and our suc- cessors according to its original intent, with respect of this church as restored, im- proved and enlarged. And we do hereby pray you so to set it apart, and to restore it after desecration (to which it has been more or less exposed in the process of rebuild- ing), so that it may be no further secularized or profaned, but may be continually hal- lowed by all men as a House of Prayer, and used exclusively for the Worship and Glory of Almighty God, according to the Doctrines, Liturgy, Rites and Usages of the Church known as the 'Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America.' And further, as the chancel of this church hath been much enlarged, and is rebuilt partly upon new and unconsecrated ground, we therefore do, by these presents, as respects the said enlargement, assume all the obligations of the Instrument aforesaid, as if the new chancel or choir had been part and parcel of the original fabric at the date of its consecration. And we do hereby move you, Reverend Father, to take the
t
THE RESTORED ST. PAUL'S. From Main Street.
Photograph by A. W. Simon, 1895.
History of St. Paul's Church. 183
same into your jurisdiction and to consecrate and set it apart for sacred uses exclu- sively. The same is designed to be a Memorial of the life and ministry of the Rev- erend William Shelton, D. D., for more than half a century Rector of this church ; and we ask you to recognize it as such in your Apostolic Sentence, making it a Holy Place for the due celebration of the Blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, and for all other rites and usages which by the Canons and Rubrics of the Church are appointed for such Holy Place in the House of God.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF we have hereunto set our hands and the seal of this Cor- poration, in the City of Buffalo, on this 2d day of January, in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Ninety."
On Friday morning, at eleven o'clock, January 3, 1890, the service of Reconciling and Hallowing was held by Bishop Coxe in St. Paul's, and the restored church was formally reopened and dedicated to the Worship of Almighty God in the presence of a large congregation. The bishop, preceded by a long line of choristers and clergy, entered the church. The procession passed through the north aisle and up the center aisle to the chancel, the 68th Psalm being repeated mean- while by the bishop and the clergy and congregation responsively. After reaching the chancel, the Instrument of Donation was read by the rector, the Rev. Mr. Adams, and the bishop proceeded in the office, arranged by him for this occasion, in a form slightly differing from that for the consecration of a church. The Sentence of Conse- cration was then read, and was placed by the bishop upon the Holy Table. The Benediction and Invocation followed, after which Morn- ing Prayer was said. The sermon was by Bishop Coxe, the text being from Nehemiah xiii., 14 : "Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof." In the course of his sermon, the Bishop quoted the words of Dr. Shelton on the occasion of the former consecration : "If the spirits are mercifully allowed to revisit the scenes of earth, we may be assured they will look down upon us to-day, and sing Hosannahs, with us, in the Highest." The bishop also referred to the work so successfully carried out by the congregation, and said : "Out of the ashes of humiliation, the church has sprung
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History of St. Paul's Church.
up greater and more beautiful than ever." The offering was for St. Philip's Church, and the services closed with the Celebration of the Holy Communion.
In the evening of the same day, January 3, 1890, the commemora- tive services were held in St. Paul's for the completion of the twenty- fifth year of Bishop Coxe's Episcopate, as the second Bishop of West- ern New York. "St. Paul's never before looked so resplendent. Since the disastrous fire of eighteen months ago, its interior had been entirely renovated and greatly beautified, and on the morning of this day it had been hallowed with a special service by the Bishop of the Dio- cese. . The vested choirs of St. Paul's, Trinity, Ascension, St. Luke's, St. Mary's, St. Andrew's, All-Saints, and the Good Shepherd, all of Buffalo, and consisting of some 250 voices, each choir led by a crucifer, passed from the crypt to the west door of the church, singing ' The Son of God goes forth to war.'. The clergy, vested in cassock, surplice, and white stoles, and many, by request of the bishop, wearing the colored hoods indicative of their academic degrees, fol- lowed, and opening ranks upon reaching the choir, the bishops and elder clergy passed into the Sanctuary. Evensong was then impres- sively rendered, and the special prayers, set forth by the Bishop of the Diocese, were said. . . At the close of Evening Prayer, the Rev. Dr. Rankine, Rector of DeLancey Divinity School, and of St. Peter's Church, Geneva, being one of the oldest priests in the Diocese, and one of the attending priests at Bishop Coxe's consecration, was dele- gated by the committee to deliver a congratulatory address to the bishop." .
During his address, Dr. Rankine stated that the clergy of the Diocese desired to present to the bishop a Pastoral Staff, for the Diocese of Western New York, to be delivered on the near- approaching twenty-fifth anniversary, April 5, 1890, of his ceasing to be Coadjutor by the death of Bishop DeLancey, and of his entering upon the full responsibility of Episcopal jurisdiction. The staff to remain in the Diocese as a memento of its marked progress under Bishop Coxe's supervision, and a transmitted bond in its future history.
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History of St. Paul's Church.
At the close of the address, Dr. Rankine presented to the Bishop, on behalf of Hobart College and the DeLancey Divinity School, a rare book - a Book of Common Prayer in many languages.
After Bishop Coxe's response, he was addressed by the Hon. James M. Smith, LL. D., Chancellor of the Diocese, who, on behalf of the laymen of the Diocese, presented the Bishop with a purse of twenty- five hundred dollars.
The sermon was delivered by the Rt. Rev. Henry C. Potter, D. D., LL. D., Bishop of New York, and was an eloquent characterization of what constitutes an ideal Bishop, which, without being direct praise, touched delicately on many points of Bishop Coxe's own character.
The Recessional Hymn was, " I love Thy Kingdom, Lord." After the clergy and choirs had passed into the crypt, the Bishop spoke touchingly to the singers, thanking them for their part in the services of the evening. The choirs of the different churches were accompa- nied by their respective choir-masters, and the music was under the general direction of Samuel J. Gilbert, organist and choir-master of St. Paul's. The anthems and hymns were all familiar ones, and the musical portion of the service was most inspiring.
At ten o'clock on Saturday morning, January 4th, at St. Paul's, there was a solemn celebration of the Holy Eucharist, attended by many of the clergy and laity, gathered from all parts of the Diocese. Bishop Coxe was the celebrant, and was assisted by Bishop Potter, the Rev. William A. Hitchcock, D. D., of Ascension Church, and the Rev. Francis Lobdell, D. D., of Trinity. The sermon was preached by Bishop Coxe, and was addressed personally and intimately to the clergy of the Diocese, as to the mutual relations of Bishop and Pres- byter. He recalled the early history of the Diocese, and referred to the pioneers of the Church in the then wilds. He said : "Western New York owes its existence as a planted Church, chiefly and first of all to the piety of a single Presbyter, Davenport Phelps "-and also of "his compeer, the revered Father Nash." Referring to his own consecration the Bishop said of the clergy who came about him at the
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History of St. Paul's Church.
close, to press his hand : " When one came forward whom I had looked up to in my youth as one of the most eloquent clergymen of the Church, when one so much my superior, with infinite humility came and took my hand, and looked into my face and called me his bishop, I remember what a lesson it was to me-to be humble indeed. I
speak of the beloved Ingersoll. When such a man as Ingersoll saluted me, his younger brother, as his bishop, and wished me Godspeed out of a loving heart, the Lord knoweth I was humbled. I seem to see, even now, his beautiful expression, his tender and loving eyes. . . . . I need not mention my venerated friend, Dr. Shelton, as one whom I loved. He at that time was not present. He had given me his prayers and blessing, and was then traveling in the Holy Land."
After the service, the Rev. Dr. Van Dyke thanked the bishop, on behalf of the clergy of the diocese, for allowing them to demonstrate, in the way that had been done, their appreciation of his many years of service among them.
When a public commemoration had been at first proposed, the bishop had been much averse to it.
The pastoral staff, of silver and ebony, of exquisite design and workmanship, was later received by the bishop, and at his death was transmitted to Bishop Walker as his successor in office, and is used as the pastoral staff of the diocese. It is said that the old wooden crozier, which Bishop Coxe used for many years, and of which he was especially fond, had been given to him by Dr. Shelton, and was made from wood from St. Paul's Church. This staff was buried with him.
At a meeting of the vestry, held at the Parish House, formerly called the Guild House, March 26, 1890, it was moved and carried that the parish should have an assistant minister. At this meeting it was decided that the balance (about $2,400) of the $4,000 left to St. Paul's by the Rev. William Shelton, D. D., should be transferred tem- porarily to the building fund. Dr. Shelton left $2,000 to the parish, the interest to be used for chiming the bells. He also left $4,000 unconditionally. A portion of this latter amount was used by the
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History of St. Paul's Church.
vestry in 1886 for repointing the church edifice, repairing the stone crosses, etc. (See pages 149, 154, 155.)
At the annual election of wardens and vestrymen, held on Easter Monday, April 7, 1890, the following persons were chosen : William H. Walker and A. Porter Thompson, wardens ; John Pease, James R. Smith, Henry R. Hopkins, George Alfred Stringer, Robert P. Wilson, Albert J. Barnard, James Sweeney and Edmund Hayes, vestrymen.
At a meeting of the vestry held April 19, 1890, G. Hunter Bartlett was re-elected clerk of the vestry, and James W. Sanford was re-elected treasurer of the parish.
May 13, 1890, at the Hygienic Institute, Geneva, N. Y., died Harriet M. Dayton, widely known throughout Western New York as "Sister Harriet." She was the daughter of the late Judge Nathan Dayton of Lockport, N. Y., and was born September 15, 1826, and went to Lock- port with her parents in 1832. She was a very faithful worker in the Church, and early gave her life up to charitable and religious work among sick, poor and afflicted humanity. She was the first ordained member of the Protestant Episcopal Order of Deaconesses, and came to Buffalo to labor under Bishop Coxe about 1880, later becoming a member of St. Paul's Church, where she worked under the direction of the Rev. Dr. Brown, as deaconess of the parish. Her work among the poor and sick was constant, and her quiet, gentle ways endeared her to all. Her funer- al was held in Grace Church, Lockport, and was very largely attended, not only by her old friends in Lockport but by many from Buffalo.
September 11, 1890, at a meeting of the vestry, Mr. Walker spoke of the tablet which the vestry proposed to place in the new Temple Beth Zion, on Delaware Avenue, as an acknowledgment of the cour- tesy and hospitality extended to St. Paul's by the Reverend Rabbi and the trustees of Temple Beth Zion after the burning of the church on May 10, 1888. On motion, a committee was elected to procure such tablet.
At this meeting, William H. Walker, Judge James M. Smith and O. H. P. Champlin were elected delegates to the Diocesan Convention to be held at Niagara Falls, September 16, 1890.
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History of St. Paul's Church.
At the same meeting a letter from A. Porter Thompson to the rector, wardens, and vestrymen was read, in which he said : "In behalf of Agnes L. Warren, Laetitia P. Viele and myself, I hereby present to St. Paul's Church a bust in marble of the late Sheldon Thompson, our father, to replace the memorial bust heretofore in the church, and which was destroyed by the explosion in the church, Ascension Day, 1888. The former bust was formally accepted by the vestry many years ago, and we now ask the acceptance of this memorial in place of the former one."
The following preamble and resolution were then offered and unanimously adopted :
"A communication having been read from Mr. A. Porter Thompson offering to St. Paul's Church, on behalf of himself and his sisters, Mrs. Warren and Mrs. Viele, a marble bust of their father, the late Sheldon Thompson, to replace the one formerly in the church. Therefore,
" Resolved, That the vestry accepts with great pleasure this valuable memorial of one of the founders of this parish and gladly consents to its being placed in the church." (See pages 64, 292.)
1891.
At the annual election, Easter Monday, March 30, 1891, the follow- ing persons were elected as wardens and vestrymen : William H. Walker and A. Porter Thompson, wardens ; John Pease, Albert J. Bar- nard, George A. Stringer, James R. Smith, Robert P. Wilson, Edmund Hayes, James Sweeney and Sheldon T. Viele, vestrymen.
April 14, 1891, Edward L. Stevenson, one of Buffalo's oldest and most respected citizens, died. He had long been prominently identi- fied with St. Paul's Parish, was one of the vestry in 1848-'49-'50-'51, a member of the building committee for the new church edifice in 1849, and always most liberal in his gifts to the church, especially for the rebuilding of the edifice after the disastrous fire of 1888. His name heads the subscription list of 1888 with the generous sum of $5,000.
History of St. Paul's Church. 189
Mr. Stevenson was over eighty-five years old at the time of his death, and had been identified with many of Buffalo's most important business enterprises. He was born in Auburn, Cayuga Co., March 31, 1806, to which place his parents had come from Massachusetts. Here he lived until 1823, when he came to Buffalo as manager of the famous stage route from Buffalo to Albany, which constituted in those days an enter- prise of very considerable magnitude. At one time four regular lines of coaches left Buffalo - the " Telegraph " line, which limited the num- ber of passengers to six, and in seasons of good roads made the distance to Albany in forty-eight hours, charging $15 fare ; the "Pilot " line, the " Diligence," and the regular mail and accommodation line. The three latter charged about $10 fare. Mr. Stevenson continued in the stage office until 1842, at which time the Buffalo & Attica Railroad was completed, forming the last link in the line from Buffalo to Albany, and practically ending the stage business over that route forever. During this period Mr. Stevenson made numerous investments in land ; these operations being carefully and judiciously conducted, yielded handsome profits and laid the foundation of his large fortune. For many years past Mr. Stevenson had devoted himself almost entirely to the care of his large real estate interests, and it was his pride to say that he had transacted business within a circle of 100 feet from his office on Main Street for a period of sixty years.
Mr. Stevenson outlived his wife, to whom he was married in 1832, and who died August 31, 1886, and both of their children, a young son who died in 1840, and the late George P. Stevenson, who died May 23, 1878 ; but he was affectionately cared for during the ill health of his later years by his nieces, Miss Amelia Stevenson and the late Mrs. Frank S. Thorn, who had lived with him after the death of their parents in their early childhood. The beautiful stained-glass window in St. Paul's, near the pulpit and facing the south aisle, is in memory of his late wife, Mrs. Amelia Geer Stevenson. (See page 294.)
At a meeting of the vestry held May 8, 1891, G. Hunter Bartlett was re-elected clerk of the vestry.
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History of St. Paul's Church.
James W. Sanford's resignation as treasurer of the parish was then read, and the following resolutions in regard to it were unani- mously adopted, and a copy ordered sent to Mr. Sanford :
" Resolved, That this vestry receives with great regret the resignation of Mr. James W. Sanford, who for twenty years has been the valued and efficient treasurer of the parish.
" Resolved, That while we are constrained by Mr. Sanford's wishes to accept his resignation, we wish to assure him that we do so most unwillingly and with a full appreciation of the great services rendered to the parish in the office which he has so ably filled.
" Resolved, That we offer to Mr. Sanford on this occasion the best wishes of every member of the vestry for his health and prosperity."
It was moved and carried that Philip Joyce be elected treasurer of the parish.
On motion, the wardens were appointed a committee to negotiate for the transfer of the property of St. Andrew's Mission from the war- dens and vestry of St. Paul's Parish to the parish about to be formed.
At a vestry meeting held June 5, 1891, it was reported for the com- mittee on placing a tablet in the new Temple Beth Zion on Delaware Avenue, that the tablet had been placed in the Temple, and was well executed and satisfactory. Rev. Henry A. Adams stated that the Rev. Dr. Aaron, Rabbi of the Temple, had written a cordial letter to him, acknowledging the gift. The inscription on the tablet is as follows :
THIS TABLET IS PLACED HERE BY THE VESTRY OF ST. PAUL'S CHURCH, BUFFALO IN GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE KINDNESS OF THE CONGREGATION TEMPLE BETH ZION IN TENDERING TO THE WARDENS AND VESTRY OF ST. PAUL'S THE USE OF THE TEMPLE AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CHURCH BY FIRE, ON THE TENTH DAY OF MAY, 1888.
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History of St. Paul's Church.
November 23, 1891, at a meeting of the vestry, it was moved and carried : " That the rector and clerk be authorized to sign the necessary application to the court, and subsequently to sign the deed, for the transfer of the Spruce Street property, and that the clerk be authorized and directed to affix the seal of the corporation thereto." This was therefore done. The property on Spruce Street had been purchased by St. Paul's Church in 1875 for the purpose of erecting there a mis- sion chapel ; the chapel was built, and a mission, called St. Andrew's Mission, was carried on for fifteen years, principally supported by St. Paul's, and conducted by members of St. Paul's Guild and others. The mission grew in strength and importance and was, in 1891, duly incorporated under the name of St. Andrew's Church, Buffalo, N. Y., according to the provisions of the statute in such case made and provided, and was received into communion with the Protestant Episcopal Church. The rector, wardens and vestrymen of the new church therefore made application to St. Paul's to have the property transferred to them. (See pages 117 and 393.) They afterwards sold the Spruce Street property, and built a new St. Andrew's Church on Goodell Street.
1892.
February 9, 1892, at a meeting of the vestry, the resignation of the Rev. Henry A. Adams as rector of the parish was read, the resig- nation to take effect March 1, 1892. The following resolutions were unanimously adopted :
" Resolved, That the resignation of the Rev. Henry A. Adams of the rectorship of St. Paul's Church be and the same is hereby accepted, to take effect on the Ist day of March, 1892.
" Resolved, That we wish to place on record our appreciation of the intellectual force and ability which he has shown during his connection with this parish, and also of the earnestness and zeal displayed in the spiritual oversight of St. Paul's.
" Resolved, That our best wishes attend him in his new and important field of labor."
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History of St. Paul's Church.
The Rev. Henry A. Adams was born at Santiago de Cuba in 1861, and was therefore only twenty-eight years old when he became rector of St. Paul's in 1889. He had been first assistant minister of old Trinity Church, New York City, his duties there being chiefly confined to preaching, for three years before coming to Buffalo. On his resig- nation of the rectorship of St. Paul's he returned to New York, becom- ing rector of the Church of the Redeemer in that city.
February 9, 1892, at the meeting of the vestry, the resignation of G. Hunter Bartlett as clerk of the vestry was read. He had asked some months before to be relieved, on account of lack of time for dis- charging the duties of clerk, and had handed in his formal resigna- tion in December, 1891, having been clerk since May 1, 1885. On motion the resignation was accepted, "with the thanks of the vestry to Dr. G. Hunter Bartlett for his valuable and long-continued services."
Charles R. Wilson was then unanimously elected clerk of the vestry.
The following committee to obtain a new rector was appointed at this meeting : Mr. Walker, chairman ; Messrs. Thompson, Wilson, Barnard, Stringer, Smith and Hayes. On April 27th, Mr. Viele was added to the committee.
The Rev. Arthur J. Fidler, assistant minister of the parish, became the minister in charge.
April 18, 1892, Easter Monday, at the annual election, the following persons were chosen for wardens and vestrymen : William H. Walker and A. Porter Thompson, wardens ; John Pease, Albert J. Barnard, George Alfred Stringer, James R. Smith, Robert P. Wilson, Edmund Hayes, James Sweeney and Sheldon T. Viele.
At a meeting of the vestry held April 27, 1892, Charles R. Wilson was re-elected clerk of the vestry, and Philip Joyce treasurer of the parish.
At the same meeting a letter was read from the Rev. Arthur J. Fidler, resigning the office of assistant minister in charge of St. Paul's, the resignation to take effect April 30th, in view of the fact that he had accepted a call to the rectorship of Christ Church, Greenburg, Pa., upon the duties of which he expected to enter May 1, 1892.
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History of St. Paul's Church.
The vestry unanimously resolved :
" WHEREAS, the Rev. Arthur J. Fidler, assistant minister of this parish, has ten- dered his resignation to take effect on the 30th inst. Therefore be it,
" Resolved, That in accepting the resignation of Mr. Fidler, it is a simple act of justice to express to him our appreciation of his valuable services in the position he has held. Since the rector left us his duties have been especially arduous and have been most faithfully performed. Our best wishes will follow him in the parish at Greenburg, and we hope he may have many happy and prosperous years before him."
At this meeting the applications of nineteen men of the parish for certificates recommending them to the bishop for license as Lay Read- ers were presented to the vestry ; the applications were approved and the certificates signed, the names being as follows :
Judge James M. Smith, Robert P. Wilson, Matthew D. Mann, M. D., Thomas F. Lothrop, M. D., Edward C. Walker, Francis S. White, Frank W. Abbott, M. D., O. H. P. Champlin, Wm. H. Chapin, Howard T. Cornwell, Henry A. Dann, Wm. F. Dent, Henry S. Gatley, Henry R. Hopkins, M. D., Montgomery A. Crockett, M. D., Alex. S. Hallo- well, John B. Higgins, Philip S. Smith and Charles R. Wilson. Sep- tember 16, 1892, the names of Harry S. Sizer and James A. Lep- per were added to this list. These applications grew out of the organization of the Layman's Missionary League, and were in accord- ance with its regulations.
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