USA > New York > New York City > History of St. Stephen's parish in the city of New York, 1805-1905 > Part 6
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In his report to the New York Convention of 1832, Mr. Jackson says:
"The short time that has elapsed since the Rector entered on the duties of his present charge, precludes the possibility of giving the number of communicants, the amount contributed during the year to the various societies of the diocese, and other details. He has the happiness, however, to state, that he possesses a cheer- ing pledge, in the rapid increase of his hearers, in their serious attention to the word preached, and the har- mony which prevails, that his congregation will speed- ily realize the promised blessing of the great Head of the Church, on the faithful administration and due use of the means of grace; and that then they will resume their share in the benevolent operations of the day."
88 HISTORY OF ST. STEPHEN'S PARISH.
The rector adopted a novel plan for interesting his people in philanthropic and altruistic work.
"The Christian Benevolence Society" of St. Stephen's Church was organized, and was designed to embrace all the Societies of the Church, and to present a chan- nel through which members of the congregation could contribute to any benevolent object. Subscriptions ranging from twenty-five cents to twenty dollars per month, were paid at each monthly missionary meeting. During the first nine months $1,180.00 was paid into the treasury, and in addition to this the annual collec- tions in the church amounted to $807.00.
The plan became popular with his people, and the collections during the year following amounted to $1,962.00.
Mrs. Jackson in the "Memoirs" of her husband says : " These offerings enclosed in an envelope with their names were collected monthly in the Church." Thus early was the envelope system introduced into St. Stephen's.
Two years afterwards the Rev. Mr. 'Jackson confirms the prophecy which he had made with reference to the people under his charge, and states these interesting facts :*
"The Rector of this Church has the happiness to re- port the general prosperous state of his charge. Not- withstanding a large number of deaths and removals, the number of communicants has somewhat increased. The 'Christian Benevolence Society' continues in effi- cient operation. During the year, a daily Infant
* Journal N. Y. Convention 1834.
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School has been established, for the children of the poor, which has about 60 scholars in attendance; the number might be doubled, if a larger sum could be pro- cured. A system of tract distribution to every family in the congregation, has been carried into effect, which promises much usefulness. The congregation is divid- ed into classes, of about 12 each, which are respectively assigned to a distributor, who visits them monthly. The Tracts are selected by the Rector, whose plan is to pre- cede or follow the more important by a discourse bear- ing on the same subject; and thus, he hopes, by the pulpit and the press, to lead on his people to a good degree of intelligence in Church principles, and to train them up to extensive usefulness, ardent piety, and sound- ness in the great doctrines of the Gospel. Other ad- vantages promise to grow out of this plan, such as making the people better acquainted with each other, the promotion of proper intercourse-the obtaining of direct and immediate information respecting their tem- poral and spiritual condition, especially as regards the poor-and the strengthening of those ties, which ought to bind together members of the same communion; all of which are felt to be so desirable by every faithful pastor."
Whilst residing in New York, Mr. Jackson was an active member of the Executive Committee of the Colo- nization Society, and a member of the Foreign Commit- . tee of the Board of Missions of our Church.
Bishop Henshaw thus speaks of Mr. Jackson: "As a man he was of a calm and equal temperament; not
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liable to high or deep depression; bland in manner, amiable in disposition, steady in his attachments.
"He was a sound and decided Churchman, free from obnoxious ultraisms."
"As a preacher, Mr. Jackson was argumentative without dullness, earnest without extravagance. The end of his preaching was the salvation rather than the approbation of his hearers : to win their hearts, not their applause."
St. Stephen's parish was again growing numerically as well as spiritually, when, in 1836, Mr. Jackson asked and obtained leave of absence for a year, in order to visit England, his ancestral home.
His going abroad was not wholly from personal motives. He was frequently sent from home to or- ganize and represent leading educational societies. In this year at the annual May meetings at Exeter Hall, London, he appeared as a delegate from the Protestant Episcopal Missionary Society ; the American Bible So- ciety ; the American Tract Society; the Prayer Book and Homily Society of Maryland.
It was unfortunate that Mr. Jackson left New York at this time, for again the parish was without the guid- ance of a rector. The Rev. Zechariah Mead was invited to become locum tenens. Mr. Mead was an alumnus of the Alexandria Seminary in 1830. He became rector of St. Anne Parish, Albemarle County, and also en- gaged in literary work. After some years he moved to Boston, and later, being in New York temporarily, he supplied the vacant parish of St. Stephen's. He did not find the climate of the north beneficial to him, for
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Bishop Mead, in his book, "The Old Churches and Families of Virginia," says: "He lost his health and was obliged to seek restoration in the milder climate of Richmond, and in the editorial chair."
Mr. Jackson returned from England on the ship Europa, arriving after a very stormy passage of nearly seven weeks, and was landed in New York on Christmas Eve, 1836. The Christmas service at St. Stephen's on the day following, was one to be long re- membered by his people. The captain of the Europa and many of the passengers came to the service to return thanks for safe deliverance, and to rejoice with the congregation over the return of their rector.
Mr. Jackson began his labors again with his wonted vigor, but it soon became apparent that St. Stephen's was destined to another and greater trial. The severe passage from England had reduced his strength, and a violent cold taken during the voyage developed into a serious bronchial affection, so that Mr. Jackson was advised by his physician to desist from preaching, and seek residence in a warmer climate.
Most unexpectedly a call to Christ Church, Louis- ville, Ky. (the only parish in that city), was extended to him at that time; and regarding it as a Providential solution of his difficulties, he very reluctantly sent in his resignation of St. Stephen's, and moved to Louisville in April, 1837.
After three years at Christ Church, it became neces- sary to build a larger church, and in a different locality, to accommodate the congregation. Accordingly by strenuous efforts the new St Paul's Church was built,
92 HISTORY OF ST. STEPHEN'S PARISH.
and Mr. Jackson became its rector, taking with him a large part of his congregation.
The Rev. Dr. Pitkin says: " Mr. Jackson was called a Low Churchman, and belonged decidedly to what is technically called the Evangelical School of Theology ; but practically he had very high views of the work and the office of the Christian Priesthood (though he would perhaps have scrupled at the name), and in conducting the Church services, he impressed on others his own sense of its dignity, and strength and beauty." **
That Mr. Jackson was a strict Sabbatarian is evi- denced by the following incident.
"At the close of the first quarter of his ministry in St. Stephen's Church, New York, the Senior Warden, with a promptness which characterized the parish, gave him a check for his salary in the vestry room before service on Sunday morning. Mr. Jackson refused it, not only with great dignity, but with an air that implied a censure on its being offered on Sunday ; and the cir- cumstance led to a temporary coolness between them. This, however, passed away when they came to under- stand each other's distinctive characteristics and ex- cellences." *
His death occurred in Louisville on February 23rd, 1844, at the age of fifty-one years ; and he was buried beneath the chancel of St. Paul's Church. His wife, Margaret A. Jackson, who died some years later, was buried by his side.
During the five years in which he was rector of St. Stephen's Church he reports his official acts to Con-
* Sprague's Annals, Vol. V, p. 656.
.
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vention as follows : 187 baptisms, 80 marriages, and 95 funerals.
The Rev. Dr. Humphrey, of Kentucky, thus describes Mr. Jackson's personal appearance :
" In person, he was of ordinary stature, and wore the appearance of robust health. His hair was short, thin and gray ; his countenance placid; his step firm; his air prepossessing and gentlemanlike; his temper calm and uniform." *
The portrait here given is from Mrs. Jackson's "Memoirs" of her husband, to which book we are in- debted for the principal incidents of his life.
* Sprague's Annals, Vol. V, p. 657.
The Seventh Rector: Reb. J. D. price.
1837-1875.
OSEPH H. PRICE was born in Boston in 1800, and was graduated from Brown University in 1825. He pursued his theological studies under the Rev. George W. Doane and the Rev. Alonzo Potter, at that time rectors of Trinity and St. Paul's Churches, Boston. In 1829 he was ordained deacon by Bishop Griswold, and in 1830 was advanced to the priesthood by the same Prelate.
Rev. Mr. Price served as missionary in different parts of Massachusetts for two years; and was also locum tenens at St. Paul's Church, Salem, and Grace Church, Providence. He received and declined calls to the churches at Gardiner and Portland, Maine.
He officiated in Christ Church, Springfield, in 1830, and was Chaplain at the House of Industry, Boston, in 1831. St. Michael's Church, Marblehead, was re- opened under Rev. Mr. Price in November, 1832, after it had been closed for six years. The Church was then 116 years old.
Dr. Price says in a sermon which he preached in 1877 at the semi-centennial service at St. Paul's Church, Albany :
"In the year, I think, 1832, on a tour of parish-
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Joseph H. Price.
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hunting, not a very uncommon employment for clergy- men in those days, but more honored in the breach than the observance at any time, I found myself in Albany, casting a wistful eye toward the then vacant rectorship of St. Peter's. Nor was I alone on this business."
In 1833 he became assistant at St. Thomas' Church, New York, under Rev. Dr. Hawks. An invitation to become rector of St. Paul's Church, Albany, was ac- cepted in January 1834; and he remained at that Church until May 1837; when he accepted an election to the rectorship of St. Stephen's Church, New York. His first service was on the first Sunday in July of that year. Shortly after this he writes :
"A weekly lecture on Tuesday evenings has been commenced and is well attended. The Vestry have or- dered extensive repairs upon the church, which is now full; and a kind Providence has afforded to us strong indications of its blessing upon this interesting church. The Rector has only to add, that his reception by the congregation has been all that he could desire."
Columbia College conferred the degree of Doctor in Divinity upon Rev. Mr. Price in 1847.
There were two services in St. Stephen's on Sunday, a service with lecture on Tuesday evening ; and, in Lent. prayers and lecture on Wednesday and Friday morn- ings. As was the custom in those days the children of the parish were assembled every Saturday in the church for public catechizing. The Holy Communion was ad- ministered on the first Sunday of each month, and on the high festivals. In the second year of Dr. Price's rectorship the congregation had largely increased, and
96 HISTORY OF ST. STEPHEN'S PARISH.
contributions for purposes outside the parish amounted to $1,250.83. The rector reported that the parish was prosperous and that there was an increasing regard for order and for practical religion. At the close of the second year the contributions for outside objects had amounted to $1,554.49. At the end of the third year they were $2,538.99.
Dr. Price was successful in his efforts to build up the congregation anew, and St. Stephen's was crowded on Sundays.
In 1841 the Vestry decided that the Church was too old to admit of repair, and that the congregation had so increased that the building was too small to accom- modate all who wanted to rent pews.
Strenuous efforts to raise money to build a new church were made among the congregation, and former parishioners and friends. This having been done, under date of February 10th, 1842, a petition was addressed to Trinity Corporation, signed by Joseph H. Price, Rector ; F. Nostrand, Jacob Sims and Benjamin Loder, in which they laid before that Corporation the unfor- tunate condition in which the Vestry found themselves placed. The building, they say, had been repaired in 1821, and again in 1828 ; but the pews were old, narrow and uncomfortable, and the galleries were difficult of access ; and that Bishop Hobart had some years before advised that no more money should be spent to repair the old building. It was earnestly hoped that Trinity would now listen to an appeal to aid them in building a new church. It would require $3,000.00 to repair the present building, and after the necessary repairs were
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made, there would be no extra seating capacity. "The expenses are now barely met even with the addition of what is commonly considered an intolerable nuisance, "Penny Collections." The petition prays: "That the ancient corporation of Trinity Church would look kind- ly at an old weather-beaten fellow-warrior in the Church militant, and help him to renew his youth and fight his battles over."
The Petition also says that plans for a new church had been prepared by Mr. Upjohn, which it was esti- mated would cost $35,000.00. The church at present owed $6,500.00, and in order to build elsewhere it would have to pay the owners of the pews $7,000.00, making a debt of $13,500.00, which added to the $35,000.00 required to build a new church, would put the parish in debt $48,500.00. Trinity Corporation was assured that if it would give $25,000.00 towards this enterprise the Corporation of St. Stephen's Parish would agree to raise the balance. The petition continues: "A frown upon our undertaking at this time would go far to para- lyze the parish * * Let us have the Gospel in the Church; that Gospel that will make us contented with our lot, and restrain us from any attempt to disturb those distinctions in society approved of God and con- ducive to the well-being of man."
Whilst Trinity Corporation was willing to aid St. Stephen's Church in a measure, it did not feel that it was wise to encourage the building of a new church in that locality, especially at the increased cost to the parish which such an enterprise would entail, and there seems to have been no appropriation made to help St.
98 HISTORY OF ST. STEPHEN'S PARISH.
Stephen's except to make them an annual allowance of $300.00 towards their running expenses. In conse- quence the old building was put in repair and the con- gregation continued to worship there as formerly. The Rev. Dr. Price says that the parish was remarkably prosperous, and there was no reason to doubt the pres- ence of the Divine Blessing.
Two years after this, the parish was almost torn asunder by the excitement created by the ordination of Mr. Arthur Carey in St. Stephen's Church. An account of this ordination is given later on. This disturbance naturally caused a fluctuation in the financial depart- ment of the Church, as many disaffected ones left the Church, and others were unwilling to continue their contributions.
The Vestry found it necessary again to make strenu- ous efforts to meet their financial obligations.
Accordingly in November, 1846, a Committee of the Vestry, consisting of Jacob Sims, M. H. Hunter, and William Wilson, M. D., signed another petition to Trin- ity Corporation in which they referred to the past efforts, and failures to obtain the money they had hoped for, and again stating that at this time the parish was in debt about $10,000.00 and interest on mortgage, $6,500.00. Moreover, they can not pay their rector regularly nor in full "as otherwise it would be our pride and pleasure to do."
The Rev. Richard Whittingham, of Virginia, who was both teacher and superintendent of St. Stephen's Sunday school, from 1838 to 1844, has given a vivid description of the parish in those earlier days.
St. Stephen's Church, 1837.
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"It was in the year 1838 that the writer came per- sonally into contact with the Parish of St. Stephen's, New York City, now Manhattan. The Church was at that time a good-sized, fine-appearing building, stand- ing on a double lot, at the corner of Chrystie and Broome Streets. It was built of brick, stuccoed, paint- ed in imitation of stone ; being on a smaller scale, in the same style as the present old St. Paul's, Broadway. The main entrance was through the tower, and the windows were Romanesque, round-topped and divided. Within, the building was plastered and color-washed; the ceiling arched in plain curve. It was of good height; and the side windows, which were of plain 7x9 glass, were shaded by large green slat-blinds, to be drawn up or down, as occasion required. There pro- bably was room for five to six hundred sittings. The grounds around the Church were neatly kept; and a large old willow tree grew near the building, shading the tower front. Near the church was a smaller build- ing, placed transversely, and called the "Lecture Room," but now it would be termed a "Chapel." Then, there were no week-day services; but usually one night lec- ture, with Evening Prayer on Friday. "Evangelical" school sentiments prevailed, especially during the Rev. Mr. Jackson's rectorship. This smaller building was about 30x20 feet, furnished with open benches, with a platform and desk at the further end. It would seat perhaps sixty persons, and was altogether too small for the Sunday school belonging to the Parish. The Sun- day school while obtaining a considerable number of children from the families in the congregation, was
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largely reinforced from the outside neighborhood. These streets (Chrystie, Allen, Broome, Stanton, Riv- ington) contained chiefly two and three-story houses, the residences of a well-to-do class of people. Per- haps one-third of the school was drawn from the not distant tenement streets of Mulberry, Elizabeth and Baxter, which formed a radius of the famed Five-Points. By faithful missionary work, the Sunday-School Visit- ing Committee of the Parish had gathered a fair rep- resentation of the neighborhood, so that in 1838 there was a school of nearly three hundred children, under one Superintendent ; some sixteen teachers, two libra- rians and one treasurer.
To accommodate all the children the Public School building of that section, situated two blocks below, in Chrystie Street, had been rented for Sunday use. Its nearness to the Church enabled the children to pass to it from the school rooms in little more than five minutes' walk. The custom was, for the children to form in procession and pass up Chrystie Street to St. Stephen's Church, where, under the direction of teachers, the boys would enter the right hand door, and the girls the left, in order to reach the side aisles. Children of families in the congregation were permitted to pass to their pews; but the balance were led by a teacher (who took charge of them through the service) up two pairs of stairs to the "Sunday-School Gallery."
This piece of architecture has been lost sight of in the last fifty years. It was a third gallery located on either side of the organ. To enter the music (or choir) gallery, one must pass into and through the side gal-
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lery on either hand. A good sized organ placed in such gallery and tower recess, would fill it nearly to the ceiling, as it did in St. Stephen's. Thus it was that on either side of the organ and tower wall, back against the end of the Church, there was constructed a short gallery about ten feet above the side galleries. In this were placed benches, rising step by step higher to the back ; so that their occupants could look down into the Church. Access to this gallery was gained by a tor- tuous, narrow stairway, up and down which the smaller children would (not unnaturally) stumble ; and the older ones (of malice prepense, desirous of making a racket), would appear to do so. Consequently about five minutes before the Church bell stopped tolling, the congregation was pretty fully advertised of the advent of the Sunday- school children, by the rumbling and stumbling and mumbling of all hands. Each child was striving to get into the front lower seats, where he or she could enjoy looking down over the side gallery, far beyond, into the upper end of the Church nave. Balls of paper, surreptitiously rolled up, could be joyfully "shot" by thumb and finger, upon some unsuspecting individual in the side gallery; and done with exquisite delight, when the victim happened to be a boy or a girl!
It seems strange to contrast with the present day the conditions of Church worship existing sixty years ago, for boys unattached to the congregation. The writer, while a teacher, often had to fulfill his "stent," as the one appointed for the day, to keep order in the gal- lery 'of boys. The spectator-like position of those chil- dren, supposed to be sharing the worship of the Church
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102 HISTORY OF ST. STEPHEN'S PARISH.
can hardly be overstated. Fortunately there were sel- dom many of them to oversee. After the family chil- dren who had gone to their pews, and those who had been previously excused at the school-room, and others who had successfully stolen away on the march, were counted out, there would not average more than thirty to enter the gallery seats. This was about the same number and class of boys that we now find in a vested choir, at the other end of the Church, in the chancel, + with priest and people reverently joining in the prayers and praises of the service. The outside youthful ele- ment is now constrained to come in by hiring, instead of by hand-pulling, pushing and scolding. The writer has had full experience of both classes; as the head of a vested choir of thirty boys, reverently kneeling at prayers and singing in praise; and in the "loft gal- lery" of St. Stephen's, with thirty boys, where he, as the teacher in charge, was simply striving to prevent outbreaks of outrageous mischief and noise, which would disturb the far-away congregation. The same element was in each place; but in the one there was no attempt at worship; in the other there was order and reverence. Mischief and indifference to religious feel- ing may be present alike in each class, but the sur- roundings at the present day are blessedly superior.
One little incident that clings to memory, will suffi- ciently emphasize the Sunday-school gallery nuisance.
The interior of St. Stephen's Church some years be- fore, had been greatly improved, especially in its chan- cel arrangements. The pulpit and desk were brought further forward, and the reading desk was in front of,
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and an adjunct to, the pulpit; which latter object was a very reasonable pattern of the "octagonal tub-pulpit." It was entered by a flight of stairs from the chancel, and was surmounted by an elaborate "sounding board," and had a heavy, gracefully moulded, cornice around its edge. Four carved standards supported an octag. onal pediment, upon the top of which was placed a small bronze figure of St. Stephen, about a foot or fifteen inches in height. From the Sunday-school gal- lery this figure was especially noticeable.
During one of my weary watches, as teacher on guard, through a morning (two-hour) service, and dur- ing the Litany, a hollow, sepulchral voice was heard, quite low, and yet distinct enough to reach the near side gallery : "I wish that 'ere little brass-man would topple down on his nose, in the middle aisle!" The effect of this on the occupants of the gallery, and especially on the choir was exceedingly distressing ! Yet the offender could not possibly be distinguished, and the merriment in our gallery was almost irrepres- sible !
Concerning the parochial life during the period from 1830, the writer can only give his earliest remembrances of what he heard said by others. Two of his older sis- , ters were connected with St. Stephen's parish from that time, and for many years one of them was a teacher in the Sunday school, and active in Church work. This was the period of the Rev. William Jackson's rector- ship; and, naturally, in a family all deeply interested in religious life and work, church affairs were a matter of frequent conversation. Consequently, while his per ..
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