USA > New York > New York City > The history of the Broadway tabernacle church, from its organization in 1840 to the close of 1900, including factors influencing its formation > Part 17
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29
+ Mr. Samuel W. Green, Brooklyn.
167
HISTORY OF THE BROADWAY TABERNACLE CHURCH
the "organ association," to be used at church services, " without rent or charge."
The first hymn and tune book used by the church was the " Christian Psalmist or Watts's Psalms and Hymns with co- pious selections from other sources," prepared by Doctors Hastings and W. Patton, and published in 1836. For two or three years the church discussed a change of hymn books. " The Church Psalmist," prepared by Dr. Beman of Troy, " for Evangelical Christians," had been suggested as a sub- stitute; but the committee to whom the matter was referred, in 1845, consisting of Messrs. Henry Camp, George Andrews, and David Hale, with Mr. Huntington, reported that it was inexpedient to make the change. It was not until 1849 that Dr. Beman's book was adopted. Mr. Samuel G. Smith, who attended the Tabernacle services from 1843 to 1846, re- calls an incident which must have had some connection with this discussion. After commending a sacred concert, given by the choir under Mr. Andrews, probably the anniversary concert given Friday evening, May 10, 1844, he says :
" The Tabernacle had a grand, imposing choir, and their music was always well adapted to the sentiments of the hymns. Dr. Beman of Troy preached on sacred music one Sunday evening, as he occupied the pulpit that day, and in the middle of his discourse made some scriptural quotation, and the choir at once took it up and rendered a fine anthem on the words, found in the 'Carmina Sacra ' collection."
Among the singers of the first period were Mr. Jeremiah C. Lamphear, Mr. Andrews's business partner, and Messrs. Henry Camp, Chase, S. Conover, Fessenden, David and Richard Hale, Huntington, William Taylor, Edward F. Treadwell, and Charles H. Waterbury. Mr. Treadwell, who united with the church in 1843, was led to Christ while on a voyage to Buenos Ayres by his friend Richard Hale of the choir, who lent him Doddridge's " Rise and Progress " to read. Among the women singers of that period were Mrs. George Andrews (Miss Conover), Lucy T. Hale (Mrs. Conover), Rosina Hamill (Mrs. Treadwell), Laura Hale (Mrs. Camp), Sarah
I68
CHURCH ACTIVITIES
M. Dempsey (Mrs. Moore), and Emma Taylor (Mrs. Gilson). Mr. J. L. Ensign, an able musician and leader of the orchestra of the Philharmonic Society, succeeded Mr. Alpers as organist in 1845, at a salary of $275. He was converted under Dr. Thompson's ministry and admitted to the church May 3, 1846. He is remembered not only as a musician, but as "a conse- crated man." When Mr. Andrews resigned his position as choir-master, Mr. Ensign was appointed sole director with a salary of $500. The Bradbury brothers were highly esteemed at that time as musical leaders, and William B. Bradbury was engaged in 1850 as vocal leader, receiving for his services $500 and the use of the Tabernacle two evenings in the year for concerts, Mr. William G. West proposing to pay $300 ad- ditional. Mr. Ensign continued as organist. November, 1851, a vote was passed that "the music as at present con- ducted meets with the hearty approval of the Society." Mr. Bradbury's compositions have been used for many years in the church, the prayer-meeting, and the Sunday-school, and have many sacred associations with them. The tunes to which are sung "He leadeth me," "Just as I am," " O bliss of the purified !" " My hope is built on nothing less," " Sweet hour of prayer," " Asleep in Jesus, blessed sleep!" and many others equally familiar, are his.
Mr. Ensign, who removed from the city early in the sum- mer of 1854, was followed by the special benediction of the church committee; but he left trouble behind. Mr. Brad- bury could not be re-engaged at satisfactory terms, and the choir were not pleased with the arrangements made for their leadership. Mr. George Andrews was called back for a sea- son, but affairs were at loose ends until, at last, Mr. F. H. Nash was secured as choir-master, and Mr. C. C. Converse as organist. Thanks to this difficulty in settling upon a chorister, the names are preserved of many, if not all, of the male members of the volunteer choir of 1854, attached to a protest or memorial in regard to the casting of votes, at meet- ings of the society, by unqualified members. As a result of this protest the qualifications of members were settled defi-
169
HISTORY OF THE BROADWAY TABERNACLE CHURCH
nitely after some months of discussion. The names of these protestants are given below: James D. Smith, S. W. Holister, A. Shannon, T. F. Brinsmade, John Gridley, E. L. Champlin, A. C. Peck, R. A. Dorman, W. G. West, Warren Ward, S. A. Castle, E. W. Pratt, Alexander Anderson, F. W. Sher- man, Isaac E. Smith, P. F. Whiting, - Demarest. At the end of two years Mr. Converse went abroad, but before leaving he asked the privilege of uniting with the church upon confession of faith. His music is not yet outworn. Wor- shippers who sing "What a friend we have in Jesus," or " There's a wideness in God's mercy," naturally make use of his familiar composition. Mr. John W. Crane, Jr., was en- gaged to succeed Mr. Converse as organist, and he, too, united with the church on profession the following year.
Already the custom had begun of paying one or two of the women singers. For some years before leaving the old Tabernacle, about $1,000 a year was appropriated for the expenses of the choir. Among the singers specified are Miss Meyers, Miss Parks, Mrs. Martin, and Miss Jenny Smith. Mr. Nash was the leader when the old Tabernacle was given up in 1857, but he resigned soon after that date, and Mr. James Davis. succeeded him.
In 1858 Mr. W. B. Bradbury was requested to prepare and conduct the music for the dedication services, and to organize a choir for that occasion. He did this work gratuitously and received therefor a special vote of thanks, which included also Mr. Henry Camp and the choir. But the singing gallery or loft in the new church was unsatisfactory. The choir was divided with the organ intervening so that the two sections could not hear each other or keep together; consequently the large choir was given up, and only a quartette or double quar- tette retained.
At that period Mr. Henry Camp was choir-master of the First Presbyterian Church. He was also engaged for the Tabernacle, where he sang only in the evening-with Mr. Mor- gan as organist. He thus took charge of both choirs until he went with his regiment to Washington in 1861, and was suc-
170
CHURCH ACTIVITIES
ceeded in the Tabernacle by Mr. George N. Seymour, who retained the charge until his death, three years later. Mr. Camp, however, before he left, secured the services of Miss Marian McGregor, better known as Mrs. Christopher, who remained as organist until 1885, except for an absence of be- tween one and two years about 1870, when Mr. During took her place. It is said that Mr. Camp found it hard to persuade Dr. Thompson and the committee, before Miss McGregor's ar- rival, that a woman could handle that great organ.
Mr. George E. Aiken succeeded Mr. Seymour; and Mr. Camp, Mr. George G. Rockwood, and other well-known sing- ers in New York assisted in making the famous musical af- fairs which were a feature of the big services in the war time and at its close.
In 1867 the Committee on the Order of Sunday Service di- rected that the anthem that was to be sung should be read, morning and evening, and it was "understood " by the com- mittee that the " choir should be present at the weekly pray- er-meeting." About 1871 or 1872, Harry Millerd, the famous ballad writer, was director. It was while he was choir-master, in January, 1872, that an interesting petition in relation to a change in the order of Sabbath singing was presented to the committee, who, not having been altogether satisfied with the character of the opening anthems, had restricted the choir to " two selections of music, chants, hymns, or anthems, chosen by the committee of the church." Their selection of the Dox- ology in place of an anthem proved still less satisfactory. This petition was drawn up in Mrs. Marshall O. Roberts's handwriting and hers is the first signature:
" We, deeming the late change in the music detrimental to the in- terests of the church and also a great deprivation to us individually, respectfully pray that the former order of service be resumed, restoring to us both the opening selection of praise and the anthem after the first hymn."
Among the leading women singers up to this time were Mrs. Elliot (Anna Stone, Boston's famous oratorio and concert
17I
HISTORY OF THE BROADWAY TABERNACLE CHURCH
singer), Mrs. Northrup, Mrs. Brown, Miss Meyers, and Miss Charlotte V. Hutchins (Mrs. Winterburn). Mr. Rockwood followed as choir-master and again introduced the double quartette with some really famous singers, Jules Lombard, Miss Kate Stark, Mrs. Doty. This was when Mr. William Allen was chairman of the music committee. He fostered and en- couraged the department in many ways. A number of singers attended weekly prayer-meeting; Mrs. Doty led the singing there, and Miss Kate Stark in the Sunday-school.
Afterward Mr. Aiken returned with a single quartette, at the head of which for a short time was Miss Emma Thursby, who was paid at the rate of $3,500. Later organists have been Professors S. N. Penfield, George N. Greene, and Mr. Charles B. Hawley, who was basso for seventeen years and is in his twentieth year of continuous service as conductor. Miss Marie S. Bissell has also rendered long and faithful ser- vice as soprano. Among other noted singers in the Taber- nacle choir may be mentioned Miss Louise Finch (Mrs. Har- denburgh), Miss Toedt, Miss Henrietta Beebe, and Mr. Dennison.
In 1875 the amount paid for the support of music had gone up from the modest thousand dollars a year to $6,241. By 1881 this amount had fallen off about $2,000; then it rose gradually until by 1891 it amounted to $6,793.70. Since 1893, however, the amount spent for the choir yearly has stood some- where between $4,000 and $5,000.
THE BIBLE SCHOOL.
The beginning of the Sunday-school has already been men- tioned in a former chapter. A pupil of the school * in the early days of Dr. Thompson, writes :
" We met at nine in the morning, and how cold it was sometimes for us little folks who trudged over from East Broadway of a winter morn- ing, hurrying to be there in time! I think the afternoon session must have been at two, and church at three or half-past three. The inter-
* Miss Emily S. Gilman.
172 1
CHURCH ACTIVITIES
mission [between morning service and afternoon school] was quite long enough for lunch, which we brought, and for considerable exploring and inspecting of the building, trying seats in the gallery, choir, pulpit, even the little mirror in which the organist could see the minister's movements. It seems to me that the attendance in the afternoon varied from that in the morning, perhaps it brought a different set of children.
" The neighborhood was a very bad one, near the old Five Points, and my sisters, who were teachers, went to some very questionable places in looking up scholars. Our very walk to church-more than a mile-was a choice of evils. We could go through Chatham Street to Pearl, and so over to Broadway, or through Walker Street. Grand Street was a little better because there were stores there, but it was longer. Those were the days of vile smells and dirty streets. Pigs ran freely in the streets of the Seventh Ward and sewers were the excep- tion, not the rule."
No records of the school in lower Broadway have been found, but programmes have been preserved of large Sunday- school celebrations and concerts held in the Tabernacle, and a Sunday-school missionary meeting is recalled that was held in the church one Sunday evening, when small children filled the choir gallery until all the space was occupied even close to the organist. In 1847 the church committee voted that the " Sunday-school Missionary Association" should "hold a public meeting on the Sabbath, November 22d, and take up a collection." Probably that was the same occasion.
About 1854 the Sunday-school was in the care of " Brother William G. West." From 1859 to 1866 the superintendents were Mr. Starr, Deacon Holmes, Deacon Smith, Mr. Charles A. Bull, and "Brother Pardee " in 1865. Mr. Caleb B. Knevals was chosen for that office in 1866, and served for twenty years. Mr. Knevals was succeeded by Messrs. John Lindley (who served 1886 and 1887); E. P. Lyon, 1888; and R. A. Dorman, 1889-92. In October, 1893, a morning session was introduced, with Mr. W. H. Sherman superin- tendent. Mr. Rufus Adams was superintendent of the after- noon school, 1893-94, and Mr. Herbert G. Thomson of the morning school, 1894-95. Mr. Irving C. Gaylord was chosen superintendent of the afternoon school in 1895, and the following year that department was relinquished, the Pri-
I73
HISTORY OF THE BROADWAY TABERNACLE CHURCH
mary Class only, holding both morning and afternoon sessions. Mr. Thomson and Mr. Gaylord superintended the joint school. In 1897 Mr. Harris H. Hayden was elected, and has served as superintendent to the present time. Several assistants filled long terms of service ; among these should be mentioned Messrs. A. K. Thompson, William Ives Washburn, and Nathaniel C. Fisher. The average attendance during the twenty years of Mr. Knevals's term of office was between three and four hun- dred. Miss Sarah Smith had charge of the infant class for many years. As early as 1865 she taught the little children. Mrs. Lefferts Strebeigh, who was one of her scholars, says:
" A sweeter, finer nature to teach little children, it seems to me, could never have been found. We all loved her."
In 1881 Miss Smith was assisted by Mrs. Henry Hayes and Miss May Leveridge. When Miss Smith relinquished the class in 1882 Miss Leveridge took her place, aided by Miss Fanny Sanford. The following year Mrs. D. S. Pillsbury took charge, serving indefatigably for six years. Her suc- cessor was Miss Isobel M. Taylor, 1889-92. Then Miss El- len C. Parsons succeeded to the charge; afterward, when the morning school was established, taking that session and holding it unto the present. The afternoon class was in charge of Mrs. Rufus Adams until her death. She was followed by Miss J. Jillson, and Mrs. J. S. Warren has the present charge. Most of these teachers have had one or more able assistants. Last year a Home Department numbering thirty-three was established under the superintendence of Miss Teasdale. The Tabernacle has been rich in gifted Bible teachers, but their work has not been faithfully reported. There have been Sunday morning and afternoon classes, and classes on week-days. Rev. Dr. Thompson had a young men's Bible class, as well as his class for women, and it was at the request of these young men that he wrote " The Sergeant's Memorial." Among these young men were Messrs. Austin Abbott, W. H. Bridgman, Charles Bell, Henry C. Hall, Charles T. Rodgers, W. H. Thomson, and
174
-
CHURCH ACTIVITIES
Charles S. Smith. Dr. William H. Thomson has held Sunday classes morning or afternoon ; as early as 1866 he had a ladies' class, and in 1868 a class for young men on Sunday mornings, to say nothing of his wider service at the Young Men's Chris- tian Association. Mr. Abbott had a young men's class in 1866, and Mr. Wakeman a Sunday afternoon class. Dr. Tay- lor had his Pastor's Bible class. Among Bible class teachers in the Sunday-school have been Mr. W. W. Fessenden, Dr. Lafayette Ranney, Mr. Samuel Burnham, Mr. John H. Wash- burn, Mrs. Doran, Mr. Platner, Mrs. Clarence Beebe, Mr. F. L. Underwood, Mrs. R. A. Dorman, and Mr. George L. Leonard. Other successful teachers of the later period have been Pro- fessor A. D. F. Hamlin, General O. O. Howard, Rev. F. B. Richards, and Professor D. H. Holmes.
In 1886 the Sunday-school was put more directly under the charge of the church. The superintendent was made a church officer, to be elected at the annual meeting, and to make an annual report to the church. It was resolved that, so far as practicable, it should be the rule that at least one of the dea- cons should have some connection with the school either as officer, teacher, or visitor; that a committee made up of three members of the church committee, two Sunday-school teach- ers and the pastor, should have charge of looking up teachers, who as a rule were to be members of the Tabernacle Church.
Dr. Ranney, who was long connected with the school, did much for its spiritual growth. About 1869, and later, there was not only a teachers' prayer-meeting after the session, but one for boys led by Dr. Ranney, and one for girls under Mrs. Bunnell. Dr. Henry D. Ranney instituted, in 1879, the Char- ity Fund Committee in order to distribute gifts of food, cloth- ing and money among the poor, and to carry on a work which the school had begun by giving, instead of receiving, Christmas gifts. This became an important feature of the Sunday-school. Regular contributions of the school, in 1879, were distributed by its missionary committee, were given to twelve different objects, and amounted to about $500. The enrolment in 1900, including the Home Department, was one
175
HISTORY OF THE BROADWAY TABERNACLE CHURCH
hundred and eighty-six, and the contributions amounted to $246.08.
DEPARTMENTS OF MISSIONS AND CHARITIES.
Aside from the Sunday-school and benevolent work of the women, the church activities for a long period were con- ducted through four departments, in the main as laid out by Dr. Thompson. From 1872 to 1885, when they were super- seded by the Board of Missions, the Department of Mis- sions was in charge of Mr. Francis A. Palmer (seven years), of Mr. Charles S. Smith (six years) ; the Department of Visitation of Poor and Sick was directed during the same period by Mr. James Talcott (four years), Mr. Joseph S. Case and Dr. E. P. Hoyt (one year each), and Mr. Charles Whittemore (five years) ; the Department of Contributions, Messrs. Charles Abernethy (one year), Cornelius N. Bliss (three years), W. D. Moore (five years), Hamilton S. Gordon (two years) ; and the Department of Education, Messrs. E. B. Finch (one year), Austin Abbott (two years), C. B. Knevals (two years), H. F. Hills (five years), and Lu- cien C. Warner (two years). Several thousand dollars was expended yearly through these departments, and from $300 to $500 for the education of young men for the ministry.
Many mission schools were established. The report of 1842 refers to " four other flourishing Sunday-schools." Not many years later there is record of " Brother Amzi Camp, city mis- sionary in the Sixth Ward, with Sunday-school in Centre Street." Rev. Mr. Camp came into the church in 1843. In 1852 a revival is reported in the mission schools and station of Amzi Camp, Centre Street. Later Mr. F. Link was teacher there, and tract distributer. In 1862 a collection of nearly $100 was taken up to aid the Mission Church in Centre Street, and a committee appointed to give permanent aid. Contribu- tions from the deacons' fund for the same object have already been noted.
In 1855 the mission school of Brother Holmes, Munroe Street, and the colored school of Brother Walker, in Thomas
176
CHURCH ACTIVITIES
Street, are referred to. It is recorded that "Mr. Wetmore had charge of the Bethel Mission Sunday-school of the Mariner Church in Roosevelt Street, assisted by Augustus Gaylord and Samuel Holmes."
In 1860 a Sabbath and industrial school was established at Fifty-fourth Street by members of the Pitts Bible Class. In 1861 a mission and industrial school is reported on Forty- seventh Street, and in 1866 the mission school in charge of Mr. T. S. Berry, in the hall on Sixth Avenue and Thirty- ninth Street, is discussed. Arrangements were soon made for securing a chapel on Forty-eighth Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues, and a Congregational church was organized under the care of Rev. Mr. Baker. The school was removed from Thirty-ninth Street to this chapel, still in Brother T. S. Berry's care, with forty teachers, three hundred and fourteen scholars, thirty or forty volunteer visitors, and a Bible reader working in the vicinity of the chapel. An industrial school was established by ladies of the Tabernacle in 1867. In 1868 the Forty-eighth Street work was discontinued because " satis- factory arrangements " could not be made. The chief mission of the church, however, has been Bethany, which will be considered later.
YOUNG MEN'S ASSOCIATION.
The Christian activity of the young men of the Tabernacle was from its first organization largely expended upon mission enterprises. A Young Men's Association was organized dur- ing Dr. Thompson's pastorate, and it was its committee that established the Bethany Mission. The young people's prayer- meeting was also dependent upon it for support. As early as 1872 this meeting was held Sunday evenings before ser- vice. In 1875 the prayer-meeting was held on Monday even- ings, and in the following year changed to Tuesday. In 1872 the Young Men's Association lapsed and the Literary Union was substituted for it. This society met on the first and third Saturdays of the month at eight in the evening. In 1876 it voted to admit young women to membership, but at
177
HISTORY OF THE BROADWAY TABERNACLE CHURCH
the end of the year relinquished the experiment. The Literary Union and the prayer-meeting for young people seem both to have been given up some time in 1878 or 1879.
In 1882 a committee of young men attempted to re-estab- lish the young people's prayer-meeting, on Tuesday even- ing as before, but unsuccessfully. In 1886 a young men's prayer-meeting was held after the Sunday evening service, and in 1887 it became again the "Young People's " meeting and continued until 1889.
In 1888 the Young Men's Association was revived. It not only conducted the Sunday evening after-meeting, but it opened a reading-room with a reference library and the stand- ard periodicals. It held meetings before which addresses were given about once a month in the winter, and in 1888 there were one hundred and ten names on its roll. Its rooms were open every evening from seven to ten, and the yearly cost of carrying on its work was about $550. The average attendance at its reading-room increased until, in 1891, the names of three hundred and fifty different visitors were noted. Its lectures were well attended, as was also its Sunday morning Bible class conducted by Professor A. D. F. Hamlin. In 1892 regular monthly meetings were held for business and sociabil- ity. The following year, in a time of great industrial depres- sion, it did what it could to help young men who were out of employment, and secured permanent positions for twelve. Among those connected with it as presidents or who served offi- cially more than one year were Messrs. Rufus Adams, Will- iam G. Bates, Charles E. Bruce, Alfred D. F. Hamlin, Albert A. Johnson, Jr., Martin L. Lee, Charles F. Richards, Hubert E. Rogers, and Amos H. Stephens. Its report appears last in the year-book of 1894.
THE MEN'S ASSOCIATION.
is reported in 1896 as being the result of the efforts of Rev. F. B. Richards, its president. It appointed various commit- tees: on visitation, morning service, evening service, prayer- meeting, Sunday-school, missionary and social work, and
178
.
CHURCH ACTIVITIES
Bethany. In 1898 Mr. Irving C. Gaylord succeeded Mr. Rich- ards as president. In 1899 the association was reorganized with a new constitution as
.
THE MEN'S LEAGUE.
This society holds monthly meetings, promotes the work of the church, and cultivates friendliness, sociability, and Christian intelligence among its constituency. Its president in 1900 was Dr. Frank B. Carpenter.
BETHANY SUNDAY-SCHOOL AND CHURCH.
The Bethany work began in the autumn of 1868. A Sun- day-school, on the corner of Thirty-fourth Street and Eighth Avenue in the care of the American Sunday-school Union, was about to be closed. A good friend of the school inter- ested Mr. Charles L. Hall, then a member of the Young Men's Association of the Broadway Tabernacle, in keeping the school alive. He brought the matter before the association, which appointed him with two other young men, Robert W. Haskins and Hamilton S. Gordon, a committee to visit the school. Mr. Hall, now a missionary of the American Mission- ary Association at Fort Berthold, N. Dak., and Mr. Gordon were college classmates, and both Mr. Hall and Mr. Haskins were then studying for the ministry. All were members of the Tabernacle Church. Thus there were ties that bound the three closely together, but it was Mr. Hall's enthusiastic tempera- ment that urged them forward and made the Bethany Sunday- school a possibility.
The first session of this school, under the charge of the Young Men's Association, was held in November, with four other young men assisting. Its officers were Robert W. Has- kins, superintendent; Charles L. Hall, assistant superin- tendent; Hamilton S. Gordon, secretary ; Charles L. Hall, treasurer. The growth of the school was small until Mr. Has- kins found a suitable hall on the corner of Thirty-sixth Street and Ninth Avenue, and two members of the Tabernacle Church,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.