USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > Columbus, Ohio: its history, resources, and progress : with numerous illustrations > Part 15
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The foundation of the present beautiful church edifice, on the corner of Broad and Third streets, was laid in 1866, under the
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direction of Wm. A. Platt, Francis Collins, and Wm. G. Deshler, building committee; Gardner W. Lloyd, of Detroit, architect, and Wm. Fish, superintendent. In the spring of 1867, Messrs. Platt, Collins, and Deshler having resigned, Charles J. Wet- more, James G. Mitchell, and Samuel McClelland were appointed the building committee. Commencing with the foundation, they prosecuted the work to its completion. The chapel will seat about 250 persons, and the audience-room of the church about 800. The cost of the lot and building was about $70,000.
The new building is Gothic in its style of architecture, and is in the shape of a cross. It is built of sandstone brought from the vicinity of Newark. It is finished inside with white walnut and ash, in a chaste and beautiful manner, and furnished in modern style. The building is completed, with the exception of the tower and spire, and even now presents a handsome appear- ance. When fully completed, it will be one of the most ad- mired and imposing church edifices in the West. The tower and spire will probably cost from $10,000 to $12,000.
Divine service was held in the chapel for the first time on the first Sunday in December, 1867, and the congregation took pos- session of the main building about the 1st of April following. The following are the present officers of the parish :
Rev. Rufus W. Clark, Rector; Rev. Charles M. Sturgis, Assis- tant Minister ; H. P. Smythe, Senior Warden ; Aug. N. Whiting, Junior Warden ; James A. Wilcox, Secretary ; Charles J. Hardy, Treasurer. The Vestrymen are : John W. Andrews, Wm. Den- nison, W. G. Deshler, E. L. Hinman, Joseph R. Swan, Charles J. Wetmore, James A. Wilcox, and F. Collins.
The number of families in the parish is 300; communicants, 290 ; Sunday-school pupils and teachers, 300. Superintendent of Sunday-school, Capt. Robert S. Smith ; secretary of same, J. Finley Brown.
ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The erection of the edifice of this church, on the southeast corner of Mound and Third streets, was commenced in the fall of 1841, by laying the foundation. Three years afterward the entire building was finished and occupied.
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Articles of association for the formation of a parish of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the southern part of the city of Columbus having been signed, a meeting of the signers was held on the first day of December, 1842, at which Rev. H. L. Rich- ards presided, and F. J. Matthews officiated as secretary. The name of the church for such parish was fixed as St. Paul's Church. The following officers were then elected : A. Buttles, Senior Warden ; J. N. Whiting, Junior Wurden ; Henry Mat- thews, Moses Altman, John Burr, and Herman M. Hubbard, vestrymen.
The church edifice having been inclosed, the basement fin- ished, and the parish organized, Rev. Henry L. Richards, the first rector of the parish, commenced the services of the church on the first Sunday in Advent, 1842.
The parish record states that at a meeting of the parish, at the church, on Easter Monday, April 24, 1848, a communication from the Rev. H. L. Richards, resigning the charge of the par- ish, was read by Dr. Case, and, on motion, was laid on the table, and a committee, consisting of Messrs. Case, McDowell, and Gilbert, was appointed, to make certain inquiries respecting it, and report at the next meeting of the vestry, to be held at the house of Mr. Whiting on the Thursday evening following. The record contains nothing further on the subject.
The Rev. H. L. Richards was succeeded, in July, 1848, by the Rev. Alfred M. Loutrel, and the latter, in 1851, by the Rev. Thomas V. Tyler, who remained only a few months. The Rev. W. Norman Irish became rector of the parish, and entered upon service as such on the 1st of September, 1852. He resigned in the summer of 1855, and the Rev. E. B. Kellogg officiated in the church for some months. The Rev. I. A. M. La Tourette, hav- ing been elected rector, commenced service in 1856, on the first Sunday after Ascension Day. He was succeeded in March, 1858, by the Rev. James L. Grover, who continued rector until June 25, 1862. The Rev. George Seabury, the next rector, commenced service, September 20, 1864, and resigned in Jan- uary, 1867. He was succeeded in September, 1867, by the Rev. C. C. Tate, who continued rector until the latter part of Novem-
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ber, 1872, when he removed to the diocese of Indiana. The Rev. C. H. Kellogg is at present rector of the church.
TRIAL OF REV. COLIN C. TATE.
An ecclesiastical court, for the trial of Rev. Colin C. Tate, rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, in this city, convened at Trinity Church, October 26, 1869. The court was composed of Rev. Lewis Burton, D. D., of Cleveland ; Rev. J. Maxwell, of Youngstown ; Rev. William Bowen, of Newark; Rev, E. C Benson, of Gambier ; and Rev. N. R. High, of Toledo. The charges against Mr. Tate were, in brief, that he had a choir of boys, dressed in white surplices, whom he permitted to sing while coming into and going out of the church.
The prosecution was represented by Rev. Samuel Clemens, church advocate ; Judge J. R. Swan, of Columbus; Judge Jones, of Delaware ; and General Mitchell, of Columbus.
The defense was represented by Rev. Dr. Thrall, of Massa- chusetts ; Rev. A. H. Washburne, of Cleveland; Judge Otis, of Chicago ; and Thomas Sparrow, of Columbus.
The defense entered a plea to the jurisdiction of the court. The question was elaborately argued on both sides. On the fourth day of the session, the president announced that the court was equally divided on the plea to the jurisdiction, but that he should sustain the plea by his casting vote. So the court was dissolved in the same manner as a preceding one had been, which was convened for the same purpose.
The officers of the parish are : R. G. Hanford, Senior Warden; L. G. Kilbourne, Junior Warden; L. Kilbourne, W. T. Williams, and F. J. Williams, Vestrymen. The leaders of the Sunday- school are : R. G. Hanford and L. G. Kilbourne.
There are about eighty members connected with this church. Sunday-school pupils and teachers, fifty.
GOOD SHEPHERD CHURCH,
Located northeast corner of Third and Russell streets. The Church of the Good Shepherd has been organized but a few years; it is a mission of the Trinity Episcopal congregation. The building is of brick and cost $5,300, including the cost of
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the lot. The style of architecture is Gothic; the capacity of the church is for two hundred and fifty persons.
The Sunday-school numbers one hundred and sixty-five pupils, with twenty-two teachers. Rev. Charles M. Sturges, assistant rector of Trinity Church, has charge of the mission; Augustus N. Whiting is superintendent of the Sunday-school.
Officers of the church, the vestry of Trinity Church.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHES.
From the "Records of the Methodist Church, in the town of Columbus, Franklin county, State of Ohio," we learn that at "a meeting of the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, on the 20th day of December, 1813-present the Rev. Samuel West, assistant preacher on the Delaware circuit-George McCormick, Peter Grubb, Jacob Grubb, John Brickle, and George B. Harvey were duly appointed 'Trustees for the Methodist Church in this town.'" On Friday, January 22, 1814, the trustees elected George McCormick, president; Jacob Grubb, secretary, and John Brickle, treasurer.
It was about this time that the first Methodist Church or class was formed in Columbus, by the Rev. Samuel West. The class at first consisted of only four members-George McCormick, George B. Harvey, Mrs. George McCormick, and Miss Jane Armstrong, who soon afterward became Mrs. George B. Harvey. The next member admitted was Moses Freeman, a colored man, who left some eight or ten years afterward for Liberia, in Africa, where, it was reported, he died not long after his arrival.
The original proprietors of Columbus, in 1814, donated and conveyed the lot on which the Town Street Church now stands, to George McCormick, Peter Grubb, Jacob Grubb, John Brick- ell, and George B. Harvey, trustees, for the use and benefit of the Methodist Church of Columbus.
At a meeting of the trustees, June 26, 1814, " it was recom- mended to draw a subscription paper for the purpose of building a meeting-house on the lot." At another meeting, July 8, 1815, " bills for materials for the meeting-house were examined, amounting to $157.533." This house was a small hewed-log building. We find the trustees, September 29, 1817, appointing
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George McCormick and John Cutler a committee "to have the meeting-house chinked, daubed, and underpinned, and to ap- point a suitable person to keep it in order."
The building was used for some years as a school-house, as well as a place of worship. Here William T. Martin, long and familiarly known as "Esquire Martin," taught his first school in Columbus, beginning in 1815.
The trustees, on the 14th of April, 1818, appointed "Jacob Grubb and John Martin a committee to draw up a subscription paper and receive the money subscribed," to enlarge the meet- ing-house. On the 18th of May following, George McCormick was appointed to superintend the enlargement, and have it com- pleted as soon as possible, " by cutting out one side of the old house and adding a frame of 30 feet, making the whole building 50 feet, and have the whole weather-boarded, and fiuished in- side." September 7, 1818, Michael Patton presented to the trust- ees his bill for $360, for finishing the meeting-house, which was allowed.
Some time about 1823, the colored members of the Town Street society, separated from their white brethren, and formed a society of their own. They met for wors hip in rented rooms, until 1839 or 1840, when they erected a brick church on Long street.
Jacob Grubb, Nathaniel McLean, and Henry Matthews hav- ing been " appointed by the quarterly conference a committee to procure subscriptions to build a new meeting-house in Colum- bus, presented the same" to the trustees, April 13, 1825, with $1,300 subscribed. The trustees then " resolved that it was ex- pedient to build the house of brick, 60 feet long and 45 feet wide, and of sufficient height to admit of a gallery." Joseph Booth and George McCormick were appointed to superintend the building of the house. The old wooden structures were re- moved from the lot on Town street, and a good brick building erected on the same site. The new edifice was not, however, finished for several years, though it was constantly used as a house of worship.
The following is a list of the circuit preachers who officiated in Columbus prior to 1831, with the years in which they were severally appointed :
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1814, Samuel West; 1815, Isaac Pavey ; 1816, Jacob Hooper; 1817, William Swayze and Simon Peters; 1818, William Swayze and Lemuel Lane; 1819, John Tevis and Leroy Sworm- sted; 1820, John Tevis and Peter Stevens; 1821, Russell Bige- low and Horace Brown; 1822, Russell Bigelow and Thomas McCleary; 1823, Charles Waddle and H. S. Fernandes; 1824, Charles Waddle and Alfred Lorain; 1825, Leroy Swormsted and Joseph Carper; 1826, Joseph Carper and John H. Power; 1827, Samuel Hamilton and Jacob Young ; 1828, Samuel Hamil- ton and Jesse F. Wixom; 1829, Leroy Swormsted and G. Blue ; 1830, John W. Clark and Adam Poe.
TOWN STREET CHURCH.
The Town Street Church was organized as a station in 1830. Rev. Thomas A. Morris, afterward Bishop Morris, was appointed to its charge. During the year of his service, a great revival took place, in which Rev. Joseph M. Trimble, then on the Chilli- cothe circuit, assisted. In five or six days about ninety were added to the church. The membership was doubled during the year. At its close, the number of members was reported at three hundred and twenty.
At this time the church building was unfinished. The walls were not plastered ; square pieces of timber were placed on the floor, with boards laid across for seats.
Rev. Robert O. Spencer was appointed to the station in 1831, and Rev. Russell Bigelow in 1832. Mr. Bigelow is remembered as an eloquent and remarkable man. Bigelow Chapel was sub- sequently named as a memorial of him. At the end of his year, he reported the number of members at three hundred and twenty-four. After leaving the station, he became chaplain of the Penitentiary.
Edmund W. Schon was appointed to the station in 1834 and 1835, with Rev. L. L. Hamlin; Rev. Joseph Carper, in 1836; Rev. Joseph A. Waterman, in 1837; Rev. William Herr, in 1838 and 1839, and Rev. Joseph M. Trimble, in 1840 and in 1841. There was a remarkable revival during Mr. Trimble's term, at the end of which he reported a membership of four hundred and fifty. Rev. David Whitcomb was appointed in
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1842; Revs. John Miley and Abram B. Wambaugh, in 1843; Rev. John Miley, in 1844, and Rev. Granville Moody, in 1845 and 1846. At the end of his term Mr. Moody reported six hundred members.
At this time Wesley Chapel, the first outgrowth of the parent stem on Town street, was formed.
Rev. Cyrus Brooks was appointed to the Town Street station in 1847 and in 1848; Rev. Duval Warnock, in 1849 and 1850; Rev. Clinton W. Sears, in 1851, and Rev. Joseph A. Brown, in 1852 and 1853.
During Mr. Brown's term, the present Town Street Church edifice was commenced and nearly completed.
Bigelow Chapel Society was organized during the same period, taking a goodly colony from the Town Street organiza- tion.
While the new church building was in progress, the audience- room being the largest then in the city, was used for a great " anti-Nebraska " meeting. As the immense crowd was rushing out of the building, the stairs gave way, causing a great panic, and seriously injuring one man, a State Senator from Belmont county.
Rev. John W. White was appointed to the station in 1854 and in 1855 ; Rev. James M. Jamison, in 1856 and in 1857; Rev. B. N. Spahr, in 1858 and 1859; and Rev. Joseph M. Trimble, in 1860 and 1861.
Christie Chapel Church was organized at this period, chiefly by members of the Town Street Church.
The Town Street Church edifice was now finished, and, after undergoing a cloud of financial embarrassment, the debt of the society was canceled.
Rev. Daniel D. Mather was appointed to the Town Street charge in 1862 and in 1863; Rev. C. A. Van Anda, in 1864, 1865, and 1866; Rev. W. H. Scott, in 1867; Rev. Earl Crans- ton, in 1868; Rev. B. N. Spahr, the present presiding elder, in 1869 and 1870, and Rev. C. A. Van Anda, the present preacher in charge, in 1871 and in 1872. The present local preachers are Revs. George Weaver and Philip Pelley.
The Town Street Church property includes a comfortable
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parsonage and a substantial and attractive church edifice, em- bracing the modern conveniences. This church has supplied the basis of membership of nearly all the Methodist churches in the city.
The trustees of the Town Street Church are: George Bel- lows, C. C. Bellows, T. W. Carpenter, M. W. Bliss, C. S. Glenn, J. C. S. Miller, O. S. Reed, P. E. Twigg, Lewis Walton. Rev. C. A. Van Anda is ex-officio chairman of the board; M. W. Bliss, secretary, and C. S. Glenn, treasurer.
The board of stewarts are: J. M. Shade, Charles Bellows, George Bellows, M. W. Bliss, Henry Lonis, Homer C. Lewis, Lewis Walton, and Joseph Fitzwater.
The Sunday-school connected with the Town Street Methodist Episcopal Church numbers three hundred pupils. Lewis Wal- ton is the superintendent.
WESLEY M. E. CHURCH.
Location, on High, between Gay and Long streets.
This society was organized in 1848, by a division of the Town Street M. E. Church, the Rev. George C. Crum taking with him, for the purpose of forming a new organization, to be called the Wesley Chapel M. E. Church, one hundred and ninety mem- bers. The society erected their new church building the same year, under the supervision of the Rev. Granville Moody, then pastor of the Town Street M. E. Church. The church was dedicated in the fall of 1848, during the session of the Ohio annual conference, by Bishop E. S. Janes.
Wesley Chapel M. E. Church has been served by the following pastors, in the order given :
Revs. George C. Crum, William Lander, John W. Weakley, John Leavith, J. L. Grover, John Frazer, William Porlen, George Brush, George Mather, J. M. Trimble, C. E. Felton, J. Crook, D. H. Moore, and S. A. Keene, pastor now in charge, who was appointed October, 1872.
This church has also been served by the presiding elders, in the order given: Revs. Robert Spencer, John T. Clark, L. Con-
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nell, J. M. Trimble, D. D., George Brush, C. A. Van Anda, and B. N. Spahr.
During the pastorate of Rev. C. E. Felton, the church edifice was greatly improved at a cost of $28,000, and during the pas- torate of Rev. D. H. Moore, the church membership was very much increased.
The church membership numbers at present four hundred and fifty, and the Sunday-school pupils number three hundred and fifty, with forty officers and teachers. The value of the church property is $58,000.
STEWARDS .- Jonas Rudisill, J. F. Kelley, H. F. Booth, M. Gooding, Emory Huff, J. F. Bartlitt, Geo. W. Manypenny, An- drew Gardner, Jr., and Chester Mattoon.
TRUSTEES .- Ezra Booth, Thomas Walker, L. J. Critchfield, James A. Aston, A. D. Huff, T. W. Tallmadge, J. R. Webster, and D. S. Gray. W. C. Tremain and W. R. Walker, superin- tendents of the Sunday-school.
BIGELOW M. E. CHURCH.
In May, 1853, an M. E. Mission Sunday-school was organized in a room over Wm. F. Knoderer's wagon-shop, on the corner of Fourth and Friend streets, of which Joseph Fitzwater was chosen superintendent. The teachers and pupils at the opening numbered thirty-five. It was organized by the M. E. Quarterly Conference, held at the M. E. Town Street Church. Preaching was instituted in the Sunday-school room, Rev. J. A. Bruner, pastor of the Town Street Church, and his assistant, a young man, Rev. A. B. Mabee, preaching alternately at that room and at the City Hall, over the market-house.
The last quarterly conference, at the Town Street Church, for 1853, asked the Ohio Conference, held at Lancaster, to station a missionary at the point where the Sunday-school above named was in operation. This request was granted, and Rev. A. B. Mabee was appointed to the work. In November, 1853, the organization of a church was effected. Elijah Grover, A. Cooper, N. Gibbons, M. Hulm, J. Fell, J. Whitzell, and B. Barnes were chosen trustees, and Joseph Fitzwater, superintendent of the Sunday-school.
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Measures were immediately taken to raise by subscription the necessary funds for building a chapel. This was effected in the following spring, and in July, 1854, Bishop Morris dedicated a neat little frame building, on the corner of Friend street and Straight alley, as a chapel. The building cost about $3,000, and the site $1,200.
The society grew, and in the fall of 1859, found their house of worship too small. The Second Presbyterian congregation being about to remove their place of worship, from their church edifice on the west side of Third street, between Rich and Friend streets, to their new building on east side of Third, between State and Town streets, an exchange was made-the Methodists worshiping in the frame chapel taking the church building the Presbyterians were about to leave, and agreeing to give the latter five thousand dollars, and the chapel property, which was considered worth another five thousand, making the cost of the Presbyterian building and site ten thousand dollars.
In November, 1859, the Bigelow Chapel society entered upon the occupation of the property purchased. The society con- tinued to prosper, and in 1864 numbered about four hundred members. But on the 9th of November, 1869, the church edifice was unfortunately destroyed by fire. It was, however, imme- diately rebuilt. The basement and lecture-room were occupied the following February. December 18, 1870, the building having been finished, was dedicated by Dr. Reed, of Chicago.
The reconstructed edifice cost nearly thirteen thousand dollars. It was built under the supervision of George Bellows, as archi- tect. It will comfortably seat about six hundred persons. As a neat plain church, it is one of the best in the city. It stands on a lot having a front of ninety feet on Third street, and a depth of one hundred feet. The building and lot are valued at $25,000. The society, in 1869, built a parsonage on an adjoin- ing lot. This building and lot cost $3,500. It is proper to add that the society is now free from debt.
The following is a list of the successive pastors of the society : Rev. C. Mabee, for one year; J. H. Creighton, one year; T. Lee, two years ; L. Taft, two years; T. H. Phillips, two years ; A. B. Lee, two years ; A. G. Byers, fourteen months ; D. H. Moore,
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ten months ; J. T. Miller, one year; D. Harlocker, two years ; J. W. White, three years. Rev. J. H. Gardner, the present pastor, is serving his second year.
The present officers of the society are : Trustees, G. S. Innis, A. Cooper, Wm. F. Knoderer, D. R. Rockey, L. H. Wood, E. H. Link, Louis Siebert. Board of Stewards : Henry O'Kane, S. Bevelheimer, E. H. Link, Jacob Kilzer, John Britel, Henry Shornton, W. H. Slack, Wm. F. Knoderer. The leader of the choir is Henry O'Kane, who is also superintendent of the Sunday-school, assisted by E. H. Link. The number in attend- ance at the school is three hundred.
GERMAN M. E. CHURCH.
This society dates its organization as far back as 1843, at which time services were held for about one year in the old engine- house belonging to the city, located at that time on the south side of Mound street, where the new county jail now stands. During this time, the congregation were laboring very energet- ically to complete a good-sized brick building located where the present beautiful new church stands. In the year 1844, they took possession of their new building, in which they continued up to 1871, when the society found it very necessary, owing to the increase of membership, to have a larger church building. Several attempts to build a new church had been previously. made by pastors in charge of the society, which failed to meet with success. The present pastor, Rev. L. Allinger, soon after he took charge of the congregation, in 1871, made an effort in the same direction, and with success, for which he deserves great credit,
The erection of the new church was commenced in April, 1871, and dedicated on Sunday, September 8, 1872. The dedi- catory sermon was preached by Rev. Dr. Pershing, president of the Pittsburg Female College. In the afternoon, Rev. Dr. Nast, author of Nast's Commentaries, preached in both German and English. The evening services were conducted by Rev. Dr. Lobenstein, of Berea College.
The interior of the building is neatly finished, and will con- viently accommodate five or six hundred persons. The congre-
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gation has had a neat tower erected on the building, in which they have placed a bell. The style of the church is Romanesque. Dimensions, 75 by 45 feet. The size of the main audience-room is 63 by 41 feet, with a gallery entered from the vestibule.
The society membership numbers 125, and the Sunday-school numbers 130 pupils. The officers of the church at present are : Rev. L. Allinger, pastor ; Christian Eilber, superintendent of Sunday-school.
TRUSTEES .- Daniel Weir, Charles Frank, John Lauterbach, Christian Eilber, John Beuerle, August Young, and Ernst Rein- kens.
STEWARDS .- Charles Frank, John Lauterbach, Jacob Rapp, Christian Eilber, John Beuerle, August Seel, Joseph Kohn, and Ernst Reinkens.
CHRISTIE M. E. CHAPEL.
This society was originally organized in the fall of 1860, un- der the ministration of Rev. E. W. Kirkham, by members prin- cipally from the Town Street M. E. Church. The new society met for worship in a small school-house on John street, near Hunt's Corners. In 1861, the present brick church edifice was erected on Cleveland avenue or Eighth street, at or near the intersection of Spring street extended.
Rev. T. W. Stanley was pastor of the congregation at the time the church building was erected, and retained that position two years. The successive pastors were : Revs. Ancil Brooks, for two years; J. F. King, one year; E. H. Heagler, three years ; J. M. Jamison, two years. The present pastor is the Rev. G. W. Burns, who took the oversight of the society in the fall of 1871.
Christie Chapel was at first organized as a mission. It is now on the mission list, but is not so largely aided as in the first years of its existence. In the spring of 1871, under the admin- istration of the present pastor, the church edifice was repaired and papered, so as to give the interior a new and inviting ap- pearance. The building will comfortably seat about two hun- dred persons.
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