History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Part 62

Author: Johnson, Crisfield
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co.
Number of Pages: 716

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With the advantage of this addition the census of 1870 showed a population of ninety-two thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight.

Another large tract, comprising parts of the town- ships of East Cleveland and Brooklyn, and extending entirely around the city, was annexed in 1872; the necessary ordinance being passed on the 19th of November in that year, and the subsequent proceed- ings being taken by the county commissioners. On the 16th of September, 1873, still another absorbing ordinance, also confirmed by the county commission- ers, was passed, by which the village of Newburg, once the rival of Cleveland, was summarily annexed to it, and became the eighteenth ward of its former com- petitor.

As there has been no census since that time it is impracticable to say how far Cleveland has mounted by reason of its internal growth and these external ac- cessions. Enthusiastic citizens put its population considerably above a hundred and fifty thousand, but probably the eensus of next June will show that the number does not vary greatly from those figures. Of course, like all the rest of the country, it has suffered severely from the business depression of the five years succeeding 1873, but it is one of the very first cities in the country to catch the returning breezes of pros- perity, and its people may well look forward to a long career of commercial and manufacturing success.

We have thus sketehed an outline history of Cleve- land, from the laying out of its first streets in 1796, to the present time. We have dwelt at considerable length on the earlier history, regarding which this sketch forms the only record in our work, but have passed very cursorily over the later period, because many chapters immediately following these are de- voted to the separate institutions-churches, societies, schools, etc., of that period. To those we now invite the attention of such of our readers as feel an interest in the details of local history.

El Chambulam.

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PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCHES.

CHAPTER XLIX. PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCHES .*

Trinity-St. John's Grace-St. Paul's-St. James' -- Christ Church-St. Mary's- Grace (Eighteenth Ward)-All Saints'-St. Mark's-Memorial Church of the Good Shepherd-Emmanuel-St. Luke's.

TRINITY.

TRINITY parish was organized on the 9th day of November, 1816, at the residence of Phineas Shep- herd. The communicants were very few. Darius Cooper was chosen lay reader. There was then no Episcopal clergyman, not even a missionary, in this part of the State.

In March, 1817, Rev. Roger Searle, a clergyman from Connecticut, visited Cleveland and reorganized the parish; there being thirteen families and eleven communicants. Hle repeated his visits and adminis- tered the sacraments annually during the three suc- ceeding years, but in the intermediate time the ser- vices were conducted by a lay reader. Part of the time at least they were held in Cleveland village. The rite of confirmation was first administered by Bishop Chase, in September, 1818. In 1820 the par- ish was located in Brooklyn, where most of the effi- cient members resided, but about 1822 it was moved back to Cleveland. Up to 1825 services were occa- sionally held by Mr. Searle; in that year Rev. Silas C. Freeman was installed as rector, but served at the same time at Norwalk.

On the 12th of February, 1828, the parish was legally incorporated; the following gentlemen being named as wardens and vestrymen: Josiah Barber, Phineas Shepherd, Charles Taylor, James S. Clark, Sherlock J. Andrews, Levi Sargeant and John W. Allen. The same year Mr. Freeman went East and obtained a thousand dollars to aid in building a church edifice. A framed house of worship was accordingly begun in 1828, on the corner of Seneca and St. Clair streets, and completed the following year, the total cost being three thousand dollars. It was consecrated on the 12th day of August, 1829, and was the first house devoted to the worship of God in the present city of Cleveland.

In 1830, Rev. Mr. MeElroy succeeded Mr. Freeman, being the first rector who gave his whole time to the parish, for which he received an annual salary of four hundred and fifty dollars. Thenceforward the par- ish continued to grow in strength and influence, keep- ing pace with the flourishing village and youthful city.

In 1852 the church lot, which had been bought for two dollars and a half per foot, was sold for two hun- dred and fifty dollars per foot, possession being agreed to be delivered by the first day of May, 1854. The building was destroyed by fire, however, before that day arrived. In 1853 a large stone house of wor- ship was begun on Superior street, near Bond.

The new edifice was nearly completed in 1854, be-

ing consecrated on Ascension Day, 1855. In 1873 it was thoroughly refitted and elegantly decorated. The extreme length of the editice is one hundred and forty feet, and the width, including the buttresses, sixty-six feet. The tower, which rises from one of the rear angles of the building, contains a chime of nine bells. Passing to the interior the visitor tinds a nave one hundred feet by tifty-two, connected with which by a lofty arch is a chancel about twenty-five feet square. Both nave and chancel are richly ornamented in polychrome, and are lighted with stained-glass windows. A valuable organ adds the charm of music to the lit attractions of the place. The guild- rooms, school-rooms and parsonage are on the same lot with the church edifice.

The church is now in a highly flourishing condi- tion, and numbers about three hundred and fifty communicants. The Sunday school contains a hun- dred and eighty scholars. The Guild of the Holy Child and the Women's Guild are also effective paro- chial agencies. St. Peter's, St. James', and Ascension Chapels, Trinity Church Home and the Children's Home are institutions connected with the parish.

The following have been the rectors of Trinity since Mr. MeElroy, with their years of service : Rev. W. N. Lyster, 1832; Rev. Seth Davis, 1833; (1834, va- cant); Rev. E. Boyden, 1835 to 1838: Rev. W. N. Lyster, 1838; Rev. David Burger, 1839; Rev. Richard Bury, 1840 to 1846; Rev. S. Windsor, 1846 to 1853; Rev. James A. Bolles, D. D., 1854 to 1860; Rev. Thomas A. Starkey, D. D., 1860 to 1820; Rev. Charles Breck, D. D., 1820 to 1813: Rev. W. E. McLaren, D. D., (now Bishop of Illinois,) 1873 to 1875; Rev. John W. Brown, D. D., the present inenmbent, in- stalled in February, 1876.

The following are the present officials : Rev. John W. Brown, D. D., reetor: Rev. James A. Bolles, D. D., and Rey. W. T. Whitmarsh, assistant ministers; Charles Ranney and Herbert C. Foote, lay readers; Ansel Roberts, senior warden: Samuel L. Mather, junior warden and treasurer; Bolivar Butts, secretary: William J. Boardman, Rufus P. Spaulding, John Shelley, Bolivar Butts, Oliver HI. Brooks, Orville B. Skinner, Robert D. Lowe and John F. Whitelaw, vestrymen.

ST. JOHN'S.

St. John's Church, on the West Side, was organ- ized in 1834, but until 1836 publie worship was held in Columbus Block, in school-honses and in the houses of members. In 1836 (Rev. Seth Davis being the rector), the membership having reached a large num- ber, the commodious stone church now in use, at the corner of Church and Wall streets, was erected at an original cost of seventeen thousand dollars.

For two years the congregation worshipped in the basement; then, under the rectorship of Rev. S. R. Crane, the audience-room was completed and furnished with seats, the rector himself advancing the funds. The prosperity was shown by a confirmation class of seventy the first year. In 1839 Rev. D. W. Tolford

"The churches are arranged chronologically by denominations; each denomination taking place according to the time when its first church was formed, and the churches of each denomination being also ar- ranged according to the date of their organization.

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THE CITY OF CLEVELAND.

followed Mr. Crane, and after a pastorate of three years was himself followed by Rev. William Burton, who supplied another three years of work. About 1848 he was succeeded by his brother, Rev. Lewis Barton, D. D.

April 3, 1866, came a serious calamity in the par- tial destruction of the church edifice by fire. This necessitated an additional expense of abont twenty- tive thousand dollars in rebuilding and improvements.

In 1871, after Rev. Dr. Burton's rectorship had continued nearly a quarter of a century, his place was filled by the present rector, Rev. J. Crockar White, D. D. In 1875 the Sunday school had increased so much as to outgrow its former quarters, and a bean- tiful chapel was built at a cost of about seven thou- sand dollars.

The Sunday school now numbers, with its branch at West Cleveland, fifty teachers and three hundred scholars, and is doing excellent work; among other things supporting, at Kenyon College, Gambier, a Japanese candinate for missionary work, at a cost of four hundred dollar per year.

The church membership is now, (August, 1879,) about two hundred and seventy.

The wardens are G. L. Chapman and C. L. Russell, and the vestrymen Thomas Axworthy, G. L. Chapman, J. M. Ferris, M. A. Hanna, F. W. Pelton, E. Sims, A. L. Withington (treasurer), and Howard M. Ingham (clerk).

GRACE CHURCH.

The parish of Grace Church was organized July 9, 1845, at the residence of its rector, Rev. Richard Bury, by former members of Trinity Church. The object of the organization was to provide additional church accommodation. A lot was purchased at a cost of nine hundred dollars, on the corner of Erie and Iluron streets (then the eastern limits of the city), on which a substantial brick building, forty by a hundred feet, was erected. This building cost about ten thousand dollars. Subsequently a chapel was built and a chancel added, (the latter as a memorial. ) These were erected under the supervision of a former rector, Rev. Lawson Carter, who paid the larger por- tion of the expense. The exact cost is not known, but may be estimated at fifteen thousand dollars.

The style is gothic, and the interior, including seats, chancel furniture and fixtures, are of solid oak. It contains eight memorial windows, some of which are of superior excellence in artistic design and col- oring.

The names of the first vestrymen were A. A. Treat and E. F. Punderson, wardens; H. A. Ackley, Moses Kelley, J. F. Jenkins, S. Englehart, William Rich- ards, John Powell, Thomas Bolton and George F. Marshall, vestrynen.

The several rectors, with their times of service, have been as follows: Rev. Alexander Varian, from May 25, 1846, to October 1, 1849. Rev. Timothy Jarvis Carter, December 20, 1849, to November 15,

.1852, when he died. His remains and those of his wife are interred beneath the chancel. Rev. James Cole Tracy succeeded and remained only five months. Rev. Lawson Carter, from July 10, 1852, to July 10, 1860. Revs. Gideon B. Perry, William A. Rich and Wil- liam Allen Fisk were successively assistants under Mr. Carter-the latter succeeding to the rectorship. Rev. Alvah H. Washburn, from April 1, 1866, to Decem- ber, 1877, when he died. Rev. G. G. Carter was soon after elected rector, but declined to accept. He how- ever continued the services until November 1, 1877, when Rev. George W. Hinckle, the present rector, assumed the charge.

The money to build Grace Church was subscribed and donated on condition that the seats should re- main forever free. This is supposed to have been the second church (St. Peter's at Ashtabula being the first) in this country to return to the primitive cus- toms of free seats and weekly communion. It has always been noted for its rigid adherence to the rubrics and teachings of the Prayer Book, and its freedom from sensational and doubtful expedients for main- taining the service; and is a noticeable fact, that the practices and teaching which were at first strongly objected to have since been generally adopted. The founders and supporters of this parish have always made special and unremitted efforts to furnish ac- commodations and services to a class of persons who for various reasons feel unwilling to attend other churches.

ST. PAUL'S.

St. Paul's Church was organized October 26, 1846; at which time forty-five persons associated themselves as the "Parish of St. Paul's Church in the City of Cleveland."

At a meeting held November 6, 1846, the following named persons were elected wardens and vestrymen, to serve until Easter Monday, 1847: D. W. Duty, Aaron Clark, wardens; James Kellogg, II. L. Noble, Moses Kelly, W. J. Warner, T. W. Morse, O. A. Brooks, Oliver Arey and Edward Shepard, vestrymen.

On the same day the vestry extended a call to the Rev. Gideon B. Perry, D. D., to become rector of the church. Dr. Perry accepted the call, and com- menced services on the first Sunday in December, 1846. These services were celebrated in an upper room of a building located on Superior street, near Seneca, at which place the public worship of the church was regularly hell until January, 1851.

In March, 1848, a lot of ground on the corner of Sheriff street and Euclid avenue was purchased for two thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars, for the erection of a church edifice, "to be built of wood, at a cost not to exceed five thousand dollars." This building when nearly finished, was destroyed by fire on the 3d of August, 1849. The next day the vestry met, and resolved to " build another church of brick and stone on the same lot." A brick edifice was built at a cost of seventeen thousand one hundred and twenty- eight dollars, not including spire or bell, which were

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PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCHES.

added several years later. This church was opened for divine service in January, 1851, the first sermon being preached in it by Rev. Dr. Perry. In order to bring the parish into exact conformity with then ex- isting statute laws, it was re-organized in Jannary, 1852, at which time three trustees were chosen, in whom and their successors was vested the title to the church property. On the 19th day of October, the Rev. Dr. Perry resigned the rectorship of the parish.

On the 31st of November, 1852. Rev. R. B. Claxton, D. D., was called. IIe began work March ?, 1853, and continued nearly seven years. Under his admin- istration the church debt was liquidated, and the church consecrated by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Mellvaine, April 14, 1858. Dr. Claxton resigned November 4, 1859.

The Rev. Wilbur F. Paddock was next called as rector in February, 1860. During his rectorship a lot of ground was secured adjoining the church, upon which a chapel was built, at the cost of six thousand five hundred dollars. Dr. Paddock resigned in April, 1863.

In July, 1863, Rev. J. H. Rylance was called to the parish. He resigned March 18, 1867. Rev. Dr. Rylance was succeeded, November 15, 1862, by Rev. Frederick Brooks, who assumed the duties of rector. During his service the wardens and vestrymen of the church were elected and constituted trustees and clerk of the parish of St. Paul's church of Cleveland, in accordance with the laws of the State of Ohio.

In 1874 the church property was sold for one hun- dred and fifteen thousand dollars, and the services were held in a rented building on Prospect street, until the completion of the chapel on the corner of Enclid and Case avenues.

Mr. Brooks' rectorship ended in his accidental death, September 15, 1874. Ilis place was supplied for several months thereafter by Rev. W. C. French, D.D., and Rev. C. M. Sturgis. On May 16, 1825, Rev. C. Maurice Wines was called. On July 2d, of this year, the corner stone of the new edifice was laid by the Rt. Rev. T. A. Jaggar, D. D., Bishop of Southern Ohio, assisted by the rector and other clergy. Rev. Mr. Wines resigned May 1, 1826, and was suc- ceeded by the Rev. Nelson Somerville Rulison. who assumed the duties of rector November 10, 1826, and still performs them. On December 24, 1826, the new church edifice was opened for public worship; the entire cost of construction and appurtenances being nearly one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars.

The register from October 26, 1846, to Easter, 1877, shows eight hundred and fifty-eight baptisms; five hundred and twenty-three confirmations; two hundred and seyenty-nine marriages, and four hundred and fifteen burials. The present Church officers are: Rev. Nelson Somerville Rulison, rector; Rev. W. C. French, D.D., assistant minister; C. J. Comstock, senior warden; J. H. Devereux, junior warden; Ze-

nas King, A. C. Armstrong, F. W. Hubby, HI. C. Ranney. George A. Tisdale, J. M. Adams. E. S. Page, C. E. Stanley, vestrymen; C. E. Stanley, clerk and treasurer,

ST. JAMES',

St. James' Church stands on a large lot at the cor- ner of Superior and Alabama streets; adjoining it and on the same lot is a very commodious rectory. The church editice, a brick structure, is thirty-one feet in width and sixty-five feet in length, exclusive of the robing room.

The establishment of St. James' parish was mainly the result of the labors of Rev. R. Bury, who, in con- sequence of advanced age, resigned the rectorship in 1871. Under the charge of Rev. W. E. Toll, sue- cessor of Mr. Bury, the church was largely increased in membership. In July, 1824, Rev. J. J. A. Morgan accepted a call to the pastorate, which position he retained until Easter Sunday, 1879. Since this time the vestry has connected the church with Trinity Parish by calling its reetor, Rev. J. W. Brown, D. D., to the rectorship of St. James', Rev. W. T. Whitmarsh. assistant rector of Trinity, has been placed in charge of the parish. W. B. Lane is treasurer, and M. Green clerk, of St. James' Church.

CHRIST CHURCH (GERMAN).

Christ Protestant Episcopal Church was organized in 1868, as a mission of St. Paul's, with Rev. J. W. C. Duerr, minister in charge. Services were held in an upper room of the old " Knitting Mill " on Pitts- burg street until the following antumn, when by per- mission the society nsed St. Luke's Church. In December, 1869, the mission was changed and regu- larly incorporated as Christ Church and admitted into convention of the diocese. By contribution, on the part of the other Protestant Episcopal churches and individual donations a house of worship was built at a total cost of twelve thousand dollars, on Orange street, corner Belmont, and consecrated No- vember 19, 1871, by Bishop Bedell. The present number of communicants is about two hundred.

The officers of the church are: J. W. C. Duerr, rector; Wm. Hilscher, Conrad Schmitt, wardens; John Stuber, Casher Pfeffer, Wm. Becker, Adolphus Kaske, William and Augustus Orschekowski, vestry- men.

GRACE CHURCH (EIGHTEENTH WARD).

Grace Church was organized in 1869, under the ministerial charge of Rev. Frederick Brooks, rector of St. Paul's. The carly services were held in the old Presbyterian Church building, which was subse- quently purchased by the society of Grace Church, and moved to its present location on the corner of Harvard and Sawyer streets. Rev. Royal B. Balcom was the second pastor, conducting the service in con- nection with his regular duties as rector of St. Mary's Church, and as such continued to the summer of 1871. At this time Rev. Stephen W. Garrett became

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THE CITY OF CLEVELAND.

the rector of Grace Church, remaining until the fall of 1874, when he was succeeded by Rev. Marmaduke M. Dillon. In the latter part of 1878 Rev. Mr. Dil- lon resigned his charge, and the parish of Grace Church then became a mission; being now under the care of Rev. Mr. Pittenger.

ST. MARY'S.

In 1863 Mr. S. N. Sanford, having associated with him Mr. Levi Buttles, purchased the " Cleveland Fe- male Seminary " and made of it a " Church School for Girls." From that date, and in consequence of Mr. Sanford's acting as licensed lay reader for the school, the desire grew to have a regular and per- manent parochial organization, either in connection with the school, or in its immediate vicinity. In 1868 this desire took shape. The rapid increase of popu- lation in that seetion of the city necessitated action, and therefore at a meeting held on the 25th day of May, in that year, articles of association were signed and the following wardens and vestrymen were elected : S. N. Sanford, senior warden; Levi Buttles, junior warden; Walter Blythe, Lorenzo R. Chapman, II. C. Deming, J. W. Fawcett and F. W. Mason, vestrymen.

Efforts were at once made to seenre the services of a resident reetor. The Rev. W. C. French, rector of Christ Church, Oberlin, had acted for several years as chaplain of the seminary. ITis services were free to all who chose to attend. whether connected with the school or not. Many persons were baptized and confirmed. It was found impossible to secure a set- tled pastor at once, and therefore regular services on Sundays and week days were maintained, partly by the assistance of Rev. Wm. F. B. Jackson, and partly by lay-reading.

On Easter Monday, 1869, at the first regular annual parish meeting, a vestry was chosen for the year com- posed as before, with the exception that F. W. Mason's place was filled by James Withycombe. On the 2d of June, the same year, the parish was admitted into union with the Convention of the Diocese of Ohio, at its session, in All Saints', Portsmonth.

On the 5th day of September, 1869, the Rev. Royal B. Balcom was called to the rectorship, accepted the same and entered upon his duties the 26th day of the same month, having also temporary charge of a mis- sionary work of the church at Newburg.

The corner stone of the church building was laid by Bishop Bedell on the 29th of September of this same year. The edifice was opened for Divine worship March 20, 1870, and the church has gone on ever since in its work, both temporal and spiritnal, proving a blessing to the neighborhood. Yearly additions have been made to the roll of communicants, and consid- erably over two hundred have been made members of Christ's Church in holy baptism. In 1873 a very fine organ was placed in the church as a memorial.

The Rev. Mr. Baleom resigned in 1872 and the Rev. .J. J. A. Morgan succeeded to the work. He remained rector for eighteen months and was followed by the

Rev. Frank M. Hall who, in turn, was succeeded by the Rev. J. Sydney Kent, the present rector.

The Sunday school has a superintendent, seventeen teachers and one hundred and eighty scholars.

St. Mary's Guild has a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer, with about forty members. The organization of the Guild was made in July, 1879, and the entire lay-work of the parish will be carried on under its name and rules.

ALL SAINTS'.

All Saints' Church is situated on the south side of Vega avenue, a few doors east of Columbus street.

Beginning with the summer of 1855, services were held in that neighborhood by several of the clergy of Cleveland, but especially by the Rev. Lewis Burton, D. D., rector of St. John's Church. In 1868, on the first Sunday in April, the North Brooklyn Union Sunday School by reorganization became Episcopal, and connected itself as a mission school with St. John's Church. In this same year the first subserip- tion was made for the purpose of building a church.

During the winter of 1869-70 semi-monthly cottage lectures and Sunday services were held by Dr. Burton at the residence of Mr. James Craig, in the school- house at the corner of Wade avenue and Mill street, and in the Hights' Congregational Church.

So much interest was awakened by the labors of Dr. Burton, that on the 5th of May, 1870, he was able to lay the corner-stone of the present church building. On the 31st of July, in the same year, the building was opened with appropriate services, under the name of All Saints' Chapel. From August 1st regular servi- ces were held in it by the rector of St. John's, Dr. Burton, and his assistant, Rev. William Lucas.

In June and July of 1871 the society, which had been a mission of St. John's Church, was duly or- ganized into a parish and legally incorporated, forty- four persons signing the articles of association. At that time the following vestry was elected: A. James, senior warden; John Greening, junior warden and treasurer; James Craig, I. II. Amos, J. J. Boote, E. Gilchrist, C. E. Loper, Harry James, and R. M. Thompson, secretary. On August 1st of this year the Rev. Lewis Burton, D. D., began the joint rec- torship of All Saints' and St. Mark's Churches; giving one service to each every Sunday. Lay read- ers under his direction performed a second service cach Sunday.

On the 14th of May, 1874, (Ascension Day.) the church being free from debt, it was consecrated by the Bishop of the diocese, the Rt. Rev. G. T. Bedell, D. D. This year the parish became self-supporting. On the 7th of June, 1875, Rev. Dr. Burton resigned the rectorship of All Saints' Church. About Septem- ber 1st, 1875, Rev. John Henry Burton began his labors as rector of the parish. On 15th of October, 1876, a large frame building which had been erected in the rear of the church, chiefly for Sunday school purposes, was opened with appropriate exercises.

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History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Part 62

Author: Johnson, Crisfield Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co. Number of Pages: 716

Author: Johnson, Crisfield
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co.
Number of Pages: 716