USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > Youngstown > History of St. John's Episcopal Church, Youngstown, Ohio : with part of the history of St. James Church, Boardman, the pioneer parish of Ohio > Part 3
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St. Mary's Chapel.
In 1887 St. Mary's Chapel was built on a lot on Mahoning avenue, South Side, given by Mrs. Mary Howard, from whom
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the Chapel gets its name. The building committee purchased an Episcopal Church at Tiffin, Ohio, which was taken down, removed here and set up on the Howard lot.
Resignation of Mr. Avery.
Mr. Avery resigned February 12, 1889, to take charge of St. Mark's Church, Frankford, a suburb of Philadelphia. He after- wards returned to this Diocese and is Rector of St. James' Church, Painesville. His ministry here was a very busy one, and many additions were made to our list of communicants during his stay. After Mr. Avery's resignation, the Parish work was very ably managed by Rev. Edwin S. Hoffman, the Assistant Rector, he having practically taken entire charge. Shortly after the arrival of Mr. Avery's successor, Mr. Hoffman was called to take charge of Christ Church, at Hornellsville, New York.
Rev. Robert R. Claiborne, Rector.
September 23, 1889, the Vestry extended a call to Rev. Robert R. Claiborne, of Silver Spring, Maryland, who accepted at once, and held his first services on Sunday, October 13, 1889.
Mr. Claiborne was born June 17, 1856, at Amherst, Virginia, and is a descendant of William Claiborne, one of the early ex- plorers, who came to America in 1631. He received his early schooling at Norwood, Va., and then entered the Virginia Mili- . tary Institute at Lexington, Va. In 1879 he graduated from the Virginia Theological Seminary, and was ordained to the Deaconate by Bishop Whittle. In the following year he was ordained to the priesthood, and became Rector of Emanuel Church at Rapi- dan, Virginia. Afterwards he took charge of Grace Church, Silver Spring, Maryland, and on the recommendation of Rev. William A. Leonard, of St. John's Church, Washington, D. C. (now our Bishop), he was called to Youngstown, Ohio. Mr. Claiborne
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Rev. Abner L. Frazer, Jr., - Rector St. John's Church.
was a very able Rector, but his sojourn with us was short, as he resigned on February 4, 1892, to take charge of St. Luke's Parish at Kalamazoo, Mich.
Rev. Abner L. Frazer, Jr., Rector.
From the time Mr. Claiborne resigned until the autumn of the same year, services were conducted by Lay-reader Mr. J. M. Reno, and Clergy from Kenyon College and surrounding Parishes. On invitation of the Bishop, the Rev. A. L. Frazer, Jr., of Lima, Ohio, held services on Sunday morning, August 14, 1892, and after services the following Sunday, the Vestry extended a call to him, which he accepted, entering upon his duties on All Saints Day, of the same year.
Mr. Frazer was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, July 20, 1858, where he received his education, until he entered Kenyon College at Gambier, Ohio. Graduating in 1880, he entered upon a business career, which was pursued until 1886. At that time he began his theological course at Bexley Hall, Kenyon College, remaining there two years. He served as Lay-reader the second year of his course at Berkshire, Galena, and at Trinity Church, Columbus. Septem- ber 28, 1887, he was ordained Deacon by Bishop Peterkin, of West Virginia, and ordained to the priesthood September 30, 1888, at Parkersburg, West Virginia. Immediately thereafter he went to Kalamazoo, Michigan, as Assistant Rector of St. Luke's Church. In October, 1889, he became Rector of Christ Church, Lima, Ohio. In 1895 he was elected Dean of the Northeast Convocation, which office he now holds.
Mr. Frazer's work with us is better told by its visible results, in the enlarging of the Parish and many progressive ideas intro- duced. Through the succeeding years of his ministry, our Church History has accumulated very rapidly, as will be shown further on. Mr. Frazer has been very intimately identified with it all, watchful, energetic, and enthusiastic.
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Assistant Rectors.
At different times during Mr. Avery's ministry, he had as assistants the Reverends H. L. Gamble, C. W. Hollister, Douglas I. Hobbs, and Edwin S. Hoffman.
For a short time Mr. Claiborne had as Assistant Rector the Rev. Henry J. Beagen, and Mr. Frazer had for a brief period Rev. Herbert C. Gaylord. Most of these men also assisted in the work at Boardman, which Parish for a time was without a Rector.
Wardens and Vestrymen Since Organization.
Francis Reno was Senior Warden and Henry Manning, Jr., was Junior Warden at the organization, and continued as Wardens until the death of Mr. Francis Reno in October, 1864. The vacancy was not filled until the Easter Parish meeting in 1865, at which time Mr. Henry Manning, Jr., was elected Senior War- den, and Mr. J. M. Reno, son of Francis Reno, was elected Junior Warden. No change was made from this until the death of Mr. Manning, on Christmas Eve of 1881. On the Easter Monday fol- lowing Mr. J. M. Reno was made Senior Warden, continuing as such to the present time. At the same meeting Mr. James Rudge was elected Junior Warden, and held the office until his death in November, 1896. The Vestry elected Mr. W. E. Manning to fill out the time until Easter Monday of 1897, when the congregation elected Mr. J. M. Butler as their Junior Warden.
Vestrymen.
In addition to those who were Vestrymen at the organization of the Parish, the following gentlemen were elected in the years subsequent, holding office one or more years : -
T. W. JOHNSON, A. J. PACKARD,
H. O. BONNELL,
GODFREY KING,
R. J. POWERS,
J. M. RENO,
A. GREGORY,
G. B. SIMONDS,
G. B. CONVERSE,
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GEO. M. AYER,
W. W. LUCK,
JOHN MANNING,
JAMES MACKEY,
DAVID MACKEY,
ALEXANDER ADAMS,
G. T. LEWIS,
J. L. BOTSFORD,
HENRY G. MORSE,
F. H. MATTHEWS,
JAMES RUDGE,
GEO. A. COE,
C. E. RUMPF,
JOS. M. BUTLER,
HENRY TOD,
W. E. MANNING,
E. L. FORD,
HENRY W. HEEDY,
M. C. MONAB,
FRANK HITCHCOCK,
C. M. CROOK,
JAMES T. MOKELVEY.
Mr. W. J. Hitchcock has continued as a Vestryman since the Parish was organized. Mr. J. M. Reno was made a Vestryman in 1864, and is next in consecutive years of service. Mr. J. L. Bots- ford has been Vestryman since 1876; Treasurer since 1877. Mr. J. M. Butler, Secretary since 1889.
BISHOPS.
Rt. Rev. Philander Chase.
Bishop Chase has been mentioned in previous pages in treat- ing with the pioneer history of the Church. His labor here was at a time when the town was small, and there were only a few scattered communicants who attended at Boardman. He founded Kenyon College and Theological Seminary at Gambier, and so earnest were his endeavors to build up that great work, that he journeyed to England to interest the Church people there, and obtain funds. He gave up his jurisdiction in 1831, going into missionary work in the West. On March 8, 1835, he was made Bishop of Illinois. During this period he made another journey to England, collected funds, and founded Jubilee College at Rob- in's Nest, Illinois. Here he resided until his death, September 20, 1852.
Rt. Rev. Charles Pettit Mcilvaine.
When Bishop Chase resigned, Charles Pettit Mellvaine was chosen Bishop of Ohio, and consecrated in St. Paul's Chapel, New York, on October 31, 1832, by Bishops White of Pennsylvania,
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Griswold of New England, and Meade of Virginia. Bishop Mell- vaine visited Youngstown frequently, when it was a mere mission, the first time about 1853, holding services in the Methodist Epis- copal Church; his last visit was on Tuesday, May 23, 1865, at which time he confirmed a class of sixteen.
Bishop MeIlvaine graduated from Princeton in 1816, was ordained at Georgetown, D. C., and in 1825 was appointed Chap- lain to West Point. Later he was Rector of St. John's Church, Brooklyn. In 1853 the University of Oxford conferred on him the degree of D. C. L., and in 1858 the University of Cambridge that of LL. D. In 1871 he visited Russia to intercede with the Czar in favor of the religious rights of his Protestant subjects. He died during this journey at Florence, Italy, March 13, 1873. His body, on its way to America for burial, lay for a while in state at Westminster Abbey. Aside from his work as Bishop, he was well known as an author. One of his works, "Evidences of Christianity," reaching thirty editions, and was published in America, England and Scotland.
Rt. Rev. Gregory Thurston Bedell.
Our next Bishop was Gregory Thurston Bedell, who interested himself in the formation of our Parish, and for which he had unusual regard all his life, as also did his wife. She accom- panied him frequently when on his visits here. Bedell was the son of an Episcopal clergyman, Rev. Gregory Townsend Bedell, who was a very graceful elocutionist, which talent was also possessed by the son to a remarkable degree. Bedell studied theology at Alexandria, Va., and was ordained at St. Andrew's Church, Phila- delphia, in 1840. From 1843 to 1859 he was Rector of the Church of the Ascension at New York. He was then consecrated Assist- ant Bishop of Ohio, and, on the death of McIlvaine, succeeded to the Bishopric. When the diocese was divided, in 1875, Bedell took the northern part, which retains the original name. He
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Rt. Rev. Philander Chase.
Rt. Rev. Charles Pettit Mcilvaine, D. D., LL. D., D. C. L.
1964010
Rt. Rev. (Gregory Thurston Bedell, D. D.
Former Bishops of Ohio.
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visited here early in 1859, and while yet Assistant Bishop con- firmed two classes, his last visit to Youngstown being March 27, 1887, at which time he held confirmation services. He' resigned in 1889 on account of ill health, and died at New York in 1892. During Bishop Bedell's illness and prior to the consecration of his successor, we had Episcopal visits from Rt. Rev. Buell Knick- erbacker, of Indiana, and Rt. Rev. Cortlandt Whitehead, D. D., of Pittsburg, Pa.
Present Bishop.
Rt. Rev. William Andrew Leonard, D. D., was born at South- port, Connecticut, July 15, 1848, ordained Deacon May 30, 1871, by Bishop Williams, who made him a priest at St. John's Church, Stamford, Connecticut, July 21, 1873. In 1880 he was nominated Missionary Bishop of Washington Territory, but declined the appointment. Later he was elected Bishop Coadjutor of Southern Ohio, which he also declined. In 1885 he received the title of D. D. from Washington and Lee University. Also in 1888 from St. Stephen's College, Annandale, New York, his Alma Mater. On October 12, 1889, he was consecrated Bishop of Ohio at St. Thomas' Church, New York. Prior to this time he had been Rector of St. John's Church, Washington, D. C. Bishop Leonard's work is speaking for itself in the increased number of Parishes, and interest taken over all his Diocese in Church work, which is encouraged by his own energetic example. Under his guidance the Diocese of Ohio has a bright outlook. He has already laid the foundation of a Cathedral at Cleveland, and has outlined work for his people that will bear good fruit in the near future.
As Bishop Bedell identified himself so closely with us in the formation of our Parish and the building of the first Church, so Bishop Leonard has been with us, from the purchase of the lot to the laying of the corner-stone and the finishing up of the new Church, giving us his blessings on our work, and lending the aid of his presence at the different important stages of its progress.
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Building the New Church.
It took the efforts of three Rectors and a conflagration before we succeeded in getting a new Church. Mr. Avery had talked new Church, as he felt the old one was not large enough for our needs, and in 1887 appointed a building committee, who, on June 1 of that year, recommended the purchase of. the Wood- bridge lot, on which our present Church now stands. The Vestry approved the report of the committee, but did not authorize the committee to buy the property. The people were not yet ready for the movement, and it was allowed to rest. In the meantime, to partly relieve the congested condition of St. John's, the two Missions were organized. During Mr. Claiborne's time he talked new Church, and took a step forward when the Vestry, in April, 1891, appointed a building committee, which made the same report as the committee in Mr. Avery's time had done. This time, how- ever, the Vestry not only approved, but authorized the purchase from Dr. Woodbridge of his lot on Wick avenue for $14,000, which was done, and all paid for as early as 1896. However, it must be considered that $5,000 of this sum was secured by the sale, in October, 1895, of the Rectory on Wood street .* Mr. Frazer also urged the building of a new Church, and in 1894 a commit- tee, consisting of J. L. Botsford, W. E. Manning and J. M. Butler, was appointed to arrange for a Parish meeting to talk over the advisability of building. This meeting was held in the basement of the old Church, on Friday evening, May 4, 1894, and was well attended by those active in Church work. The subject was thor- oughly discussed, and there was an unanimous opinion that we needed a new building, but owing to the depressed condition of the finances of the country, and the probable continuance of the same for an indefinite period, it was considered an inopportune time for making a serious move in that direction. A committee,
* We are indebted to Mr. James Mackey of the building committee for the pur- chase of the Woodbridge lot, which was brought about by his persistent endeavors.
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consisting of M. C. McNab, Jno. M. Walter, C. H. Webb, C. A. Alexander, J. H. Nutt and James T. McKelvey, was appointed to act with the Vestry in arriving at some plan of action. The " hard times " continued, and nothing definite was done until the fire occurred, when a new Church not only became desirable, but a necessity.
Passing of the Old Church.
Late Saturday night, December 21, 1895, the Church was dis- covered to be on fire, and before it was subdued the Vestry Room and basement were badly damaged. The silver Communion Serv- ice and some of the vestments were saved by Mr. James M. Reno, who had his beard and eyebrows singed in the effort. The fire is supposed to have caught from the electric wires. The invita- tion of the Trustees of the Tabernacle United Presbyterian Church to hold our Christmas services in their Church was gladly ac- cepted. We were also offered the use of the First Christian Church (Disciples) and the Jewish Synagogue. On December 26 the City Commissioners condemned the Church as being unsafe, they claiming that the walls were sprung and the tower out of plumb. They afterwards admitted that they had been hasty, and time has shown they were mistaken. The tower never was plumb, but was accepted by the building committee for two reasons. One was, the contractor was poor, and it would have ruined him to have torn it down; then the congregation was poor, and were unwilling to go into the expense of rebuilding it. So it stood for many years, not enough out of plumb to be noticed except by an expert. Many of the older members had forgotten about it until the firemen called attention to it. Fortunately we had the Mission Church of St. Mary's to use in the meantime, which en- abled us to keep our congregation together until we could go into our new building.
On January 6, 1896, the Vestry appointed a building commit- tee, consisting of James Mackey, J. L. Botsford, W. J. Hitchcock,
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and Henry Tod, their first duty being to solicit subseriptions and ascertain if enough could be secured to commence building. On Friday evening, April 24, 1896, a Parish meeting was held at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. George F. Arrel, on Lineoln avenue; Mr. James Rudge, Junior Warden, presiding. Others present were J. M. Reno, James Mackey, J. M. Butler, E. L. Ford, Henry Heedy, and W. E. Manning, of the Vestry ; Rev. A. L. Frazer, Mr. George Tod, Miss Sallie Tod, Mrs. E. L. Ford, Mrs. Henry Heedy, Mrs. W. J. Hitchcock, Mrs. A. M. Clark, Mrs. J. L. Botsford, Mrs. Henry Bonnell, and Miss Sallie Reno. Mr. E. L. Ford gave a description and showed sketches of a Church at Bloomfield, New Jersey, which he had seen, as had Mrs. Arrel, Miss Tod and Mrs. Frazer. Photographs of other Churches were shown, but the sentiment prevailed that the Bloomfield Church was more in line with what we wanted, and the architect of that Church, Mr. William Halsey Wood, of Newark, New Jersey, was chosen to submit plans for a new Church. On May 5, 1896, Mr. E. L. Ford and Mr. J. M. Butler were elected members of the building committee to take the places of Henry Tod and James Mackey, who had resigned. The committee met at the residence of Mr. W. J. Hitchcock, on June 24, 1896, and organized by electing E. L. Ford chairman and J. M. Butler secretary.
At this meeting, preliminary sketches for the new Church were submitted by Mr. Wood, and approved. On July 6, 1896, the Vestry asked the building committee to consider the building of a Rectory and Chapel with the Church, and to that end Mr. Wood, the architect, prepared plans, which were accepted. When it came to getting bids on the work, it was found that they were far in excess of the estimates. The Vestry decided to refer the matter to the congregation, and on Monday evening, October 5, 1896, a Parish meeting was held at the home of Judge Arrel, at which time it was decided to build only the Church. On October 20, 1896, the building committee let the contract for the basement
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work to Henry Niedermeier, and on April 9, 1897, the contract for the superstructure was let to The Heller Brothers Co.
Removal of the Old Corner=stone.
It had been decided by the Vestry that the contents of the corner-stone of the old Church should be placed in the new, but considerable difficulty was experienced in locating the old stone. No one remembered the exact place. Some thought one place, some another, until finally it was thought perhaps, in conformity to an ancient custom, it had been placed in the northeast corner. The committee acted accordingly, and by aid of some workmen soon brought to light the old box, very much the worse for its exposure of thirty-six years. It was of tinned iron and badly oxidized. The corner-stone was porous sandstone, directly under a water spout, and its contents were, with the exception of the coins, practically destroyed. Some of the papers and books could be identified, but were of no value to place in the new stone.
Contents of the New Corner=stone Box.
The Rector and Wardens arranged the contents of the new corner-stone box, which was of sheet copper and hermetically sealed. The contents were as follows: -
1. Small Bible from St. James' Mission.
2. Book of Common Prayer.
3. Church Hymnal.
4. Catalogue of Kenyon College for 1896-1897.
5. Journal of Diocesan Convention for 1896.
6. List of Communicants of St. John's Parish.
7. Brief History of St. John's Parish.
8. Copy of Mahoning Sentinel, dated May 29, 1861, giving an account of the laying of the corner-stone of the old Church on May 27, 1861. This paper was taken from the files of Mrs. John M. Webb (wife of the editor), by her kind permission.
9. Copy of Daily Vindicator of May 23, 1897, giving history of Parish.
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10. Copy of each of the Youngstown daily papers of the date May 27, 1897, the " Telegram " and " Vindicator."
11. Copy of "The 'Churchman."
12. Copy of "The Church Life."
13. Piece of corner-stone of old Church.
14. Coins from old corner-stone box.
15. Proof set of silver and minor coins for 1897 direet from United States Mint at Philadelphia.
16. Copy of invitation to the corner-stone laying.
17. Photograph of proposed new Church (taken from crayon sketch.
18. A list of the above articles was made out, sealed in a glass bottle and placed in the box.
Every precaution was made to preserve the records of the Church from the ravages of time, so that future generations may know our early history.
Secularizing of Old St. John's Church.
May 27, 1897, being the anniversary of the laying of the corner-stone of the old Church, it was decided to lay the corner- stone of the new Church on that date, and arrangements had been made accordingly. The program for the day's exercises was carried out as planned, nothing unpleasant occurring to mar any of the details. The day set (which was Ascension Day) proved to be one of the most beautiful of Spring days, atmosphere clear, the air pure, and the Spirit of God pervading over all, making it like the theme of the Bishop's sermon, "A Grand Coronation." Members of the Parish had decorated the old building with flowers and plants, and with boughs of trees and leaves covered the burned walls of the Chancel and Vestry Room. Chairs were placed in the Auditorium, which were quickly filled, many per- sons being obliged to stand, and the old building was taxed to its utmost capacity. At 3:30 P. M. the Clergy, consisting of : - Rev. A. L. Frazer, of St. John's Church, Youngstown, Ohio,
Rev. F. B. Avery, of St. James' Church, Painesville, Ohio, Rev. C. W. Hollister, of St. Paul's Church, Akron, Ohio,
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Rev. Charles O'Meara, of St. Stephen's Church, East Liver- pool, Ohio,
Rev. A. A. Abbott, of Christ Church, Warren, Ohio, and Rev. A. W. Mann, of Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio,
came in procession up the center aisle and advanced to the Chan- cel; the Bishop, Rt. Rev. W. A. Leonard, D. D., passing through the open ranks to his place. All then knelt for a few moments in silent prayer, after which the choir and congregation joined in singing the hymn, "Onward, Christian Soldiers." As the second verse was being sung, the candidates for confirmation came forward and presented themselves to the Bishop, who admin- istered to them the "Ordinance of Confirmation or Laying On of Hands." They were thirty-five in number, three of them being deaf mutes presented by Rev. A. W. Mann. After the confirma- tion services had closed, a brief history of the Parish was read by the Secretary of the Vestry. The Bishop then pronounced the words that changed the edifice from one consecrated to the wor- ship of God to a secular structure. In doing so, he dwelt earn- estly upon the awful sin of sacrilege, and hoped that the build- ing would be torn down and not used for secular purposes. His words were very impressive, visibly affecting many of the congre- gation, who loved the old building that had been their "Church Home" for many years. The Bishop then directed the Rector to remove the Cross and furnishings from the Altar and close the Bible for the last time, thus ending the ceremony of secularizing, or deconsecration. The people were then dismissed and went in procession to the new Church lot on Wiek avenue by twos, in the following order : -
THE WARDENS. J. M. Reno, Senior. J. M. Butler, Junior. VESTRYMEN. James L. Botsford, William E. Manning. M. C. McNab, Henry W. Heedy.
James T. MeKelvey, Charles M. Crook.
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CLERGY.
Rev. F. B. Avery, Rev. C. W. Hollister. Rev. C. O'Meara, Rev. A. W. Mann. Rev. A. A. Abbott, Rev. A. L. Frazer, Jr. THE BISHOP.
Rt. Rev. William A. Leonard, D. D., Bishop of Ohio.
LOCAL CLERGY.
Rev. W. G. White, Westminster Presbyterian. Rev. F. Meyer, German Lutheran. Rev. Olsen, Swedish Congregational. Rev. Jester, Protestant Methodist. Rev. Noll, German Reformed. Rev. J. B. Davis, Welsh Congregational.
Then came original members of the Church, as follows:
Mr. J. B. Wilder, Mrs. Jane M. Wilder. Mr. John Manning, Mrs. Anna S. Manning. Mrs. W. J. Hitchcock, Mrs. Sophia Manning. Mrs. Susan Lewis, Mr. Alex. Caufield.
The remainder of the congregation came last. Arriving at the new Church lot, the Senior Warden handed the corner-stone box to the Bishop, who placed it within the corner-stone, which was then laid with appropriate ceremony by the Bishop, assisted by his Clergy, all the people uniting in repeating the Apostle's Creed. At the time of the laying of the corner-stone, sixteen of the original members of the Parish were living; of this number seven were absent. They were as follows: -
MR. W. J. HITCHCOCK, MR. C. G. EDWARDS,
MR. R. J. POWERS, MR. T. W. JOHNSON,
MRS. HANNAH CREED, MRS. ALEX. CAUFIELD. MISS MARY SMITH.
The corner-stone was placed in the northwest corner of the Church, and is the large, rough-hewn stone to the left of the North door of the vestibule as you enter the Church from the North aisle. It has the date 1897 upon it, and a large Cross in the center.
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Progress on the New Church.
Thursday afternoon and evening, July 22, 1897, Youngstown was visited by one of the worst storms in its history, and, among other things that were damaged, was the temporary bridge over the Mahoning River at Spring Common, it being completely de- stroyed. This cut our congregation off from attending at St. Mary's, and for a few Sundays, until the bridge was replaced chairs were put in the old St. John's Church and services held there. In the meantime, work on the new Church progressed so that by October, 1897, it was entirely under cover. Many vexa- tious delays were experienced, however, such as the iron work for the tower, the window glass, pews, etc. The architect, Mr. Wil- liam Halsey Wood, died March 13, 1897, and the supervising of the work fell to the lot of the building committee, the chairman of which, Mr. E. L. Ford, giving it his personal attention to such an extent that we may unreservedly say, "He took the archi- tect's place." His taste is shown in many of the details that were not worked out by Mr. Wood. In this Mr. Ford gave us the benefit of his technical knowledge and his observations of Churches in the Eastern States and Europe. The work on the basement of the Church was not quite completed when the build- ing committee gave the Vestry permission to use it for services temporarily. The first part of the new Church was used on March 8, 1898, at which time the choir room was opened for choir rehearsal by Prof. Forcier and his newly organized vested choir. Short Lenten services were held in the Sunday School room on Saturday afternoon, March 12, 1898, and regular Sunday serv- ices the next day, March 13, 1898, and thereafter until the
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