USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > A history of the Harriet Hollond Memorial Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, Pa. > Part 11
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Although he has reached an advanced age, he gives daily attention to business in his office in the Witherspoon Building. His men- tal faculties are unimpared and he retains much of his physical vigor. He is one of our
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finest Latin, Greek, and Hebrew scholars and retains his knowledge of these languages to a wonderful degree. His knowledge on all mat- ters relating to the history of the Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia is almost encyclopedic. He is deeply interested in all that pertains to Hollond.
The question has frequently been asked, " How did the Hollond Church get its name? "
It was so called in memory of
HARRIET Harriet Hollond, a member of HOLLOND the Tenth Church, who gave $10,000 towards the erection of the chapel at Federal and Clarion streets, which we now use for our Sunday-school and prayer- meeting services. The following excerpts were kindly made by Mr. William L. DuBois, from a memorial volume written by Dr. Henry A. Boardman :
Miss Harriet Hollond was born October 12, 1812, and was the daughter of Charles and Ann E. Hollond. Of her father it is said, " he was an English gentlemen of honorable descent whose generous culture and attractive quali- ties lent grace and dignity to the sterling virtues which formed the base of his charac- ter." He died in March, 1831, leaving a widow and five children, Harriet being the oldest, although she outlived them all. Her mother and two sisters, dying within a short
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time of each other, left her alone in the world so far as family was concerned. This heavy stroke fell with great severity, and her slender frame seemed as though it must sink under its accumulated burdens. Her flesh and strength declined. In 1847 her physicians prescribed a visit to Europe, and in company with Dr. H. A. Boardman and family, she spent thirteen months abroad and there is no doubt that, under Providence, this was the chief means of prolonging her valuable life for many years.
Her chief characteristics were Humility and Benevolence. One who knew her well for forty years said, " I have never known in any sphere of life, a more humble Christian, and never a more benevolent one." She had in- herited a generous fortune, and her beautiful home at 1214 Walnut street was furnished with articles of taste and handiwork. Many curios she had collected in Europe, while many were keepsakes of her friends, but there was no ex- travagance or ostentation ; her controlling rea- son for having these things lay in the gratifi- cation they afforded her friends.
She had as much of that homely Saxon quality we call common sense, next to piety the most valuable of all endowments, as often falls to the lot of man or woman.
In 1855, upon the death of her attached
HARRIET HOLLOND
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friend, Mrs. Ellen W. Jones, she was made superintendent of the Female Sabbath-school of the Tenth Church, a position never better filled by anyone, and in which she continued until the time of her death. Nothing but sickness or absence from the city could keep her from her post. Always punctual, familiar with the details of every class, knowing even every scholar by name, she recognized at a glance the exigencies of each session, occa- sioned by absence and other causes, and with a happy facility provided for them. The last ten of these years were dedicated to the school under circumstances which most persons would have regarded as a sufficient reason for declin- ing active service. A severe illness in 1859 at Newport revealed an organic disease of the heart. This caused her to be an invalid for the rest of her life, and to suffer numerous attacks from this malady ; but even then she spared herself no labor that might contribute to the well being of the Sunday-school.
To the work of the Missionary Society of the Tenth Church Miss Hollond gave her ut- most sympathies, her unwearied care and her munificent benefactions. She was not the official head of the Society. It had no such head. No one cared to be " president," and she would not consent to be. She was the treasurer-a treasurer who, after spending the
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inadequate contributions received from the congregation, uniformly supplied all deficiences from her own purse.
Her benevolent sympathies demanded yet wider scope. In the winter of 1857-1858, Win- throp Sargent, one of the elders of the Tenth Church, with the aid of his brethren, com- menced a meeting for social prayer. The en- couragement given it was so great that two years later (March, 1860) Miss Hollond rented a suitable house on South Juniper street, and a lady well qualified for the task was employed to superintend operations. Here the women, to the number of sixty or seventy, would meet on certain evenings to receive religious instruc- tions, and to sew-making clothing for the missionaries. The ample stock of materials demanded by the formidable corps of workers being supplied by Miss Hollond. Besides, there was a "sewing school " for the young, on Saturday afternoons, the children not only sewing for the missionaries, but cheerfully contributing their pennies to buy libraries for the missionary children. Sunday afternoons, at two o'clock, there was an adult Bible class, and Sunday evenings were given to a religious service, conducted by Mr. Sargent, mentioned above, and a few excellent brethren. Christ- mas holidays were always remembered, and the clothing prepared for the missionary boxes
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was displayed at that time. In the evening, after a brief religious exercise, all repaired to the parlor, where a bountiful table was spread, and where Miss Hollond, with the few young ladies she had invited to help her, took pleasure in passing the refreshments with her own hands, addressing a word or two to each by name, and putting up special parcels for their invalids at home. Of course the children were remembered, and had their festival on one of the holiday afternoons.
While she was specially interested in mis- sionary work, she was one of the largest con- tributors in the city to the several Boards of the Church, and the other objects which make their annual appeals to our congregations. With reference to the considerate kindness of Miss Hollond for those whom no one else would have thought of, as needing aid, or being within reach of it, there can be no ques- tion. And if what she did in this regard ever came abroad, it was not of her connivance.
For a year or two she had been losing ground and while spending the summer of 1870 at Cresson Springs, was taken sick, with what seemed to be a severe attack of indiges- tion, but which proved to be a new develop- ment of her subtle heart disease. For a day or two she seemed to improve, but on the 9th of August, 1870, she suddenly grew worse, and
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in the early morning fell asleep. Three days after, her remains were borne to the cemetery at Laurel Hill, followed by a large concourse of true mourners. The funeral services were conducted by Drs. W. M. Rice and Samuel T. Lowrie.
Miss Elizabeth Potts, who has been con- nected with the school for a number of years as one of its most valued teachers,
CHARLES E. has kindly prepared the following
MORRIS sketch which will be read with appreciation not only by those who knew and loved Mr. Morris, but by all who have an interest in Hollond :
Among the men who have done so much for Hollond Sunday-school in the past there has been perhaps no more vivid personality than that of Mr. Charles E. Morris, who for eight years was its beloved superintendent and who left behind him influences for good which have never faded away. An earnest, consecrated Christian, he was inspiring in his very pres- ence. Always cheery and bright, and full of enthusiasm, he exercised a stimulating influ- ence upon all who came in contact with him. His deep spirituality and earnestness were combined with a shrewd common sense and a great degree of tact which eminently fitted him to be a leader.
When he was elected superintendent, he took
CHARLES ELLIS MORRIS
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days for consideration and prayer, and during that time his mother said that he could neither eat nor sleep. With his coming, the school, which knew only the old-time ways, took a long step forward.
Himself an old-fashioned Presbyterian in thought and doctrine, a worthy product of careful home training, and of the instructions of his revered and oft-quoted preceptor, Dr. Mark Hopkins, president of Williams College, at which institution he passed his student life, he was the first superintendent to introduce modern features into the school.
The use of an order of service, responsive readings, silent prayer, the young people's so- ciety and the parents' and children's meetings were all started by him. Trained by Dr. Hopkins' lectures on the subject, he was en- thusiastic in regard to the value of the Shorter Catechism and made its study prominent in the school.
When asked to become superintendent, he made it one of his conditions that the teachers should give up any engagement requiring them to hasten away, and be willing to devote the afternoon to the school and its interests, look- ing up absentees, visiting the sick, etc.
By his great earnestness and his strong per- sonal magnetism, he was able to carry his teachers with him. He trained them to feel
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that they should be a unit in purpose; that each teacher was responsible not only for his class, but for the general welfare of the school. He impressed upon us that the salvation of the souls of our pupils was the ultimate aim, with- out which our teaching was of small account. In his own addresses from the desk he made most vivid the claims of the gospel, and left the impression that personal salvation alone was vitally important.
Mr. Morris thought a Sunday-school with- out a teachers' meeting was an anomaly, and he brought about the establishment of weekly meetings for the study of the lesson, and so impressed us with the necessity that the attend- ance was large. Teachers who habitually ab- sented themselves were thought very neglect- ful of duty. We prepared our own lesson papers for the use of the school, for a time, in those days before the establishment of the International lessons. We often held the meet- ings at the homes of some of the teachers, and full parlors indicated the general interest. The lessons were made so delightful and instruc- tive that the evening was to many of us the pleasantest of the week.
Mr. Morris would often come to the busi- ness meetings full of some new plan or sug- gestion which he would lay before the teachers. Opportunity was always given for the fullest
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and freest discussion, which sometimes became quite heated. Strong opposition would often melt away before his explanations. No plan, however, was put into operation except with the consent and vote of the majority.
Mr. Morris came among us as a young man, in fullest sympathy with the young, and so entered into the life and interests of every pupil. He had a hearty, cheery way of greet- ing all, which roused the utmost enthusiasm for him on the part of the pupils. On occa- sions of entertainment, he was full of life and fun, ready to lead in games and to rouse abundance of merriment; but when he took his place on the platform, his very presence controlled the school, and there was but small effort required to keep order. The pupils, one and all, loved him. One of the older pupils said recently, "I reverenced Mr. Morris." Every pupil was sure of his friendly sym- pathy, and with the comparatively small num- bers, he could know nearly all individually. A young girl about to join the church said: "I never thought much of my need of a Saviour until Mr. Morris said, ' Annie, I wish you were a Christian,' and then I felt that if Mr. Morris cared about it, it was quite time for me to think about it myself." It was at Mr. Morris's suggestion that regular competi- tive examinations upon the lessons were held
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for a time, and some pupils passed with a very high grade.
In his public addresses Mr. Morris was strong and vigorous. He always held the attention of his audience without apparent effort. In his summing up of the lesson, he would seize upon one or two of the leading points and make an intensely practical appeal, which left its impress upon the memory. It was because of Mr. Morris's urgent desire, that we decided to celebrate Christmas by giving, rather than by receiving gifts, although he himself did not live to see the experiment tried.
It was largely owing to Mr. Morris's efforts and faith that the Hollond chapel was built. The neighborhood of Tenth and Carpenter streets had so largely become settled by Roman Catholics that no further growth was possible. When Miss Hollond died in 1870 she left us $10,000, conditional upon our building in a more promising location within five years. Two years had elapsed, with no steps taken, when Mr. Morris, by his statements to Dr. Boardman and the session of the Tenth Church, induced them to endorse an appeal to the members of tlie congregation for addi- tional funds. This, with the personal efforts of Mr. Morris and some of the teachers among outside friends, resulted in securing a sum
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sufficient to supplement Miss Hollond's legacy and purchase a lot and build the chapel. He took great delight in planning the house and greatly rejoiced when we entered into pos- session.
His faith in the future of the church to be was very strong, and he often spoke confi- dently of the day when a South Broad Street Presbyterian Church would stand upon the corner. Although the name was claimed by another church before we were ready to build, he would rejoice as fully in seeing there the Harriet Hollond Memorial Church.
Mr. Morris's activity was so great, and he accomplished so much, it is hard to realize that he was only thirty-five years of age at the time of his death. His funeral services were held in the Tenth Church, on Thursday, 13th Feb- ruary, 1879, at which the school attended, a choir of the older scholars leading the singing. The addresses on that occasion by Hollond Sunday-school workers, as well as the touch- ing resolutions adopted by the teachers and officers of Hollond school, are included in the memorial volume published soon after his death. He is further commemorated in the fine stained-glass window at the east end of the church, and also by a bronze tablet above the superintendent's desk in the chapel, which bears the following inscription :
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IN MEMORIAM
OUR SUPERINTENDENT
CHARLES E. MORRIS Born March 7th, 1844 Died Feb. 10th, 1879 Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.
On the 17th of May, 1877, Mr. Morris married Miss Ella Graham Benson. One child, a daughter, was born to them. Mrs. Morris has long been a faithful teacher in the school. She has frequently manifested her interest in the church by liberal contributions. Recently the daughter, Miss Margaretta, became a mem- ber of our teaching force and has entered upon the work with characteristic devotion.
"Among those still active who have been the longest time identified with the Hollond work and the most useful in it," Dr.
WILLIAM L. J. R. Miller writes, " no one has
DUBOIS wrought more faithfully or more efficiently, and no one has en-
deared himself to more hearts, than Mr. William L. DuBois. As an officer of the Tenth Presby- terian Church, he was deeply interested in the promotion of the work at Hollond while it was still a mission. No one did more than he to keep the heart of the mother-church warm toward the child and to secure year by year
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the generous support necessary for the main- tenance of the Sunday-school ; for whi e the church services in those earlier days were sup- ported by the Hollond people themselves, the expenses of the school were borne by the Tenth Church-an annual collection and subscription being taken for this purpose.
"In the final disposition of the proceeds of the sale of the old Tenth Church, when it had decided to unite with the West Spruce Street Church, Mr. DuBois was one of the friends in that church who represented and advocated the Hollond interests and to whom Hollond is in- debted for the large share which came to it to aid in the completion of the new building and to provide the handsome endowment fund which will aid so much in the work of the future. Hollond cannot be too grateful to Mr. D11Bois for his personal influence and wise help in these and other ways. He did much, far more than many persons know, to give it its favorable beginning and its fine equipment as a church.
" For many years, the work of Mr. Du Bois in the Sunday-school has been invaluable. Though never connected with the church as an organization-his membership and official rela- tion having always been and still continuing with the Tenth Church-he has always wrought and still works in the school. He has long
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served and still serves as the Sunday-school treasurer, giving careful thought to financial matters. As counsellor in all the business affairs of the school, he has ever been wise and faithful. As a teacher, his services have been of great value and have been fittingly appre- ciated. He has won a place in the hearts of the many who have been in the classes taught by him; and he will long be cherished by them a as a personal friend-sympathetic, kindly, thoughtful, and ready to help in any possible way. $
" Mr. DuBois is a quiet man. His voice is not often heard in public meetings; but his work is of the kind that builds up and endures, and his influence is always for good."
At a conference of Hollond workers held in the chapel in the fall of 1897, Mr. DuBois spoke on "The Pioneers of Hollond." He said in part :
" This work, once known as the Moyamen- sing Mission, which began in such a small way- first in the little building on Christian street and afterwards in the Carpenter street build- ing-has shown itself to be under God's es- pecial care. When we contemplate the small- ness of that beginning and the great church into which it has developed, with all its acces- sories which are represented here to-night, truly we are filled with the deepest gratitude
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to God for all that he has done for us. My own connection with the Mission began in the year 1866. I believe that the only teachers and officers now in the work who were teachers then, beside myself, are Miss Penrose, Mr. and Miss Cooke, and Miss Rivell. The work was full of discouragement, but the old Tenth Church came to our help nobly-supplying us with needed funds, and giving us teachers. Especially were we assisted and encouraged by Miss Hollond's support."
Mr. DuBois closed by paying a high tribute .to the worth of Mr. Charles E. Morris. He explained that it was altogether due to the energy of Mr. Morris that the conditions of Miss Hollond's will were met and the money applied to the erection of our chapel build- ing.
The following sketch of the Rev. Louis Rodman Fox, who was directly connected with the Hollond field from 1872 to
REV. LOUIS 1874, was prepared by a close
R. FOX personal friend : Mr. Fox was born at Doylestown, Pa., January 10, 1834, and was educated in Philadelphia at the school of the Rev. Samuel Wylie Crawford, D. D. Later, Mr. Fox attended Brown Uni- versity, after which he studied and entered upon the practise of law, but his heart turned continually to the ministry and he prepared
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himself for it at Princeton Theological Semin- ary in the class of 1859.
He began his ministry at a little mission station at Bustleton, near Burlington, N. J., where he afterwards spent five additional years, leaving the church in possession of a beautiful building, erected through his instru- mentality, free of debt. He spent a year in laborious mission work at Tuckerton and Bass River, N. J., and was for a time on a special service of the Christian Commission in our Civil War. His regular pastorates were in Washington, D. C., Philadelphia and Detroit. That in Philadelphia began in January, 1872, when he was called from the North Church of Washington to be associate pastor with the Rev. Henry A. Boardman, D.D., in the pas- torate of the Tenth Church. Here he labored with great diligence, preaching with accept- ance and profit, and doing most faithful pastoral work.
Mr. Fox was especially active and helpful in connection with the Moyamensing Mission of the church, and his first preaching service there, which antedated by several days his installation by Presbytery at the Tenth Church, was the first preaching service held after the re-organization of the Sunday-school. His interest in the enterprise never flagged. He held frequent services both on Sundays
REV. LOUIS R. FOX
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and during the week, and soon found that meetings for inquirers were necessary. In the following March, Mr. Charles E. Morris wrote to a friend: "Scholars from our school are coming into the church. We ought to be much encouraged." As there was no church organization, these were enrolled as members of the parent church until March 24, 1882, when the Hollond Church was organized. When other duties would permit of it, Mr. Fox was often found teaching a class in the Sunday· school. He was instrumental in rais- ing much of the money to supplement Miss Hollond's bequest, thus securing the erection of the new chapel on Federal street.
In 1874, Mr. Fox resigned his connection with the Tenth Church but always took a deep interest in the work of the mission. It was a pleasure to him that he was able to take part in the dedication of the Hollond Memorial Chapel, February 15, 1874, when he preached the evening sermon from the text, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely;" and also in that of the Hollond Church on October 15, 1893, when he made an address full of reminiscences of the past and of gratitude to God for the prosperity of the present, to the throng which filled the large and handsome building.
Mr. Fox's last pastorate was in Detroit,
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Michigan, where, with that missionary spirit so characteristic of his whole ministerial life, he devoted himself to the organization and up- building of a work which had been chaotic and unpromising. This church is now known as the Church of the Covenant, and has a beautiful house of worship, the result of his efforts. "He consecrated unusual gifts and acquirements to the preaching of the gospel to the poor. He identified himself with rare tact and Christian sympathy with the interests and sufferings of his people. He was among them always and gave himself for them. And he had his reward in that out of that faithful work there are many shining jewels that one day will be resplendent in his crown. He was a devoted friend, staunch and true, whose ready wit and quaint humor, well stored mind and kindly heart found everywhere a cheery welcome. He was a Christian who realized Christ daily, and so believed His promise and so loved Him that the passion of his life was to preach to others that promise of love."
In 1890, protracted ill health compelled him to lay down his work and retire to his Phila- delphia home, from whence, on December 21, 1894, he was called, not to fresh and coveted labors but to the immediate presence of the Master to receive his reward.
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Dr.J. R. Miller pays this tribute to his memory : " Mr. Fox was a man of lovable spirit. His friendships were deep, strong and lasting. He was much interested in young men, especially in those who were preparing for the ministry. He was wise and faithful as a pastor, and his touch is on many lives.
"All who are interested in Hollond have special reason to remember Mr. Fox with love and gratitude. The period of his co-pastorate in the Tenth Church included the time when the money was being raised to supplement Miss Hollond's bequest for the building of our Sunday-school chapel. Mr. Fox took a very deep interest in this work, and, in company with Mr. Charles E. Morris, visited the people of the Tenth Church to solicit subscriptions. His heart was in the mission, for which he often preached, besides rendering aid in many other ways. We will long cherish his miem- ory. There are those among us who have been helped and blessed by his life in the past, who will carry in our hearts the influence of his friendship and of his words for many days."
It is pleasant to record that the hearty en- couragement which Mr. Fox gave to the work is being perpetuated by the faithful teaching of Mrs. Fox in the Sunday-school-a loving service which is fully appreciated.
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In the death of Samuel M. Kennedy, one of our elders, which occurred early on Tuesday morning, July 25th, 1893, our SAMUEL M. KENNEDY church lost a valued and useful member. The session took the following action :
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