USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > A history of the Harriet Hollond Memorial Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, Pa. > Part 3
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At this time there were 36 officers and teach- ers, 55 primary scholars, 210 infant scholars,
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and 222 scholars in the main room-making a total of 523. The officers were: Charles E. Morris, superintendent; William L. Cooke, as- sociate superintendent; William L. Du Bois, treasurer; Samuel R. Sharp, treasurer of me- morial fund; Walter K. Maxwell and William W. Porter, secretaries; Charles J. Cooke and Robert Briggs, librarians.
At the dedication of the chapel the keys were placed in the hands of Mr. James C. Taylor, who was one of the early Moyamen- sing scholars and whose active interest in the work still continues. Perhaps no member of our church has ever been at heart more truly devoted to its service or more closely identified with it. To many of us his name and Hollond are almost synonymous terms. Beginning life with but few advantages he deserves special credit for having won his way to the front ranks of our city's painters. As a practical business man, his experience and advice have been of great value to our board of trustees, of which body he is a member. He was one of the loyal men who went to the front at their country's call during the war of the rebellion and he is justly proud of his record as a sol- dier.
The chapel is of Gothic architecture, and is built of Trenton brown stone. It has a front- age of sixty-two feet on Federal street and
MACMORRIS
THE HOLLOND CHAPEL
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ninety on Clarion. Two vestibules on Federal street, ten feet square, give entrance to the main room and to the galleries. The north gallery was erected with the chapel; the two side galleries were added in 1882. The library, superintendents' room, secretaries' room, and wash room, are at the north end of the build- ing; four Bible class rooms are on the west side and two on the east side, and the Primary and Junior rooms are at the south end, back of the pulpit platform. By means of slid- ing glass partitions, all of these class rooms can be at will opened on or separated from the main audience room. The building is seated with chairs, which can be arranged into class- forms for Sunday-school purposes or placed in rows for other services. The pulpit was the gift of a Sunday-school class in Bethany, and the organ, made and bought in Paris, was pre- sented by a member of the Tenth Church. The building has a total seating capacity of above one thousand. Davis E. Supplee was the supervising architect.
Many loving hearts have been, and are, in- terested in the beautiful stained glass windows which adorn the chapel-each of them being a memorial of a loved one gone. The committee having charge of securing these windows were much encouraged at the very beginning by re- ceiving an offer of two windows from a lady
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who had originally given them to a church in the interior of the State, from whence they were removed owing to a growing prejudice in that community against such memorials being erected in churches. These windows, which bear the names of Saul and Katherine Hood McCormick, were gladly accepted and are now among the most beautiful in the build- ing. The two large front windows were do- nated by personal friends of Harriet Hollond. Among the names commemorated by some of the other windows are Rev. W. M. Engles, D.D., Mrs. Rebecca M. Schott, Emily Duncan, Ellen W. Jones, Dr. John MacDowell Rice, U. S. N., (presented by the Fourth Presby- terian Church) ; Hattie Wanamaker (pre- sented by Grace Chapel, Jenkintown); Rev. Dudley A. Tyng; Rev. John Todd, D.D. (presented by the Clinton Street Presbyterian Church); John Cresswell; Rev. Albert Barnes (presented by the First Presbyterian Church); John Wilson (presented by the Woodland Presbyterian Church); Helen B. Glass, Benja- min John Cooke, Harvey Mann, Jr., Rachel J. Mann, James B. Mann, Mrs. Samuel Sharp, James B. McFarland and William Jardine.
Among the churches not mentioned above which presented windows were the old Tenth, Bethany, Chambers' and Cohocksink.
In the main room there are handsome tablets
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to the memory of Harriet Hollond, Dr. Henry A. Boardman, and Charles E. Morris.
In 1875, steps were taken which resulted in the building of the cozy parlor over the Prim- ary and Junior class rooms. The following description of the movement appeared in Our Sabbath-School Helper of April 11, 1875:
"Since the occupation of the Hollond Me- morial Chapel the need of a room suitable for social and prayer meetings has been greatly felt. But remembering the prompt and gener- ous contributions which gave us a beautiful and attractive chapel without a dollar of debt upon it, we chose rather to suffer the incon- venience than trespass further on the liberality of those who have done so much for us. Providence seems now to have opened the way for the accomplishment of this object. Miss Annie Morris, a beloved teacher in our school, whose recent death we so deeply lament, died possessed of a mortgage of $2000, to which by law, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Morris, succeed. These parents, remembering that their daugh- ter once offered this mortgage as a loan with- out interest for the completion of the chapel, and believing that it is a sacred trust, have been led to offer the money to the chapel, on condition that the balance required for the pro- posed addition be raised, so that no debt remain after the completion. The whole cost of the
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addition is estimated not to exceed $4,500."
The offer was accepted on the condition pro- posed. The work of building the addition was commenced May 28, 1875, and pushed forward with such vigor that it was completed Septem- ber 23rd. Its total cost, including furniture and memorial window, was $5,000. The last $200.00 of this amount was obtained from a concert given by the scholars and some of their friends, February 15, 1876-the second anni- versary of the dedication of the chapel. This pleasant " upper chamber " has been a great blessing. It is specially dear to many of the active workers of the church, for in it they have had precious and tender revealings of the+ Holy Spirit ; and many of our young people have there been inspired to make the first fee- ble efforts which have since led them onward to splendid Christian usefulness.
Miss Morris was the sister of Mr. Charles E. Morris, and had given valuable service to the school. Her memory is perpetuated by a beau- tiful tablet on the walls of the room which was made possible by the liberality and thoughtful- ness of her parents. The beautiful window in the east end of the room is also a memorial of her.
Shortly after her death in March, 1875, an extended obituary notice, prepared by the Rev. H. J. Van Dyke, D.D., of Brooklyn, appeared
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in The Presbyterian, from which the following brief extracts are made:
" Her intellect was of a high order and was cultivated by habitual reading and study. Back of her social qualities, and infinitely more precious, there was a deep fountain of tenderness, and a well of living water spring- ing up to everlasting life. The three charac- teristics of her religious life were supreme loyalty to Christ, love for the poor and lowly for His sake, and an intelligent devotion to the Presbyterian Church. These character- istics pervaded every part of her nature, and became more and more predominant. Her love for the poor and lowly was demonstrated during the last years of her life in her active zeal in connection, first, with the Bethany Mis- sion, and afterwards with the Hollond Me- morial Chapel. She had no fear of compro- mising her character or her position with ignorance and poverty. She was as ready to sing the songs of Zion in a hovel, or beside the bed of a dying child, as in the church or a parlor. To win the affectionate confidence of a class of rough boys was, in her eyes, a con- quest worthy of her accomplishments."
The chapel remained the property of the old Tenth Church until the dissolution of that church in 1895, when it became, by gift of the mother church, the property of Hollond. The
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expense of maintaining the building was met by the Tenth Church, an annual appeal being sent to all the members for contributions. The following list, accidentally preserved, con- tains the names of those who contributed to this purpose for the year beginning October I, 1876, and is here given to show the liberality of the members of the Tenth Church to the enterprise :
James Baird, $5.00; Mrs. Bayard, $100.00; Dr. Boardman, $25.00; Miss Mary Brown, $50.00; Misses Burt, $25.00; Cash, $25.00; Miss Chester, $75.00; Proceeds of concert at chapel, $72.25; Henry Cowan, $10.00; A. C. Craig, $10.00 ; John Crawford, $1.00 ; Dr. John DeWitt, $15.00; Dr. John Dickson,- $25.00 ; W. E. DuBois, $10.00 ; W. L. Du- Bois, $25.00; Mrs. Z. Gemmill, $10.00; Mrs. J. R. Grier, $50.00; Mrs. M. Johnson, $25.00; Mrs. J. Kennedy, $2.00; Miss Mary S. Kirke, $20.00; Rev. W. W. Latta, $10.00; Mrs. Law, $5.00 ; Margaret MacMullen, $1.00; Mrs. Milliken $10.00; P. McBride, $25.00; Charles E. Morris, $35.co; Mrs. Penrose, $25.00; Mrs. A. K. Pomeroy, $25.00; W. W. Porter, $40.00; Mrs. Potts, $5.00; Miss E. Rogers, $2.00; Mrs. J. B. Ross, $100.00; Misses Sanford, $10.00; Mrs. Savage, $50.00; Miss Mary B. Smith, $150.00 ; Miss Margaret R. Smith, $50.00 ; Tenth Church collection, $125.13 ; Peter
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Walker, $10.00; William Wilson, $50.00; Mr. White, $1.00; C. Wurts, $10.00; Young Peo- ple's Association of Hollond Chapel, $9.30. Total, $1,308.68.
It should not be forgotten that this Appeal was sent out year after year, and always met with a generous response.
The Rev. Frederick B. Duval, a Princeton theological student, was in charge of the field during the summer of 1874. He returned to his studies in the fall. On the 12th of No- vember, the Rev. William F. Garrett was or- dained in the chapel as an evangelist to labor in connection with the mission. The Rev. S. W. Dana, D.D., acted as moderator, the Rev. William P. Breed, D.D., preached the serinon, the charge to the pastor was given by the Rev. Dr. Henry A. Boardman, and the address to the people by the Rev. J. M. Crowell, D.D.
In his report to the Tenth Church, May, 1876, Mr. Garrett thus writes: "The past year at the chapel has been one never to be forgotten, a year made sacred by the special advent and blessing of God in our very midst, by large additions to our church, by increased attendance at the services, by a quickening of Christians, and general interest in matters of religion.
" Preaching services have been conducted every Sabbath morning and evening; the aver-
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age attendance in the morning being from two hundred and fifty to three hundred, while in the evening the attendance at times has num- bered over five hundred. One hundred and twenty-four persons have united with the church. The Young People's Meeting on Tuesday evenings has been blessed of God in an especial manner, overflowing in attendance, and characterized by fervency of spirit and the energy of zeal. On Wednesday evenings cot- tage prayer-meetings have been held from house to house. These meetings are con- ducted and sustained by the young men of the chapel, who, having formed themselves into a band of Christian workers, are unremitting in their labors, having held as many as three or more meetings during the week. The chapel prayer-meeting is held every Friday night. We cannot fully know here what the Holy Ghost has done for us. Truly enough has been accomplished to satisfy and amply repay those who, in self-sacrifice, and love to Christ, assisted to erect the Hollond Chapel; enough has been done to make us thank God and take courage."
In his report made at the same time, Mr. Charles E. Morris said: "It has been the most eventful year of our history. Never could so much be said of God's goodness and mercy to us, and we have abundant cause for
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thanksgiving and praise. Earnest prayers have been answered, long-cherished hopes real- ized, and the blessing richly poured upon us. Fifty-nine of our scholars have united with our church, and at least a score have joined other churches. We exclaim, 'Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits !' "
Mr. Morris also speaks of the good work accomplished by the young men's prayer- meeting, the cottage prayer-meeting, the moth- er's meeting, the young ladies' prayer-meeting, teachers' meeting, and the sewing school. In 1871, the school numbered 260; in 1874, 560; and in 1876, 925. In closing his report, Mr. Morris said : "When the books shall be opened, and every secret thing be made known, it will be found that to Dr. Boardman, more than to any other human agency, has the success and present prosperity of our mission been due."
The officers and teachers of the school at the time of this report (May, 1876), were: Charles E. Morris, superintendent; William L. Cooke and George C. McConnell, asso- ciate superintendents ; William W. Porter, chorister; Walter K. Maxwell, W. J. Parry, Charles T. Cresswell, secretaries; Gustavus. Harkness, Washington Freund, Hugh Kay, librarians.
Teachers: William B. Blight, Hon. T. B.
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Dwight, Hon. John K. Findlay, Mrs. Sarah G. Beck, Mrs. Samuel C. Hayes, Miss Eliza- beth Potts, Miss Mary Potts, John L. Kugler, Miss Mary Irvine, Miss Emma Fithian, Miss Sallie Cooke, Mrs. Charles J. Cooke, Samuel Cowan, William L. DuBois, Nathan H. Jarman, Samuel M. Kennedy, Henry W. Lambirth, John A. Martin, George C. Mc- Connell, William H. Sivel, Samuel R. Sharp, Mrs. Susan O. Babbitt, Mrs. Mary J. Boyd, Miss Sallie Bunting, Miss Bessie Cooke, Miss Jennie Cowan, Miss Lizzie Cresswell, Miss Ellen Dickinson, Miss Lizzie Dukes, Miss Mattie Fisher, Miss Lizzie C. Fithian, Miss Mary R. Fox, Miss L. J. Gaskill, Miss Sue A. Gaskill, Mrs. Ollie Y. Hamilton, Miss Virginia F. Handy, Mrs. Clementine A. Harper, Miss Hattie G. Henry, Miss Mary E. Hill, Miss Cecelia Hogan, Miss Ella P. Irwin, Miss Mary J. Kennedy, Miss Ellie S. Maxwell, Miss Lily M. McBride, Miss Annie J. Mc- Cormick, Miss Mary McCormick, Miss Jennie C. McKane, Mrs. William E. Morris, Miss Helen Parry, Miss Eleanor C. Patterson, Miss Lydia S. Penrose, Miss Mary L. Pleasants, Mrs. Anna K. Pomeroy, Miss Kate E. Reese, Miss Elizabeth Rivell, Miss Eliza R. Sharp, Miss Margaret R. Smith, Miss Lucie Stitt, Miss Addie L. Stewart, Mrs. John L. Stewart, Miss Annie Weaver.
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Mr. Garrett resigned in the spring of 1878, and was succeeded by the Rev. J. Henry Sharpe, D.D.
Soon after this the school was called upon to sustain one of the most serious losses that could possibly come to it-the removal by death of its beloved superintendent, Mr. Charles E. Morris.
Dr. Louis F. Benson, his brother-in-law, thus writes of this untimely event: "His robust system had never wholly recovered from the effects of an attack of typhoid fever, and finally, after a hard battle, with the in- domitable bravery of his spirit, it succumbed to the hand of disease; and in the endurance of pain and weakness, such as only he fully realized, his great soul went home by the thorny road of suffering, whereupon were the footprints and the helping hand of his Master. He died at seven o'clock on the morning of Monday, the Ioth of February, 1879, at his residence in Spruce street, having been con- fined to his bed only since the Saturday evening preceding."
In his successor, Mr. Robert C. Ogden, the school was exceptionally fortunate in finding one whose practical experience, ripe judgment, and large-hearted liberality specially fitted him for so important a position. Under his wise superintendency, continued for a period of
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nearly twenty years, the school steadily ad- vanced in numbers and in usefulness.
FAITH MISSION
The cottage prayer-meetings and other mid- week meetings which had been carried on so successfully by the young men of Hollond during the winter of 1875-6, had results little dreamed of at the time. As usual with all true spiritual service, not only were others helped but the workers themselves were in- spired with fresh missionary zeal to win souls for the Master. Three active young men of the school felt that there was near at hand a wider field of usefulness which they might enter. On the 28th of December, 1876, these young workers-George C. McConnell, John L. Kugler and Edgar A. Leslie-had a meet- ing and resolved to canvass the neighborhood south of Dickinson street, and east of Broad, with a view of establishing a mission. They consulted with Mr. H. A. Brainard, an en- thusiastic worker who had some experience in similar efforts, and from him and others they received such encouragement that on the 4th of January, 1877, they came before the teach- ers of Hollond to ask for their endorsement of
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the movement and for their support in meeting the rent of two small rooms at 1639 Passyunk avenue, which they had already secured, and in which they contemplated organizing a mis- sion school. This support being readily and heartily promised, the young men went to work with a will to get the people of the imme- diate neighborhood interested in the move- ment, and with such success that when the school was opened on the 14th of January forty-five scholars and fifteen adults were present, eleven of the latter being there to engage in the work as teachers.
It was intended to call the new enterprise the Morris Mission, in honor of Mr. Charles E. Morris, but Mr. Morris objecting, the name Faith was substituted. The desk used was from the old Moyamensing school.
The school increased to such an extent dur- ing the next few Sundays, that at the Febru- ary meeting of the Hollond teachers a report was made of the over-crowded condition of the rooms, and a committee was appointed to secure larger accommodations. An eligible site for a building was selected on the south side of Castle avenue, east of Broad, the price being $2,250. The land was taken on ground-rent. Hollond at that time not being a corporate body, could not take title to the ground but this was vested in twelve of the Hollond teach-
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ers who thus became responsible for the prin- cipal and interest. The interest, amounting to $135.00 annually, was paid from the Hollond school fund from May, 1877, to April, 1882, when the principal was paid by members of the Tenth Church.
Mr. George C. McConnell, who was devoted to the work, as chairman of the committee on building purchased at auction sale February 12, 1877, one of the buildings which had been used as police headquarters during the Centen- nial. The price paid was $200.00. He went immediately after to the law office of Mr. Morris, and the following petition was drawn up:
"Being assured of the great necessity for mission work directly south of the Hollond Memorial Chapel, a number of earnest Chris- tians, acting under the advice of the teachers of our Hollond Memorial School, have organ- ized a school to be known as Faith Mission. The enterprise has in attendance exceeded our expectations, and has made it necessary that we should have a building better suited to our wants. We have therefore purchased a frame building, 36 by 70 feet, which will be erected on Castle avenue, below Broad street, and will cost, when completed, from $700.00 to $800.00. In bringing this work to the attention of our friends, we hope that many will feel willing to
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aid us in the effort to establish a Presbyterian enterprise in a locality where it is greatly needed."
To this appeal Mr. Morris was the first sub- scriber, and before noon the next day Mr. Mc- Connell had succeeded in raising enough money to meet the first cost of the building. The ex- penditure, including the original cost, removal, erection on the new site, and general fitting up, was $1,861.94, nearly all of which, owing to the indefatigable efforts of Mr. McConnell, who was heartily assisted by the officers and teachers of Hollond, was paid within a year. The entire amount was paid in 1879. The teachers themselves gave much time and labor to make the building attractive and comfort- able.
It was long the custom of Hollond to march up to the old Tenth Church on " Anniversary Day." In May, 1877, "Little Faith also marched up for the first time and from the gallery seats captured the hearts of all present by their enthusiastic singing of ' A better day is coming.' "
In his printed report of the two schools- Hollond and Faith-in May, 1878, Mr. Morris said: "Faith Mission is in reality a part of the work of the Hollond Memorial School." The officers and teachers at this time were: Super- intendent, George C. McConnell; associate,
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John L. Kugler; secretaries, Edgar A. Leslie and Jay F. Bryant; librarians, Joseph Young and George Taylor; teachers, Miss Emma Bryant, Miss Kate Roberts, Miss Maggie Henry, Mrs. L. Gibson, Miss A. J. Markfield, Miss Lizzie Osmond, Miss Lizzie Orr, Miss Mary Parvin, Miss Annie R. Patterson, Miss Minnie Sherwood, H. A. Brainard, Charles A. Chew, Charles Cook, George Douglass, W. H. Lamb, A. W. Martin, Charles A. Oliver, Samuel Patrick and Samuel Williamson. Six- teen of these were from Hollond. Mr. Mc- Connell held the position of superintendent until his removal to San Francisco in 1884.
The new building was dedicated May 13th, 1877, at 4 o'clock, P. M. Addresses were made by Dr. Henry A. Boardman, Dr. John DeWitt, Rev. W. F. Garrett, Dr. J. Henry Sharpe, Hon. W. S. Pierce and Mr. Charles E. Morris.
In the spring of 1883 the mission was or- ganized into the South Broad Street Presby- terian Church, and the Rev. J. C. Thompson, D.D., who had been successfully laboring in the field since 1880, was installed as the first pastor. In 1884 the organization was merged with and became known as the Scots Presby- terian Church. In 1888 the united congrega- tions erected on the southeast corner of Broad street and Castle avenue one of the prettiest
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church buildings in the city. The old chapel is still in use as a Sunday-school room. Under the pastoral care of the Rev. George Handy Wailes, who was installed in 1897, this pros- perous church is doing a noble work for the Master. The Hollond Church takes a pardon- able pride in its advancement and prays for it the Father's richest blessings.
A PASTOR'S RECOLLECTIONS
[In the following paper the Rev. J. Henry Sharpe, D.D., now pastor of the West Park Church, Philadel- phia, has kindly written of his connection with the Hollond field; and also of his impressions of some of the workers]:
At the Christmas holidays of 1870, Mr. John Wanamaker was unable to keep his en- gagement to speak at the festival of the Sabbath-school of the Wharton Street Church, of which I had recently become pastor, but he recommended in his place Mr. Charles E. Morris, a young lawyer, then in charge of a Bible class in the Bethany school. As a young pastor, the impression made on me by Mr. Morris' address on that occasion was strong and vivid; it abides with me to this day as characteristic of the vigorous and magnetic qualities I afterward learned to appreciate so highly by personal association with him in Sabbath-school work. He illustrated the moral of his address by the story of a boy who was following his father by treading closely in his footsteps through a blinding snow-storm at night. He was tempted to turn aside, thereby
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floundering into a deep drift from which he was rescued by his father at the last moment. The story was so told that it was impossible to forget it or its lessons. From that occasion I date my deep admiration for Charles E. Morris as the peer of the foremost Sabbath- school men I have known.
Another of the future makers and workers of Hollond I met two years later on the occa- sion of his installation as associate pastor of the Tenth Church. On the evening of Janu- ary 25th, 1872, being then moderator of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, I was invited by Dr. Boardman to dine with him and meet his associate-elect, Rev. Louis R. Fox, and others, and proceed with them to the church at the hour of installation. Dr. Boardman preached the sermon, Dr. Breed charged the pastor, and Dr. Crowell charged the people. It was to me a memorable meeting with two men, a father and a brother, with both of whom I was thenceforward to sustain the most agreeable relations; becoming, in time, to be the asso- ciate of the one and the successor of the other.
A still later contact with these three strong friends of Hollond-Dr. Boardman, Mr. Fox and Mr. Morris-was in a friendly difference of opinion as to the wisdom of fixing the site of the proposed Hollond Memorial at Twelfth and Wharton streets, within three squares of
REV. J. HENRY SHARPE, D. D.
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the Wharton Street Church. The Moyamen- sing Mission was first in the general field, and so had a show of right to occupy any site within it. The Presbytery, however, sided with the protest of the Wharton Street Church, so the Tenth Church sold its lot and selected the present location of the Hollond Chapel. In the light of subsequent events, all concerned now see in this change of plan an overruling providence, without which the wonderful after development of the project could scarcely have been possible.
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