USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > Annals of Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania in the olden time; being a collection of the memoirs, anecdotes, and incidents of the earliest settlements of the inland part of Pennsylvania, Vol. III > Part 33
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The Sharswood House .- The old Sharswood mansion, situated on a lot bounded by Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth streets and Master and Jefferson streets, and which was erected before 1798, was torn down in August, 1878. This house was laid down on Varlo's map, published about 1798, and was west of the house of John Nixon, on Turner's lane. From Turner's lane a road ran south and connected with New Hickory lane-now Fair- mount avenue-near S. Samson's place, Par la Ville, the site of which is now embraced in Fairmount Park.
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CHURCHES.
The first churches established under Presbyterian organization in this country were located in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylva- nia, and West Jersey. The reason of this fact is to be found in the free toleration of religious peculiarities granted by the orig- inal Proprietors of these Provinces. Virginia was principally settled by Episcopalians. Few of the earliest churches were strictly Presbyterian in their origin. The sparseness of the pop- ulation or the poverty of the people induced persons of different persuasions to unite their strength and congregate without any reference to any particular organization, and as they were singly unable to support the ministry to which they were respectively attached, their worship was conducted either by lay readers or itinerant clergymen on their occasional visits. Philadelphia claims the honor of the first regularly-constituted Presbyterian church in the United States, as they first attempted the formation of a congregation in 1692. They worshipped with the Baptists and Congregationalists in the old "Barbadoes store," as Mr. Watson says (I. 448). Soon after a dissension took place; the Presbyterians and Congregationalists invited Mr. Andrews, and in 1704 erected a wooden building on Market street. In 1706 a presbytery was organized, and the number of ministers who harmonized in their views was seven. The church flourished so that in 1716 the Philadelphia Presbytery was divided into four subordinate judicatories, to meet in an annual synod in the city.
One-story stocking-store, p. 447 .- This store was kept for many years, and was at the time of its being taken down, in June, 1832, so kept-as a stocking-store by Nathan Jones & Son. The pres- ent row of granite stores was erected in its place. (See Reg. Penna., ix. 416.)
P. 447, note. See Col. Recs., iii. 139, where the Pennsylva- nia Company is mentioned, which I suppose refers to the Society of Free Traders, and not to the " Barbadoes Company." Clay- poole speaks of it as the " Pennsylvania Society." (See Hazard'a Annals, p. 557, where he also says : " We have a prospect of con- siderable trade between Barbadoes and Pennsylvania.")
P. 448 .- Rev. Jedediah Andrews's letter, dated in 1730, gives an account of the religious denominations in Philadelphia in that year. (See Hazard's Reg. Penna., xv. 200.)
Rev. Jedediah Andrews was the first Presbyterian minister in Philadelphia. Son of Captain Thomas Andrews of Hingham, Mass., he was born there July 7th, 1674, the ninth of ten chil- dren. He graduated at Harvard in 1695, came to this city in 1698, and was zealous in the Church till his death in May, 1747. Under his pastorate his congregation left the Barbadoes Store in
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1704, and erected a church in Market street, corner of White- horse alley, now Bank street, formerly called "Old Buttonwood" church, from the number of those trees growing near it.
George Keith went to England in 1692.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The First Presbyterian Church "is not far from the market- of middling size. The roof is built almost hemispherical, or at least forms a hexagon. The whole building stands north to south, for the Presbyterians do not regard, as other people do, whether their churches look toward a certain point of the heav- ens." (Kalm's Travels, i. 39.) This rule is not now regarded, as several stand east and west, according to situation.
In the years 1755 and 1761 enlargements of the building took place to accommodate the increase of members; and in 1793 the whole building, having stood nearly a century, was taken down and a new and elegant one erected in 1794. It had a lofty por- tico supported by four Corinthian columns, and was a handsome structure.
The burying-ground in the rear continued to be used for sev- eral years after the church was removed and stores erected on Market street, and for two or three years the dead were gradu- ally removed. Some of the older members, whose dead were laid there, and who objected to the ground being appropriated to other uses, having finally yielded, a row of stores was erected in 1847. The congregation formerly worshipping in Market street, in 1825-26 erected a new house corner of Seventh and Wash- ington Square, of which Dr. James P. Wilson was the first pastor, and Rev. Albert Barnes was his successor. It was built on what was known as "the old cow-yard."
The "First Church," on Washington Square, had been without a regular minister for some time, and in 1830 extended a call to the Rev. Albert Barnes, then stationed at Morristown, New Jersey. Being rather reluctant at preaching before accepting the call, he sent a sermon to the congregation entitled "The Way of Salvation," which had already been published. It was very extensively read, and closely criticised by some of the leading divines of the radical school at that time, including Dr. Green, the Rev. William L. McCalla, William M. Engles, and others. Errors were discovered, and the whole sermon was pronounced unsound. A congregational meeting was called in the church for the purpose of sustaining him and his course in relation to the clan formed by certain radical clergymen against him. Such men were there as the late Joseph R. Ingersoll, John Sergeant, Thomas Biddle, and others of that character, who had been raised in the church. Mr. Barnes and his sentiments were up- held as being those of his predecessor. Protests against his ad- mission were made before the Presbytery of Philadelphia. That
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body, however, decided to admit him, but the matter being car- ried to the Synod of Philadelphia, it was referred back to the presbytery, which in November, 1830, disapproved of the doc- trines promulgated by Mr. Barnes. There was considerable trouble for some five or six years, which was sought to be got over in the first place by creating the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia, to accommodate Mr. Barnes and his friends. This presbytery was two years afterward dissolved, which made more trouble. The matter finally came to the division which took place in 1837. Mr. Barnes at that time had his friends in the church, who stood by him through the whole of his per- secution, being at one time suspended from preaching. At every Assembly till 1837 the most bitter feeling prevailed. Mr. Barnes in his declining years still held to his sentiments, and went down to his grave bearing the respect and esteem of the whole Chris- tian community.
The ministers who have officiated in the First Presbyterian Church were-
Rev. Jedediah Andrews; died in 1747, long after he had ceased to preach.
Rev. Samuel Hemphill was an assistant preacher in 1735.
Rev. Robert Cross, ordained in 1739; died in 1766, a few years after he had ceased to preach.
Rev. Dr. Allison was the supply from 1752 until his death, November, 1777.
Rev. Dr. John Ewing became the pastor in 1759; died Sept., 1802, aged seventy years.
Rev. John Blair Linn was called to the church in 1799. He never recovered from a sunstroke in 1802, and died in 1804, aged twenty-seven years.
Rev. Dr. James P. Wilson was ordained May 1, 1806.
Rev. Albert Barnes was called in 1830.
SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Another church was established in 1730 in Providence town- ship, on the Ridge turnpike, about four miles below Norristown. The next was the Norriton Church, before 1740, at the junction of the Germantown and Perkiomen turnpikes, three miles north- east of Norristown-a small one-story building, still standing.
During the excitement produced by Whitefield's vigorous preaching the Tennents followed his style. Whitefield was refused the use of the churches then existing in the city, and preached for some time from the steps of the old court- house in Market street, then from the balcony of a private house, and afterward from a stage erected for him by his friends on the site now occupied by the Third Presbyterian Church. William Tennent of Neshaminy had renounced the authority of the Philadelphia Presbytery since 1739. The style of
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preaching gave great offence to some, while it pleased the New Lights. Many members withdrew from the First (or Mr. An- drews's) Church, and built the building on Fourth street-seventy by one hundred feet, of brick. The presbytery was also split by the withdrawal of nine from the synod, who were all able men. This also rent the presbyteries throughout the country. The new Presbytery of Londonderry was organized, and with the Presbytery of New Brunswick formed a synod to meet at Phila- delphia. The congregation of the Second Church worshipped, under Gilbert Tennent, in the "New Building" in Fourth street till 1749, when the trustees of the Academy giving notice they would require it, a lot was bought at the north-west corner of Third and Arch streets. It was eighty feet on Third street and ninety-eight and a half feet on Arch street. The corner-stone was laid May 17, 1750. My great-grandfather was one of the trustees to sell the lot on Fourth street, and was treasurer of the building committee of the new church. He died in 1754. In it the following gentlemen ministered successively, either as pastors or colleagues : Gilbert Tennent, John Murray, James Sproat, Ashbel Green, John N. Abeel, Jacob J. Janeway, Thos. H. Skinner, Joseph Sanford, and Cornelius C. Cuyler.
" The new Presbyterian church was built in 1750 by the New Lights in the north-west part of the town"-Third and Arch. "The New Lights built first in 1741, in the western part of the town, Fourth below Arch, a great house, to hold divine worship in. But a division arising amongst them after the departure of Whitefield, and besides on other accounts, the building was sold to the town in 1750. The New Lights then built a church which I call the New Presbyterian Church. On its eastern pediment is the following inscription in golden letters : 'Templum Presbyterianum anciente numine erectum, Anno Dom. MDCCL.'" (Kalm's Travels, i. 41.) This stone was afterward placed at the entrance of the graveyard.
It is a curious fact that during the eighty-three years this church was occupied the congregation considered their worship much disturbed by the passing of vehicles, and in 1795 they memorialized the mayor and Councils, asking to be allowed to fix chains at the corner of Third and Mulberry (Arch street) to prevent the interruptions. This the city authorities refused to grant, but the Legislature soon after passed a law in favor of it, and so every Sabbath morning the sexton stretched the chains across both Arch and Third streets. It appears that this plan did not work satisfactorily, for horsemen would insist on jump- ing the chains and making considerable noise.
Many prominent men of the last generation were members of that church-such men as Peter S. Duponceau, Charles Chauncey, Thomas Bradford, Ebenezer Hazard, postmaster-general, Josiah Randall, Thomas Leiper, Isaac Snowden, Andrew Bayard, Samuel
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Stillé, Alexander Henry, Matthew L. Bevan, and others well known at that time.
The steeple was taken down in 1805 (?), the building enlarged in 1809; the church itself was sold and demolished in 1837-38, and its site occupied by four-story stores extending from the cor- ner along Arch street and along Third street. The congregation, with the proceeds, in part, of this property and several other lots owned by them on Third street, erected a beautiful marble-front church on Seventh street, east side, below Arch street, on lots bought from Messrs. Stille and Cresson. It was opened in July, 1837. This was the second church lighted with gas, Dr. Be- thune's, Tenth and Filbert, having been lit the Sunday before.
This church was sold in 1871, and is now a variety theatre. The congregation built in 1869-72 a beautiful church at the south-east corner of Twenty-first and Walnut, of which Rev. Dr. Beadle is pastor.
John Ely kept a school in a one-storied frame building on a part of the church lot, on Third street, north of it, in 1792; he died in 184 -. This schoolhouse was pulled down, and a three- storied back building erected for the charity-schools of the church, and a lecture-room. This and the adjoining buildings were sold when the new church in Seventh street was built, in 1837.
Elias Boudinot, LL.D., gave to the church a row of four three- storied houses at the south-east corner of Ninth and Cherry streets for the use of poor pious women. They were thus occupied until 1856, when they were sold to Samuel Jeanes for ten thousand seven hundred dollars, and were pulled down in 1857. The occupants removed to the south-east corner of Eleventh and Cherry, purchased with part of the proceeds for six thousand seven hundred dollars.
Arch Street Church-Tenth Church .- The church on Arch street, above Tenth, built for Rev. Dr. Skinner, was established after that, coming from Locust street. The Tenth Church, at Walnnt and Twelfth streets, was projected by the late Furman Leaming, at that time in the hardware business in Market street. The corner-stone was laid on the 13th day of July, 1828, and the church was opened for service in December, 1829. The contrib- utors were John Stillé, Furman Leaming, Solomon Allen, George Ralston, James Kerr, and William Brown, all of whom are now dead. The Rev. Dr. Thomas McAuley of New York was the first pastor, but, not proving very successful, he returned again to New York in January, 1833. After being without a pastor until the fall of that year, the Rev. Henry A. Boardman, a young man just admitted to the ministry at Princeton, was called, and re- mained with the church until his resignation in May, 1876. The church was very prosperous under Dr. Boardman, he being a great favorite with the congregation.
The old Tabernacle Presbyterian Church, which was once in
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Ranstead place, in Fourth between Chestnut and Market streets, was pulled down in 1842 to give place to the Artisan Buildings, built by H. Cowperthwait, and which were destroyed by fire. The Tabernacle Church built an edifice in Broad street above Chestnut, which is called the Seventh Presbyterian Church.
BAPTISTS.
The Baptists established their first church at Pennypack in 1687, and the second in the "Barbadoes Store" in 1695.
Dr. William T. Brantley, formerly pastor of the First Bap- tist Church in Second street, died at Charleston, South Car- olina, in April, 1845. His son, of the same name, was called to and occupied the new Baptist church on Chestnut street above Eighteenth in 1857, vacated by Rev. Mr. Clark, the first pastor of it. This son resigned in 1861, and left for the South as a seces- sionist, as did also Rev. Mr. Cuthbert, his brother-in-law, pastor of the church Broad and Arch streets; both their wives were from the South.
There was a church building in the middle of what is now called Girard avenue, on the line of Sixth street. It was the North Baptist Church, which was originally established in Eliza- beth street, above Parrish. It was built in 1845-46, and is found among a list of Philadelphia churches for 1847. It is the same congregation, we presume, which now worships in the Bap- tist church on Eighth street above Master. The reason why the church was put on Girard avenue was that Franklin street (now Girard avenue), which ran from Germantown road west, extended no farther than Sixth street, the ground beyond being in Penn Township. When Girard avenue was laid out the church build- ing was taken down. Girard avenue, when originally laid out, extended only from Broad street west. It was not open from Broad street to Sixth street in 1847.
FRIENDS.
Friends' Meeting, p. 449 .- The wall was originally very low, with a soapstone coping, and was probably raised to prevent the boys from the opposite academy in Fourth street running and playing on it, as they were in the habit of doing. While digging for the foundation of the present meeting-house many of the dead were disinterred, and considerable excitement occasioned by it, and offence given to some of the older families whose friends were buried there.
A row of Lombardy poplars surrounded the new wall outside, many of which were broken and blown down by an uncommon snowstorm in May, 180 -. They have all since been removed, partly on this account and partly on account of the alarm created by worms, said to have been very poisonous, which infested the
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trees. A very old Lombardy was blown down in 1846 in front of the Friends' Academy in Fourth street below Chestnut.
LUTHERAN CHURCHES.
P. 451 .- See a history of these in the Reg. Penna., iv. 369, drawn up by the son of Rev. Mr. Schmidt, one of the pastors. The Quakers and Swedish Lutherans were the first congregations established within the first five years of Penn's settlement. The German Lutherans, as mentioned by Watson, I. 451, worshipped in the frame building on Allen's lot in Arch street below Fifth as early as 1734. There are known to have been the following preachers in 1742: Anthony John Hinckle in 1726; Johann Caspar Stover in 1728 ; John Peter Miller in 1730; John Philip Strieter in 1737 ; Rev. Mr. Faulkner, ordained by the Swedish Lutherans; and Rev. Valentine Kraft. Many of the German Lutherans worshipped in the Swedish church at Wicaco.
The first church was built in Germantown, the corner-stone being laid by Rev. John Dylander of the Swedish Church, in 1737. He served for a few years, and was succeeded by Mr. Kraft for one year, Rev. H. M. Muhlenberg succeeding him on his arrival in 1742, and at the same time serving the Phila- delphia congregation on Fifth street. After him came Rev. Peter Brunholtz, or Brunnholz, in 1745, assisted occasionally by two schoolmasters, Mr. Vigero and Mr. Schaum.
There exists at present the old stone church built in 1743 in Providence township, then in Philadelphia county, but now in Montgomery, and called the Trappe, after an old inn that was there. Its quaint appearance, with the old sounding-board of walnut, and the rough pews, show it to have been built more for . strength and use than for beauty. Rev. Mr. Muhlenberg sup- plied this pulpit also. And, as if he had not work enough to do, he preached to the Lutheran congregation at New Hanover, Philadelphia county, the largest one in the State, and taught school every week-day to young men and women.
In 1743 the Philadelphia congregation, consisting of one hun- dred persons, bought the lot on Fifth street, extending north from Appletree alley, for £200, and on the 5th of April laid the corner-stone of the church, in which service was held on the 20th of October, though quite unfinished. The congregation sat on boards placed on blocks. It was hurriedly and cheaply built, and the steeple had to be taken down and the side-walls stiffened by adding porches at the side, which is the reason it used to pre- sent the shape of a cross. It was denominated St. Michael's Church, and was completed in 1748 at a cost of about $8000. IL. 1759 was bought the lot north-east corner of Fifth and Cherry streets for a burial-lot, at a cost of £915, currency. They also purchased a parsonage-house and lot, and built a
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schoolhouse in 1761 on Cherry street. Notwithstanding they had erected galleries, and the schoolhouse was frequently used at the same time as the church, the congregation went on increasing so much that they also used the Academy in Fourth street, and finally decided upon building another church.
A lot at the south-east corner of Fourth and Cherry streets was bought for £1540, currency, and the corner-stone of Zion Church was laid May 16, 1766, and consecrated June 25, 1769. It was at the time the largest and handsomest in America.
In 1777 the British used St. Michael's for a garrison church and Zion for a hospital. After the British left Philadelphia the congregation returned and increased fast. They bought another graveyard, the square from Race to Vine, between Seventh and Eighth. In 1789 the Legislature gave the congregation, for the use of the poor school, 5000 acres in Tioga county. They had a very large organ built for Zion Church of the finest character. In 1793 the congregation lost six hundred and twenty-five mem- bers by the yellow fever. In 1794, on Christmas evening, the building was entirely destroyed by fire, from hot ashes left in a box in the vestry-room. In little over a year the church was rebuilt, with the tower higher than before.
In 1800 they had four schools and two hundred and fifty scholars. In Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia there were fifty-three ministers, three hundred congregations, and fifty thou- sand families. In 1802 the question of preaching in English was warmly contested, and for several years the elections were still in favor of the German party ; the latter finally offered the English party St. Michael's Church and grounds and other ad- vantages, but they declined. The English party worshipped in 1805 in the Academy, Dr. Mayer preaching to them, and finally built St. John's Church, in Race street between Fifth and Sixth, in 1809. With various efforts, to as late as 1814, the contest was kept up, but in 1829 the English party built another church, in New street near Fourth, called St. Matthew's. At the com- mencement of this question the English party was rather in the majority, but finally the German prevailed, and subsequently, when the congregation became wholly German, they thought there would be but little increase to a German congregation in an American city except by emigration, and the services were held in both languages until the English became the only one.
Zion Church left their property at Fourth and Cherry streets, and built a fine church on Franklin street above Race. The old church was torn down, and a row of fine stores built on the ground. These were totally destroyed by fire in 1878, but are now being rebuilt.
Interest was lost in the venerable building of St. Michael's ; the northern part of the property was sold to the Horstmanns, who built their large factory upon the ground; and in 1871 the
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church and remaining ground at Fifth and Appletree alley was sold, and a large shoe-factory erected upon the site. Part of the members of the church built a new St. Michael's, corner of Trenton avenue and Cumberland street. Thus ended the career of one of the oldest and quaintest of our city landmarks.
Rev. Dr. Philip F. Mayer, after serving for about fifty-two years, died April 16th, 1858, and was buried at Laurel Hill April 19th, aged seventy-seven years. His body was laid out in gown and stock, and was exposed to a large congregation, who, after hearing an excellent address from Dr. Pohlmann of Albany, passed in view of the remains. He was an excellent, useful man, highly respected and beloved by others as well as his people. He was active in the cause of the German Library.
The south-west corner of Fifth and Cherry streets was occu- pied for many years previous to the building of St. Michael's by a disgraceful row of small houses, occupied by blacks. They belonged to the father of a former highly-respected merchant. The old gentleman might almost daily be seen walking up to receive his rent, about twelve and a half cents from each tenant.
GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH.
The first was built, p. 452 .- See an account of this church by Rev. Dr. Berg, a man of peculiar views, who resigned as pastor in 1852. He afterward preached to a congregation in White- field's room in the Academy. Rev. Mr. Berg's congregation af- terward built a new church in Race street below Fourth. After preaching in it for some time, he resigned to become professor at New Brunswick.
It is doubtful whether the church mentioned by Watson is the first one, as one is mentioned in old documents as being in Fourth street north of Race, and Du Simitière's MSS. speak of one being torn down in Fourth street. It appears by a record at Harrisburg "that a Calvinistic Reformed Church was begun in 1763 in Fourth north of Race street, but that the parties not being able to finish it, it was ordered, by a law passed Feb. 18th, 1769, to be sold for the payment of its debts." Trustees being appointed, it was sold and purchased by the Methodists, and is now St. George's, in Fourth near New street. The stone in the front wall says, " Founded 1763; purchased by Methodists 1770; remodelled in 1837."
The first congregation in this State we have an account of among the Germans was that formed by John Philip Boehm in Whit- pain township, sixteen miles from Philadelphia, about 1726. A small church of thick stone walls was built in 1740, in which Mr. Boehm officiated till his death, May 1st, 1749, and where he was buried. This church was replaced by another in 1818.
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