USA > Pennsylvania > Dauphin County > Harrisburg > Centennial memorial, English Presbyterian congregation, Harrisburg, Pa. > Part 11
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were members of the older churches, upon the departure of Dr. Wyeth, the tide of prosperous Presbyterianism seemed sadly on the ebb in West Harrisburg at this time. -
Fortunately the church had remaining a few unshattered hopes in the person of Mr. J. M. Stewart, Mr. David Dunlap and Mr. William Wolfe. These three, whose interest in restoring the church work to its former prosperity was unflagging, held a conference with Mr. Gilbert M. McCau- ley, an elder in the Market. Square Church, and a man of untiring energy, which gave new life and inspiration to the work of re-organization.
The services of Mr. John H. Groff, a member of Market Square Church, were secured as supply for the pulpit. Teachers for the Sabbath-school offered their services once more, and they were gratefully accepted. These devoted persons served in this way until the fall of 1887, when the church was enabled to supply teachers of its own, and in this manner the work was greatly revived.
Mr. John HI. Groff served the church until the spring of 1SS6, at which time he took charge of the Steelton and Middletown churches. His earnest Christian character coupled with a loving, sympathetic nature, left him many fast friends in the church and Sabbath-school.
During the summer of 1886 the church was very accept- ably supplied by the Rev. Matthew Rutherford, a student in Allegheny Theological Seminary, and now Pastor of the church at Avalon, Pa.
In the month of July, 1887, Rev. I. Potter Hayes began his ministry, and with convincing eloquence and untiring
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effort he aroused the congregation to a sense of their per- sonal obligations.
The church was re-carpeted, painted and papered, a new organ purchased and the Sabbath-school made self-support- ing. But it soon became evident, on account of the encroachment of the Pennsylvania railroad yards, with the noise and confusion incident thereto, that the progress of the church work must be greatly retarded. With his usual energy Mr. Hayes set about securing another location. Here again Dr. Curwen showed that amid his manifold duties as Superintendent of the Warren Hospital, he still held the interest of this church at heart, and came nobly to its assistance. A fine plot of ground, corner of Fifth and Peffer streets, the present location of the church was secured, and the church removed to its new location August, 1888, and its named changed from that of Seventh Street Presbyterian Church to Covenant Presbyterian Church.
Here the work of the church was greatly enlarged, in the midst of a growing community. The pastor and people were kept busy re-organizing the Sabbath-school and other work to meet their pressing needs. The work of God's spirit began to manifest itself and the long and arduous work of pastor and people began to bear fruit. A few months before Mr. Hayes removed to Wrightsville a gracious revival took place and many were brought to Christ. More than two score of people were at this time added to the church. Mr. Hayes served the church until March 15th, 1891, when he took charge of the church at Wrightsville. Mr. Hayes's work was of the highest order. Having found the church in a poor location with a meager working force,
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he had the satisfaction of seeing his efforts crowned with success; the church having been removed to one of the most desirable locations in the city, its membership united and largely increased -- the working force was almost doubled-two ruling elders having been added, thus in- creasing the number of elders to five; the board of trustees having been re-organized and increased to five. Thus he left the church in excellent condition for future work.
But the church had many trials before it, and not the least of its many was the selection of a pastor. Finally at a congregational meeting held May 1st, 1891, Rev. Charles A. Evans was given a call. Mr. Evans took charge of the work and served as a supply until October 1st, 1892, when he removed to Rochester, New York.
The church was again thrown upon its own resources, a flock without an under-shepherd. However, at a meeting held January 13, 1893, the Rev. Robert Cochran was elected Pastor. Mr. Cochran was well known to most of the mem- bers of our church and was well received. He took up the work in a vigorous way, entering into it with his whole heart and being sustained by his people. The church began to revive, and with the advent of each communion service, the church received additional names to its roll. The Sab- bath-school, with a Primary department, was brought to a high pos tion of influence and usefulness. The result of the work done there bringing many to Christ and into the membership of the church. The Christian Endeavor Society was re-organized and is at present doing faithful and efficient work among the young people of the church and community. Mr. Cochran's work was of the evangelistic
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order, his earnest efforts being to point his hearers to Christ. In this work he was signally successful. He gave himself to the Lord and the Lord used him for the upbuilding of his cause.
It soon became evident to the Church Session that more room was necessary for Sabbath-school and church work. After due consideration it was decided to appoint a build- ing committee, empowering them to do what to them seemed best in the way of improvements. The result of their delib- erations and labors is our new and beautiful church edifice, including a model Sabbath-school room.
Mr. Cochran was untiring in his efforts to secure for us this new home. That the work of progress was hampered in our old building was not the only reason that we were inspired to ereet a new and larger building. By the law of competition, mixed with a little pardonable Presbyterian pride, we were compelled, in view of the growth of the com- munity and churches of other denominations in our vicinity, to keep pace with our neighbors and make our surround- ings as comfortable and pleasant as theirs. Therefore our pastor and people determined to make a strong and united effort to secure better facilities whereby to carry forward our work. The work of building was begun July, 1893, and was pushed forward rapidly. All our people were looking forward eagerly for its completion. Already plans had been laid by our pastor for the extension of the work. The fond dreams of our people seemed about to be realized, when suddenly, like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky, a great cloud rested on our church and people. That dread disease, typhoid fever, laid its grasp on our beloved pastor and
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leader, when apparently in robust health. In his pastoral work this malignant disease had no terrors for him. He did not hesitate to enter the afflicted homes to minister to those who were its sufferers.
Having consecrated himself to the Master's work, he had placed his life in the Master's keeping, and when called, he was ready with the answer, " Speak, Lord, thy servant hear- eth." The Master in his infinite wisdom removed him from his labors October 15, 1893. Our people bowing their heads in sorrowful submission, said, " Thy will be done, not ours, O Lord." For a time it seemed that we could not withstand the shock occasioned by this severe blow, but we turned to his word and met with the passage, " Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth." Taking up the work again we were greatly encouraged by our Moderator, Rev. D. M. Skilling, who was appointed by Presbytery immediately after the death of our Pastor.
Mr. Cochran, by his earnest Christian example, furnished a time objeet lesson to his people and the community of what a thoroughly consecrated man can do. Having by precept and example, endeavored to lead his people near to . Christ, when he was so suddenly called away, he left them a united praying people, ready to do the Master's work whenever called upon to do it. The large and beautiful memorial window erected to his memory in our new church was placed there by his brother ministers of the Presbytery.
Our past has been an eventful one, and one full of affliction, but we think we can see a break in the clouds. Our church is practically finished and furnished at a cost.
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of $8,500.00. This is not all provided for, and owing to the stringency of the times, the money is coming in slowly. But we have faith that ways and means will be provided in the not far future to cover our indebtedness. With the debt properly secured we expect to dedicate our church in the early spring.
At a meeting held January 3d, 1894, the Rev. Curtis O. Bosserman, a student in the Senior class of Princeton Theological Seminary and a licentiate of this Presbytery, was given a unanimous call. Mr. Bosserman comes to us highly recommended by his Professors, and our people are ready and anxious to labor with him in the upbuilding of the Master's kingdom.
With a new and modern church building, a united and working congregation, a live Sabbath-school, having a good circulating library, a consecrated Christian Endeavor Society, a well organized and thoroughly equipped Ladies' Aid Society, a strong choir, and a talented and consecrated minister, we anticipate, and pray for, a bright future for Covenant Church.
The PRESIDENT OF THE EVENING. On the first Sabbath of February, 1873, under the auspices of the Market Square and Pine Street Churches, with Doctors Robinson and Strong at their head, mission work was undertaken in Harrisburg. Services were held in the evening in a room at the market-house on Broad street and in the morning in the Chapel at Lochiel. In the following June an organiza- tion was effected in the upper part of the city. That is just twenty-one years ago, and the church is of age, and, there-
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fore, can speak for itself in the person of its present pastor, Rev. George S. Duncan.
ADDRESS BY REV. GEORGE S. DUNCAN.
The Westminster Church to the Market Square Church " which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ : Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." We remember " without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father." As you enter the second century of your history, " may the Lord bless thee and keep thee; may the Lord make his face shine upon thee; may the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." Amen.
It seems fitting on this Centennial occasion that a brief history of the Westminster Church should be given. Its organization was due to the joint efforts of the Pine Street and Market Square Churches. In the year 1866 there is said to have been but one church above North street in this city. It was felt by many that some form of Christian work should be done in the northwest portion of the town. The population was steadily growing year by year and there were no churches in the community.
The Young Men's Christian Association, in January, 1867, organized a Sunday-school on the second floor of the stone market hall on Broad street. The officers and teachers were mostly young men, members of the Associa- tion. The Sunday-school was undenominational. There were about twenty-five present at the first session. The first superintendent was Mr. J. Samuel Detweiler, now a
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Charles W Bolton. Architect
WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. CORNER GREEN AND REILY STRE: ... ERECTED 1893-94.
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minister of the Lutheran Church. 'The school steadily grew in numbers and others, both young men and women, joined the number of workers. The quarters then occupied were found to be wholly too small and the public school house on the corner of Second and Broad streets was rented. The Sunday-school now had about one hundred and fifty scholars. Mr. John A. Borland was the second superintendent. This place also was soon found to be insufficient to seat the members of this growing school. Another flitting took place to the public school building at 126 Broad street. Here the Sunday-school numbered about three hundred scholars. The third superintendent was Mr. Walter F. Fahnestock, Sr., a member of Market Square Church. He was succeeded by Mr. Martin Stutzman.
Both churches felt that a Presbyterian church was needed in this portion of Harrisburg, and at once took measures to provide for preaching services. My beloved predecessor in the Westminster pastorate, the Rev. William A. West, was called to the work, and began his labors on the evening of February 2d, 1873. At this first preaching service there were about seven adults and a dozen of mission school boys. The preaching service was held every Sunday evening in the rooms of the market hall. At a meeting of the Presbytery of Carlisle held in Newville on June 10th, 1873, a paper signed by forty-seven persons residing in West Harrisburg was presented, asking the appointment of a committee to visit the field and organize a church if the way be clear. The request was granted, and Rev. Addison K. Strong, D. D., Rev. Thomas HI. Robinson, D. D., Rev Charles A. Wyeth, with Ruling Elders James McCormick,
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John A. Weir and John Curwen were appointed a com- mittee. The committee met on Thursday evening, June 19th, 1873, in the rooms over the old Market Hall, and after appropriate religious services proceeded to organize a church in the usual manner. Thirty-one persons were enrolled on certificate from other churches, and four were received on profession of their faith. Four elders were elected, namely, John L. Crist, Robert Trotter, William Jones and John E. Patterson. These were ordained on Sep- tember 25th.
At a congregational meeting held on September 11th the name Westminster Presbyterian Church was adopted. The first communion service was held on September 28th. The need of a church edifice was keenly felt if the congregation was to prosper. A plot of ground on the northeast corner of Reily and Green streets was donated by Miss Rebecca L. Reily, a member of Market Square Church. Here a two- story brick chapel, thirty-three by seventy-three feet, was created in the summer of 1974. After worshiping for one year and nine months in the old market hall rooms, the congregation moved into their new building, which was formally opened on the evening of October 27, 1874. Here the congregation and Sunday-school steadily grew in numbers.
Rev. William A. West resigned his charge at Westminster at the spring meeting of Presbytery in 1590. Immediately thereafter the present pastor, Rev. George S. Duncan, was called to and accepted the pastorate. His installation took place on the evening of July 1, 1890. It soon became evi- dent that if the work was to prosper a large and attractive
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church building was necessary. At the annual congrega- tional meeting in February, 1892, it was unanimously decided to take steps for the erection of a new church build- ing. The designs submitted by Charles W. Bolton, of Philadelphia, were accepted and work on the new edifice was begun in August, 1892. The corner-stone was laid on November 26, 1892, when all the Presbyterian ministers took part in the services. The work has gone on ever since and in a few weeks the church will be completed. The dedication services will be held in May. The edifice is of undressed brown stone from the Walton quarries at Hum- melstown and built in the Gothic style of architecture. The main audience room will scat 1,200 people, including the gallery, which is entered by two large stairways. Back of the pulpit is the choir and organ chamber, which is enclosed with a handsome arcade. The floor slopes toward the pulpit and the seats are arranged in ares of circles. The andience room will be finished in oak. To the right of the preacher standing in the pulpit is, the Sunday-school build- ing, all of which can be thrown into full view of the pulpit by opening roller blinds. The first floor has a main Sun- day-school room, infant room, two class rooms and a library. There is also a gallery with four elass room, all of which ean be thrown into the main room when occasion requires. The basement under the Sunday-school room will be fitted up with a kitchen, dining room and a reading room, to be open every evening. When the new building is completed a new era will dawn for the congregation, for the work, heretofore for lack of room, has been very much crippled. The growth of the city in the northwest end of Harrisburg
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will also be a most important factor in the success of the church.
Every department of the church is in a most flourishing condition. The ruling elders are John E. Patterson, William Jones, David R. Elder, J. Wallace Elder and John E. Daniel. The trustees are Harry Miller, J. Nelson Clark, W. S. Black, M. G. Baker, George E. Hackett, A. B. Tack, Wm. A. Moorehead.
The PRESIDENT OF THE EVENING. The Olivet Church in East Harrisburg is the youngest of the family of Presby- terian churches, and it is an important field that they occupy. We trust it has a future of great usefulness and of great prosperity. The pastor, Mr. William P. Patterson, . will give a sketch of that church.
ADDRESS BY REV. WILLIAM P. PATTERSON.
Mr. CHAIRMAN, BRETHREN AND FRIENDS OF THE MARKET SQUARE CHURCH : I esteem it a privilege to represent, as I do to-night, the little church upon Allison's Hill; and I wish to say in the very beginning of my remarks that, in the offering of the very hearty congratulations of this most joyous Centennial season, the pastor, officers and members of the Olivet congregation desire to have no small share.
We join with the entire Presbyterian community in ren- dering sincere thanks to an all-good and gracious God, that this anniversary occasion is permitted to transpire; and we would praise Him, with heart and voice, for His favor dur- ing these two jubilees of years, and for the rare success, in His cause, He has enabled His people to achieve. We are deeply impressed with the fact that here a church of Jesus
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Christ, a congregation in our beloved communion, has been drawn together to engage in the pure worship of Almighty God for the space of a century. We think of the hundreds of Sabbaths in that century, of the heavenly atmosphere encompassing the people of God as, obedient to the divine command, they have assembled to reverence Him, and to seek His guidance and blessing in the varied walks of the daily life.
We rejoice greatly in the amount of truth, profitable for doctrine, for reproof, and for instruction in righteousness, which has been proclaimed in the thousands of sermons and other religious discourses delivered here. Hallowed spot, verily where the voice of instruction, of admonition, of comfort, and of peace has been so long heard !
And with what an atmosphere of prayer are we sur- rounded to-night! Can it be that the prayers of God's people spend their force in the moment of their utterance at the throne of grace? It can not be. We believe, and truly, that their influence avails not only in securing pres- ent benefits, but also those for the days to come-their influence extends far into the future. Hence, the place whereon we stand is holy ground, consecrated by the agon- izing, carnest, trustful petitions of our spiritual ancestors.
We think of the many times in which the command of love has been here obeyed-times when the followers of the Redeemer have delighted to draw near the sacramental feast, and to receive in faith the bread and the cup, emblem- atic of a Saviour's broken body and shed blood. They are not with us now in the body, it is true, but have passed joyfully and triumphantly into the better land, where they
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are enjoying the marriage supper of the lamb-neverthe- less, as often as we ourselves are privileged to partake of the sweet memorials of love, we do indeed realize the com- munion of the saints, we feel as if drawn into special fellow- ship with those who have gone before.
How enrapturing the thought, that the time is rapidly approaching when the entire sacramental host, the redeemed of God, who have met here and elsewhere to worship God even with the imperfections of our human nature, shall be gathered in the temple not made with hands, there to unite in the thrilling anthem of that service in which they rest not, day nor night, praising God !
Olivet Church, as is well known, is the youngest in the Presbyterian family of churches in Harrisburg. Availing myself of the historical material at hand, I may be allowed to note briefly the origin of the infant congregation, and something of the work already accomplished within its bounds.
Referring, then, first of all, to the Year Book of the Market Square Church for the year ISSS, I find it stated, that of two important movements of which this venerable church was already interested, one was the fostering of a Presbyterian enterprise on Allison's Hill, and that the Pine Street Church shared largely in such interest and care. On Tuesday, 22d November, 1887, the Presbyterians residing on Allison's Hill organized a Presbyterian association and inaugurated a prayermeeting. The secretary of that asso- ciation, writing in the December issue of The Church and Home, just one month following the starting of the prayer- meeting, says with deep significance, " we feel that the first
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month's experience of this meeting reveals that it is needed and enjoyed by the people in this portion of the city. Such is our distance from our churches it is with difficulty that any of us can attend the Wednesday evening meetings, and some of us are utterly unable to do so. This meeting gives us a weekly prayermeeting which we all felt we needed. May we be blest in this effort to do for ourselves, and the portion of the city in which we live. We desire the prayers of the members for our prosperity." If any justification for such a movement were required, we surely have it in this utterance, and it might well have secured for the new movement the perpetual sympathetic interest of those whose prayers are here so eagerly craved.
Not quite a year later we find that the association and prayermeeting, so auspiciously begun, no longer capable of being accommodated in the homes on the hill, has developed into a flourishing Sabbath-school, and obliged to take refuge in a church building on Derry and Kittatinny streets, providentially offering itself at the time. That is to say, on the 11th of October, 1858, in the church building referred to, a Sabbath-school was duly organized under the name of the Olivet Presbyterian Sabbath-school. The school was organized with eighty-two scholars, fourteen teachers and six officers. At the organization there were present Revs. George B. Stewart, D. D., Geo. S. Chamber's, D. D., and W. II. Logan, Presbyterial missionary, all of whom spoke encouragingly to the school, and wished the organizers of the new movement God's blessing.
From this point onward, in addition to the invariable prayer service of each Tuesday evening, the occasional
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preaching of the Word was enjoyed. The entire work was a union movement of the Market Square and Pine Street Churches, and under the direction and control of a joint committee from the two Sessions. So pronounced was the growth of this new enterprise in the few months following, that on Sabbath, May 19th, 1889, Mr. Robert Cochran, of the Western Theological Seminary, at Allegheny, on invita- tion, took charge of the work, the Sabbath-school, which had been organized with only eighty-two members, having increased about ninety-three per cent.
It may be mentioned here, parenthetically, as an inter- esting item in this history, that Governor James A. Beaver had become very deeply concerned in the success of the young enterprise, and was now conducting an adult Bible class of thirty-five persons, who had banded themselves together for the purpose of benevolent operations among the poor, and also to assist in bringing adults and children into the Sabbath-school. The Bible-class work which Governor Beaver thus began is now very energetically con- tinued by Mr. A. C. Stamm.
In July of this year we find the Sabbath-school number- ing two hundred and fifty-one scholars, of whom between seventy-five and one hundred are in the Primary depart- ment ; and so crowded are the quarters, that it is determined to erect a building at the rear of the church and connect with it for the better accommodation of the Bible and Primary classes. With the cordial assistance of interested friends that object was attained. In August of the same year a petition for an independent church organization was circulated and was signed by one hundred and thirty-nine
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