USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > West Chester > History of First Presbyterian Church of West Chester, Pa. > Part 5
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7
50
HISTORY OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
they turned from their evil way, and God repented Him of the evil that He said He would do and did it not.'
"Before the first Antietam, September 17, 1862, we find this: 'Fear not, for they that be with us are more than they that be with them,' etc. And at once the preacher was on his way to the awful battlefield under the Christian Commission, for work among the wounded and dying, find- ing our own thinned regiments and gathering them for words of cheer. After the second battle the text tells of fear largely mingled with the faith in his heart, 'And the end is not yet.'
On Thanksgiving Day, 1863, he says, 'Our own con- gregation has great reason to thank God for the spared lives of those who have gone to the field, and who them- selves were members of this congregation, or husbands, brothers and sons of members-sixty in all, as I have been able to count them. Of them but one to my knowledge has died of wounds or disease. From the borough itself few have fallen-but they, alas, among our noblest and best.'
"The one named in this paragraph was his own be- loved half-brother, Lieutenant-Colonel Henry M. McIntire, who was borne from this church to Oakland one sad Mon- day morning, in January, 1863, while from his own home in the afternoon also was laid there Colonel George Roberts. College students, and students of law together in the same office here, in death they were not divided.
"In June, 1863, and to meet another call for militia pending the Battle of Gettysburg, a battery goes forth largely composed of the best of the town and from this church, the pastor as lieutenant, with chaplain's and sur- geon's duties attached. They are on their way while the battle rages, and spend eight or ten weeks on guard duty in Cumberland Valley. In his history of this church, pre- pared in 1876, he gives a list of the men from it who had been in the service.
"The following years of the war are in every history. but there came the day of victory at length, and Mr. Moore is upon the first boat that passes up the James River, again
51
CHURCH, OF WEST CHESTER, PA.
charged by the Christian Commission with duty at City Point and Richmond, or as its letter of instruction read, 'wherever piety, patriotism, good common sense and en- ergy may call.' The venerable Joseph Evans, still with you, knows of this great experience.
"On April 9, 1865, in his pew in Richmond, Mr. Jefferson Davis has received from General Lee a telegram that the capital must be evacuated. President Lincoln has been already several days at City Point. Our delegate re- ports at the hospital there, attends the funeral of two Con- federate soldiers, and 'a full prayer meeting, in which six rose for prayer.' He is twelve days among the thrilling scenes of that time, preaching twice at City Point, once in Libby Prison to 2000 Southern prisoners, to Northern regiments, and to a great congregation of negroes keeping Thanksgiving.
"That Sunday evening the news of the assassination of President Lincoln, just returned to Washington, is spread like lightning in every corner and to every color in Richmond. At Fortress Monroe, on Wednesday, April 19th, he takes part in funeral solemnities at the same hour with those in Washington. Rev. Joseph Evans and Charl- ton Lewis are also there. Mr. Moore returns home on Fri- day, and on Sabbath preaches from the words, 'And the disciples came and took up the body, and went and told Jesus.'
"A marked religious interest had been going on for weeks in the military academies, with many services and inquiry meetings. The communion services are at the close of this historic April, and Mr. Moore had preached seventy-six times since the new year. Sixty-three were re- ceived upon confession, and eighteen by letter in this year, and in the two years following one hundred and twenty- eight.
"The few succeeding years of this pastorate were full of labors, in the effort to enter every opening door of use- fulness, until March, 1872, the change came by which he was transferred to a new field, for new and wider work.
52
HISTORY OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
Into this beloved 'First Church,' in the twenty-one and a half years, he had received on confession of faith, three hundred and twenty-five, and by letter two hundred and twenty-one ; a total of five hundred and forty-six members ; by infant baptism, three hundred and six. He had married six hundred and sixty-five couples, and laid five hundred and four persons to their final rest.
"Other twenty-one years were given to Dr. Moore in the active pastorate in Columbus, Ohio, until at the age of seventy-one he retired from it and gave himself for the re- maining five years of his life to service for the church at large, which had long claimed much of his time and care. With the closing session of the General Assembly of 1899, in Minneapolis, his life-work also closed, and in a little more than one week he was brought for the last earthly service to the church which had welcomed him on that Sep- tember day, 1850, and to sleep his last sleep among people of his long love."
In concluding this account of Rev. Dr. Moore's labors in this church it is proper to add a carefully prepared esti- mate of the man by Prof. W. W. Woodruff, who was more intimately connected with Dr. Moore during his pastorate here than any other member of the church now living.
"Rev. William E. Moore was a man of winning pres- ence and personality. He was intelligently frank in ex- pression, and impressed those whom he met with his dis- criminating sincerity. He had an intuitive perception of character, and was seldom wrong in his estimate of men. While quite definite and positive in his theological beliefs. and beyond most men ready and able to give a reason for his faith, he was considerate and charitable in regard to those who differed from him, and he could set forth his views of Gospel truth in their fullness without giving offense.
"All who knew him were so impressed by his intelli- gence, his candor, his breadth of view, and his charitable spirit, that barriers disappeared and he won his way to
BENJAMIN TOWNSEND JONES Pastor, 1873-1883
53
CHURCH, OF WEST CHESTER, PA.
many a heart and life in a way that probably neither he nor they could explain.
"While he did not seek public position, he was a man of such general intelligence and sound practical judgment that he was often consulted in regard to public affairs, es- pecially those of an educational character. He was several times elected school director, and was largely instrumental in founding and organizing our flourishing Normal School, where one of the literary societies bears his name.
"In brief, Dr. Moore was in manner, an agreeable gen- tleman ; in spirit, considerate, charitable and polite; in ad- dress, gracious and appreciative; in reference to the opin- ions of others, always tolerant and charitable; in habits, methodical, uniform and correct; in discharge of duty, faithful; in loyalty to friends, absolutely trustworthy, and in forbearance a model that most men, even of a less ardent temperment, need grace to equal."
As we have seen, Dr. Moore preached his farewell ser- mon on Sabbath, April 14, 1872. The following July Dr. Moore returned and conducted the communion service.
PASTORATE OF REV. BENJ. T. JONES.
Early in November it was manifest that the congrega- tion was prepared to elect a pastor, and a congregational meeting was called for November 9, 1872, when the Rev. Benjamin T. Jones was unanimously chosen. He entered upon his work here January 1, 1873, and was installed pas- tor on January 15th.
The earnestness with which the new pastor entered upon his labors is evidenced in many ways. Before he had been installed a month plans were made for a visitation of the congregation by the elders, the borough being divided into four districts, and two elders assigned to each section. At the same meeting of session it was resolved to take measures to hold "prayer meetings in private houses in different parts of the congregation."
The annual report of the congregation in April, 1873,
54
HISTORY OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
gives five added during the year on examination, four added by letter, and a total membership at that time of 413. The membership of the Sabbath School is given as 190. April 18, 1873, "The Superintendent of the Sabbath School stated to the session that the teachers upon consultation were of opinion that the sessions of the school should be in the afternoon instead of the morning. It was therefore resolved that session approve of said change." Before the close of the first year of this new pastorate the church suf- fered a great loss in the death of Dr. Wilmer Worthington, who had most faithfully served as an elder for almost forty years, having been chosen to that office soon after the or- ganization of the church. He died September 11, 1873. From the minute of the session the following tribute is taken : "For a period of nearly thirty-seven years, he ex- hibited in his daily walk and conversation the power and beauty of the religion of Christ. Faithful in the discharge of every duty pertaining to his high vocation as an office- bearer in the church, he was always a valuable counselor, a safe guide and an exemplar in every good word and work. Occupying in the providence of God a prominent position in the community in which his lot was cast, he was uni- versally esteemed as a good man and beloved as a physi- cian. Chosen by his fellow-citizens to places of trust and responsibility in the State, requiring constant intercourse with all classes of men, he never compromised his Chris- tian integrity. He has left to the church the legacy of a blameless life and transmitted to his friends an unsullied reputation."
January 28, 1874, "The Session deemed it important that the younger men of the church and congregation should be more interested in the affairs of the church and identified with it and its welfare, and believing that these results may be accomplished by assigning to them active duties such as taking up the collections in the church, at- tending to strangers who may come to the church, etc., ap- pointed a committee of the session to "report to the ses- sion at an adjourned meeting the names of such persons as
CHURCH, OF WEST CHESTER, PA.
will be suitable and likely to engage in these duties."
At the next meeting the committee reported the fol- lowing names "as suitable to perform the duties referred to:" William H. Morgan, William H. Hodgson, Herman F. Wyers, John P. Thornbury, George F. Smith, Charles B. Lee, George Kerr, Charles M. Crowell, W. Marshall Swayne, William H. Burns, Alexander A. Parker, Charles F. Cornell, William H. Dock, William M. Swayne, Jr., George McElree, William T. Barber, William Thorp, Rich- ard B. Swayne and Henry B. Pepper.
In providing for the pastor's vacation in 1874 the fol- lowing action was taken by the session: "It was resolved that during the absence of the pastor in his summer vaca- tion, the church shall be opened every Sabbath morning, ser- vices to be conducted by the elders, and that Messrs. Reid and Barber be a committee to make the necessary arrange- ments for carrying the resolution into effect."
It is learned that this action was taken because of the condition of the finances of the church, and that the idea was to have a sermon read by one of the elders at each ser- vice. It appears that the two elders named as the commit- tee to carry the resolution into effect were compelled to do the reading themselves. At all events it is not remembered that any other elders acted in that capacity. And this may account for the action of the session the following summer when "Messrs. Mccullough and Robinson were appointed a committee to provide according to their discretion for services in the church during the absence of the pastor."
For some time past reference is made in the minutes of session to meeting the expenses of the Sabbath School at Harmony Hill, but it appears from a minute of June 30, 1875, that efforts were now being made to provide a build- ing there for the better prosecution of religious work. "It was resolved that the remainder of the money collected for the Memorial Fund, now in the hands of the committee be appropriated towards the cost of erecting the chapel at Har- mony Hill, after the title of the lot for said chapel shall have been conveyed in accordance with direction of this
-
56
HISTORY OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
session." A committee of session was appointed "to report a plan for the conveyance of the Harmony Hill Chapel lot in trust."
The spirit with which this work was undertaken and carried on is shown in the plan adopted, which provided that the lot was to be held in trust with the understanding that "if a church be organized at Harmony Hill in five years, in connection with the Presbyterian Church in the United States," then the men holding the deed in trust shall convey the lot to the corporation of such church ; and if no such church be organized within that time, then to convey the same as shall be directed by the session and trustees of this church."
After serving this church in the eldership for more than forty-one years, P. Frazer Smith, Esq., was on No- vember 10, 1875, at his own request, granted a certificate of admission to unite with the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia.
The years 1875 and '76 were fruitful in large additions to the church. In April, 1876, the report for the past year shows 34 added by examination, 17 by certificate, a total of 51 in all. The following annual report shows 45 added by examination, and 12 by letter, a total of 57.
This manifest favor of God may have influenced the session to provide for the very interesting and helpful mem- orial service that was held in July, 1876, and known subse- quently as the forty-third anniversary of the church. At a meeting of session, June 21, the following action was taken : "This being a Centennial year of our nation, it was resolved to hold a memorial service on the fourth Sabbath of July, and that all the former pastors of the church now living to wit, Rev. James J. Graff, of Annapolis, Md., Rev. John Crowell, of Odessa, Delaware, and Rev. William E. Moore, of Columbus, Ohio, be invited to be present and participate with the pastor, Rev. B. T. Jones in the exercises. That the exercises consist of a historical discourse in the morn- ing by the Rev. Dr. Moore, a sermon in the afternoon by the Rev. Mr. Crowell, a sermon in the evening by the Rev.
43
Rev. James J, Graff.
THE FORTY-THIRD ANNIVERSARY IN 1876 Rev. John Crowell. Rev. Wm. E. Moore.
Rev. B. T. Jones.
57
CHURCH, OF WEST CHESTER, PA.
Mr. Graff, and the reading by the pastor of a sermon writ- ten by the first pastor, Rev. W. A. Stevens (now deceased) ; and that on Monday evening following, there be held a social gathering at the church."
This plan was carried out with great acceptance and profit to the church. The "Historical Discourse," by Dr. Moore, was published in full in the "Daily Local," and is incorporated almost entirely in this historical sketch. To Dr. Moore's exhaustive research we are indebted for much that would not otherwise have been preserved.
In the summer of 1876 the session adopted a plan which was followed for several years. "Mr. Samuel S. Cryor, a licentiate of Princeton Seminary was by arrange- ment made with the trustees of the church engaged to spend the months of May, June, July and August, laboring in the bounds of the congregation and preaching at the various points within the border of the congregation, and aiding the pastor with great acceptance and profit." Other students from Princeton Seminary were engaged the fol- lowing years, and always with great satisfaction and good results.
As we have already seen, the congregation adopted the "term service" for elders, April 13, 1872, which was carried out by electing a full list of elders every three years, and might involve an entire change of the members of session, except the pastor at any election.
At the second election of session under this plan, Sab- bath April 14, 1878, official notice was taken of a change in the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, by which it was required that if any congregation desired to elect elders for a term of years, it could be done "provided the full term be not less than three years, and the session be made to consist of three classes, one of which only shall be elected every year."
The church resolved to hereafter conform to the pro- visions of said amendment, and further resolved to elect six elders "without reference to their term of office, and that those elected should designate among themselves, two
58
HISTORY OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
to serve for three years, two to serve for two years, and two for one year, in order that henceforth there might be, each year, an election of two elders to serve for three years."
The election and the subsequent arrangement made by the session resulted in William McCullough and Wil- liam V. Husted to serve for three years, John G. Robison and William E. Barber to serve for two years, and Paul F. Whitehead and Alfred P. Reid to serve for one year.
The Presbyterian Church at Dilworthtown was organ- ized in the spring of 1878, and on April 12, of that year, the session of this church met in adjourned meeting at the Dil- worthtown Church and dismissed fifteen members, giving them letters to unite with the Dilworthtown Church.
Since April 18, 1873, the sessions of the Sabbath School were held in the afternoon instead of the morning, which had been the time of meeting before that date. The after- noon continued to be the time of meeting both winter and summer until June 4, 1879, when the session received a communication from the teachers of the Sabbath School asking that the sessions of the school during the summer months be held on Sabbath morning. "After due consider- ation it was ordered that the sessions of the Sabbath . School hereafter be held during the months of June, July, August and September at 9 o'clock on Sabbath morning."
The fidelity of the session is shown in the action taken December 5, 1879. "It was resolved that the session begin a systematic visitation of the families connected with the church ; and Monday, Tuesday and Friday evenings of each week were set apart for that purpose; notice to be given from the pulpit of such resolution, and each family to be notified by postal when they would be visited."
Under such conscientious oversight the church in- creased in numbers and endeavored with more and more wisdom and zeal to do the work God had committed to it to accomplish. The annual report in April, 1880, shows a total of 455 communicants, and a Sabbath School member-
1
THE MANSE, 317 WEST MINER STREET
59
CHURCH, OF WEST CHESTER, PA.
ship of 660, doubtless including all the Sabbath Schools un- der the care of the session of this church.
In view of the growth of the colored population in West Chester, this church recognized a responsibility in that direction, and at a meeting of session, September 15, 1880, "The feasibility and propriety of establishing a Pres- byterian Sabbath School among the colored people was dis- cussed," and a committee from the session and congrega- tion was "appointed to inquire into the matter and organ- ize one if practicable."
This school for colored children was opened in Hart- man Naylor's school room, then located on the south side of West Gay street, about half way between High and Church streets. The Treasurer of the session was directed to pay Mr. Naylor the rent for the use of the room as it falls due, $4 per month. Hartman Naylor was appointed by the session, Superintendent of the Colored Sabbath School.
Out of this work there there grew eventually the Sec- ond Presbyterian Church (colored) which was organized by the Presbytery in 1887, and now owns a nice church property on South Walnut street, and is doing good work.
In 1881 the trustees purchased the house and lot at 317 West Miner street, for $6500, which has since been used as a manse.
This church seems never to have succeeded in main- taining a Board of Deacons, but this history would be in- complete if no mention was made of an endeavor in this direction, made at the election of elders, April 30, 1882. "At a meeting of the communicants, convened after due notice, for the election of Elders and Deacons, the following per- sons were elected Elders : For three years, Alfred P. Reid and Paul F. Whitehead, to succeed themselves. For one year, Herman F. Wyers, to succeed William E. Barber, who died April 13, 1882.
After due consideration of the propriety of having a Board of Deacons, it was decided, "That it is for the best interests of the church to complete its organization and
60
HISTORY OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
obey the Scriptural injunction by proceeding to elect six (6) Deacons, who shall arrange themselves into three classes whose terms of service shall expire in one, two and three years respectively, so that hereafter an election for two (2) Deacons to serve three (3) years shall be held an- nually, at the same time that the Elders are elected."
Accordingly the following persons were elected Dea- cons : William P. Schell, Samuel M. Brown, J. Gheen Morgan, William Dowlin, W. W. MacElree, William C. Husted.
As was directed the arrangement into classes was ac- complished as follows :
To serve three years, J. Gheen Morgan and William Dowlin ; to serve two years, William P. Schell and Samuel M. Brown; to serve one year, W. W. MacElree and Wil- liam C. Husted.
The following Sabbath all the above Deacons were or- dained and installed, as was also the newly elected elder, the other elders being reinstalled.
Mr. William E. Barber held the office of Ruling Elder in this church for ten years lacking one day, entering upon his duties, April 14, 1872, and dying April 13, 1882. In the memorial minute adopted by the session, reference is made to his services as Superintendent of the Sabbath School for more than twelve years, as long as his health would permit; and also to the fact that he organized the Harmony Hill Sabbath School and conducted it for several years. Mention is also made of his connection with the Marshallton Sabbath School.
"Mr. Barber was thoroughly grounded in the doctrines of the Bible, and well versed in Presbyterian Polity * * * His hand and heart were always at the service of any cause that had for its object the good of men and the honor of Christ. He loved the church. To him her sancti1- ary was God's temple; her ministers, God's messengers, and her ordinances, God's handwriting. The Lord Jesus Christ was his master whom he loved with ever increasing affection. As a member of this session he
61
CHURCH, OF WEST CHESTER, PA.
was a valuable counselor, careful for the honor and in- tegrity of the church, and for the spiritual welfare of the flock. His words of counsel in public and in private were freighted with heavenly manna and perfumed with a celes- tial fragrance."
The years of Dr. Jones' pastorate were marked by a constant and healthy growth, and the happy relations ex- isting between pastor and people might have continued in- definitely except for the fact that on March 14, 1883, the pastor "informed the session that he had been elected to fill the Chair of General and Sacred Rhetoric at Lincoln University, and that he considered it his duty to accept the position."
At the congregational meeting called to take action there was a regretful acquiescence with the pastor in his request to Presbytery for a dissolution of the pastoral re- lation, and on April II, 1883, Presbytery dissolved the pas- toral relation to take effect May Ist.
From the recorded action of the congregation at the meeting above referred to the following is selected :
"Resolved, That while sincerely regretting the neces- sity for a severance of the ties that have bound us together as pastor and people for the last ten years, and greatly pre- ferring the uninterrupted continuance of the same, we rec- ognize the fact that our pastor is not the servant of this or of any particular church, but only of the great 'Head of the Church,' and that confidence in him and in his judg- ment requires us to acquiesce in his request, in a matter in which he is positive and decided that his duty is clear.
"Resolved, That we desire in view of the separation about to take place, to bear testimony to our love for Mr. Jones as a pastor, to our admiration for him as an effective preacher of the Word of God, and to our confidence in him as a conscientious, spiritually-minded Christian, as well as to our appreciation of the able and unselfish manner in which he has performed his pastoral and ministerial duties in our midst; and our earnest prayer is that he may be speedily and completely restored to health, and that the
62
HISTORY OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
blessing of God may accompany and abide with him and his household in his new field of labor."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.