History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884, Part 101

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn; Westcott, Thompson, 1820-1888, joint author
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L. H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 992

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Samuel S. Barry, Joseph Pond, Isaac Will, Charles Anderson, William Simons, John Doughty, Cyrus Danforth, William Bruner, Leonard Jewell, William Heiss, J. George Flegel, George Shade, John Dick- erson, Henry Close, John Hocker, George Cragg, Jacob W. Smith, Hugh S. Magee, John Keim, E. N. Bridges, Joseph Ketler, and George Wilson.

The death of Rev. John Blair Smith, by yellow fever, in 1799, left the Third Presbyterian Church, at Fourth and Pine Streets, for some months without a pastor. He was succeeded in the following year by Rev. Philip Milledoler. He was a native of Farm- ington, Conn., where he was born on the 22d of Sep- tember, 1775. His parents were Swiss, and were possessed of sufficient means to secure him a good education. He studied at Edinburgh, won reputation as a scholar, and was noted for his proficiency in the science of chemistry, particularly in its application to the pursuits of life. While in Scotland he won a ricultural Society for the best essay on oats. On his return to America he was licensed to preach in the German Reformed Church, and from 1795 to 1800 was pastor of the Reformed Church in the city of New York. Called by the Third Church, he came to the pulpit with a reputation already established, and to a congregation disposed to regard him with favor. The members were now growing richer. They had given Mr. Smith three hundred pounds a year. Mr. Milledoler's salary was fixed at five hundred and fifty pounds.

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Smiley, James Stuart, Paul Cox, William Hazlitt, and James McGlathery, trustees, six of whom were mem- bers of the session. The pulpit supplies after Mr. Alexander's resignation were Rev. James K. Burch, Rev. Ezra Stiles Ely, and others.

Rev. Ezra Stiles Ely succeeded Mr. Alexander after the pulpit had been vacant two years. He was born at Lebanon, Conn., June 13, 1786, and was the son of Zebulon Ely, a minister. He studied at Yale College, graduated in 1804, and became pastor of the Presby- terian Church at Colchester, Conn., in October, 1806. He afterward went to New York, where he was city missionary. He published his diary of experiences in that work under the title of " Ely's First Journal," which, in 1813, was printed in London under the title of "Visits of Mercy." His second journal was published in 1815. He continued in missionary duties at New York until the 1st of July, 1813, prin- cipally in the almshouse and hospital, when he re- signed to meet the call made by the Third Church. This call created a great disturbance in the congrega- tion, which delayed Mr. Ely's assumption of the duties of pastor for some months. In favor of the call of Ely were three of the seven elders, and a large ma- jority of the members of the congregation. Opposed to him were four of the elders.

The controversy continued for about a year, and was finally settled by a compromise. The four elders who were opposed to Ely, with a small number of the members, were allowed to withdraw and form a new congregation, which subsequently was known as the Sixth Church. The Third Church transferred to them a lot on Lombard Street, worth about ten thou- sand dollars, twelve thousand dollars in cash, and two hundred and fifty dollars in communion-plate. These difficulties prevented Mr. Ely's installation until Sept. 7, 1814. After the malcontents withdrew, the ministry of Dr. Ely was peaceful, and no event had occurred up to 1825 to mar the good feeling between the congregation and the pastor.

In 1810 the number of pews was one hundred and sixty-two, and the annual income was estimated at $1781.44.

Prayer-meetings were held in the session-room on Green's Court, opposite the church. The meetings were conducted almost entirely by the elders, who read and explained the Scriptures. Sabbath-schools were held in the session-room, the teachers being members of the congregation.

Rev. Lebrecht Frederic Herman was pastor of the German Reformed Church at Germantown and of the German Reformed Church at Frankford in the year 1800, continuing in that relation until 1802. He was succeeded at Germantown and also at Frankford by Rev. John William Runkle, who commenced his min- istrations on the 1st of March, 1802. He preached in the Frankford German Reformed Church until 1809, when the congregation eeased to be connected with that denomination. The Frankford German Re-

formed Church was very weak at the period alluded to, and was struggling for existence. In 1802 assist- ance was called for from the Presbyterians, and on the 2d of October of that year it was represented to the Presbytery of Philadelphia that "there are many people in the town of Frankford who are destitute of the privilege of the gospel, and who are desirous of receiving it from the ministers of this Presbytery." Messrs. Boyd, Milledoler, Linn, Potts, and Janeway were appointed, "each to preach two Sabbaths before the next meeting of the Presbytery." They did so, but under the expectation of forming a separate Pres- byterian congregation. The German Reformed con- gregation kept possession of the old building, strug- gling to preserve its organization ; but, not being able to maintain worship regularly, it rented the church- building to an association called the Church Com- pany, reserving the right of the Reformed congre- gation to meet there once a month. The Church Company rented the house to Baptists as well as to Presbyterians. Benches were used until 1807, when pews were introduced. On the 18th of April, of the same year, the congregation resolved to secede from the German Reformed Church. George Castor was deputed to solicit a supply of ministers. On the 8th of December, 1807, the Presbytery met in the Frank- ford Church, Messrs. Tennent, Green, Alexander, Janeway, Latta, and Potts being present. A petition was received from the German Reformed congrega- tion of Frankford, composed of about thirty families, asking that it be taken under the care of the Pres- bytery. This request was complied with, and the German Reformed Church of Frankford became the Presbyterian Church of Frankford. In 1808 it was chartered.

Notwithstanding the fact that the church became Presbyterian, John William Runkle was the principal supply of the church for two or three years after- ward,-visits being occasionally made by ministers from Philadelphia. Rev. Thomas Murphy, in "One Hundred Years of the Presbyterian Church of Frank- ford," says that between 1807 and 1809, in addition to Mr. Runkle, preaching was performed at the Frank- ford church by Revs. William M. Tennent, Jones, Nathaniel Snowden, William Latta, Jacob L. Jane- way, Clarkson, George C. Potts, Ervin, Archibald Alexander, James P. Wilson, Blair, Finley, Helfen- stein, Edwards, Larzalier, Boyd, and Father East- burn.

On the 18th of June, 1809, John W. Doak was in- stalled as the regular pastor of the Frankford Church, and closed his connection with the church on the 1st of September, 1816. Rev. John Whitefield Doak was a son of Rev. Samuel Doak, of East Tennessee. He was born in 1788, and was educated by his father. lle was licensed to preach by Abington Presbytery in 1807, and was ordained pastor of New Dublin and Wytheville Churches in Virginia, and subsequently of Mount Bethel and Providence Churches in Ten-

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nessee. IIis health failing to such an extent that he ' son, Edward Mc Vaugh, Adam Baker, Jacob Peterson, could not safely perform the clerical office, he studied medieine after leaving the pulpit, and returned to Tennessee, where he practiced as a physician, some- times preaching at Salem and Leesburg Churches. He died in 1820.

For two years after 1816 there was no regular pas- tor, and during that time the pulpit was supplied by Revs. Nathaniel Snowden, Rogers, Jacob L. Jane- way, Thomas H. Skinner, William Neill, Bellville, Janvier, Latta, Dunlap, Lambert, Foot, and others. On the 10th of November, 1818, Rev. Thomas Biggs was installed pastor. Mr. Biggs was born in Philadel- phia, Nov. 29, 1787, became a member of the Third (old Pine Street) Church in 1807, studied theology, and graduated at Princeton College in 1815. He was tutor there, and after having studied in the Theological Seminary at Princeton, he was ordained to the pas- torship of the Frankford Church, where he remained until 1831. He was subsequently a professor in Lane Theological Seminary, Cincinnati, president of Cin- cinnati College for six years, president of Woodward College three years, and pastor of the Fifth Presby- terian Church of the same city for four years. He retired from active service in 1856, and died in 1864.

In 1809 the enlargement of the church edifice was determined upon, and contributions were solicited. The subscriptions were many. Although the indi- vidual amounts were small, they were sufficient to justify an addition of forty feet in 1810. The building committee was composed of George Castor, Joseph Dearman, and John H. Worrell. The carpenter was Henry Retzer; mason, Jacob Deal. The first Sun- day-school was commenced in the spring of 1815, by Mrs. Martha Dungan and Mrs. Patterson, with a class of seven girls. Strange to say, according to the ac- count of Rev. Thomas Murphy, there was opposition to this Sunday-sehool because it was free,-parents objecting to it because they could afford to pay for their children's education ! The boys' Sunday-school was begun in 1818, the first teachers being William Gibson, William Nassau, and John Deal. The oppo- sition to the Sunday school might have been founded on the fact that the church had a pay-school, having bought the old Frankford Academy.

The elders during the period of the German Re- formed Church were Jacob Grandsbaek, Rudolph Neff, Conrad Axe, George Castor, Philip Buckius, and Caleb Earl. The Presbyterian elders were : 1810, Robert Smith, Samuel W. Doak, and Jacob Myers ; 1812, Edward Gilfillen, M.D., William Nassau, and Capt. Jacob Peterson ; 1820, Roderick Adams. The trustees of the German Reformed Church before 1809 were George C'astor, Philip Buckius, Stephen Decatur, Benjamin Fisher, Jacob Myers, Jacob Mower, John H. Worrell, Thomas Horton, Frederick Teese, John Buckins, George C. Troutman, Henry Retzer, Jacob Harper, and Ezra Bowen. The trustees of the Pres- byterian Church of 1809 and after were George Wil-

Edward Gilfillen. M.D., Jacob Deal, Dr. William Hurst, Lewis Wernwag, Peter Brous, George Haines, Henry Rohrer, Conrad Baker, Robert Worrell, Hugh MeKinley, Henry Castor, Danfrith Woolworth, Daniel Thomas, Jacob Myers, Abraham Tenbrook, John R. Neff, Benjamin A. Prentiss, Joseph Pierson, Capt. William Hess, Joseph Wigfall, Jacob Coats, Peter Buckius, Gardner Fulton, James Tatham, John G. Teese, and some others. Joseph R. Dickinson was leader of the music in 1809; Samuel White, 1810; John G. Teese, 1811-18; Jesse G. Castor, who founded the Harmonic Society in the church, 1818- 21; James Seddins, 1821-27.

The origin of the First African Presbyterian Church is attributed to the efforts of the Evangelical Society of Philadelphia, an institution founded through the efforts of Rev. Archibald Alexander, in 1806, " to be comprised of all persons desirous of advancing the interests of Christianity." It was composed principally of members of the Preshy- terian Churches. Dr. Alexander, who was active in the proceedings of this society, called the attention of the members to the necessity of assisting in the religious training of colored people shortly after the association went into active operation. He was aided by Rev. Ashbel Green, Dr. J. J. Janeway, Rev. George C. Potts, and others. The means which were necessary to be taken in forming a colored Presby- terian congregation in the city were discussed, and while views were entertained upon the matter, and before anything was done toward the choice of a pastor, an accidental circumstanee opened the way for a successful issue.

In 1807 the Presbytery of the Union Synod of Ten- nessee recommended to the General Assembly, then sitting at Lexington, Ky., that John Gloucester, a slave, should be licensed to preach among colored people. In order to secure the services of this man, and to prevent the danger of his being sold by his master to some unsympathetic person, who might be disposed to interfere with his preaching, Rev. Gideon Blackburne, then of Marysville, Tenn., purchased Gloucester, and devoted his time to improving his education. Dr. Alexander and the members of the Evangelical Society, noticing the application by the Union Synod in behalf of Gloucester, opened com- munication with Blackburne, and induced him to come to Philadelphia, bringing Gloucester with him. A proposition was made that Mr. Gloucester should be employed in missionary work, and it was very evi- dent that he was well fitted for such a trust. Dr. Blackburne released Mr. Gloucester from all claims which he might have upon him for service or labor, and Gloucester entered at once upon his mission by holding meetings in private houses. It was soon found that such numbers came to hear him that no place they could obtain was large enough. He there- fore resolved to commence street preaching, and he

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gave notice that in clear weather he would preach nine inches, and seventy-eight feet deep. The corner-stone was laid by Rev. George C. Potts, and on May 31, 1811, the new and substantial brick church, erected on a portion of the lot on Shippen Street, below Seventh, was dedicated. The house was sixty feet long and thirty feet wide, very plain inside and outside, but comfortable. There were four rows of pews, numbering sixty-eight, on the floor of the house, with a gallery on three sides. Altogether there were seating accommodations for six hundred and fifty persons. The ceiling was high, and the audience-room was light and airy. Mr. Gloucester and wife conveyed to the church the school-house and lot adjoining on the 28th of Feb- ruary, 1816. On the 16th of October, 1811, the Presbytery of Philadelphia took the African Church under its care. Mr. Gloucester was never installed pastor, although he was in charge of the church from its foundation until his death. He remained a mis- sionary of the Evangelical Society, and the reason may be found in the fact that, from the poverty of the members of the congregation, they were not able to support a pastor from their own means. There were about one hundred and twenty-three members about the time of the dedication of the church. The elders, during the time when Mr. Gloucester was in charge, were James Prosser, Cato Freeman, Quamany Clarkson, Jacob Craig, Peter McNeal, and Francis Webb. every Sunday morning at Seventh and Shippen Streets, and when the weather was unfavorable he would hold forth in the school-house near by. His method of operation was such that he found no difficulty in attracting a sufficient number of persons to listen to him whenever he appeared in public. While he labored faithfully, he was for some time without license. In 1810 he went to Tennessee to obtain his license, which was granted in April, and on the 30th of the same month was ordained at Baker's Creek and ordered "as soon as possible to repair to the city of Philadelphia, and directed to join the Presbytery of that city, whereby he is represented as of fair morals and upright conduct as a man, a Christian, and a minister, and is recommended to the faithful care and Christian attention of the Presbytery of Philadel- phia." These testimonials were received April 16, 1811, when Rev. John Gloucester was admitted as a member. Meanwhile the movements toward the creation of the First African Church were not sus- pended. The street meetings held by Mr. Glouces- ter were so successful that in the latter part of May or the beginning of June, 1807, twenty-two persons -nine men and thirteen women-were organized as the African Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia. For some time afterward Mr. Gloucester, not being regularly licensed, was absent at certain periods, when necessary for the improvement of his education. During those times the services of the church were Although Mr. Gloucester had received his freedom from the hands of Dr. Blackburne, it was his misfor- tune, during the greater portion of his services in Philadelphia, that his wife and four children were still held in slavery. Before the church-building was completed he was compelled, in order to secure attended to by Drs. Alexander, Green, and Janeway, and the Rev. George C. Potts. The meetings were held for a time in Gaskill Street, and at another time in the school-house in Seventh Street, near the church. The want of a permanent place of worship became apparent, and in the summer of 1809 the | their freedom, to perform a melancholy service, not congregation sent a committee to the Evangelical Society, to confer with that body upon some plan whereby a house of worship could be secured for the congregation. That association on the 31st of July adopted an address to the pious and benevolent, set- ting forth the necessity of the erection of this church, and the need of contributions for the purpose. infrequent in the days of bondage : He set out on a tour to collect money, in order to enable him to pur- chase the freedom of his family, and was successful. He traveled extensively throughout the United States for this purpose, but not being able to raise money enough, went to England, where he met with success in finishing out his task. During his absence the Presbytery appointed regular supplies for the pulpit, and they were Rev. Messrs. Neil, Ely, Patterson, Skinner, Engles, Chandler, Steel, and Wilson. After a faithful service in the ministry of Philadelphia for fifteen years, Mr. Gloucester died May 2, 1822. After he obtained the freedom of his family one of his sons, Jeremiah Gloucester, was educated for the ministry, and was duly licensed. Under the insidious progress of consumption, Mr. Gloucester found his health fail- ing so that he could not attend to his duties. He revealed this condition of affairs to the Presbytery June 27, 1820, and brought forward, as persons capable of the ministry, Samuel Cornish and Ben- jamin Hughes. His son Jeremiah was recommended as a candidate April 18, 1821.

The appeal was so successful that in a short time a lot near the corner of Shippen and Seventh Streets, in front of which Mr. Gloucester had preached so often, was secured. On the 28th of June, 1810, David Shoemaker and wife conveyed to John Gloucester, on ground-rent, a lot on the east side of Seventh Street, in Moyamensing, twenty-two feet five inches on Seventh Street, and one hundred feet deep, upon which there was a school-honse. In this building the services of the African Presbyterian Church were held for some time. On the 30th of August, 1810, Thomas Dixey and wife conveyed to the African Presbyterian Church three lots of ground on east side of Seventh Street, Moyamensing, twenty-four feet south of Shippen, subject to ground-rent. To- gether they were of the width of seventy-five feet

After the death of Mr. Gloucester, the church was

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for some time without a stated supply. The pulpit was filled by ministers of the various Presbyterian Churches in the city. On the 1st of May, 1822, the session of the church resolved that a meeting should be held at a stated time for the purpose of electing a pastor. Dr. Janeway was moderator on the occasion of this election, which took place on the 1st of May. Upon a nomination being requested, Rev. Samuel E. Cornish was nominated, which cansed some dissatis- faction. Before the difficulty was settled a second Afriean Church was organized on March 9, 1824, by seventy-five persons, who went out from the First Church.

The disturbing element now got rid of, the call to Mr. Cornish was renewed; but he, upon being in- formed of the fact, replied that, "on viewing the whole train of circumstances together," he thought it to be most prudent for him to decline the accept- ance of the call. A meeting of the congregation was consequently held, shortly afterward, and on the 14th of April, 1824, Benjamin Hughes, a licentiate of the Philadelphia Presbytery, was called and accepted. On the 4th of May, 1824, the entire Presbytery met in the African Church, Dr. Ashbel Green presiding, and twelve elergymen being present. Rev. Dr. Chandler preached the sermon from Jeremiah, xxvi. 15: " For of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears." Dr. Green propounded the constitutional questions. Rev. Mr. Biggs gave the charge to the pastor and people. The right hand of fellowship was given to Mr. Hughes, and he took his seat as a member of the Presbytery. Mr. Hughes' services in this church were short. After six months' occupaney of the pulpit, he found that the support given him by the congregation was insuf- ficient, and he withdrew to enter into business. His request of withdrawal was granted by the Presbytery Nov. 18, 1824. He left Philadelphia soon afterward, and went to Africa, where he died. The church was vacant for some time after Mr. Hughes' withdrawal.

The Second African congregation upon its organi- zation was somewhat troubled by want of a place in which to hold its services. It was driven to a con- siderable distance beyond the habitations of the pop- ulation which was to furnish it with members. In 1824 services were held in a building on the north side of Norris Alley, between Front and Second Streets, and that place was occupied by the congre- gation for some years. Rev. Jeremiah Gloucester being licensed, took charge of the church as soon as he was able to do so, and the name given to it by the Presbytery was the Second African Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia.

The Presbyterian Church of Germantown was usually called the English Presbyterian Church, and owed its establishment to the discontent which existed among the young members of the German Reformed and Lutheran churches of that village at the use of German in the church services. They were Ameri- i classes and denominations.

cans by birth, though (termans by descent, and they were more familiar with the language of their fellow- citizens than with that of their forefathers, which, with the exception of the senior members of old German families, had fallen into disuse. It was natural that they should desire that the services of the church should be conducted in the English lan- guage. But their representations and efforts in that direction met with little sympathy from the older members. They stubbornly refused to change, and even rejected the compromise that the services should be held each Sunday alternately in German and English. The result was that the English members withdrew and formed a new congregation, which they connected with the Presbyterian Church. A lot of ground was procured on the northeast side of the Germantown main street, and the corner-stone was laid on the 10th of September, 1811, an address being delivered by the Rev. Thomas Dunn. The stone church was finished in the ensuing year, and the first regular pastor was Rev. Dr. Blair. On the 8th of June, 1819, Rev. Mr. Rooker was installed pastor of the English Presbyterian Church of Germantown. The ground on which the church was built was con- veyed to the congregation by Susan Blair and Joseph Miller, Jan. 8, 1821.

The establishment of what was called the First Presbyterian Church of Kensington is to be attrib- nted somewhat to the efforts of the Evangelieal Society of Philadelphia, with a view to the planting of churches in a portion of the city which had been almost entirely neglected by all other sects. This association purchased in February, 1813, two lots of ground on the northwest side of Queen Street, be- tween Palmer and Hanover Streets. Together they were sixty feet front and one hundred feet deep, and were bought from Joseph Norris. It is probable that this was intended to be the site of the First Presby- terian Church of Kensington; but for some reason, not now known, another lot near by was preferred. It was on the northeast side of Palmer Street, between Queen and Bedford Streets. The property on Queen Street, above specified, was held by the society until June 22, 1835, when it was transferred to the First Church of Kensington. Upon the Palmer Street lot a small building, forty by sixty feet, was erected in 1813. The church was organized under the title of the First Presbyterian Church in Kensington on the 8th of April, 1814, and a charter was obtained. To the work of this infant church the congregation chose Rev. George Chandler, then quite a young man, who was active, earnest, and useful in his ministry, and who had a large field of labor and hope. During the earlier years of his mission, with the exception of the minister of the Methodist Church, he was the only clergyman in Kensington. He officiated at nearly all the funerals, marriages, and baptisms in that district, and he was known to people of all

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History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884, Part 101

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn; Westcott, Thompson, 1820-1888, joint author Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L. H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 992

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn; Westcott, Thompson, 1820-1888, joint author
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L. H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 992