USA > Tennessee > Davidson County > Nashville > History of Nashville, Tenn. > Part 52
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 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70
In the summer of 1858 fifty-six members of the First Baptist Church withdrew from that body and constituted themselves the Spring Street Baptist Church, under the pastorate of Rev. J. R. Graves, LL.D., their church being located on Spring Street near Vine. Under an act of in- corporation passed by the General Assembly March 1, 1860, the name of this Church was changed to the Central Baptist Church, at the request of the members thereof. April 14, 1870, the Cherry Street Baptist Church made over to the Central Baptist Church its house of worship and disbanded its organization, with the understanding that the Central Church should assume and pay all its debts. On the same day fifty-one of the members of the Cherry Street Church joined the Central Church, and others joined from time to time until before the year expired ninety members had united with the Central Church, which brought the entire membership up to one hundred and fifteen. This number so increased that by 1876 the membership was three hundred and five. Rev. W. G. Inman became pastor of the Central Church in 1870, and remained until 1876, when he was succeeded by Rev. M. H. Lane, who remained about
484
HISTORY OF NASHVILLE.
eighteen months. At the conclusion of Mr. Lane's pastorate the Rev. Dr. O. C. Pope and Rev. W. D. Mayfield each served as supply for a short time, and later the Rev. G. S. Williams came as stated below.
One of the greatest difficulties experienced by the Central Baptist Church was the extinguishment of the debt it inherited from the Cherry Street Baptist Church, as the result of the absorption of the latter Church. This debt originated in the following manner: The Cherry Street Church selected a lot upon which to erect a small church-edifice, and continuing to prosper soon found it necessary to increase the size of its building. In doing so, however, they contracted debts which they could not pay, and were compelled to sell two building sites in the rear of their premises. From the proceeds of these sales and the contribu- tions of friends they were enabled to proceed with their work. Rev. Reuben Ford, an able and pious man, was their pastor, and the congre- gation grew to such an extent that the small building was no longer of sufficient capacity for its accommodation. They decided, therefore, upon a new and larger building. And while they did not begin to build with- out counting the cost, yet they did begin without knowing where the money was to come from. The corner-stone was laid in 1858, and in 1859 the lecture-room was ready for occupancy. A revival of religion began almost immediately to be experienced, which prevented the pastor from entering upon the work of collecting the funds necessary to pay for the new building according to his original design. Then the war came on, and this rendered it impossible to carry out the plans of the Church
in this respect. The lecture-room was converted into a drill-room, and afterward into a hospital, and when the war was over the Church was nearly ended too. The pastor had died during the war, the membership had become scattered far and wide, and the debt was crushing it to the earth. The ladies of the Church at this time took hold of the matter, and soon transferred the lecture-room into a place fit for religious serv- ices. The Church decided to send an agent to the North with the view of raising the money with which to pay off their debt, and though the North, as in many other similar cases, responded nobly to the call, the Church never reaped any benefit from the contributions, as the agent converted the money to his own private use. The church was for a time left to its fate. The auditorium went to decay, the windows were broken, and the room was taken possession of by bats and the birds of the air. It was then rented to a political club as a place to hold meetings, but the party to which the club belonged was defeated at the election, and the club never paid its rent, and besides left the gas bills for the Church to pay. For all these and other reasons the Church property had to be sold, and it
485
CHURCH HISTORY.
was sold to B. F. Wilkins for $10,000. Arrangements were made, how- ever, by which the Church retained the use of the property. But there were debts outstanding besides the $10,000 for which the property had been transferred to B. F. Wilkins; and at last, in order to clear them up, an appeal was made to the Church Edifice Department of the Home Mis- sion Board of New York, resulting in a loan of $8,000. But it was soon found that the Church could not pay the interest on its debt and also its current expenses, and another appeal was made to the New York Board. An agent was sent on to look after the interests of the Church, and as a result of his visit a subscription was raised to such an extent that the debt was reduced to $6,350. In 1881 the pastor, Rev. G. S. Williams, ma- tured a plan for the liquidation of the entire debt, which on April 1, 1882, was $4,163.35. Mr. Williams's efforts were so successful that on Sun- day, September 10, 1882, the Church celebrated its deliverance from debt. The money had been raised by subscription, and the names of the sub- scribers were published in the Nashville Daily World of September 12, 1882. Rev. Mr. Williams remained pastor of this Church until Decem- ber, 1886; and he was succeeded by the present pastor, Rev. G. A. Lofton, D.D., who took charge of the Church May 1, 1887. The pas- torate of Dr. Lofton has been very successful, about two hundred and twenty-five members having been added to the roll. Valuable improve- ments have been made in the property, among them being the addition of a handsome pipe organ at a cost of $2,500. Large sums of money have been raised for all purposes, and the Church meets all its expenses. Fine congregations are in attendance, and the membership of the Church is five hundred and fifty. The Sunday-school has an enrollment of five hundred. In all respects the Central Baptist Church takes rank among the first Churches of the State.
The Edgefield Baptist Church was established in April, 1867, after weekly prayer-meetings had been held for a year or so at private houses. Twenty members obtained letters of dismission from the First Church, and uniting with others were constituted and recognized as a Church. After the ministrations of one or two of the brethren for brief periods, Rev. William A. Nelson was induced to take charge. His influence was so great that the membership constantly increased, and the elegant house now occupied by the congregation was the result. Dr. Nelson removed to North Carolina in 1879, and was succeeded by Rev. James Waters, who remained until 1881, when he was succeeded by Rev. Horace L. Kutchin as a temporary supply. In 1883 Rev. W. H. Strickland ac- cepted a call to the pastorate, and was succeeded in February, 1886, by the present pastor, Rev. C. S. Gardner.
486
HISTORY OF NASHVILLE.
The North Edgefield Baptist Church was established in 1887, through the zeal and labors of some of the members of the Edgefield Baptist Church, notably H. W. Buttorff and John D. Anderson. Mr. T. T. Thompson, a machinist living in South Nashville, was the first to be called. to the pulpit of this Church. His successor was Rev. A. H. Amaker, who is still the pastor.
The Third Baptist Church of Nashville was established May 2, 1876, in North Nashville. A mission Sunday-school had for some years been carried on in the neighborhood by members of the First Church, and the members of the First Church bought a lot which was conveyed to the trustees of the new organization. It had for a year or two a temporary place of worship, but in 1878 they laid the corner-stone of their present church-building, which was completed and dedicated in 1882. About seventy of the members of the First Church united with this new Church. upon letters of dismission. Previous to the erection of the house Rev. A. D. Phillips and also later the Rev. C. A. Querrell had charge. The first pastor after the dedication was Rev. L. B. Fish, who remained seven years. Because of his gift of gospel melody and his mellow tenor voice, he was named the "sweet singer in Israel," and also by some "the sing- ing Fish." He was succeeded by Rev. G. W. Griffin, D.D., and he by Rev. John Anderson. Rev. J. P. Weaver, the present pastor, is preach- ing to a prosperous congregation.
Immanuel Baptist Church was organized December 5, 1887. There had been a mission in this location since 1873, established by M. B. Pilcher and others. In 1875 the mission was removed to West End Academy, on Stonewall Street, and named Immanuel Mission. In 1882 Rev. George C. Truett became pastor of the mission, but after a year's. service, failing to secure a proper support, he gave up the field. Soon afterward the mission bought an eligible lot lying between Broad Street and West End Avenue, upon which to erect a church. In 1887, as stat- ed above, Immanuel Church was organized, the following being elected deacons: E. Calvert, Dr. G. P. Edwards, J. H. McDowell, and W. F. March; and Peter Calvert, clerk. Rev. W. H. Ryals was called to the pastorate, and served a short time, and soon after his labors ceased Rev. T. T. Thompson became the pastor, and so remains to the present time. At the present time the congregation worships in a comfortable church. on Stonewall Street, but they contemplate the immediate erection of a. church-building of their own on the lot purchased as narrated above.
The Seventh Baptist Church was established as a mission of the Cen- tral Church, on Wharf Avenue. It is now located in a substantial church-building completed in 1885. The membership numbers one hun-
487
CHURCH HISTORY.
dred, and the pastor is Rev. G. L. Ellis. The Central Church also has established a mission near the new reservoir and has purchased a lot upon which to permanently locate it.
The Howell Memorial Baptist Church, in the new town of West Nash- ville, was established by members of the First Church in 1888. A beau- tiful and capacious frame building was erected and dedicated by Rev. Dr. Strickland, and the Church organization is in an unusually active and flourishing condition.
In the period between 1820 and 1840 quite an anti-missionary spirit was developed and prevailed throughout this section of the country, as well as in East Tennessee and Kentucky. This sentiment prevailed to such an extent as to cause trouble in the Baptist Church, and it became necessary to divide it into two parts. This division was effected at Mc- Crory's Creek Meeting-house in August, 1836, after a painful struggle of several days with reference to the maintenance of modified missions upon the plan of a State Convention and general association of all the Churches. This was at a meeting of what was known as the Concord Association, and the Association voted by a vote of twenty-two to fifteen in favor of a dissolution. The Churches favoring a dissolution met at Hickory Ridge Meeting-house, in Wilson County, in October, 1836, and agreed upon a call to the Churches to organize an Association with a State convention and other innovations then gradually finding their way into the Baptist Churches. In response to this call a meeting was held at the same place August 26, 1837, at which time Stone's River Associa- tion of Primitive Baptists was formed. The movement thus briefly outlined was not limited to Tennessee and Kentucky, but instead was in a certain sense general throughout the United States. The im- mediate result in Nashville was that nine members of the First Church and five from Mill Creek Church united in the formation of a Primi- tive Baptist Church May 23, 1838, which has since been in existence. The Presbytery consisted of Elders James King and Jesse Cox, of the Cumberland Association; James T. Tompkins and John M. Watson, of Stone's River Association; William Felts and W. Lowe, of the Red Riv- er Association; and James Osborne, of Baltimore, Md.
The Primitive Baptist Church of Jesus Christ in Nashville was or- ganized May 23, 1838, under the Presbytery composed of Elder James Osborne, of Baltimore, Md .; and Elders John M. Watson, James King, Jesse Cox, William Feltz, James T. Tompkins, and W. Lowe, of Nash- ville, Tenn. The original membership was nineteen. From the time of the organization they worshiped in different rooms rented for the pur- pose until the 28th and 29th of December, 1850, when they met for the
488
HISTORY OF NASHVILLE.
first time in their new church, erected that year, on South College Street near the site of the present Howard school-house, in which they contin- ued to worship until the regular monthly meeting in August, 1888, since which time there has been a contention, legal and otherwise, as to the possession of the Church property, which is still pending, and into the merits of which it is not germane to the purpose of this work to enter. It is to be hoped that the rightful ownership will be determined by the courts in due time. The pastors of this Church have been: Elder W. Lowe, up to 1839; Elder Philip Ball, up to 1855; Elder John M. Watson, up to 1866; Elder J. Bunyan Stevens, up to November, 1887; Elder P. G. Byers, from January, 1888, until the present time; Elder B. A. Mc- Lain serving as supply on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. The membership before the trouble in the Church began was one hun- dred and twenty-five. W. L. Nance has been clerk of this Church or- ganization since 1846.
The Free-will Baptist Church was organized in 1882 by William Trot- ter and Thomas Coeffer, Mr. Trotter's family being at that time the only Free-will Baptists in the city. The school-house standing where the present Buena Vista school-house stands was secured, and a protracted meeting held therein, the result of which was upward of twenty conver- sions. A committee appointed for the purpose secured a lot and erected a frame house thereon 46x32, which has since been enlarged to one of 50x32, and stands on the Buena Vista pike, near the Buena Vista school- house. The pastors of this Church have been: Rev. Thomas Coeffer, until his death (in 1885); Rev. Jesse B. Stephens, until the fall of 1887; Rev. J. L. Welsh, about fourteen months; Rev. John S. Defore about three months; Rev. C. H. Pickle, about nine months; and Rev. W. M. Rogers (formerly a Methodist minister), from some time in 1889 until the present time. The membership of this Church is about eighty.
The Second Free-will Baptist Church was organized in 1889, and a church erected by them on North Summer Street near the cotton facto- ry. Rev. John S. Defore is the pastor of this Church, and the member- ship is about seventy-five.
Rev. C. H. Pickle, while pastor of the Free-will Baptist Church, held services in South Nashville, and collected together about thirty persons of this faith; but upon leaving his Church in Nashville retired to Para- dise Ridge, on White's Creek pike, about thirteen miles from Nashville, where he has a Church of about forty members.
Christ Episcopal Church was organized in 1829. It is generally well known that the Protestant Episcopal Church was late in being established in Tennessee, and to Rev. James H. Otey is due the credit for labor and
489
CHURCH HISTORY.
zeal required to effect its establishment. Rev. Mr. Otey came to Ten- nessee from Virginia, his native State, in 1825, and collected small con- gregations in Columbia and Nashville. After some difficulty he laid the foundation for a Church organization with the following individuals as members: Henry M. Edwards, Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Rutledge, Dr. and Mrs. John Shelby, Dr. and Mrs. Ann Minnick, Francis B. Fogg, Mr. and Mrs. G. M. Fogg, Mr. and Mrs. James Stewart, Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Watson, Mr. and Mrs. James Diggons, Thomas Claiborne, George Wilson, and P. H. Shipworth. From this time until 1829 the Church made little or no progress; but on June 29th of this year a meet- ing was held in a hall for the purpose of making preparations for the visit of the Right Rev. John Stark Ravenscroft, D.D., Bishop of North Caro- lina, to the first convention of the Church, which was to be held on the Ist of July. At this meeting Rev. John Davis was called to the chair, and E. Talbot made Secretary. There were present, besides these two gentlemen, George Wilber, Thomas Claiborne, James Stewart, John Shelby, Henry Baldwin, Jr., James Diggons, Francis B. Fogg, William J. Hunt, and John R. Wilson. Vestrymen were elected for the Church, and delegates to the convention mentioned above. On Wednesday, July 1, 1829, the Diocese of Tennessee was formed. In addition to Bishop Ravenscroft, there were present at the convention Rev. James H. Otey, Rev. Daniel Stephens, and Rev. John Davis. Christ Church, of Nash- ville, was represented in this convention by the following laymen: Thom- as Claiborne, George Wilson, and Francis B. Fogg. Bishop Ravens- croft remained in Nashville, and awakened such an interest that the old Masonic Hall was too small to hold his audiences. The immediate result of this newly awakened interest was the purchase of a lot on the north- east corner of Church and High Streets, upon which a church-building was erected that served the purposes of the congregation until 1889. Services were held in a hall until July 9, 1831, when the pews in the new church-building were sold; and soon afterward the church was occupied, it having been dedicated on the 6th of the same month. In the following December Rev. George Weller was called to the rectorship; but on ac- count of his not being properly supported by the Church, he resigned in 1837, and was succeeded by Rev. J. Thomas Wheat, under whom the membership steadily increased, and a fund was started for the building of a rectory. In October, 1848, Rev. Mr. Wheat resigned, and was succeed- ed by Rev. Charles Tomes, who received a salary of $1,200 per year. Rev. Mr. Tomes resigned May 1, 1857, and died July 10 following. Rev. Leonidas Smith, of Warrenton, N. C., became rector in June of that year, and remained until January 1, 1862, his resignation, tendered
.
490
HISTORY OF NASHVILLE.
November 4 previous, taking effect at that time. At the beginning of the war Rev. Aristides S. Smith became rector, and remained until the fall of Fort Donelson. Rev. Mr. Harlow conducted religious services from this time until 1865, when he was transferred to New York. In February, 1866, Rev. William J. Ellis, of Georgia, was chosen rector, and under his ministrations the Church was brought out of the chaos caused by the war. He resigned on November 28, 1870, because he failed to effect the free seat reform. In February, 1871, he was followed by Rev. William Graham, who reported to the convention one hundred and forty communicants. In 1878 the officers of this Church purchased a rectory on Vine Street for $8,900, and in 1887 purchased a lot on the corner of Broad and McLemore Streets, upon which there was erected in 1888 a neat Sewanee sandstone chapel, with Scotch marble facings and windows of art glass. A new church-building is in contemplation, and will be erected in the near future directly on the corner of the two streets. The chapel cost nearly $30,000, and the church itself is esti- mated to cost $70,000. On June 8, 1889, Rev. Mr. Graham resigned the rectorship, and was succeeded on February 9, 1890, by Rev. J. R. Winchester, of Macon, Ga.
The Church of the Holy Trinity had its origin in a mission established in 1848, while Rev. Charles Tomes was rector of Christ Church. Rev. J. P. T. Ingraham was missionary in charge. Rev. Mr. Ingraham soon resigned, and the mission was without a pastor for several years. How- ever, in 1850 the corner-stone of a new church-building was laid by Bish- op Otey on a lot donated by M. W. Wetmore. Services were held in this new building for the first time in 1853; but the building itself was not completed for thirty years. In 1851 Rev. James W. Rogers became rector, and remained until 1853. Revs. Mr. Tomes and Mr. McCulloch, of the University of Nashville, supplied the pulpit until 1855, when Rev. Mr. Harlow became rector. From 1857 to 1861 Rev. Charles T. Quin- tard, assisted by Rev. Mr. Harris, supplied the pulpit; and through the efforts of Mr. Harris the tower was raised, and the present church-front donated by Christ Church. During the war the church-building was used part of the time for a hospital, and services were sometimes held by chaplains in the army. Rev. J. H. Bowles supplied the pulpit of this Church one year, dating from March, 1866, and was succeeded by Rev. William T. Helms; and in 1868 Rev. Moses S. Royce began his labors for the parish. He remained here five years, and died of cholera in 1873. In that year Rev. T. B. Lawson took charge; but some years afterward, the parish having become weakened by the removal from the city of several of the more influential members, he resigned to take charge
*
491
CHURCH HISTORY.
of a Church in Texas, In 1877 Rev. James B. Harrison was chosen rec- tor, and remained until 1882. Rev. James Gray and Rev. James P. Lyt- ton served a year each. Rev. M. M. Moore took charge in 1884 and served until September, 1886, when he was succeeded by Rev. M. Ca- bell Martin, the present rector. Upon his advent it was determined to finish the church-building; and on May 27, 1888, the building having been completed, it was consecrated by Rev. Charles T. Quintard, Bish- op of Tennessee.
The Church of the Advent was the third Episcopal Church established in Nashville. It was organized in 1857 by Rev. Charles Tomes, as a re- sult of an unsuccessful attempt to introduce the free pew system into his Church. The organization was effected in a room over Berry's book- store, No. 30 Public Square, and embodied in its articles of organization the following important new conditions :
I. All persons, without distinction of sex or age, who are registered communicants of the parish, shall be entitled to vote on parochial affairs.
2. Only male communicants shall be qualified to act as vestrymen.
3. The Church, when erected, shall be free to rich and poor alike, rejecting the pew system and abolishing every species of lay privilege based upon wealth, station, or any other foundation whatever.
4. The revenue of the Church shall depend as nearly as possible on the weekly offertory.
A vestry was elected, and instructed by the congregation to call Rev. Charles Tomes to the rectorship. Rev. Mr. Tomes, thus called, accepted ; and through the generosity of John Kirkman, the owner of the Odd Fel- lows' Hall, the use of that building was obtained gratuitously for Sunday services. June 13 was the day selected for opening divine services for the new Church. Previous to that time, however, Rev. Tomes was tak- en sick, and, as has been stated elsewhere, died on July 10 following. On August 10, 1857, Rev. W. D. Harlow was requested to conduct re- ligious services at Odd Fellows' Hall until a regular rector could be se- cured; and he served thus until January, 1858, when Rev. Charles T. Quintard was elected. Under his ministry the number of communicants increased from fifty-four to three hundred; and a lot on Vine Street was purchased, upon which the basement of a new building was erected. On' the outbreak of the war Rev. Mr. Quintard was chosen chaplain of a reg- iment, and was succeeded in his pulpit by Rev. George Harris, who served until the fall of Fort Donelson, soon after which event the hall above mentioned was taken possession of by the Federal soldiers and oc- cupied by them as a barracks. Upon the fall of the Confederacy, and the return of Rev. Mr. Quintard, he found his congregation scattered;
492
HISTORY OF NASHVILLE.
but set to work to collect them together, and induced them to start a subscription-paper for the restoration of the church-building that had been begun before the war. In the following year the rector was called to the bishopric of the Diocese of Tennessee; but the members of the Church carried on the work of completing the church-building, and on Easter Sunday celebrated holy communion in the basement.
In November Rev. James Moore took charge of the parish; but, after much faithful labor, resigned in 1869. Thereupon the bishop took hold of the work, and by April, 1870, had the church ready for occupancy, and Rev. Thomas B. Lee was placed in charge. Soon afterward Rev. John M. Schwarer began his ministry. In 1872 he was succeeded by Rev. Edward Bradley, and was transferred to the Diocese of Indiana in 1875. On February 7, 1877, Rev. Charles B. Dorsett was appointed rector, and was succeeded in the following November by Rev. F. A. Shoup, who remained in charge of the Church until 1880. Rev. W. G. G. Thompson supplied the pulpit until May, when Rev. W. C. Wray be- came rector. His services to the parish have been of great value, he having secured the liquidation of the debt which the parish had felt for many years, and reported the church ready for consecration, this cere- mony being performed on Easter Sunday, 1890.
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.