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THE  NEW  YORK 
PUBLIC     LIST^ARY 


A8TOR,  LBNOX  ANB 
TILD£N  F««mOATtO«0, 


CHRIST    CHURCH 


CHRONICLES 


OF 


Christ  Church  Parish 


WILLIAMSPORT,  PA. 

I 840 -I 896 


> 


BY 

The  Rev.  Edward  Henry  Eckel,  B.  D. 

Rector   1896-1905 


PUBLISHED   BY    DIRECTION   OF 

THE  VESTRY   OF   CHRIST  CHURCH 

AND 

Brought  Down  to  April,  1910 

The  Seventieth  Anniversary  of  the  First  Episcopal  Church 
Service  held  in  Williamsport 


WILLIAMSPORT,  PA.: 

Press  of  Gazette  and  Bulletin 

1910 

SCr- 


THE  NEW  YORK 

PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

677798 

AtTQR,  LENOX  JKfiH 

TiLDEN  fOi;N0AT'CN». 

h  1914  L 


Copyright  1910 

By  the  Rector,  Churchwardens  and 

Vestrymen  of  Christ  Church 

WlLLIAMSPORT 


FOREWORD. 


During  the  summer  of  the  present  year  a  Committee, 
consisting  of  the  Rector,  the  Wardens,  and  such  others  as  they 
might  associate  with  themselves  in  the  undertaking,  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  Vestry  to  pubHsh,  under  the  editorial  super- 
vision of  the  Registrar  of  the  Parish,  Mr.  O.  R.  Howard 
Thomson,  the  "Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish,"  pre- 
sented, in  manuscript,  to  the  corporation  by  the  Rev.  Edward 
Henry  Eckel,  some  time  rector  of  the  parish. 

As  the  manuscript  carried  the  history  of  the  parish  no 
farther  than  the  commencement  of  the  rectorship  of  Mr. 
Eckel,  the  Committee  was  instructed  to  continue  the  narrative 
to  the  present  time.  For  the  chapter  covering  the  rectorship 
of  Mr.  Eckel  the  Committee  is  indebted  to  Miss  Mary  Smythe ; 
that  dealing  with  the  rectorship  of  Mr.  Jones  has  been  con- 
tributed by  the  Registrar.  With  the  exception  of  these  addi- 
tional chapters,  a  number  of  historical  and  biographical  notes, 
inserted  by  the  Registrar,  and  indicated  by  the  abbreviation 
"Ed.,"  and  the  insertion  of  matter  relating  to  the  parish's  his- 
tory subsequent  to  1896,  the  "Chronicles"  are  printed  exactly 
as  written  by  Mr.  Eckel. 

The  Registrar  desires  to  acknowledge  the  kindness  of 
many  members  of  the  parish  in  furnishing  information  and 
answering  questions,  and  particularly  that  of  Miss  Mary 
Elizabeth  Crocker,  in  the  tedious  work  of  reading  proofs,  and 
in  many  other  ways. 

November,  19 10. 


U^ 
Z 


PREFATORY  NOTE. 


Most  of  the  following  historical  sketch  of  Christ  Church 
Parish,  WilHamsport,  was  written  while  I  was  yet  rector  of 
the  parish,  and  is  now  completed  when  I  am  far  from  the 
records,  documents,  journals,  and  persons  whom  I  would 
wish  most  to  consult  in  order  to  give  to  its  last  pages  the 
verification  of  data  and  accuracy  of  statement  which  I  have 
aimed  to  secure  throughout.  I  have  the  satisfaction  of  feel- 
ing, however,  that  where  I  am  perhaps  most  liable  to  error, 
the  mistakes  and  omissions  can  the  more  easily  be  corrected 
by  parishioners  familiar  with  the  later  history  of  the  parish. 

I  may  say  frankly  that  it  has  been  no  easy  task  to  prepare 
this  little  work,  because  it  has  involved  the  careful  study  of 
an  extensive,  fragmentary'  and  largely  ephemeral  literature. 

I  have  been  greatly  indebted  to  the  late  Mrs.  E.  N. 
Lightner,  of  Danville,  widow  of  the  first  rector,  who  most 
generously  presented  me  wdth  her  husband's  file  of  Diocesan 
Journals  extending  from  1839  to  within  a  few  years  of  my 
own  time.  This  file  I  was  able  to  complete  from  other  sources, 
and  upon  leaving  the  Diocese  I  gave  it  as  a  "permanent  loan" 
to  the  Diocese  of  Harrisburg.  It  is  now  in  the  custody  of 
the  Registrar  of  the  Diocese. 

I  am  also  under  very  great  obligation  to  the  late  Mr.  J.  J. 
Crocker,  whose  notes  from  the  minutes  of  the  Vestry  from 
1 84 1  to  1896  have  been  of  invaluable  service  to  me. 

\Mien  near  the  end  of  my  task,  as  I  supposed,  my  own 
small,  broken  file  of  the  parish  papers  published  by  two  of 
my  predecessors  was  splendidly  reinforced  by  the  fuller  files 
collected,  through  appeals  in  the  current  "Christ  Church  Mes- 
senger," by  Miss  IVIary  Elizabeth  Crocker  for  the  local  collec- 
tion of  The  James  \'.  Brown  Library,  of  WilHamsport.     The 


vi  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

accession  of  this  large  mass  of  material  necessitated  a  careful 
study  of  the  new  data,  with  the  result  of  filling  out  the  sketch 
to  much  larger  proportions  for  the  periods  covered,  and  the 
rewriting  of  portions  of  the  history  already  passed.  This  ad- 
ditional work,  while  it  has  given  greater  completeness  to  the 
narrative,  has  at  the  same  time  delayed  its  completion. 

These  three,  then,  have  been  my  chief  sources  of  infor- 
mation, but  I  have  been  obliged  to  consult  other  documents 
and  persons,  and  at  every  step  to  compare  and  verify  state- 
ments, calculate  figures,  and  make  deductions  according  to 
the  best  judgment  that  I  could  command.  In  giving  the 
dates  of  the  beginning  and  ending  of  rectorships  I  have  in 
some  instances  been  obliged  to  adopt  the  date  of  record,  which 
may  vary  by  a  few  days  or  weeks  from  the  actual  date,  of 
which  no  record  can  be  found. 

The  most  difficult  portion  of  the  history  for  me  to  treat 
was  that  of  the  earliest  years  of  the  parish,  when  it  was  feeble, 
when  rectorships  were  short,  and  records  comparatively  mea- 
gre. Yet  to  this  period  of  the  history  I  feel  that  I  have  been 
able  to  give  a  completeness  which  may  possibly  be  lacking  in 
some  other  parts,  but  which,  if  extended  to  the  last  quarter 
of  a  century,  would  have  swelled  this  sketch  to  the  dimen- 
sions of  a  much  larger  volume.  Especially  did  I  feel  the  im- 
possibility of  doing  full  justice  to  the  subject  when  I  came  to 
the  rectorship  of  Dr.  Hopkins.  As  his  was  the  longest  rec- 
torship in  the  history  of  the  parish,  so  also,  by  reason  of  his 
versatile  abilities  and  wonderful  activity,  was  it  the  most 
eventful  and  most  fruitful  period  of  parochial  development. 
The  story  of  those  years,  with  anything  like  an  adequate  esti- 
mate of  the  man  himself,  would  be  sufficient  for  a  volume  in 
itself.  I  need  scarcely  add  that,  while  a  few  allusions  to 
names  and  dates  subsequent  to  the  beginning  of  my  own  rec- 
torshi])  will  be  found,  I  have  not  deemed  it  proper  to  attempt 
any  account  or  estimate  of  the  work  of  that  period. 

I  must  be  permitted  to  add  that  I  can  never  cease  to  be 
thankful  to  the  Divine  Head  of  the  Church  for  permitting 
me  the   privilege  and    happiness    of  serving    Him   and   the 


Prefatory  Note  vii 

Church  for  several  years  as  rector  of  a  parish  with  such  a 
long  and  creditable  record  for  zeal  and  good  works ;  and  it 
is,  therefore,  with  a  heart  full  of  appreciation  and  gratitude 
that  I  dedicate  this  historv  of  their  parish  to  the  dear  people 
of  Christ  Church  Parish,  Williamsport,  whom  I  shall  never 
cease  to  love  and  admire  as  my  friends  and  fellow-workers 
for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  bringing  in  of  His  kingdom. 

Edward  Henry  Eckel. 

Conversion  of  St.  Paul,  1910. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

Page 

Foreword    iii 

Prefatory    Note v 

List  of  Illustrations xi 

Seventy  Years  Ago,  1840 i 

Mr.  Lightner's  Rectorship,    1840-1842 7 

Two  Short  Rectorships,   1842- 1844 13 

Mr.  Clark's  Rectorship,   1846-185 1 17 

Three  More  Short  Rectorships,  1851-1855 21 

Mr.  Moore's  Rectorship,  1855-1865 27 

Mr.  Wadleigh's  Rectorship,  1866-1869 31 

Dr.  Paret's  Rectorship,  1869-1876 39 

Dr.  Hopkins's  Rectorship,   1876- 1887 49 

Mr.  Graff's  Rectorship,   1888-1896 61 

Mr.  Eckel's  Rectorship,   1896-1905 71 

Mr.  Jones's  Rectorship,  1905 — 89 

Summary  Notes — 

The  Parish   Paper 105 

The  Bishops  of  the  Diocese 109 

List  of  the  Clergy 1 1 1 

Lay-Officers  and   Prominent   Lay-Workers 113 

Choir  and  Music 121 

The  Money   Problem 129 

Wadleigh   (St.  Mary's)   Chapel 135 

St.  John's  Chapel 139 

Gifts,   Memorials   and   Thankofferings 143 

The  Parish  in  Archdeaconry  and  Diocese 153 

Concluding  Words 155 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Christ  Church Frontispiece 

The  Rev.  Edwin  Nathaniel  Lightner *.  .To  face  page  7 

The  Rev.  John  Baker  Clemson 13 

The  Rev.  Thomas  Coffin  Yarnall 15 

The  Rev.  William  James  Clark 17 

The  Rev.  John  Henry  Black 21 

The  Rev.  Edward  Pardon  Wright 22 

The  Rev.  Richard  Channing  Moore zy 

The  Rev.  Albra  Wadleigh 31 

The  Rt.  Rev.  William  Paret 39 

Christ  Church  :  Interior 40 

The  Rev.  John  Henry  Hopkins 49 

The  Rev.  William  Henry  Graff 61 

The  Rev.  Edward  Henry  Eckel 71 

Mrs.  Eliza  Anna  Christman,  Deaconess 74 

The  Rev.  William  Northey  Jones 89 

Christ  Church  Parish  House:  Auditorium 91 

Christ  Church  Parish  House  :  Interiors 93 

Christ  Church  Parish  House :  Interiors 95 

St.  John's  Chapel :  Interior 97 

Vestrymen  of  Christ  Church 113 

Vestrymen  of  Christ  Church 115 

Vestrymen  of  Christ  Church 117 

Wadleigh   (St.  Mary's)   Chapel 135 

St.  John's  Chapel 139 


Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

WILLIAMSPORT,  PA. 


One  soweth,  and   another   reapeth.  .  .  .  Others   have   laboured, 
and  ye  are  entered  into  their  labour. — St.  John  iv.  38. 


SEVENTY  YEARS  AGO. 
1840. 


The  Genesis  of  tpje  Parish — The   First   Entry   in   the 
Parish  Register. 

The  services  of  the  Episcopal  Church  were  held  in  Wil- 
liamsport  for  the  first  time  in  April,  1840,  by  the  Rev.  Edwin 
Nathaniel  Lightner,  Rector  of  St.  James's  Church,  Muncy, 
who  continued  coming"  thereafter  every  fortnight  for  some- 
what more  than  two  years.  The  borough  of  Williamsport  can 
hardly  be  considered  as  offering  at  that  time  a  promising  field 
for  the  efforts  of  a  Church  missionary.  Mr.  Lightner,  in  his 
report  to  the  Bishop  in  1843,  writes:  "When  I  commenced 
to  officiate  in  Williamsport,  the  remark  was  made  by  one  of 
the  elders  of  a  certain  sect  that  I  had  no  btisiness  there,  as 
there  was  but  one  Churchman  in  the  place,  and  that  the 
ground  was  occtipied  :  that  is,  was  theirs  by  right  of  posses- 
sion."^ 

1  In  Meginness'  "History  of  Lycoming  County,"  p.  397,  the  num- 
ber of  communicants  in  the  borough  in  1840  is  given  as  three.  The  dif- 
ference is  probably  due  to  the  fact  that  the  secular  historian  included 
persons  who,  though  unconfirmed,  were  interested  in  the  Episcopal 
Church.  As  noted  later,  the  Eucharist  was  administered  on  July 
27,  1841,  to  nine  persons,  three  of  whom  had  not  at  that  time  re- 
ceived the  rite  of  confirmation.  The  "History  of  Lycoming  County," 
published  by  D.  J.  Stewart,  Phila.,  1876,  also  credits  the  borough 
with  three  communicants  in  1840,  and  gives  their  names  as  "Francis 


2  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church   Parish 

Let  us  endeavor,  in  a  few  sentences,  to  gain  a  mental 
vision  of  the  Williamsport  of  that  distant  day.  The  population 
of  the  borough^  in  1840  numbered  1.353  souls.^  Imagine  this 
borough  as  a  straggling  village  built  up  mostly  of  low 
frame  dwellings.  Ten  years  before  the  time  we  have  in  mind 
the  borough,  after  an  organized  existence  of  twenty-four  years, 
could  boast  only  ten  buildings  of  brick,  including  the  Court 
House,  and  we  can  scarcely  suppose  the  numljer  to  have  greatly 
increased  within  the  next  decade.  None  of  the  buildings  were 
taller  than  two  stories.  Not  only  were  the  streets  unpavcd.  but 
there  were  few  sidewalks  laid,  and  pedestrians  had  to  make 
their  way  as  best  they  could.  Academy  Street  was  the  eastern 
limit  of  the  borough,  and  West  Street,  as  its  name  indicates, 
marked  its  western  boundary;  wdiile  "the  forest  primeval"  ex- 
tended to  where  the  railroad  now  crosses  East  Tliird  Street. 
Pine  Street  ran  as  far  as  "the  Ross  graveyard"  (the  present 
site  of  the  City  Hall),  and  all  beyond  this  was  fields  and  tim- 
ber. Only  two  small  places  of  worship,  both  as  yet  in  an  un- 
finished condition,  stood  within  this  area — the  Pine  Street 
Methodist  Church,  of  brick,  and  the  stone  church  of  the  Ger- 
man Reformed  congregation^  where  now  the  Reno  Post  head- 
quarters are.  The  Presbyterians  met  for  worship  in  the  Court 
House,  and  there  also  our  services  were  held,  except  on  occa- 
sions when  the  Reformed  congregation  generously  allowed  us 
the  use  of  their  building. 

Campbell.  Esq.,  Lester  Griswold  and  wife."  The  records  show  Mr. 
Campbell  was  not  confirmed  till  the  latter  part  of  1S41,  and  that 
.Judge  Maynard  and  Judge  Lewis  were  not  baptized  till  184;).  Pos- 
sibly Meginness  took  his  information  from  the  Stewart  history. 
[Ed.] 

1  The  borough  of  Williamsport  was  incorporated  March  1,  180G; 
it  became  a  city  June  15,  1866.     [Ed.] 

2  According  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Ya'rnall,  rector  in  184;>-4,  the  town 
in  his  day  "did  not  claim  more  than  1,200  inhabitants." 

3  Built  conjointly  by  the  Lutheran  and  Reformed  denominations. 
In  186G  the  walls  were  torn  down,  the  rebuilding  of  the  structure 
being  completed  in  1868.  The  Lutherans  sold  their  interests  to 
the  Reformed  Church  members  about  ISfiO,  and  in  1895  the  building 
was  purchased  by  the  G.  A.  R.  Post.     [Ed.] 


Seventy  Years  Ago  3 

The  initial  entry  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lightner  in  the  first 
Parish  Register,  an  ordinary  small  quarto  blank  book,  de- 
serves transcription  in  its  entirety.     It  reads  as  follows : 

"Christ  Church,  Williamsport,  was  organized  on  the 
evening  of  the  8th  of  February,  1841.  F.  C.  Campbell, 
Esq.,^  and  the  Hon.  Ellis  Lewis^  were  elected  Wardens  ; 

iFrancis  C.  Campbell  was  born  at  York,  Pa.,  April  IS,  1787.  He 
graduated  from  Dickinson  College,  studied  law  with  David  Watts, 
of  Carlisle,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  August,  1810.  He  moved 
to  Williamsport  April,  1812,  and  in  1816  married  Jane  Hepburn, 
daughter  of  James  Hepburn,  of  Northumberland.  After  being  in 
active  practice  for  fifty  years  he  retired.  His  death  occurred  April 
21,   1867. 

Mr.  Campbell  was  a  member  of  the  original  Vestry  of  1841  and 
served,  with  the  exception  of  the  years  18.53  and  1854,  till  his 
death;  he  was  Vestry's  Warden  1841-1853,  and  Rector's  Warden 
1855-1867.  Shortly  after  his  death  a  window  to  his  memory  and 
that  of  his  wife  was  placed  in  the  church  by  their  children.  His 
daughter  Caroline  became  the  bride  of  the  Rev.  John  Henry  Black 
while  the  latter  was  rector  of  the  parish.     [Ed.] 

2  The  Hon.  Ellis  Lewis  was  born  at  Lewisberry,  York  County, 
Pa.,  May  16,  1798.  He  was  apprenticed  in  1814  to  learn  the  trade 
of  printer  with  John  Wyeth,  at  Harrisburg,  but  ran  away.  In  1819 
or  1820  he  was  in  Williamsport,  associated  with  J.  K.  Torbert,  in 
the  publication  of  the  "Lycoming  Gazette,"  a  predecessor  of  the 
present  "Gazette  and  Bulletin."  He  read  law  with  Espy  Van  Horn 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  September  2,  1822.  In  1829  he  located 
in  Wellsboro  and  became  prosecuting  attorney  for  Tioga  County. 
From  there  he  moved  to  Towanda,  and  in  1832  was  sent  to  the 
lower  house  of  the  State  Legislature.  In  January,  1833,  he  became 
Attorney  General  of  Pennsylvania;  and  in  October  of  the  same 
year  he  was  commissioned  President  Judge  of  the  district  composed 
of  the  counties  of  Lycoming,  Northumberland,  Union  and  Columbia, 
taking  up  his  residence  in  Williamsport.  After  serving  ten  years 
he  was  appointed  President  Judge  of  the  Lancaster  district  (Janu- 
ary, 1843).  In  October,  1851,  he  was  elevated  to  the  Supreme 
Bench,  and  on  November  17,  1854,  became  Chief  Justice,  which  po- 
sition he  retained  until  November  17,  1857.  He  declined  a  re- 
nomination  and  retired  to  private  life. 

Judge  Lewis  was  the  author  of  "Abridgment  of  the  Criminal 
Law  of  the  United  States"  and  a  frequent  contributor  to  periodical 
literature.    During  his  early  years  he  had  studied  medicine  and  was 


4  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church   Parish 

and  J.  W  .  MaMiard.  Es(|..  I])r.  Thus.  X'astine,  Oliver  Wat- 
son. Esq.,  Jolm  Ilutchens,  Dr.  Henry  Shoemaker,  Lester 
Griswold,^  and  Hopewell  Cox.  Esq.,  were  chosen  vestry- 
men."" 

Measures  were  then  adopted  to  ensure  the  speedy  erec- 
tion of  a  Protestant  Episco]ial  church  in  the  boroujjh  of 
W'illiamsport. 

These  measures  were  successful,  and  now,  this  first  day 
of  January,  1842,  the  church  edifice  is  tendinis"  fast  to- 
ward com])letion. 

The  congregation  is  as  yet  but  small,  though  gradually 
increasing,  and  strong  hopes  we  have  that  it  will  con- 
tinue to  grow  and  strengthen  until  "the  little  one  shall 
become  a  thousand." 

The  people  of  \\'illiams]:)ort  had  always  been  accus- 
tomed to  the  extemporary  mode  of  worship,  and  therefore 
it  cost  considerable  efTort  to  introduce  the  Ijeautiful  ser- 
vices of  the  Episcopal  Church,  and  it  was  not  until  the 
•  present  writer  had  been  well  nigh  discouraged  that  the 
effort  was  crowned  with  success. 

God  be  thanked  that  He  has  seen  proper  to  bless  our 
undertaking,  and  may  He  answer  our  huml)le  jirayer  that 

the  recipient  of  the  honorary  degree  of  M.  D.,  from  the  Phihidelphia 
College  of  Medicine.  He  also  received  the  degree  of  lA^.  D.  from 
Transylvania  University,  Lexington,  Ky.,  and  .Jefferson  College, 
Cannonsburg,  Pa.  His  death  occurred  in  Philadelphia  March  liJ, 
1871. 

In  ISL'fi  (or  18:^7)  he  married  Miss  W'allis,  daughter  of  Joseph 
.1.  Wallis,  of  W'illiamsport,  by  whom  he  had  two  sons  and  one 
daughter. 

.Fudge  Lewis  was  a  member  of  the  original  Vestry  ol  Christ 
church  and  was  appointed  Rector's  Warden.  Owing  to  the  fact 
that  minutes  of  the  Vestry  were  not  kept  till  18rj2,  at  which  time 
he  was  not  a  member,  it  is  uncertain  how  many  years  he  served. 
A  window  to  his  memory,  a  gift  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  A.  L.  Wiley, 
was  presented  to  the  church  in  1892.     [Ed.] 

1  I-,ester  Griswold  was  born  in  Connecticut  in  17!t:],  and  passed 
his  boyhood  and  young  manhood  with  his  uncle,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Alex- 
ander \'iets  Criswold,  the   first  bishop  of  the  Eastern  Diocese,  the 


Seventy  Years  Ago  5 

the  church  soon  to  be  completed  may  be  to  many  a  wan- 
dering soul  the  very  j^ate  to  heaven. 

Edwix  N.  Lightxer. 
January  ist,  1842." 

The  church  building  here  referred  to  was  the  brick  struc- 
ture still  standing  on  East  Third  Street,  next  the  rectory,  be- 
tween x^cademy  and  Basin  Streets,  and  now  occupied  by  the 
German  Emmanuel  Lutheran  congregation. 

territory  of  which  was  co-extensive  with  the  New  England  States, 
exclusive  of  Connecticut. 

Mr.  Griswold  moved  to  Williamsport  shortly  before  the  forma- 
tion of  Christ  Church  Parish  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  industry; 
he  also  had  extensive  real  estate  interests.  His  death  occurred 
January  9,  1867. 

In  1823  he  married  Clarissa  A.  Cummings,  of  Litchfield  County, 
Conn.,  who  survived  him,  and  by  whom  he  had  a  daughter,  Eliza- 
beth Collins,  whose  daughter,  Mrs.  Cyrus  Heller,  is  a  faithful  mem- 
ber of  the  parish. 

Mr.  Griswold  was  a  member  of  the  original  Vestry  of  Christ 
Church  and  was  annually  re-elected  till  his  death  in  1867.  He  was 
Rector's  Warden  from  the  time  of  the  Hon.  Ellis  Lewis  to  1854,  and 
Vestry's  Warden  from  1854  to  1867.     [Ed.] 


r 


THE  NEt.   • 
PUBLIC     LISf.. 


The    REV.    EDWIN    NATHANIEL    LIGHTNER 
Rector  1040    1042 


MR.  LIGHTNER'S  RECTORSHIP. 
1840-1842. 


The  Building  of  the  Church — The  First  Administra- 
tion OF  the  Holy  Communion. 

When  Mr.  Lightner^  first  began  to  visit  Williamsport,  he 
was  yet  in  deacon's  orders  (having  been  admitted  thereto  July 
14,  1839,  after  graduation  at  the  General  Theological  Sem- 
inary, New  York),  but  he  was  advanced  to  the  priesthood  on 
the  i8th  of  May,  1841.  In  addition  to  his  visits  here,  Mr, 
Lightner  also  held  services  at  Jersey  Shore  and  Lock  Haven. 

The  interesting  old  register,  from  which  the  transcript  in 
the  previous  chapter  was  made,  then  goes  on  to  give  several 
initial  records  of  official  acts  from  which  we  gather  the  fol- 
lowing : 

The  Rev.  Edwin  X.  Lightner,  of  Muncy,  is  said  to  have 
assumed  missionary  charge  of  Williamsport  on  April  ist,  1840. 
Until  the  congregation  was  organized  in  February,  1841,  as 
noted  above,  Mr.  Lightner's  ministerial  acts  were  recorded  in 
the  Parish  Register  of  St.  James's  Church,  Muncy.  The  first 
entry  to  appear  in  our  own  books  is  that  of  a  burial.     On  the 

iThe  Rev.  Edwin  Nathaniel  Lightner,  M.  A.,  one  of  the  best 
known  of  the  early  Pennsylvania  missionaries,  was  born  in  Lan- 
caster County,  Pa.,  Oct.  16,  1817.  He  graduated  from  Kenyon  Col- 
lege, Gambler,  Ohio,  in  1836,  and  from  the  General  Theological 
Seminary  in  1839.  He  was  ordained  deacon  by  Bishop  Onderdonk, 
in  Christ  Church,  Leacock,  July  14,  1839,  and  was  advanced  to  the 
priesthood  May  18,  1841. 

In  October,  1839,  he  took  charge  of  St.  James's,  Muncy,  Pa.,  but 
ill  health  compelled  him  to  return  to  his  father's  house  that  winter. 
In  the  spring  of  1840,  however,  he  returned  to  Muncy,  where  he 
soon  became  active  in  parish  work,  holding  services  in  many  of  the 
surrounding  towns  where  the  Church  was  little,  or  not  at  all  known, 
notably  Williamsport  and  Jersey  Shore.    After  the  erection  of  Christ 

7 


8  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church   Parish 

27th  of  June,  1841,  Mira  H.,  second  daughter  of  J.  W.  May- 
nard,  Esq.,  (afterwards  Judge  Ma^vnard)  was  buried  in  "the 
general  burying  ground."  Immediately  following  this  is  the 
record  of  a  baptism  on  the  same  day,  when  the  wife  and  daugh- 
ter of  the  Hon.  Ellis  Lewis  recei-ved  the  sacrament  of  the  new 
birth  in  the  German  Church,  F.  C.  Cani])bcll,  Esq.,  standing  as 
sponsor  or  witness. 

A  month  later,  on  the  27th  of  July,  the  Holy  Communion 
was  administered  to  nine  persons.  "This,"  according  to  the 
record,  "was  the  first  time  the  Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper 
was  administered  in  Williamsport  according  to  the  rites  of  the 
Episcopal  Church."  In  fifteen  months,  then,  the  number  of 
communicants  had  increased  from  one  to  nine.  \\'e  are  in- 
terested to  know  who  they  were  that  knelt  here  so  long  ago  to 
receive  the  Body  and  Blood  of  Christ.  They  were  F.  C.  Camp- 
bell, Esq.,  Joseph  K.  Frederick.  Lester  Griswold,^  Mrs.  J.  W. 

Church,  Williamsport,  Mr.  Lightner  resigned  his  charge  of  it,  in 
order  that  the  parish  might  secure  a  clergyman  who  could  devote 
more  of  his  time  to  its  advancement.  In  July,  1844,  he  took  charge 
of  Christ  Church  (Swedes'),  Upper  Merion,  Pa.,  where  he  remained 
till  February,  1854.  While  at  Swedes'  Church  he  held  services 
(1846-1848)  in  Conshohocken,  in  a  small  school-house.  These  were 
the  first  services  of  the  Church  ever  held  in  that  place.  Some  time 
later  he  held  services  in  the  school-house  in  Bridgeport,  and  also 
in  a  school-house  in  Lower  Merion. 

On  February  22,  1855,  Mr.  Lightner  became  rector  of  Christ 
Church,  Danville,  and  continued  in  charge  of  that  church  till  April, 
1871,  when  his  failing  health  caused  him  to  resign.  He  retired  to 
Riverside,  a  village  on  the  Susquehanna  across  from  Danville, 
where,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  years  passed  in  Muncy,  he  re- 
sided till  his  death,  on  Trinity  Sunday,  1881. 

In  Hotchkin's  "Country  Clergy  of  Pennsylvania,"  from  which 
the  above  is  extracted,  the  contributor  of  the  article  on  Mr.  Light- 
ner, Mrs.  Lightner,  points  out  that  her  statements  were  obtained 
from  notes  made  on  Mr.  Lightner's  sermons,  and  that  they  differ 
somewhat  from  the  previously  accepted  accounts  of  the  early  his- 
tory of  the  Church  in  Conshohocken  and  Bridgeport.     [Ed.] 

1  Grandfather  of  Mrs.  Cyrus  Heller,  one  of  our  most  faithful  and 
active  communicants  at  the  present  time. 


Mr.   Lioiitner's  Rectorship  9 

Maynard,'  Mrs.  M.  C.  Houston,  Mrs.  Anna  Virchaux,  Miss 
Juliet  H.  Lewis,^  Mrs.  Dr.  Shoemaker,  and  Mrs.  Mary  Butler 
(colored).  It  is  quite  evident,  however,  that  at  least  three  of 
these  communicants  were  admitted  to  the  sacrament  because 
they  were  "ready  and  desirous  of  being-  confirmed"  rather  than 
already  recipients  of  the  gift  of  that  apostolic  ordinance,  for  it 
was  not  until  the  6th  of  the  following  .September,  some  six 
weeks  later,  that  the  Right  Rev.  H.  U.  ( )nderdonk,  Bishop  of 
Pennsylvania,  visited  the  parish,  and  in  the  German  Church 
confirmed  the  following  class  of  five  persons :  F.  C.  Camp- 
bell, Esq.,  Mrs.  Ellis  Lewis,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Maynard,  Miss  Juliet 
H.  Lewis,  and  Miss  Elizabeth  Griswold.  The  next  day  the 
Bishop  and  Mr.  Lightner  visited  Jersey  Shore,  where  one  per- 
son was  baptized  and  three  confirmed. 

The  Holy  Communion  was  administered  on  Christmas 
Day  to  ten  persons,  and  the  reg^ister  notes  the  addition  of  five 
names  to  the  communicant  list  of  the  parish,  namely,  Mrs. 
Ellis  Lewis,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Wallis,  Mrs.  Lester  Griswold,  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roger  Newton  Arms. 

In  the  meantime  the  erection  of  the  church  building  had 
been  going  forward,  and  on  June  12th,  1842,  the  first  Christ 
Church,  Williamsport,  was  consecrated  b}-  Bishop  Onderdonk. 
The  occasion  was  made  still  further  memorable  by  the  ad- 
vancement of  two  deacons  to  the  holy  order  of  priesthood, 
namely,  the  Rev.  George  Watson,  of  Towanda,  and  the  Rev. 
W.  S.  Walker,  of  Sunbury,  who  were  presented  by  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Lightner  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Natt,  of  Bellefonte. 

On  the  next  day,  June  13th,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lightner,  having 
advised  the  Vestry  to  procure  at  once  the  "whole  time  and 
exertions  of  a  zealous  and  active  minister  of  the  Gospel,"  re- 
signed his  connection  with  the  parish.'^ 

It  is  impossible  to  accord  this  faithful  and  earnest  priest 
too  much  credit  for  his  zealous  and  successful  labors  to  estab- 

1  Mother    of    Mrs.    Henry    Rawle,    now    identified    with    Trinity 
Parish. 

2  Afterwards  Mrs.  James  Campbell. 

3  The  following  letter  from  the  Bishop  of  Oregon  to  the  Rev, 


lo  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

lish  the  Church  in  this  community.  When  he  first  came  to 
hold  services  in  WilHamsport  he  found  only  one  person  who 
was  said  to  be  a  Churchman,  and  from  him  Mr.  Lightner  re- 
ceived only  discouragement  in  his  proposed  attempt  to  intro- 
duce the  services  of  the  Church.  Not  deterred  by  this  indif- 
ference,   he   continued    to   visit   the   borough    regularly    every 

Mr.  Graff,  at  the  time  of  the  semi-centennial,  is  of  special  interest 
at  thi.s  point: 

Diocese  of  Oregon,  Bishopcroft, 

Portland,  Ore.,  March  12,  1891. 
The  Rev.  W.  H.  Graff: 

Dear  Sir:  Some  one — not  of  WilHamsport,  I  think — has  kindly 
sent  me  a  copy  of  the  WilHamsport  "Republican,"  containing  an 
account  in  advance  of  your  "semi-centennial"  services.  Knowing 
something  personally  of  the  small  beginnings  of  the  Church  in 
WilHamsport  and  elsewhere  on  the  Susquehanna  River,  I  am  moved 
to  write  you  a  word  of  congratulation  on  its  growth  and  strength 
there  now.  I  was  present  at  the  consecration  of  Christ  Church, 
WilHamsport,  on  .June  12,  1842,  and  then  and  there  received  my  first 
communion.  I  went  there  from  Lock  Haven,  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Natt 
and  his  wife,  of  Bellefonte.  Mrs.  Natt  is  still  living  in  Philadel- 
phia, and  I  suppose  that  she  and  I  are  almost  the  only  persons 
left  who  were  present  at  that  service — with  the  exception  pos- 
sibly of  some  member  of  Judge  Lewis'  family,  or  of  Mr.  Campbell's 
family.  I  have  known  the  town  of  WilHamsport  ever  since  the 
river  was  navigated  by  flatboats  pushed  up  from  tide  water  by 
poles  against  a  man's  shoulder!  I  do  not  think  the  memory  of 
your  "oldest  inhabitant"  goes  very  far  back  of  that  period.  There 
is  a  Mr.  White,  a  member  of  one  of  the  congregations  in  Wil- 
Hamsport, who,  if  still  living,  would  have  distinct  recollection  of 
us.  Mr.  Josiah  Emery,  not  living,  I  think,  was  once  my  school 
teacher,  but  I  can  think  of  none  others  who  know  anything  about 
me.  A  Mrs.  Elliot  is  my  cousin,  but  I  think  she  is  a  Presbyterian. 
The  places  that  once  knew  me  so  well  now  know  me  no  more. 
"Change  and  decay  are  all  around  me." 

Hardly  know  why  I  have  troubled  you  with  these  personal 
reminiscences,  which  can  be  of  little  interest  to  you,  and  so  will 
only  subscribe  myself. 

Yours   very   truly, 

B.  WISTAR  MORRIS. 


Mr.  Lightner's  Rectorship  ii 

other  Sunday^  and  hold  services  in  the  Court  House.  Before 
long  he  had  the  support  of  influential  people,  including  the 
wife  and  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Ellis  Lewis,  afterwards  Chief 
Justice  of  Pennsylvania ;  and  when  he  resigned  in  1842, 
twenty-six  months  after  the  first  introduction  of  the  services, 
the  communicants  numbered  fourteen,  and  there  had  been 
completed,  paid  for,  and  consecrated,  a  beautiful  brick  church, 
which  cost  nearly  $3,000 — Bishop  Onderdonk  described  it  as 
"a  very  beautiful  edifice  of  brick" — 40  by  56  feet,  "with  a 
tower,  basement,  gallery,  and  robing  room."  The  report  of 
1842  shows  that  the  parish  then  embraced  14  families,  in- 
cluding ^2  persons,  that  seven  persons  (three  adults  and  four 
children)  had  been  baptized  and  five  confirmed  during  the 
year,  and  that  there  had  been  two  burials.  No  Sunday  School 
had  as  yet  been  formed,  because  there  was  no  place  in  which 
to  assemble.  Twelve  dollars,  $7.00  for  the  "Advancement 
Society"  and  $5.00  for  the  "Christmas  Fund,"  had  been  con- 
tributed. No  mention  is  made  of  any  stipend  paid  the  Mis- 
sionary, because  during  all  the  two  years  and  more  of  his  visits 
here  he  received  no  money  from  the  W'illiamsport  congregation. 
His  salary  at  Muncy  was  less  than  $400,  and  the  congregation 
in  this  parish  seems  to  have  thought  that  his  services  here 
were  paid  for  by  the  Diocese!  He  either  rode  to  Williams- 
port  on  horseback  after  morning  services  in  Muncy,  or  else 
was  driven  here  by  the  same  vestryman  whose  horse  he  rode 
when  he  came  alone.  Surely  it  is  only  by  a  sort  of  poetic 
justice  that  this  parish  has  in  a  measure  retrieved  this  dis- 
honor b}'  becoming  in  later  years  one  of  the  foremost  con- 
tributors to  Diocesan  missions. 

lAgain  the  "History  of  Lycoming  County"  is  at  variance.  On 
page  397  it  credits  Mr.  Lightner  with  conducting  services  only 
once   a  month.     [Ed.] 


jHFNEWfoRFf 
PUBLIC  ' 


(f<»MDV   I 


THE    REV.  JOHN    BAKER   CLEMSON,   D    D. 
Rector  1042    1043 


TWO  SHORT  RECTORSHIPS. 

1842-1844. 


The  Rev.  John  Baker  Clemson — The  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  C. 

Yarnall. 

All  the  historical  data  within  our  reach,  of  this  period 
and  for  many  years  thereafter,  indicate  plainly  enough  what 
an  uphill  struggle  it  was  to  maintain  the  feeble  Church-life 
thus  heroically  begun. ^     In   the  history  of  any   parish,   short 

1  The  following  summary  view  of  general  conditions  in  the 
State  in  the  early  days  of  this  parish  appeared  in  "The  Wayne 
Churchman"  at  the  time  of  our  semi-centennial  celebration: 

"The  State  of  Pennsylvania  was  one  Diocese,  under  the  care 
of  the  Right  Rev.  Henry  U.  Onderdonk.  His  labors  were  in  one 
sense  very  like  those  of  the  pioneer  bishops  of  the  West.  The 
parishes  were  small,  often  far  apart,  and  travel  hard  throughout 
the  State.  There  were  no  railroads  except  the  Pennsylvania  Rail- 
road from  Philadelphia  to  Harrisburg.  But  the  sinewy  soul  of 
the  Bishop  was  equal  to  his  faithfully  performed  work.  Not  only 
did  the  established  parishes  receive  his  visits  and  care,  but  at 
many  a  point  where  the  Church  was  not  known  did  the  good  Bishop 
pause  to  drop  a  seed.  Williamsport  was  one  of  these.  Francis 
C.  Campbell  was  at  that  time  the  only  known  Episcopalian  in  the 
place.  The  Bishop  was  in  the  annual  habit  of  passing  a  night 
with  Mr.  Campbell  and  holding  a  service  in  the  Court  House.  The 
population  was  composed  of  Presbyterians  and  Methodists,  both 
of  whom  looked  with  doubt  and  suspicion  upon  the  new  (to  them) 
form  of  worship. 

"Undeterred  by  the  scarcely  disguised  hostility  of  the  com- 
munity, Judge  Lewis  and  Mr.  J.  F.  Maynard,  who  had  become  in- 
terested, determined,  with  Mr.  Campbell,  to  organize  a  parish  and 
build  a  church.  A  small  brick  building  sufficed  for  the  wants  of 
the  infant  parish,  which  was  sustained  by  a  faithful  few.  At  first 
the  ministrations  were  conducted  fortnightly  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Light- 
ner,  who  had  a  parish  fourteen  miles  distant,  arid  who  used  to  ride 
on  horseback  in  all  extremes  of  weather  to  the  scene  of  his 
labors " 

13 


14  Chroxicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

and  unsettled  rectorships  and  vacant  periods  when  no  ser- 
vices are  held  at  all,  point  clearly  enough  to  the  financial  dis- 
coura,2^ement,  moral  indiflference,  and  spiritual  inertia  of  the 
people :  and  Christ  Church.  Williamsport,  had  all  the  early 
experience  of  a  weak  and  struggling'  young  mission. 

After  Mr.   Lightner's  resignation,  the  Rev.   John    Baker 
Clemson,^  who  had  been  rector  of  the  Church  of  the  Ascension, 

1  The  Rev.  John  Baker  Clemson,  D.  D.,  was  born  1803.  His 
father  was  Thomas  Clemson,  a  Philadelphia  merchant;  his  mother 
Elizabeth   (Baker)   Clemson. 

Mr.  Clemson  graduated  from  Princeton  1822;  was  ordained 
deacon  in  St.  Stephen's  Church,  Philadelphia,  during  the  rectorship 
of  Dr.  James  Montgomery,  and  priest  in  St.  James's  Church,  Phila- 
delphia, which  then  stood  at  Seventh  and  Chestnut  Streets. 

In  1826  Bishop  White  noted  that  "the  Rev.  John  B.  Clemson  has 
succeeded  the  Rev.  Jacob  De  Pui  at  Harrisburg.  He  officiated  in 
Thompsontown  and  Millerstown;  traveled  over  Pennsylvania  seek- 
ing the  Lord's  direction  as  to  Church  work,  and  selected  Harris- 
burg, where  two  Sunday  Schools  were  established;"  officiating 
also  at  Esthertown  and  in  the  Dauphin  County"  almshouse.  In  1828 
Dr.  Clemson  was  associate  rector  of  St.  John's,  Pequea,  and  Christ 
Church,  Leacock,  under  the  Rev.  Joseph  Clarkson,  of  Lancaster. 
He  afterwards  became  rector.  In  1832  he  was  at  "the  self-support- 
ing school,"  as  he  styles  it,  in  Delaware,  and  rector  of  Chester, 
Marcus  Hook  and  Concord.  In  1836  he  became  rector  of  the 
Church  of  the  Ascension,  Philadelphia,  a  newly  organized  congre- 
gation. In  1842  he  came  to  Williamsport  and  remained  from  June 
of  that  year  till  March  1843,  when  he  accepted  the  rectorship 
of  Holy  Trinity,  West  Chester.  From  West  Chester  Dr.  Clemson 
went  to  Claymont,  Del.,  where  he  conducted  a  school  for  years  and 
was  rector  at  first  of  the  Church  of  the  Ascension  there,  and  also 
of  St.  Martin's,  Marcus  Hook,  Pa.,  but  afterwards  the  latter  parish 
was  relinquished.  He  died  at  West  Chester,  February  3,  1891.  Dr. 
Clemson,  in  1826,  was  chai)lain  of  the  Masons,  in  a  district  com- 
l)rising  Lancaster,  York,  Dauphin  and  Lebanon  counties;  he  also, 
after  moving  to  West  Chester,  acted  as  chaplain  to  one  of  the 
schools  in  that  place.  He  was  president  of  the  Standing  Commit- 
tee; a  member  of  the  Missionary  and  Education  Committee,  and  a 
delegate  to  the  General  Convention.  Dr.  Clemson  married  a  daugh- 
ter of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Bull,  and  one  of  his  sons,  Thomas  G.,  has  fol- 
lowed the  footsteps  of  his  grandfather  and  father  by  entering  holy 
orders.  [Extracted  from  a  "Memoir"  of  Dr.  Clemson  by  the  Rc'V. 
S.  F.  Hotchkin.  Philadelphia,  .Jacobs,   181)8.       Ed.] 


THE  NEW" 
[PUBLIC     Li'^ 


THE    REV.  THOMAS    COFFIN    YARNALL,    D.  D. 
Re.:toh   1043     I  044 


Two  Short  Rectorships  15 

Philadelphia,  but  who  was  now  living-  at  Holmesburgh,  was  in- 
vited to  take  charge  of  the  church  "and  gather  a  congregation." 
This  he  undertook  and  entered  upon  his  duties  June  26th, 
1842.  His  was  a  rectorship  of  only  ten  months,  but  to  him 
belongs  the  credit  of  starting  our  first  Sunday  School,  which 
he  did  the  month  after  he  came.  His  aggressive  zeal  was 
evidentlv  unafifected  by  the  heat  of  mid-summer,  and  the 
school  that  began  in  July  had,  three  months  later,  the  very 
creditable  membership  of  12  teachers  and  60  scholars.  Mr. 
Clemson  was  always  present  at  the  Sunday  School,  to  en- 
courage and  control  the  school  and  to  make  an  address. 

He  resigned  this  parish  in  March,  1843,  to  accept  the 
rectorship  of  Holy  Trinit\',  West  Chester.  When  he  removed 
in  April, ^  it  is  recorded  that  he  left  "a  large  and  flourishing 
Sunday  School,  and  the  Church  in  good  standing  for  piety, 
zeal,  and  consistency  among  other  sectaries  (?)."  He  him- 
self wrote  of  \\^illiamsport :  "All  this  field  is  very  inviting  to 
the  faithful,  diligent  laborer,  and  will  amply  repay  him."' 

^Ir.  Clemson  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Coffin 
Yarnall,^  a  recently   ordained   deacon,   who  entered  upon   his 

1  He  preached  his  farewell  sermon  April  16,  1843. 

2  The  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  C.  Yarnall  was  born  December  10,1815, 
and  after  graduating  from  Yale  University  received  the  degree  of 
D.  D.  from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

He  was  ordained  deacon,  by  Bishop  Onderdonk,  shortly  before 
assuming  charge  of  Christ  Church  in  1843.  When  he  resigned, 
early  the  next  year,  it  was  to  become  rector  of  St.  Mary's  Church, 
Hamilton  Village  (now  part  of  the  27th  ward  of  the  city  of 
Philadelphia) ;  and  there,  on  May  19,  1844,  he  was  ordained  priest 
by  Bishop  Onderdonk.  His  rectorship  at  St.  Mary's  lasted  fifty- 
six  years,  or  until  1900,  when  he  was  made  Rector  Emeritus.  Dur- 
ing his  long  rectorship  the  plain  building  in  which  his  congregation 
worshipped  was  replaced  by  the  beautiful  ed-fice  that  stands  to- 
day; while,  by  the  end  of  fifty  years  of  work,  he  was  able  to  report 
that  the  number  of  communicants  had  increased  from  sixty-two  to 
five  hundred  and  sixty. 

Upon  the  occasion  of  the  Jubilee  of  Dr.  Yarnall's  rectorship  of 
St.  Mary's  appropriate  services  were  held,  at  which  the  Bishop  of 


i6  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

duties  as  minister  of  tlie  ])arish  on  Se])tcmber  I7tli,  1843.  This 
was  a  rectorsliip  of  between  six  and  seven  montlis,  in  the 
eourse  of  which  tlie  Ihsliop  visited  the  ])arish  and  (hiring  his 
visitation  ha])tized  and  confirmed  juds^e  Elhs  Lewis  and  J.  \V. 
Maynard,  Es(|.     Mr.  ^'arna^  resigned  .\pril  11,  1844. 

Dr.  Yarnall,  w  lio  is  still  living,  relates  the  following 
amusing  reminiscence  of  the  time  of  his  rectorship  here,  to 
illustrate  the  feeble  condition  of  the  Church  in  Williamsport. 
A  small  company  of  lawyers  were  gathered  in  the  Hotel 
l-^nited  States  on  one  occasion  during  court  timie.  when,  after 
dinner,  one  of  their  number  left  the  parlor  of  the  hotel  in 
company  with  Mr.  Yarnall.  As  the  two  gentlemen  closed 
the  door  behind  them  they  heard  the  company  merrily  enjoy- 
ing some  one's  remark,  "There  goes  the  whole  Episcopal 
Church."  Writing  to  the  author  of  these  chronicles.  Dr. 
Yarnall  says :  "Christ  Church,  Williamsport,  was  feebleness 
itself  while  T  was  there,  consisting  of  about  twenty  people 
all  told." 

the  Diocese  was  present  to  add  his  congratulations  to  those  of  the 
members  of  the  parish. 

Dr.  Yarnall  married,  July  1),  1S4(),  Sarah  Price  Rose,  by  whom 
he  had  nine  children,  all  of  whom  are  still  living.  Mrs.  Yarnall 
died  June  24,  1904  but  Dr.  Yarnall,  at  the  great  age  of  95,  though 
suffering  from  physical  infirmities,  still  continues  Rector  Emeritus 
of  the  church  to  which  he  went  as  rector  sixty-six  years  ago.     [Kd.] 


THE  NEW  YORK 
pijSi  IC     LIO«ARY 


..n,  LiNOX  AN» 
KK  FOlWDATfON*, 


THE    REV.  WILLIAM    JAMES    CLARK 
Rector  I 84G    105  I 


MR.  CLARK'S  RECTORSHIP. 

1846-1851. 


Brighter     Prospects — The    Convocation    of    Northern 
Pennsylvania — Pushing    Along. 

For  two  years  and  a  half  the  church  was  without  a  rector, 
and  there  are  no  data  to  show  that  anything  was  attempted 
or  accompHshed  during  that  period.  But  under  the  rector- 
ship of  Mr.  Clark/  the  next  incumbent,  the  parish  entered 
upon  a  new  era  of  hope  and  increasing  prosperity,  which  may 
also,  perhaps,  in  a  measure,  be  attributed  to  the  vigorous  ad- 
ministration of  the  Diocese  inaugurated  by  the  new  Bishop, 
the  Right  Rev.  Alonzo  Potter,  who  had  been  consecrated  in 
September,  1845.  Among  other  indications  of  Bishop  Pot- 
ter's influence  upon  this  parish  through  the  person  of  its 
rector,  is  the  acquisition,  to  be  noted  hereafter,  of  a  Parish 

1  The  Rev.  William  James  Clark  was  born  in  Philadelphia  in 
1812,  and  educated  at  a  college,  under  the  Rev.  Stephen  A.  Tyng, 
at  Bristol,  Pa.  He  then  went  to  the  Theological  Seminary,  Alex- 
andria, Va.,  and  there  was  ordained  deacon  by  Bishop  Moore;  being 
advanced  to  the  priesthood  by  Bishop  Onderdonk,  in  St.  Andrew's 
Church,  Wilmington,  Del.,  in  1836   (or  1837). 

He  served  as  assistant  at  St.  Andrew's,  Wilmington,  Del.,  and 
then  took  charge  of  churches  at  Wilkes-Barre,  Pa.,  Berlin,  Md., 
and  Churchtown,  Pa.,  before,  in  1846,  he  accepted  the  rectorship 
of  Christ  Church,  AVillia,msport. 

Subsequent  to  leaving  Williamsport  he  had  charge  of  churches 
at  Shrewsburg,  Md.,  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  and  Vineland,  N.  J.,  while 
for  several  years  he  conducted  schools  for  young  w'omen  in  Wash- 
ington and  Georgetown,  D.  C. 

In  1838  he  married  Annabella  Harlan  McCullough,  of  New 
Castle,  Del.  His  death  occurred  in  Philadelphia,  January  23,  1893. 
Two  daughters  and  three  sons  survived  him,  the  best  known  of 
whom  is  Charles  Heber  Clark,  who,  under  the  pseudonym  of  Max 
Adeler,  is  the  author  of  "Out  of  the  Hurly  Burly,"  "Captain  Bluitt," 
"The  Quakeress,"  etc.,  etc.     [Ed.] 

17 


i8  CriROXTCLES  OF  Christ  Church  Parish 

library  and  a  "parsonage  lot."  The  Bishop's  connection  with 
these  gains  is  to  be  traced,  we  think,  to  his  address  to  the 
Diocesan  Convention  of  184S.  wherein  he  urges  upon  par- 
ishes the  importance  of  providing  homes  for  their  clergy  and 
adding  thereto,  where  possible,  a  rector's  library. 

The  Rev.  William  James  Clark,  of  Churchtown,  Lan- 
caster County,  visited  the  Church  in  October,  1846,  with  ref- 
erence to  a  call  to  the  rectorship,  and  having  accepted  the 
Vestry's  invitation  of  November  15th,  entered  upon  his  duties. 
The  Missionary  Society  of  Grace  Church,  Philadelphia, 
pledged  $400  a  year  for  three  \ears  towards  the  rector's  sal- 
ary, on  condition  that  this  parish  pay  annually  $200  for  the 
same  period  and  that  the  existing  debt  of  $650  be  paid  off 
within   this  time. 

An  event  of  more  than  local  interest  was  associated  with 
the  parish  when,  in  April,  1847,  the  Convocation  of  North- 
ern Pennsylvania  was  organized  here.  The  idea  of  convoca- 
tional  gatherings  thus  begun  was  the  starting  point  of  that 
svstem  of  Diocesan  Church  Extension  which  has  since  been  de- 
veloped into  the  four  archdeaconries  of  the  Diocese  of  Cen- 
tral Pennsylvania,^  the  eight  convocations  of  the  Diocese 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  two  convocations  of  the  Diocese 
of  Pittsburg,  all  of  which  territory  was,  until  1865,  embraced 
in  the  one  Diocese  of  Pennsylvania.  Bishop  Potter,  in  his 
convention  address  of  1847,  ^^'^s  very  sanguine  of  the  great 
benefit  that  would  accrue  to  the  clergy  and  people  of  these 
remoter  regions  through  quarterly  meetings  in  different  par- 
ishes for  the  purpose  of  holding  ])ublic  services  and  private 
conferences.  Tliis  was  the  second  convocation  inaugurated 
by  the  Bishoj.),  the  first  one  having  been  called  by  him  in 
Pittsburg  the   preceding    October.     To   Christ    Church,    \\  il- 

1  At  the  pif'sent  date  the  Diocese  of  Central  Peunsyhania,  with 
its  name  changed  to  the  Diocese  of  Bethlehem,  contains  two  of 
these  archdeaconries,  Reading  and  Scranton.  The  Diocese  of  Har- 
risburg,  which  was  carved  out  of  the  Diocese  of  Central  Pennsyl- 
vania, contains  the  other  two,  Harrisburg  and  Williamsport,  and  in 
addition  a  new  Archdeaconry  of  Altoona.     [Ed.] 


Mr.  Clark's  Rectorship  19 

liamsport,  therefore,  belongs  the  honor  of  having  been  the 
first  place  in  the  State,  east  of  Pittsburg,  where  a  convocation 
was  held.  Appended  to  the  Bishop's  address  of  the  next 
year  is  a  copy  of  the  rules  of  this  convocation,  which  the 
Bishop  seems  to  have  regarded  as  a  model  of  excellence.  The 
counties  embraced  within  the  Convocation  of  Northern  Penn- 
sylvania were  Bradford,  Sullivan,  Tioga,  Lycoming,  Colum- 
bia, Northumberland,  Union,  Clinton,  Centre,  Mifflin  and 
Huntingdon,  all  of  them,  with  the  exception  of  Bradford, 
Mifflin,  and  Huntingdon,  within  the  present  Archdeaconry  of 
Williamsport. 

At  the  Diocesan  Convention  in  May,  1847,  the  parish 
applied  for  admission  to  the  convention  and  was  duly  re- 
ceived. A  fair  was  held  in  the  Court  House  by  the  ladies  of 
the  parish  in  June  of  that  year,  and  by  the  sale  of  useful  and 
fancy  articles  they  netted  the  sum  of  $275  towards  the  pay- 
ment of  the  $650  debt.  The  following  September  the  young 
ladies  of  the  congregation  commenced  sewing  one  afternoon 
a  week  for  the  erection  of  a  fence  in  front  of  the  church. 
Their  sale  in  December  netted  them  $42.  During  1847  ^^^^ 
1848  the  Sunday  School  received  the  gift  from  the  American 
Sunday  School  Union  of  two  libraries  comprising  two  hun- 
dred volumes.  In  1849,  the  three  years  of  grace  having  come 
to  an  end,  Mr.  Clark  could  thankfully  record  that  the  debt 
of  $650  had  been  entirely  wiped  out.  In  May,  1850,  the 
parish  received  from  the  Bishop  White  Prayer  Book  Society 
a  donation  of  the  parish  library  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Jersey 
Shore,  and  also  an  addition  thereto  of  twenty-five  other  vol- 
umes. A  portion  of  this  grant  still  remains  in  the  rectory 
as  part  of  the  study  library.  Through  the  kindness  of  a  few 
friends  Mr.  Clark  was  enabled  to  procure  six  lamps  for  the 
church,  at  a  cost  of  $30,  and  by  a  fair  held  on  the  5th  of 
June,  1850,  the  ladies  of  the  church  realized  the  sum  of  $500 
for  the  purchase  of  the  lot  next  to  the  church,  whereon  to 
build  a  rectory.  Thirteen  days  later,  no  doubt  with  great 
gladness    and    elation,    the    ^t    was    purchased ;    and    on    the 


20  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

same    day    the    parish    bought    "an    uncommonly    line-toned 
organ"  for  $400,  the  builder  being  James  Hall,  of  Baltimore. 

Thus  within  a  few  years,  from  a  condition  of  great  dis- 
couragement and  inactivity,  we  see  evidences  of  temporal 
improvement  crowding  upon  each  other  as  tokens  of  Mr. 
Clark's  energetic  administration.  Looking  to  the  spiritual 
condition  of  the  j)arish,  Mr.  Clark  regarded  the  attendance 
upon  the  services  of  the  church  as  very  good,  and  thought 
that  a  general  degree  of  seriousness  pervaded  the  congrega- 
tion. He  thought  the  parish  "remarkable  for  its  unanimity." 
But  at  the  same  time  he  seems  to  have  felt  some  discourage- 
ment at  the  slow  growth  in  the  number  of  families  and  com- 
municants. This  condition  of  Church  life  appears,  however, 
to  have  been  more  or  less  general  throughout  the  region. 
After  a  rectorship  of  nearly  four  years  and  a  half,  on  the  6th 
day  of  April,  185 1,  ]\Ir.  Clark  resigned  the  parish  in  order  to 
take  charge  of  a  female  seminary  in  the  city  of  Washington. 
The  church  was  now  entirely  free  from  debt,  and  Mr.  Clark 
reported  that  his  salary  of  $300^  had  been  paid  regularly. 
The  real  estate  of  the  parish  consisted  of  the  church  building 
and  lot,  and  the  adjoining  "parsonage  lot,"  and  the  people 
were  encouraged  to  believe  that  in  a  very  few  years  the  parish 
would  be  self-sustaining. 

1  The  fact  that  the  minute  book  of  the  Vestry  was  not  com- 
menced till  18.52  makes  it  impossible  to  explain  this  statement. 
Mr.  Clark,  when  he  came  in  1846,  was  promised  $600  annually  for 
three  years  (.$200  from  Christ  Church,  $400  from  Grace  Church). 
Possibly  from  1849  he  was  compelled  to  get  along  on  $300.     [Ed.] 


THE    REV.   JOHN    HENRY    BLACK 
Rector  185  I     I  853 


THREE   MORE   SHORT   RECTORSHIPS. 
1851-1855. 


The  Rev.  John  Henry  Black — The  Rev.  Edward  Purdon 
Wright — The  Rev.  W.  H.  Cooper. 

The  next  incumbent  of  the  parish  was  the  Rev.  John 
Henry  Black.i  who  entered  upon  his  rectorship  on  October 
loth,  185 1,-  and  remained  until  June  12th,  1853.'^     An  unusu- 

1  The  Rev.  .John  Henry  Black  was  born  October  27,  1822,  and 
graduated  at  Hamilton  College,  1848,  B.  A.,  and  afterwards 
M.  A.  He  was  principal  of  the  Erie  (Pa.)  Academy,  1848-18.51, 
when  he  accepted  the  rectorship  of  Christ  Church,  Williamsport, 
Pa.,  1851-1833.  After  leaving  Williamsport  he  was  rector  of  Zion 
Church,  Belvidere,  and  St.  .John's  Church,  Somerville,  N.  J.,  1853- 
1857;  St.  Paul's  Church,  Sing  Sing.  X.  Y.,  1857-1862;  Trinity 
Church,  Newport,  R.  I.,  1862-1865;  St.  John's,  Erie,  Pa.,  1866-1868, 
and  Trinity  Church,  Renovo,  Pa.,  1874-1881.  He  resided  at  Wil- 
liamsport, Pa.,  from  1869  to  1888,  but  in  the  latter  year  removed  to 
Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  continued  to  reside  until  his  death, 
August  17,   1893. 

While  at  Williamsport  he  married,  November  3,  1853,  Caroline 
Campbell,  daughter  of  Francis  C.  (Vestry's  Warden)  and  Jane 
Campbell. 

He  was  for  several  years  a  trustee  of  the  General  Theological 
Seminary,  New  York,  and  was  Dean  of  the  Convocation  of  Wil- 
liamsport 1880-1885.  He  was  a  man  of  marked  administrative  ca- 
pacity, of  wide  and  deep  learning,  especially  in  the  classics  and 
in  the  history  and  exegesis  of  the  Bible.  He  published  no  books, 
but  was  much  occupied  in  the  later  years  of  his  life  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  lectures  on  various  topics  for  theological  students  and 
classes  and  occasional  papers  for  clerical  clubs  and  meetings. 
[Ed.] 

2  Mr.  Black  accepted  the  rectorship  with  the  understanding  that 
his  connection  with  the  parish  was  not  to  be  of  lengthy  duration. 
The  financial  difficulties  under  which  the  parish  labored  during  his 
rectorship  are  noted  in  '"Summary  Notes:  'The  Money  Problem.''" 
The  first  minute  book  of  the  Vestry  was  commenced  during  Mr. 
Black's  rectorship.     [Ed.] 

3  The  Parish  Guide  (February,  1870)  is  apparently  in  error 
perhaps  by  a  typographical  slip,  in  giving  June  U  as  the  date, 

21 


22  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

ally  large  confirmation  class  marked  this  period,  eleven  per- 
sons being  presented  for  the  apostolic  rite  on  the  21st  of  July, 
1852.  Among  these  were  two  who  subsequently  became 
prominently  active  in  the  life  of  the  parish — Oliver  Watson, 
Esq.,  and  Miss  Elizabeth  W.  Hepburn,  afterwards  Mrs.  Val- 
entine S.  Doebler,  the  latter  of  wdiom  is  still  an  activ^e  com- 
municant.^ Before  leaving  Williamsport  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Black  and  Miss  Caroline  Campbell,  daughter  of  F.  C.  Camp- 
bell, Esq.,  Vestry's  Warden,  was  solemnized  by  his  successor, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Wright. 

Mr.   Black   was   succeeded   l)y   the   Rev.   Edward   Purdon 
Wright,-  of  Burlington,  New  Jersey,   who  was  called  to  the 

1  Mrs.  Doebler  has  since  died  (May  25,  1907,)  at  tlie  age  of  75 
years.     [Ed.] 

2  The  Rev.  Dr.  Edward  Purdon  Wright  was  born  in  Lincoln- 
shire, England,  April  25,  1825.  He  was  the  eldest  son  of  the  Rev. 
Robert  and  Eliza  (Purdon)  Wright,  the  former  a  native  of  Ireland, 
the  latter  of  Wales. 

Dr.  Wright  was  educated  at  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  Ireland, 
and  graduated  from  Burlington  College,  N.  J.,  in  1853,  having  been 
ordained  deacon  by  Bishop  Doane  in  the  previous  year.  He  was 
advanced  to  the  priesthood  in  1853,  and  was  acting  rector  of  Bur- 
lington College  at  the  time  he  came  to  Christ  Church,  Williamsport. 
He  tendered  his  resignation  six  months  from  that  date  (April  3. 
1854),  to  accept  the  rectorship  of  St.  .John's,  Pequa,  and  St.  Mark's, 
Honeybrook. 

During  the  next  twenty  years  Dr.  Wright  had  numerous  charges. 
He  was  in  Nashua,  N.  H.;  at  Christ  Church,  Waukegan,  111.;  St. 
.James's  Church,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  Christ  Church,  Dayton,  Ohio. 
In  both  his  Ohio  parishes  new  churches  were  built  under  his  super- 
vision, that  in  Dayton  costing  .$50,000.  He  went  to  Milwaukee  in 
1873,  and  for  seventeen  years  labored  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin, 
chiefly  in  missionary  fields,  but  in  1890  (?)  was  rector  of  Trinity, 
Wauwatosa,  a  parish  founded  by  him.  In  1889  he  was  appointed 
chaplain  of  the  National  Military  Home  for  Disabled  Veteran  Sol- 
diers, which  position  he  held  until  his  death.  .January  25,  1910,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-five. 

Dr.  Wright  married,  in  1846,  Mrs.  S.  P.  Coryell,  of  Philadelphia, 
who  died  in  1884,  and  in  1885  Miss  Georgia  Bennett,  daughter  of 
C.  W.  Bennett,  former  Sheriff  of  Waukesha  County,  Wis.,  who  sur- 
vives him.  He  was  interested  in  Masonry,  being  a  thirty-second 
degree  member  of  the  Ancient  and  Accepted  Scottish  Rites.     [Ed.] 


THE    REV.  EDWARD   PURDON   WRIGHT,  D.  D. 
Rector  1853-1 854 


TiiREi:  More  Short  Rectorships  23 

rectorship  October  3d,  1853/  and  entered  at  once  upon  his 
duties. 2  At  the  end  of  three  months  Mr.  Wright  records  with 
devout  thankfulness  to  Almighty  God  that  the  congregations 
had  steadily  increased,  the  church  being  frequently  filled  com^ 
pletely,  and  that  the  Sunday  School,  which  seems  to  have  run 
down  previously  very  much,  had  also  steadily  increased  in 
numbers  and  efficiency,  from  9  teachers  and  2^  scholars  to  13 
teachers  and  59  scholars.  When  Mr.  Wright  resigned,  April 
3d.  1854,^  the  number  of  scholars  had  increased  to  65,  and 
subscriptions  amounting  to  about  $1,500  had  been  made  for 
the  erection  of  a  "parsonage  house." 

The  Vestry  were  using  commendable  exertions  to  hasten 
the  accomplishment  of  this  project.  They  took  their  first 
action  looking  to  this  end  on  the  23d  of  January.  1854,  and  at 
a  meeting  held  the  following  month,  the  plans  of  Mr.  James 
Damant,  a  member  of  the  X'estry.  were  approved,  and  it  was 
resolved  to  build  a  house  at  a  cost  not  to  exceed  $2,200,  which 
was  to  be  completed  by  the  first  of  the  following  October. 
Thomas  Throp  proposed  to  build  the  parsonage  for  $2,195 
and  the  old  house  on  the  lot,  and  offered  to  make  a  contribution 
of  $50  toward  the  building.  Before  the  completion  of  this  struc- 
ture, which  was  delayed  beyond  the  expected  time,  the  Vestr\' 
felt  obliged  to  borrow  $1,000,  and  place  a  mortgage  on  the 
house,  so  that  when  Mr.  Cooper,  the  next  rector,  was  able  to 
report  the  structure  completed,  it  had  cost  $2,250,  besides  some 
$150  for  extras,  fencing,  etc.:  and  upwards  of  $973  was  yet 
due  on  it.  Mr.  Cooper  described  the  rectory  as  "a  beautiful 
and  commodious  parsonage  of  brick,"  such  as  "would  do 
credit  to  many  a  more  extensive  and  more  wealthy  parish." 

1  The  Parish  Guide   (February,  1870.)  says  October  10,  1853. 

2  Mr.  Wright  was  guaranteed  $400— plus  "any  sum  arising  from 
rent  of  house  on  parsonage  lot  till  1st  of  April  next  ensuing."     [Ed.] 

3  Mr.  Wright's  resignation  was  accepted,  then  declined  and  a 
new  financial  proposition  made  to  him,  but  under  date  of  April  11, 
1854,  Mr.  Wright  advised  the  Vestry  that  "under  all  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case."  and  in  the  true  interests  of  the  parish,  he 
deemed  it  his  duty  to  sever  his  connection  with  Christ  Church. 
[Ed.] 


24  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

Some  $i,ooo  had  been  raised  within  the  borough  for  this  ob- 
ject, and  only  about  $200  had  come  in  from  outside. 

After  Mr.  Wright  came  the  Rev.  W.  H.  Cooper/  who 
assumed  the  rectorship  on  September  17,^  1854.  Mr.  Cooper 
was  an  EngHshman,  whose  orders  appear  to  have  been  con- 
ferred either  in  England  or  the  Colonies.  The  salary  guaran- 
teed Mr.  Cooper  by  the  Vestry  was  $500  a  year,  besides  $100 
for  expenses  of  removal,  and  the  use  of  a  parsonage  house,  with 
the  free  use  of  a  dwelling  until  the  same  should  be  completed. 
Although  this  salary  was  paid  punctually,  Mr.  Cooper  ten- 
dered his  resignation  on  the  20th  of  July,  1855,  ten  months 
after  he  came,  because  the  Vestry  felt  that  they  were  unable 
to  raise  the  amount  of  the  salary  for  another  year.  Doubtless 
the  burden  of  building  the  rectory  had  exhausted  the  financial 
ability  of  the  congregation.^  The  parish  had  suffered  much 
from  vacancies  occasioned  by  frequent  clerical  changes.  The 
church  had  been  closed  for  three  months  prior  to  Mr.  Cooper's 

1  In  the  .Journal  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Seventieth  Conven- 
tion of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  the  Diocese  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, May,  1854,  Mr.  Cooper  reported  that  in  the  June  previous  he 
had  taken  charge  of  the  parish  of  Tamaqua,  with  Tuscarora  an- 
nexed, but  on  invitation  of  the  Foreign  Committee  of  the  Board  of 
Missions  to  undertake  a  mission  to  Rio  Janeiro,  had  resigned  in  the 
succeeding  October.  The  steamship  in  which  he  sailed,  the  "San 
Francisco,''  was  wrecked,  many  lives  being  lost.  Mr.  Cooper  and 
his  family,  after  suffering  extreme  hardships,  were  ultimately  car- 
ried to  New  York,  and  he,  on  account  of  his  shattered  health,  re- 
leased from  his  engagements  by  the  Foreign  Committee.  He  vis- 
ited churches  in  the  South  and  West  in  the  interest  of  South  Amer- 
ican Missions  and  resumed  parish  work.  The  records  show  he 
served  at  the  following  places:  Williamsport,  Pa.,  1854;  Tusca- 
rora, Pa.,  1854;  Tiffin,  Ohio,  1857;  Waukegan,  111.,  1861;  Chicago, 
111.,  1862;  Belvidere,  111.,  1866;  Lockport,  111.,  1869;  and  Mount 
Pleasant,  Iowa,  1871.  While  at  Mt.  Pleasant  Mr.  Cooper  experi- 
enced doubt  as  to  the  truth  of  certain  theological  dogmas  and 
seceded  to  the  Reformed  Episcopal  Church.  He  signed  his  report 
in  the  "Journal"  of  18.')4,  William  H.  Cooper.     [Ed.] 

2  The  Parish  Guide  (February,  1870,)  says  September  14th. 

3  On  July  14th  the  Vestry  reluctantly  notified  Mr.  Cooper  they 
could,  if  certain  persons  continued  subscriptions,  pay  $400 — if  not, 
then  but  $350.     Such  a  reduction  could  have  but  one  result.     [Ed.] 


Three  More  Short  Rectorships 


^3 


coming,  and  for  the  preceding  four  summers.  It  was  ac- 
knowledged that  the  field  was  a  hard  one,  but  the  completion 
of  the  Sunbury  and  Erie  Railroad  and  of  the  Williamsport  and 
Elmira  Railroad,  each  having  a  terminus  in  the  borough,  led 
to  the  hope  that  the  church  would  soon  profit  by  the  increase 
of  population  and  extraordinary  impetus  to  trade  in  this  region 
which  were  already  being  manifested.  These  hopes  seem  to 
have  been  largely  realized,  for  with  the  rectorship  of  the  Rev. 
Richard  Channing  Moore  we  enter  upon  an  era  of  increasing 
strength  and  i)rosperity  that  has  continued  unabated  to  the 
present  time. 

As  we  are  now  about  to  enter  upon  another  epoch  in  the 
historv  of  the  parish,  it  will  be  interesting  to  note  some  of  the 
statistics  that  mark  the  close  of  Mr.  Cooper's  rectorship.  The 
parish  in  1855  embraced  24  families,  including  95  persons, 
"belonging  to  the  Church,  besides  numerous  occasional  wor- 
shippers." The  communicants  numbered  38.  The  whole 
number  of  persons  baptized  during  the  preceding  fifteen  years 
was  68 ;  confirmed  during  the  same  period,  30.  There  were 
about  45  scholars  in  the  Sunday  School,  besides  a  Bible  class 
taught  by  the  Rector,  comprising  17  members,  "besides  strag- 
glers." An  offering  of  Si 5  for  foreign  missions  made  some 
time  between  September  and  May  deserves  a  special  note  of 
admiration. 


THE    REV.   RICHARD   CHANNING    MOORE 
Rector  I  855    1865 


MR.  MOORE'S  RECTORSHIP. 

1855-1865. 


The  Parish  School — First  Steps  Towards  a  Xew  Church. 

Mr.  Moore,  the  namesake  of  his  father,  the  second  Bishop 
of  Virginia/  entered  upon  his  duties  on  the  20th  of  October, 
1855,  and  ministered  here  until  about  October.  1865.2  The 
Vestry  asked  the  Diocesan  Missionary  Society  to  continue  its 

1  Whose  portrait  can  be  seen  in  tlie  Guild  Room  of  the  Parish 
House. 

2  The  Rev.  "Richard  Chanuing  Moore,  born  in  Xew  York,  Oct. 
16,  1810,  was  the  son  of  the  Rt.  Rev.  Richard  Channing  Moore,  the 
second  Bishop  of  Virginia  and  the  fourteenth  in  the  succession  of 
the  American  Episcopate. 

He  graduated,  from  Trinity  College,  Hartford,  Conn.,  A.  B., 
1829,  M.  A.,  1834;  and  from  the  Theological  Seminary  of  Virginia, 
1832.  He  was  ordained  deacon  1832  and  priest  1833,  his  first  work 
being  as  assistant  minister  at  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Philadelphia, 
under  his  cousin,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Bedell.  He  was  rector  of  St.  John's 
Church,  Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  from  1837  to  1855,  in  which  year  he  ac- 
cepted the  call  to  Christ  Church,  Williamsport.  While  at  St.  John's 
his  ministry  was  so  effective  that  a  considerable  enlargement  of  the 
church  edifice  was  necessary:  "An  addition  of  eight  feet  was  made 
to  each  side  of  the  house,  and  the  interior  was  wholly  renewed." 
After  his  resignation  from  Christ  Church,  in  1865,  he  seems,  owing 
to  his  impaired  health,  not  to  have  again  undertaken  active  work. 
His  death  occurred  in  Williamsport,  May  21,  1865. 

Mr.  Moore  married  Miss  Julia  Richardson,  of  Philadelphia,  by 
whom  he  had  issue:  1,  Julia  Grant;  2,  Richard  Channing;  3, 
Gregory  Townsend  Bedell;  4,  Gertrude;  5,  Samuel  Grant;  6,  Sarah 
Virginia;  7,  Mary;  8,  Emily  Salter;  9,  Fannie. 

In  1901  his  son,  Mr.  G.  T.  Bedell  Moore,  placed  a  window  of  the 
"Good  Shepherd"  to  his  memory  in  Christ  Church.  The  memorial 
chapel  of  St.  John's,  also  given  by  Mr.  G.  T.  Bedell  Moore,  the  ground 
for  it  and  the  parish  house,  and  the  various  memorials  in  the 
chapel  itself,  gifts  of  his  widow,  daughters  and  sons,  and  Mr. 
Lutcher,  are  described  in  the  chapters,  "Mr.  Jones'  Rectorship,"  and 
"Summary  Notes;  'St.  John's  Chapel.'"     [Ed.] 

?7 


28  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

aid  toward  the  support  of  the  rector,  as  it  had  been  doing 
heretofore,  themselves  pledgincr  him  $400  salary  and  the  use  of 
the  rectory,  and  agreeing  to  his  giving  one-fourth  of  his  time 
to  services  at  Lock  Haven. ^  There  was  a  recently  formed 
congregation  there,  to  which  Mr.  Moore  gave  a  few  services, 
after  which  the  infani  parish  secured  a  rector  for  itself.  Mr. 
Moore  also  for  a  time  held  services  regularly  at  Northum- 
berland. His  first  rei)ort  about  Christ  Church,  Williamsport, 
l)realhes  a  hopeful  tone  throughout.  Although  the  winter  had 
been  severe,  the  services  had  been  regularly  held,  with  an  en- 
couraging attendance.  Measures  had  been  adopted  to  repair 
the  church  building  and  to  pay  off  the  debt  of  $1,000  on  the 
rectory.  The  expense  of  the  former  was  undertaken  by  a 
single  member  of  the  Vestry,  Judge  Maynard,  and  amounted 
to  about  $350.  Gas  was  introduced  into  the  rectory  in  1856-7, 
and  the  debt  completely  wiped  out.  Mr.  Moore  aroused  the 
Sunday  School  to  considerable  interest  in  missions,  and  for  a 
time  received  an  average  contrilmtion  of  a  dollar  a  Sundav  for 
this  great  work  of  the  church,  and  in  1858  he  reports  "contri- 
butions for  missions  and  other  objects  about  $100."  The 
Sunday  School  offering  the  next  Christmas  was  for  foreign 
missions  and  amounted  to  $39.66.  Through  the  assistance  of 
friends  in  Philadelphia  and  elsewhere,  the  church  was  fur- 
nished with  a  fine  bell  and  a  handsome  marble  font.  In  1858-9 
gas  was  introduced  into  the  church  and  water  into  the  rectory, 
at  an  expense  of  about  $250.  which  was  met  by  the  receipts  of 
a  fair.  During  the  same  >ear  Mr.  Moore  had  started  a  Fe- 
male Boarding  and  Day  School,  which  had  a  flourishing  ex- 
istence for  several  years.  A  number  of  well  known  ladies  still 
living  in  Williamsport  recei\-ed  a  i)ortion  of  their  education  in 
this  institution. 

Several  of  the  items  in  Mr.  Moore's  report  of  i8()i  are 
noteworthy.  Twenty-five  persons  had  been  baptized  during 
the  year,  13  jiresented  for  contirmalion,  and  the  number  ot' 
communicants    had    risen    to    57.      The    Sunday    School    work 

1  The   Vestry   hoijed   that   the    Lock    Haven    con,:;rogatioii    would 
assist  Mr.  Moore  financially.     [Ed.] 


Mr.  Moore's  Rectorship  29 

showed  a  great  advance.  There  were  25  teachers  and  150 
scholars.  These  were  divided  between  two  schools,  for  a  sec- 
ond Sunday  School  had  been  started  during  the  year  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Elmira  and  West  Edwin  Streets.  Beginning 
about  the  first  of  the  following  year,  Mr.  ]\Ioore  held  monthly 
service  there,  besides  the  weekly  Sunday  School,  and  this  ar- 
rangement continued  until  December,  1864,  when  both  school 
and  services  had  to  be  discontinued  because  the  building  was 
no  longer  available.  The  parish  in  1861,  moreover,  was  again 
entirely  out  of  debt  and  had  just  become  self-supporting.  The 
Sunday  School  that  year  gave  nearly  $40  to  foreign  missions. 
Services  were  now  held  twice  on  Sundays,  every  Wednesday, 
and  daily  during  Lent.  The  rector's  salary  was  $650,  and 
there  had  been  contributed  to  other  objects  about  $300.  That 
was  a  bright  and  hopeful  year.  It  will  be  interesting  to  note 
here  the  names  of  the  Vestrymen  through  whose  co-operation 
so  much  had  been  accomplished.  They  were  Messrs.  F.  C. 
Campbell,  Rector's  Warden ;  Lester  Griswold,  Vestry's  War- 
den;  James  H.  Perkins,  P.  Noland,  Oliver  Watson,  John  W. 
Maynard,  James  Damant,  John  White,  and  E.  C.  Johnson.^ 
The  last  named  was  the  brother  of  the  Rev.  Alfred  Evan  John- 
son, who  at  a  later  period  became  locum  tenens  of  the  parish. 

On  Whitsun  Monday,  Alay  25th.  1863,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Moore  started  a  parish  school  with  divine  service  in  the 
church.  Twenty-nine  scholars  were  enrolled,  most  of  them 
being  boys  between  five  and  twelve  years  of  age.  Besides 
their  secular  studies,  the  children  were  taught  the  doctrines  of 
religion  as  held  b}-  the  Church,  and  were  catechized  weekly  by 
the  Rector.  The  successive  teachers  of  this  school  were,  ( 1 ) 
Miss  Susan  AL  Sayre,  from  May  to  December,  1863;  (2)  Miss 
Sallie   R.    Lloyd,   from   December,    1863,   to   December,    1864; 

(3)  Miss  Fanny  Bailey,  from  December,  1863,  (?)  to ; 

(4)  Miss W^illiams,  from  ,  to  April  or 

May,  1866;  (5)  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Chubbuck,  from  Sep- 
tember, 1866,  to  the  spring  of  1868,  and  (6)  Miss  Sayre  again 
from  the  fall  of  1868  until  the  school  closed.     A  short  service 

iThis  is  the  Vestry  elected  Easter,  1861.     [Ed.] 


30  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

with  the  children  of  the  school  was  held  every  morning  during 
the  mild  weather,  and  the  ordinary  sessions  appear  to  have 
been  held  at  first  in  the  basement.  Afterwards,  November, 
1864.  a  small  brick  house  at  the  rear  of  the  church  lot  was 
purchased  by  the  Vestry  at  a  cost  of  $800,  and  used  for  both 
the  weekday  and  Sunda}-  Schools.  In  1864  the  average  at- 
tendance at  the  ])arish  school  was  40  scholars.  This  school 
continued  to  flourish  during  the  rectorships  of  Mr.  Wadleigh 
and  Dr.  Paret,  the  former  of  whom  reported  50  scholars  in  at- 
tendance. 

Mr.  Moore  was  very  anxious  to  secure  better  accommo- 
dations for  his  growing  work,  and  lal)ored  strenuousl\'  to  this 
end  for  several  years,  but  without  attaining  his  great  desire. 
It  was  not  until  his  successor  entered  u))on  the  incumbency  of 
the  parish  that  the  Vestry  bestirred  itself  effectually  in  this 
direction.  Mr.  2vIoore's  first  move  for  a  new  church  was  on 
'J'hanksgiving  Day  in  1862,  when  he  called  a  ])arish  meeting 
to  "take  steps  towards  church  inijjruvement,"  by  either  re- 
modeling the  present  structure  or  erecting  a  new  one.  No  de- 
cisive action  was  taken  at  this  time,  however,  although  Judge 
Maynard  offered  to  subscril^e  $1,000  towards  a  new  church. 
and  Mr.  Peter  Herdic  was  willing  to  be  one  of  six  persons 
to  bear  the  expense  of  building  it.  The  indecision  of  the  con- 
gregation was  due  to  a  sharp  diversity  of  opinion  as  to  the 
location  of  the  church,  some  desiring  to  have  it  on  a  more  cen- 
tral— that  is,  a  more  westerly — site,  and  others  preferring  to 
have  it  remain  where  it  was.  This  disagreement  was  so  pro- 
nounced and  prolonged  that  it  greatly  jeopardized  the  pros- 
perity of  the  parish,  and  even  for  a  time  hindered  its  growth. 
Nearly  four  years  passed  b\-  before  the  Vestry  decided  to 
build,  and  in  the  meantime  Mr.  Moore  had  been  succeeded  by 
Mr.  Wadleigh.  In  the  spring  and  summer  of  1864,  (the  Rev. 
Mr.  Moore  still  being  rector),  by  means  of  two  concerts  and  a 
fair,  the  sum  of  $1,400  was  realized  towards  tin-  hiiiMing. 


THE  NEW  YORK 
PUBLIC     LIBRARY 


AtTOK,  LSNOX  ANB 
TILDEN  FOWMOATIONt. 


THE    REV.   ALURA   WADLEIGH 
Rector  I 86G    I 0G9 


MR.  WADLEIGH'S  RECTORSHIP. 
1866-1869. 


The  New  Church  Begun — The  Beginnings  of  St.  Mary's. 

In  the  spring  of  1865  ]Mr.  Moore  notified  the  Vestry  of 
his  desire  to  sever  his  relation  with  the  parish.  His  salary, 
which  the  year  before  had  been  raised  to  $800  in  accordance 
with  the  recommendation  of  the  Bishop's  convention  address, 
was  now  $400  in  arrears,  but  this  was  all  paid  before  he  left 
Williamsport  in  the  fall.^  For  several  months  after  his  de- 
parture the  church  was  again  closed,  except  for  occasional  ser- 
vices, but  in  February,  1866,  the  Rev.  Albra  Wadleigh,-  Rector 
of  St.  James's  Church,  Muncy,  was  chosen  to  the  vacant  rec- 
torship, at  a  salary  of  $1,000  and  rectory,  and  entered  upon 
his  duties  the  following  April  (Easter  Day).  The  Sunday 
School,  however,  in  the  meantime,  had  continued  its  sessions 

1  The  Vestry  made  a  special  assessment  on  the  pewholders  of 
an  amount  equal  to  the  sum  due  Mr.  Moore.     [Ed.] 

2  The  Rev.  Albra  Wadleigh  was  born  Julj'  3,  1833,  in  Biddeford, 
Me.  He  was  the  sou  of  Albra  Wadleigh,  a  native  of  South  Berwick, 
Me.,  and  his  wife,  Eliza  (Brewster)  Wadleigh,  a  descendant  of 
Elder  William  Brev/ster  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers. 

Originally  Congregationalist,  the  family  was  brought  into  the 
Church  by  the  Reverend,  later  Bishop,  Horatio  Potter,  by  whom 
Albra  Wadleigh,  as  well  as  the  other  children,  was  baptized.  The 
Wadleighs  moved  to  Boston  when  Albra  was  but  one  year  old,  and 
he  was  educated  at  the  Boston  Latin  School  and  Harvard  Univer- 
sity, class  of  18.54.  While  at  Harvard  he  was  class  poet,  and  a 
member  of  the  Hasty  Pudding  as  well  as  of  the  other  clubs  of  that 
time. 

In  1854  he  entered  the  General  Theological  Seminary,  and  was 
ordained  deacon  by  Bishop  Horatio  Potter  in  1857.  In  September 
of  the  same  year  he  assumed  charge  of  St.  James's,  Muncy,  and  was 
advanced  to  the  priesthood  by  Bishop  Bowman,  Assistant  Bishop  of 
Pennsylvania,  in  St.  Philip's  Church,  Philadelphia,  in  1859.  On 
June  27,  1861,  he  married  Emily,  only  daughter  of  Francis  William 

31 


32  Chroxicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

and  maintained  its  membership,  under  the  superintendency, 
first  of  Mr.  G.  T.  IVnlcll  ^h:)ore.  and  afterwards  of  Mr.  J.  J. 
Crocker,  who  retained  char_2:e  till  Mr.  W'adleigh  assumed  the 
duties  of  the  rectorship. 

An  event  of  local  importance  and  diocesan  interest  had 
taken  ])lace  just  prior  to  the  beginning  of  Mr.  Wadleigh's  in- 
cumliency.  This  was  the  erection  on  \'inc  Street,  above  May- 
nard,  in  the  fall  of  1865,  of  a  new  church  building  known  as 
"Trinity  Chapel."  Several  families  witlidrew  from  Christ 
Church  to  form  this  congregation,  among  whom  were  those 
of  I'eter  Herdic^  and  H.  F.  Snyder,  who  had  been  among  the 
most  active  members  of  this  parish.     The  Rev.  II.  S.  Spack- 

Rawie,  the  ceremony  being  performed  In  St.  Mark's  Church,  Phila- 
delphia. 

Mr.  Wadleigh's  rectorship  of  St.  .James's,  Muncy,  lasted  nine 
years,  during  which  time  the  beautiful  gothic  church  was  built.  He 
also  held  services  at  Derry,  now  Exchange,  and  started  missions  in 
a  school-house  at  Halls,  just  across  from  the  present  railroad  sta- 
tion; in  a  log  school-house  six  miles  back  in  the  hills,  known  as 
DeWalt's  school-house,  and  at  Montoursville. 

Upon  accepting  the  rectorship  of  Christ  Church,  Williamsport, 
Easter,  1866,  he  was  obliged  to  give  up  the  missions  at  Halls  and 
DeWalt's,  but  continued  that  at  Montoursville,  where  he  after- 
wards built  a  pretty  church. 

Before  coming  to  Williamsport  Mr.  Wadleigh,  in  1864,  obtained 
a  six  months  leave  of  absence  to  go  to  the  front  with  the  Sanitary 
Commission.  He  was  seat  to  City  Point,  near  Richmond,  and  was 
himself  attacked  by  the  fever  so  prevalent  in  the  army.  After 
some  months'  illness  he  recovered,  and  traveled  in  the  interests  of 
the  Commission. 

It  was  but  a  little  over  a  year  after  the  commencement  of  Mr. 
Wadleigh's  rectorship,  when  the  cornerstone  of  the  new  Christ 
Church  was  laid,  June  27,  1867,  and  on  the  same  day  he  had  the 
gratification  of  also  seeing  laid  the  cornerstone  of  the  Church  of 
Our  Saviour,  l\lontoursville,  where  he  had  labored  so  failht'ully. 

The  history  of  the  Wadloigh  Memorial  Chapel,  (St.  Mary's),  is 
told  in  the  text  of  these  chronicles. 

Mr.  Wadleigh  resigned,  April  1.  ISGK.  to  become  rector  of  St. 
Luke's,  Germantown,  Philadelphia,  whcr»^  he  continued  tintil  his 
death,  May  25,  1873. 

1  Later.  1871-6,  the  mission  was  replaced  l)y  the  inesent  stone 
chuich  at  the  sole  cost  of  Mr.  Ilerdic.     [Kd.] 


Mr.  Wadleigh's  Rectorship  33 

man  became  the  rector  of  the  new  congregation,  which  thus 
began  an  independent  career,  and  has  since  become  our  strong 
sister  parish  up  town. 

When  Mr.  Wadleigh  became  rector  of  Christ  Church  it 
was  decided,  in  deference  to  his  wishes,  to  make  it  a  "free 
church."  On  no  other  condition  would  he  accept  the  rector- 
ship. From  that  time  for  a  period  of  some  forty  years,  not- 
withstanding the  industrial  and  commercial  vicissitudes  of  the 
community,  including  three  periods  of  general  financial  panic, 
and  two  disastrous  visitations  affecting  the  prosperity  of  the 
whole  city,  the  parish  was  supported  by  the  weekly  offerings 
of  the  congregation.  "Rich  and  poor  meet  together:  the 
Lord  is  the  Maker  of  them  all."  Soon  after  his  coming,  as 
yet  more  effectually  to  break  up  the  exclusiveness  of  the 
"pewed-church  system,"  Mr.  Wadleigh  had  all  the  doors  of 
the  pews  removed.^ 

Almost  immediately  after  Mr.  Wadleigh  came  active  steps 
were  taken  to  build  a  new  church.  On  June  n,  1866,  the 
Vestry  resolved  to  enter  upon  the  undertaking,  and  on  the  31st 
of  August  a  Ladies'  Aid  Society  was  organized  to  meet  weekly 
and  to  work  "for  the  benefit  of  the  Church."  The  guild  known 
by  the  same  name  to-day  was  not  formed  till  nine  years  later. 
The  first  officers  chosen  were :  Mrs.  J.  Smeeton,  President ; 
Mrs.  V.  S.  Doebler,  Vice-president,  and  Mrs.  Dr.  W.  F. 
Logan,   Treasurer. 

Mr.  Lester  Griswold,  who  had  been  Vestry's  Warden  since 

1  The  Rev.  Robert  W.  Grange,  D.  D.,  now  Rector  of  the  Church 
of  the  Ascension,  Pittsburg,  tells  how  at  Mr.  Wadleigh's  I'equest  he 
accompanied  the  latter  to  the  church  from  the  adjoining  rectory 
one  summer  day  and  assisted  the  rector  to  take  off  the  doors  and 
store  them  in  the  cellar.  Dr.  Grange  was  at  that  time  a  student 
at  Racine  College,  and  when  the  students  returned  in  the  fall,  the 
professor  of  Latin,  on  the  first  morning  of  the  new  term,  invited 
them  to  tell  what  they  had  been  doing  during  the  summer.  Mr. 
Grange  told  how  he  had  helped  the  Rector  of  Christ  Church  re- 
move the  pew-doors  and  how  astonished  and  indignant  the  congre- 
gation were  on  the  following  Sunday.  Whereupon  the  old  profes- 
sor tittered  in  his  peculiar  way  and  remarked,  'T  suppose  they 
all  exclaimed,  Proh  pudor"  (pew-door) !     (Oh,  for  shame!) 


34  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

1854,  died  January  9,  1867;  and  Mr.  Francis  Campbell,  who 
had  been  Rector's  Warden  since  1855,  died  April  21,  1867. 
Major  James  H.  Perkins^  was  elected  to  succeed  the  former 
and  Mr.  Oliver  Watson^  was  appointed  b}-  Mr.  Wadleigh  to 
succeed  the  latter. 

1  Major  James  H.  Perkins  was  born  in  South  New  Market, 
Rockingham  County,  N.  H.,  March  13,  1803.  In  1830  he  moved 
to  Philadelphia,  where,  rising  from  a  journeyman  in  a  factory,  he 
became  a  member  of  the  firm  operating  it,  and  retired  with  a  fair- 
sized  competency  in  1844.  He  moved  to  Willianisport  in  1845  and 
immediately  became  affiliated  with  the  lumber  interests.  In  1849 
he  built  the  first  boom  in  the  Susquehanna,  which,  proving  a  suc- 
cess, enabled  him  to  organize  a  stock  company  which  built  the 
celebrated  boom  in  1850-51.  He  retired  in  1870.  He  was  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  Willianisport  Hospital  and  president  of  the 
Board;  a  member  of  Select  Council  for  several  terms  and  also 
president  of  that  body;  a  director  of  the  West  Branch  Bank,  and 
interested  in  the  Wildwood  Cemetery  Company.  His  title  of  Major 
was  derived  from  his  connection  with  the  24th  Pennsylvania  Mili- 
tia, of  which,  in  1842,  he  was  elected  major. 

On  July  30,  1844,  he  married  Mary  Jane,  daughter  of  Joshua 
Smythe,  of  New  Hampshire.  He  died  without  issue  July  15,  1893. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Vestry  from  1852  (?)  to  1893,  and  Vestry's 
Warden  1867-1893.  In  1885  Major  Perkins  placed  a  window  in  the 
church  to  the  memory  of  his  wife,  who  died  May  1,  1884.  Subse- 
quent to  his  own  death  a  tablet  to  his  memory  was  placed  beneath 
the    window.     [Ed.] 

2  Oliver  Watson  was  born  November  U),  1811,  in  Loyalsock 
Township,  Lycoming  County,  Pa.  His  boyhood  was  spent  with 
Colonel  John  McMecn.  his  maternal  uncle,  who  had  settled  on  the 
"Long  Reach"  a  few  miles  west  of  Willianisport.  In  1826  Colonel 
McMeen  moved  to  Waterville,  where  Mr.  Watson,  in  1830,  served 
an  apprenticeship  of  two  years  at  a  trade;  and,  after  attending 
school  for  some  time,  in  1834  taught  school  for  six  months.  He 
next  took  charge  of  a  school  near  the  residence  of  the  Hon.  George 
Crawford,  and  being  advised  to  study  law,  came  to  Willianisport, 
entered  the  office  of  the  Hon.  James  Armstrong,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  of  Lycoming  County  in  1837.  While  reading  law  he 
served  as  clerk  in  the  office  of  the  County  Commissioners,  but 
resigned  that  position  in  1838  to  accept  the  appointment  of  County 
Treasurer,  which  office  he  held  for  three  years.  In  1841  Mr.  Wat- 
son entered  into  law  partnership  with  the  Hon.  John  W.  Maynard. 
under  the  firm  name  of  Maynard  &  Watson.     He  retired  from  the 


Mr.  Wadleigh's  Rectorship  35 

Two  lots  at  the  corner  of  East  Fourth  and  Mulberry 
Streets,  104  by  208  feet,  were  purchased  in  1866  of  Lewis  Mc- 
Dowell for  $4,000.  The  plan  of  the  church,  designed  to  seat 
500  people,  was  drawn  by  J.  F.  Miller,  of  New  York  City. 
The  estimated  cost  of  the  building  was  $30,000,  but  because  of 
the  unsuspected  costliness  of  the  stone  and  labor,  the  amount 
actually  expended  before  the  church  was  ready  for  use  was 
about  $40,000,  and  this  without  the  upper  portion  of  the  tower. 
The  building  committee  consisted  of  the  Rector  (the  Rev.  Mr. 
Wadleigh)  and  Messrs.  John  White,  James  H.  Perkins,  Oliver 
Watson,  James  V.  Brown,  James  Damant,  and  James  Rawle 
(the  l)rother-in-law  of  Mr.  Wadleigh). 

The  corner-stone  of  the  new  structure  was  laid  on  the 
morning  of  Thursda>-.  June  27th,  1867.  The  Sunday  School 
children  formed  a  procession  and  marched  to  the  place,  carn.-- 
ing  appropriate  banners  and  devices.  They  are  said  to  have 
made  a  fine  appearance.  The  stone  was  laid  by  Bishop  Stev- 
ens, who  also  made  an  address.  Other  addresses  were  deliv- 
ered by  the  Rev.  Edwin  N.  Lightner,  the  founder  of  the  parish, 
and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wadleigh,  the  then  rector.  Seven  others  of 
the  clergy  were  present,  namely,  the  Rev.  H.  S.  Spackman 
(Trinity,  Williamsport),  the  Rev.  G.  W.  Shinn  (Lock  Haven), 
the  Rev.  G.  P.  Hopkins  (Troy),  the  Rev.  J.  N.  Spear  (Sha- 
mokin),  the  Rev.  A.  R.  Brush  (INIuncy),  the  Rev.  Mr.  John- 
son, and  the  Rev.  T.  H.  Cullen    (Bloomsburg).     Under  the 

firm  in  1848  and  associated  with  himself  A.  J.  Little.  Mr.  Little 
retired  from  the  firm  two  years  later  and  Mr.  Watson  practiced 
alone  till  1856.  He  was  then  elected  president  of  the  West  Branch 
National  Bank;  was  president  of  the  Market  Street  Bridge  Com- 
pany, and  had  numerous  financial  interests.  For  some  years  prior 
to  his  death  he  was  almost  totally  blind. 

On  November  16,  1843,  Mr.  Watson  married  Marietta,  daugh- 
ter of  the  Hon.  David  Scott,  by  whom  he  had  eight  children.  He 
died  September  1,  1882. 

Mr.  Watson  was  a  member  of  the  first  Vestry  of  Christ  Church 
and  served  continuously  till  his  death.  In  18.55  and  again  in  1860 
he  was  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  and  from  1867  to  1869  Rector's 
Warden.  His  son,  William  S.  Watson,  was  also  a  member  of  the 
Vestry,  1878-1882. 


36  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

corner-stone  was  placed  a  box  containing  a  Bible,  Book  of 
Common  Prayer,  some  copies  of  Church  papers,  and  other 
articles. 

Mr.  W'adleigh  in  1865,  before  coming  to  Williamsport, 
had  started  to  hold  services  in  iNIontonrsville,  where  he  subse- 
quently purchased  a  lot  and  built  the  present  frame  church 
seating  250  persons.  He  continued  to  hold  services  there  after 
he  became  rector  of  Christ  Church,  and  was  followed  in  this 
by  Dr.  Paret. 

In  1868  the  Vestry  of  this  parish  received  by  deed  from 
Air.  Samuel  Lloyd,  whose  name  is  familiarly  associated  with 
that  part  of  the  city  known  as  "Lloyd's  Addition,"  the  gift  of 
a  corner  lot  50  by  100  feet,  in  what  Mr.  W'adleigh  described 
as  "a  neglected  but  rapidly  increasing  part  of  the  city."  This 
lot  was  on  the  north-west  corner  of  Almond  and  Meade 
Streets.  A  small  frame  chapel  was  at  once  erected  here,  and 
a  school  started.  At  the  end  of  the  first  year  of  this  school 
Mr.  Wadleigh  reported  18  teachers  and  150  scholars  as  belong- 
ing to  it.  The  Rev.  Samuel  Earp  became  associated  with  Mr. 
Wadleigh  as  his  assistant,  for  six  months,  July  5,  1868,  to 
January  i,  1869,  and  it  was  largely  due  to  his  enthusiastic  and 
painstaking  efforts  that  the  mission  school  and  first  services 
were  successfully  begun  in  November,  1868.  This  earnest 
man  labored  with  great  vigor  to  bring  together  the  children  of 
the  neighborhood,  which  was  then  an  unpaved  and  swampy 
region,  where  rubber  boots  were  essential  for  comfortable  loco- 
motion. Many  of  the  children  gathered  by  Mr.  Earj)  were 
strangers  to  the  names  of  God  and  Jesus  except  in  profanity. 
Among  the  earnest  lay  workers  in  this  noble  mission  of  the 
l)arish  in  those  early  days  may  be  mentioned  the  following 
Church-folk  who  are  still  actively  identified  with  Christ 
Church:  Mrs.  V.  S.  Doebler,  who  taught  the  "infant  school;" 
Col.  Embick,  Mrs.  Cyrus  Heller,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  W.  Dayton. 
the  former  of  whom  was  for  .some  time  su]K'rintendent  of  the 
school.  Mr.  J.  J.  Crocker,  Mr.  J.  E.  Jones,  Mrs.  C.  \'.  Runklc, 
Mrs.    (ieorge    E.    Shiffler.    Mrs.    C.    M.   Rcnaut.    .Mrs.    A.    M. 


Mr.  Wadleigh's  Rectorship  37 

Ganoung,  Mrs.  A.  P.  Perley,  and  Miss  Elizabeth  Logan.^ 
Thus  was  started  the  work  which  has  since  become  St.  Mary's 
Parish. 

After  Mr.  Wadleigh  had  left  the  parish,  Dr.  Paret,  in 
February,  1870,  noted  a  membership  of  12  Sunday  School 
teachers  and  100  scholars,  with  an  average  attendance  of  60. 
He  made  it  a  point  to  be  present  every  Sunday  at  2  130  and  to 
impart  "systematic  instruction"  after  Evening   Prayer. 

Mr.  Wadleigh's  rectorship  was  notable  for  the  achieve- 
ments already  recorded,  and  also  for  the  influence  of  his  strong 
and  manly  personality  upon  young  men.  He  seems  to  have 
had  exceptional  power  in  winning  and  holding  men,  and  from 
this  time  dates  the  earnestness  of  many  of  our  most  loyal  and 
intelligent  Churchmen  of  to-day.  It  is  to  be  here  remarked 
also  that  with  his  ministration  may  be  said  to  have  begun  that 
era  of  "good  Churchmanship"  which  has  since  characterized 
the  parish.  Since  then  the  persistent  type  of  teaching  and 
practice  has  been  what  is  commonly  called  "Moderate  High 
Church." 

The  late  Mr.  J.  J.  Crocker  records  that  "Mr.  Wadleigh 
preached  but  once  in  my  recollection  in  the  high  pulpit  of  the 
old  church,  and  tJiat  on  the  occasion  of  his  first  visit ;  and 
never  used  the  black  gown,  while  Mr.  Moore  was  accustomed 
to  its  use.     Mr.  Wadleigh  preached  extempore." 

Mr.  Wadleigh  resigned  his  rectorship  here,  to  take  effect 
April  1st,  1869,  in  order  to  accept  that  of  St.  Luke's  Church, 
Germantown. 

1  Since  the  above  pai-agraph  was  written  Colonel  Embick  has 
removed  to  New  York  City,  and  Mesdames  Dayton  and  Doebler  and 
Messrs.  Crocker,  .Jones  and  Dayton  have  been  called  to  their  rest. 


'LStS-H  f^  . 


THE    RT.    REV.   WILLIAM    PARET,    D.  D..  LL.  D. 
Rector  I  0(39    l  07G 


DR.  PARET'S   RECTORSHIP. 
1869-1876. 


Division  of  the  Diocese — The  Parish  in  Prosperity. 

The  Rev.  Wm.  Paret,i  D.  D.,  of  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  was 
promptly  elected  rector  at  a  salary  to  be  not  less  than  $2,000  a 
year  and  the  use  of  the  rectory,  and  entered  upon  his  duties 
May  1st,  1869.  Obviously,  the  first  work  to  engage  his  atten- 
tion would  be  the  completion  of  the  church  building.  The 
Vestry   secured  permission   from  the   Standing  Committee  of 

1  The  Rt.  Rev.  William  Paret,  son  of  John  and  Hester  Paret, 
was  born  in  New  York  City,  September  23,  1826.  He  prepared  for 
college  privately,  and  then  entered  Hobart  College,  from  which  he 
graduated  in  1849  (D.  D.  1867;  LL.  D.  1886).  He  was  fitted  for  the 
ministry  under  the  direction  of  Bishop  William  H.  DeLancey,  and 
ordained  deacon  in  1852  by  Bishop  Chase,  acting  for  the  Bishop  of 
Western  New  York,  being  advanced  to  the  priesthood  in  1853. 

In  1852  he  was  called  to  the  rectorship  of  St.  John's  Church,  at 
Clyde,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  till  1854.  For  ten  years  from  that 
date  he  was  rector  of  Zion  Church  at  Pierrepont  Manor,  N.  Y.,  and 
from  1864  to  1866  of  St.  Paul's  Church  at  East  Saginaw,  Mich.  He 
then  was  rector  of  Trinity  Church  at  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  but  resigned  to 
accept  the  call  of  Christ  Church,  Williamsport.  When  he  resigned 
this  charge  he  did  so  to  become  rector  of  the  Church  of  the 
Epiphany,  Washington,  D.  C,  where  he  remained  till  1884,  when 
he  was  elected  Bishop  of  Maryland.  He  was  consecrated  in  Wash- 
ington January  8,  1885. 

Bishop  Paret  married,  in  1849,  Miss  Maria  G.  Peck,  and  subse- 
quent to  her  death,  Mrs.  Sarah  Haskell  (1900).  He  is  the  author 
of  a  number  of  works,  among  which  are  "St.  Peter  and  the  Primacy 
of  the  Roman  See,"  "The  Pastoral  Use  of  the  Prayer  Book,"  "The 
Place  and  Function  of  the  Sunday  School  in  the  Church,"  and 
"The  Method  and  Work  of  Lent."  By  his  counsel  and  influence  a 
new  Diocese  of  Washington  was,  in  1895,  created  out  of  the  Diocese 
of  Maryland,  at  which  time  he,  in  accordance  with  his  preroga- 
tives, chose  the  remaining  Diocese  as  his  own,  in  which  he  has  been 
Bishop  for  twenty-five  years.     [Ed.] 

39 


40  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

the  Diocese  to  sell  or  mortgagee  such  property  of  the  corpora- 
tion as  might  be  necessary  to  raise  funds  for  the  prosecution 
of  the  work  already  under  way.  At  the  same  time  it  was  re- 
solved to  build  only  a  part  of  the  tower  for  the  present.  The 
Dorcas  Society  in  the  meantime  was  raisings  money  for  the 
chancel  furniture,  and  subsequently,  at  the  suggestion  of  the 
Vestry,  devoted  what  remained  in  hand  towards  the  pipe 
organ.  This  was  built  by  J.  Ci.  .Marklove,  of  Utica,  N.  Y.,  at 
a  total  cost  of  $2,000.  ( ?) 

The  first  service  in  the  new  church,  our  present  house  of 
worship,  was  held  on  the  morning  of  Christmas  Day.  1869. 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Paret  officiating. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  first  visitation  of  the 
l>ishop  (Dr.  Stevens)  to  the  new  church  was  made  cju  the  e\"en- 
ing  of  July  10.  1870.  when  he  confirmed  a  class  of  47.  The 
first  person  on  whom  he  laid  hands  on  this  occasion  was  Miss 
Elizabeth  Logan.  Here,  too,  should  be  recorded  the  equally 
interesting  visit  of  the  Bishop  on  Wednesday,  October  12th,  of 
the  same  year,  when  several  persons  were  ordered  deacons  and 
several  others  advanced  to  the  ]M-iesthood.  Among  the  latter 
was  the  Rev.  Arthur  Brooks,  Rector  of  Trinity  Parish,  whose 
brother,  the  already  distinguished  Phillips  Brooks,  of  Boston, 
preached  the  ordination  sermon. 

The  weekly  routine  of  the  parish  at  this  time  emliraccd 
services  in  Christ  Church  every  Sunday  at  10:30  a.  m.  and 
7:00  r.  M.;  on  the  first  Sunday  in  the  month  at  9:00  a.  .\i. : 
every  Wednesday,  with  lecture,  at  7:00  p.  m.  ;  every  Friday  at 
10:00  a.  m.  ;  on  holy  days  at  10:00  a.  m.  ;  in  the  "mission 
chapel,"  every  Sunday  at  2:30  r.  m.  ;  Sunday  School  at  the 
church  at  9:00  a.  m.  ;  choir  rehearsal,  Wednesdays  at  8:00  r. 
M.  ;  sewing  school  at  the  chapel  every  Saturday  at  2:00  r.  m.. 
and  "friendly  meetings"  every  Friday  evening.  The  average 
attendance  at  the  last  named  was  25  girls. 

Summarized  in  a  few  sentences,  the  history  of  the  present 
church  building  up  to  this  time  was  as  follows:  It  was  first 
suggested  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Moore  in  1862.  The  tirsl  contribu- 
tions towards  its  erection  came  from  two  concerts  and  a  fair 


TItDEM   F 


Dr.   Paret's  Rectorship  41 

held  in  the  sprinj^  and  summer  of  1864,  the  joint  sum  of  which 
amounted  to  about  $1,400.  On  June  u,  1866,  the  V^estry  de- 
cided to  build.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  by  Bishop  Stevens 
on  June  27,  1867.  When  a  memorandum  of  indebtedness  was 
made  the  month  after  the  church  had  been  opened  for  service, 
it  was  found  that  $16,889  ^^''^-'^  ^^^'S-  ^^^  course,  the  building 
could  not  be  consecrated  while  this  remained  unpaid.  The 
Vestry  resolved  to  sell  the  old  church  and  the  school  house  for 
$5,000,  which  sum  should  be  applied  to  the  floating  debt  of  the 
parish.  Soon  after  this  property  was  offered  to  the  German 
Romanists  for  $6,000,  but  they  refused  to  take  it  unless  they 
could  get  the  rectory  too. 

In  1869  or  1870  Dr.  Paret  had  appointed  Dr.  William  F. 
Logani  as  Rector's  Warden.  Dr.  Logan  refusing  a  reappoint- 
ment in  1873,  Dr.  Paret  then  appointed  Mr.  James  Van  du  Zee 
Hrown^  as  his  successor. 

1  Dr.  William  Fullerton  Logan  was  born  in  .Jacksonville,  West- 
moreland County,  Pa.,  August  14,  1826,  and  prepared  for  college  at 
Dr.  McCloskey's  Academy,  at  West  Alexandria.  After  graduating 
from  Washington  College,  Washington,  Pa.,  he  studied  medicine  at 
Freeport,  Pa.,  under  Dr.  Borland,  and  then  took  the  four  years 
course  at  the  Western  Reserve  Medical  University,  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1851.  He  practiced  medicine  for  some 
years  in  Freeport,  Pa.,  and  for  a  short  time  in  Watertown,  Wis., 
moving  to  Williamsport  in  1859,  where  he  purchased  a  drug  busi- 
ness, in  which  he  continued  till  shortly  before  his  death,  December 
20,  1892. 

While  in  Freeport  he  married,  April  29,  1851,  Louisa  Weaver, 
by  whom  he  had  three  children,  Harry  W..  Elizabeth  and  Mary 
Emily. 

He  was  prominent  in  civic  affairs;  was  president  of  the  Wild- 
wood  Cemetery  Company,  a  member  of  City  Councils  and  twice 
elected  Mayor  (1867  and  1878).  He  was  appointed  a  member  of 
Governor  Bigler's  staff,  with  rank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel, 
and  during  the  Civil  War  acted  as  examining  surgeon.  He  was  in- 
terested in  Masonry  and  a  charter  member  of  Baldwin  H  Com- 
mandery.  No.  22,  Knights  Templar. 

Dr.  Logan  was  a  member  of  Christ  Church  Vestry  from  186.3 
till  1891.  He  was  appointed  Rector's  Warden  in  1869.  1870,  1871, 
and  1872,  but  in  1873  refused  a  reappointment. 

2  James  Van  du  Zee  Brown  was  horn  in  Hartford,  Washington 


42  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

An  event  of  momentous  interest  to  all  our  parishes  and 
missions  throughout  the  central  part  of  the  State  was  the 
division  of  the  Diocese  of  Pennsylvania  in  1871,  and  the  erec- 
tion of  a  new  Diocese.  This  step  had,  of  course,  been  under 
discussion  for  a  lon_q;  time.  It  was  first  broug-ht  forward  in 
the  convention  of  1866,  the  year  after  the  organization  of  the 
Diocese  of  Pittsburg.  Owing  to  the  absence  of  the  Bishop 
(Dr.  Stevens),  on  account  of  sickness,  from  this  and  the 
convention  of  the  following  year,  the  matter  was  postponed. 
In  the  meantime,  however,  a  committee  on  division  had  been 
appointed,  which  reported  in  1867,  and  was  continued  to  the 

County,  N.  Y.,  March  2,  1826.  He  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  of  Washington  County,  and  when  17  years  of  age  learned 
the  printer's  trade.  Upon  his  coming  of  age  he,  with  his  father, 
purchased  a  flour  mill  at  Angelica,  N.  Y.,  but  in  1851  moved  to 
Wellsville,  N.  Y.,  where  he  immediately  engaged  in  mercantile 
business.  He  moved  to  Williamsport  in  1859,  purchasing  the  Upde- 
graff  and  Herdic  flour  mill,  which  he  operated  till  1866,  when  he 
sold  out  in  order  to  devote  his  entire  time  to  the  lumber  industry. 
As  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Thomas  &  James  Thompson,  and 
later  of  Brown,  Early  &  Company,  he  was  exceedingly  successful; 
but  subsequent  to  1881  his  operations  were  confined  to  the  West.  In 
1864  he  became  interested  in  the  Williamsport  Water  Company 
(with  which  the  Citizens  Water  and  Gas  Company  is  affiliated), 
and  was  made  its  president  two  years  later.  When  he  took  charge 
the  company  financially  was  in  a  precarious  condition,  but  under 
his  guidance  it  soon  became  prosperous  and  continues  so  to  this 
day  under  his  nephew,  Henry  D.  Brown,  who  succeeded  to  the 
presidency  on  his  death.  In  1861  Mr.  Brown  married  Carile  Cone 
Higgins,  who  died  November  16,  1902.  Mr.  Brown  survived  his 
wife  about  two  years,  dying,  without  issue,  December  8,  1904. 

Mr.  Brown  was  a  vestryman  of  Christ  Church  from  1863  to  1904 
(Rector's  Warden  1873--1901;  Vestry's  Warden  1901-1904),  but  will 
live  most  prominently  in  the  memory  of  the  city  as  the  donor  of 
the  magnificent  endowed  library  that  bears  his  name.  The  Rector 
of  Christ  Church  is,  t:v-ojf.<io,  a  member  of  the  library's  Board  of 
Trustees.  Mr.  Eckel  was  the  first  rector  of  Christ  Church  to  sit  on 
this  Board,  and  in  the  chapter  dealing  with  his  rectorship  more 
detailed  mention  of  the  library  will  be  found. 

A  window  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  Brown  was  unveiled  June  4, 
1906.  His  nephew,  Edmund  B.  Piper,  was  elected  to  the  Vestry  in 
1904  and  annually  re-elected  till  he  left  the  city  in  1907.     [Ed.] 


Dr.  Paret's  Rectorship  43 

next  year.  In  1868  the  subject  came  up  in  dead  earnest  as 
a  "burning  question."  The  committee  on  division  made  an 
exhaustive  report  through  the  Rev.  Dr.  M.  A.  DeWolfe  Howe. 
The  action  of  the  convention  was  spread  over  three  days,  dur- 
ing which  the  convention  became  deeply  involved  in  various 
conflicting  motions,  amendments,  and  substitutes.  The  final 
outcome  was  the  adoption  of  a  resolution  consenting  to  a  di- 
vision on  the  "fourteen  county  line,"  but  with  such  impossible 
conditions  annexed  as  practically  to  defeat  the  end  in  view. 
This  failure  Bishop  Stevens  deeply  regretted,  because  of  the 
serious  impairment  of  his  health.  By  his  address  of  1870  the 
subject  was  freshly  introduced  to  the  convention,  and  he  spe- 
cifically requested  the  division  of  the  Diocese.  The  question  of 
the  dividing  line  was,  as  is  usually  the  case,  the  point  of  con- 
tention. This  had  occasioned  defeat  before,  and  the  Bishop 
expressed  himself  ready  to  consent  to  any  line  of  division,  pro- 
vided the  original  Diocese  should  contain  not  less  than  the 
five  counties  of  Philadelphia,  Montgomery,  Delaware,  Chester, 
and  Bucks.  It  is  interesting  to  learn  that  previously  (April 
22d)  the  Vestry  of  this  parish  had  adopted  a  resolution  that 
"the  interests  and  growth  of  the  Church  imperatively  require 
a  division  of  the  Diocese  as  at  present  constituted,  and  that  it 
is  the  deliberate  and  earnest  judgment  of  this  parish  that  such 
division  should  be  on  the  five-county  line."  The  convention, 
acting  on  the  Bishop's  suggestion,  adopted  this  line,  and  the 
division  was  finally  effected  by  the  consent  of  the  General 
Convention  in  1871.  The  Primary  Convention  of  the  new 
Diocese  met  in  St.  Stephen's  Church,  Harrisburg,  on  the  8th 
of  November  following.  Our  parish  was  represented  by  the 
rector  (the  Rev.  Dr.  Paret)  and  Messrs.  James  H.  Perkins, 
John  White,  and  Oliver  Watson.  The  Lord  Bishop  of  Lich- 
field (Dr.  Selvvyn),  the  Very  Rev.  Dr.  Howson,  Dean  of  Ches- 
ter, and  two  other  English  priests,  were  honored  guests  of  the 
occasion,  the  Bishop  of  Lichfield  preaching  the  sermon.  The 
name  of  "Central  Pennsylvania"  was  selected  for  the  new 
Diocese  after  a  number  of  other  names,  including  "Williams- 
port,"  had  been  rejected.     The  Rev.  IMark  Antony  De^^'olfe 


44  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

Howe,  D.  D.,  of  Philadelphia,  and  the  Rev.  George  Leeds. 
D.  D.,  of  Baltimore,  were  nominated  for  the  Episcopate,  the 
name  of  the  latter  being  placed  before  the  convention  by  Dr. 
Paret.  Dr.  Howe  was  elected  on  the  first  ballot.  His  conse- 
cration took  place  in  St.  Luke's  Church,  Philadelphia,  on  the 
Feast  of  the  Holy  Innocents,  December  28th,  1871.  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Paret.  rector  of  this  parish,  being  one  of  his  two  attendant 
]^resbvters.  Pledges  amounting  to  $2,160  had  been  made  in 
this  parish  towards  the  endowment  of  the  Episcopate  of  the 
new  Diocese.  The  first  annual  convention  of  the  Diocese  of 
Central  Pennsylvania  met  in  Christ  Church.  Williamsport, 
June  II- 1 3,  1872. 

During  Dr.  Paret's  rectorship,  besides  the  two  Sunday 
Schools  and  the  parochial  school  with  30  pupils,  a  sewing 
school  with  35  pupils  was  carried  on  at  the  mission  chapel 
(now  St.  Mary's)  and  a  night  school  for  men  and  boys,  which 
numbered  40  pupils.  On  June  29,  1871,  Dr.  Paret  organized 
"The  Brotherhood  of  Christ  Church,"  composed  largely  of 
young  men,  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  the  rector  in  Church 
work — a  sort  of  anticipation  of  the  Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew. 
Its  first  officers  were  the  Rector  and  Messrs.  Martin  Powell, 
F.  E.  Gleim,  and  J.  B.  Dayton.  Three  months  later  it  reported 
19  active  and  5  honorary  members.  By  a  system  of  district 
visiting,  chiefly  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mission  chapel, 
the  chapel  attendance  was  much  increased,  and  some  of  the 
members  of  the  Brotherhood  also  assisted  the  Rector  as  teach- 
ers in  the  Mission  Sunday  School.  P.y  the  eflforts  of  this  or- 
ganization also  a  room  at  Fourth  and  Market  Streets  was  se- 
cured, where  a  library  and  reading-room  were  established. 
The  financial  depression  of  the  panic  of  1873.  however, 
brought  this  enterprise  to  an  untimely  end. 

(  )n  January  16,  1871,  a  "Church  School  for  young  ladies, 
girls,  and  younger  boys"  was  started  at  118  Market  Street, 
under  the  charge  of  Mrs.  Richter.  It  was  "under  the  pastoral 
control  of  the  Rector  of  Christ  Church,  and  subject  in  all  things 
to  his  authority."  The  prospectus  declared  that  "every  care 
will  be  taken  to  insure  ample  and  thorough  instruction  to  all 


Dr.  Paret's  Rectorship  45 

the  pupils,  and  to  carry  them  on  to  any  degree  of  advancement 

that  may  be  desired Religious  truths  will  make  part 

of  the  course  of  studies,  and  the  pastor's  influence  be  felt  by 
his  frequent  presence." 

The  Dorcas  Society  was  organized  November  24,  1871, 
with  Mrs.  John  ^Vhite  as  president,  a  position  which  she  has 
held  continuously  to  the  present  time.  This  society  was  "to 
provide  material,  make  or  repair  garments,  and  attend  to  their 
distribution  among  the  needy,  and  also  to  attend  to  any  needle- 
work that  may  be  asked  of  them  for  the  use  of  the  Church." 
Rooms  were  offered  for  the  use  of  this  guild  by  Mrs.  Webb 
at  141  Pine  Street.  Soon  after  the  meetings  were  held  in  the 
\'estry-room,  and  the  next  year  in  the  Brotherhood  rooms 
over  the  Post  (Jflice,  on  Market  Street.  The  society  was  re- 
organized October  4,  1872,  and  the  name  changed  to  the 
"Ladies'  Aid  Society,"  by  which  it  is  still  known.  Its  scope 
of  work  was  broadened  to  include:  "(i)  Clothing  and  aid 
for  the  poor;  (2)  Altar-linen  and  surplices:  (3)  Care  and 
improvement  of  the  rectory;  (4)  Church  and  festival  decora- 
tions; (5)  Visiting  of  strangers,  of  new  residents,  of  the  sick 
and  poor;  (6)  Sewing  schools;  (7)  Special  parish  work  under 
advice  of  the  rector ;  and  other  kinds  of  work  may  be  assumed 
from  time  to  time."  Each  departnient  was  to  be  under  two 
directresses  appointed  by  the  president.  A  "constitution"  of 
eleven  articles  was  adopted.      (Parish  Guide,  October,  1872). 

After  more  than  21  years  of  faithful  service  in  various 
capacities — Clerk  of  the  Vestry,  Parish  Treasurer  and  volun- 
teer organist  of  the  church — Mr.  James  Damant  resigned 
these  offices  in  April,  1873.  From  this  time  dates  the  incum- 
bency of  Mr.  J.  J.  Crocker  as  Clerk  (afterwards  Secretary) 
and  Treasurer,  which  continued  to  the  time  of  his  death.  April 
2,  1902,  except  that  by  resolution  of  the  \'estry,  I\Iav  4,  1897, 
the  two  offices  were  made  separate  and  Air.  V\'.  C.  Robinson 
was  then  chosen  to  fill  the  position  of  Treasurer. 

Although  the  church  had  been  a  "free  church"  since 
the  beginning  of  Mr.  Wadleigh's  rectorship  it   was  not  until 


46  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

Easter,  1873,  tliat  the  "envelope  system"  of  church  support  was 
introduced. 

The  professional  services  of  a  trained  and  experienced 
Church-musician  were  secured  in  the  spring  of  1873  in  the 
person  of  Mr.  Horace  Hills,  Jr..  of  Newport,  R.  I.  Mr.  Hills 
was  paid  a  salary  of  $400  a  year.  He  organized  a  double 
quartet,  which  continued  to  sing  until  the  introduction  of  the 
vested  male  choir,  Easter,  1888.  Prominent  among  the  mem- 
bers of  the  new  choir  in  point  of  long  and  devoted  previous 
service  were  Miss  Marion  G.  Ruch,  Mrs.  A.  P.  Perley,  Miss 
Elizabeth  Logan,  and  Col.  F.  E.  Embick.  Judge  Cummin 
was  also  a  faithful  member  of  the  choir  until  his  lamented 
death  in  1889.  a  period  of  some  iS  years.  Under  the  skill- 
ful direction  of  Mr.  Hills,  the  music  of  the  services  was 
greatly  enhanced  in  dignity  and  beauty.  In  the  summer  of 
1875,  ^t  his  own  expense,  the  organ  was  equipped  with  the 
water-motor,  which  is  still  in  use,  but  which  afterward  came 
into  possession  of  the  V'estry  b}'  purchase  from  Mr.  Hills. 

Dr.  Paret  having  been  invited  to  the  rectorship  of  the 
Church  of  the  Epiphan}-,  Washington,  D.  C,  his  resignation 
was  i)resented  to  the  Vestry  on  September  24,  1876,  to  take 
effect  on  the  4th  of  October.  He  was  afterwards  elected  to 
the  Episcopate,  and  consecrated  Bishop  of  Maryland  January 
8,  1885. 

The  rectorship  of  Dr.  Paret  greatly  strengthened  the  parish 
in  every  way.  Prior  to  the  financial  depression  of  1873,  ^^- 
though  the  erection  of  the  new  church  building  had  imposed  a 
heavy  burden  of  debt  upon  the  parish,  very  large  sums  oi 
money  were  contributed  both  for  the  reduction  of  this  debt 
and  for  other  objects.  Altogether  over  $60,000  was  given 
within  a  ])eriod  of  little  more  than  seven  years,  an  average  of 
nearl}'  $8,600  a  year,  besides  $2,160  for  the  endowment  of  the 
Diocesan  Episcopate  in  1871.  as  noted  above.  Xcvertheless, 
Dr.  Paret  declared  in  1872,  when  the  debt  of  the  jiarish 
amounted  to  "some  $12.000" — it  had  been  $17,700  the  year 
before — that  '"the  financial  ])rosperity  of  the  parish  is  rather 
apparent  than  real."     The  salary  of  the  rector  for  some  years 


Dr.  Paret's  Rectorship  47 

was  $2,400,1  and  throughout  this  rectorship  liberal  contribu- 
tions were  made  for  the  maintenance  of  the  mission  chapel 
and  other  aggressive  forms  of  Church  work. 

A  few  hundred  dollars  were  gradually  accumulated  for  a 
"House  of  Mercy."  but  eventually  turned  over  to  the  building 
fund  of  the  City  Hospital  when  that  institution  was  started. 

In  1 87 1  special  offerings  were  made  for  the  relief  of  suf- 
ferers by  the  Chicago  fire,  $186.00,  and  the  forest  fires  in  Wis- 
consin, $86.00,  and  Michigan,  $86.10. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  Church  of  the  Good  Shepherd, 
Upper  Fairfield,  in  which  the  clergy  and  people  of  Christ 
Church  have  always  taken  a  warm  interest,  was  laid  on  Sep- 
tember 12,  1874. 

It  is  not  only  the  financial  figures,  however,  that  bear 
witness  to  Dr.  Paret's  fruitful  ministrv,  but  those  also  which 
relate  to  the  spiritual  growth  of  the  Kingdom.  Among  such 
items  may  be  noted  the  fact  that  the  sacrament  of  Holy  Bap- 
tism was  administered  to  285  persons  during  this  period,  193 
were  confirmed,  and  the  number  of  confirmees  increased  from 
124  in  1869  to  218  in  1873. 

Almost  immediately  after  the  beginning  of  his  rectorship 
the  parish  school  took  the  form  of  a  free  night  school  for  boys. 
In  this  iMrs.  Paret  was  the  chief  teacher  and  had  the  help  of 
others,  but  the  school  was  soon  abandoned. 

1  At  a  time  of  financial  difficulty,  Dr.  Paret  generously  offered 
to  accept  a  certain  reduction  in  his  salary,  if  absolutely  neces- 
sary, sooner  than  abandon  the  work  in  which  he  was  so  interested. 
[Ed.] 


THE  NEW  YORK 
PUBLIC     LISfJARY 


A«TC«,   LS«<OX   ANB 
TILDF-N   F0l*NCAT10Ni. 


THE    REV.  JOHN    HENRY    HOPKINS.   S.  T.  D. 
RECTOR  I07C    1007 


DR.   HOPKINS'S   RECTORSHIP. 

1876-1887. 


Efforts  to  Divide  the  Diocese — Consecration  of  the 
Church — The  Parish  Building  and  Other  Improve- 
ments— Dr.  Hopkins's  Position  in  the  Church. 

The  Rev.  Alfred  Evan  Johnson  was  chosen  locum  tenens 
of  the  parish  until  Dr.  Paret's  successor  should  be  selected  and 
assume  charge.  On  October  21,  1876,  the  Rev.  John  Henry 
Hopkins,^  S.  T.  D.,  of  Plattsburg,  N.  Y.,  was  elected  rector 

1  The  Rev.  John  Henry  Hopkins  was  born  in  Pittsburg  October 
28,  1820,  his  father  being  John  Henry  Hopkins,  later  Bishop  of 
Vermont,  of  mingled  English  and  Irish  blood,  and  his  mother,  Melu- 
sina  (Mueller)  Hopkins,  the  daughter  of  a  wealthy  Hamburg  mer- 
chant. To  the  strains  of  blood  that  were  united  in  him  was  per- 
haps due  the  versatility  for  which  he  was  noted.  He  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Boston  and  then  to  Vermont,  where  at  the  age  of 
14  he  was  a  "tutor  in  his  father's  Vermont  Episcopal  Institute," 
hearing  classes  in  Latin  and  French  and  "doing  his  share  of  the 
flogging."  He  graduated  in  1839  with  honors  from  the  University 
of  Vermont,  after  which  he  assisted  his  father  till  the  school  was 
closed  in  1840.  He  was  a  tutor  to  Bishop  Elliot's  sons  in  Savannah 
in  1843,  and  a  reporter  on  the  New  York  "Courier  and  Enquirer" 
in  1847,  in  which  year  he  also  entered  the  General  Theological 
Seminary,  graduating  in  1850.  He  was  ordained  deacon  by  Bishop 
Whittingham,  in  Trinity  Church,  June  30,  1850,  and  resolved  to  de- 
vote his  life  to  Church  journalism.  The  "Church  Journal,"  first 
issued  in  1853  under  his  direction,  was  the  child  of  this  resolution 
and  the  first  Church  journal  worthy  of  the  name  in  the  country. 
Till  1867,  when,  on  the  death  of  his  father,  he  sold  it,  Dr.  Hopkins 
used  the  "Journal"  to  advocate  the  Catholic  faith  as  he  perceived 
it.  During  the  years  1868-1872  he  devoted  himself  to  writing  the 
life  of  his  father,  and  having  been  elected  rector  of  Plattsburg, 
N.  Y.,  was  induced  by  the  Bishop  to  consent  to  be  ordained  priest. 
His  ordination  took  place  June  23,  1872.  He  had  in  1845  received 
hif!  M.  A.  from  his  Alma  Mater,  and  in  1873  (or  1874)  he  received 
from  Racine  College  the  degree  of  S.  T.  D.     He  resigned  the  rec- 

49 


50  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

at  a  salary  of  $2,000  and  the  use  of  the  rectory,  and  a  month 
later  (  Xovember  19),  having-  accepted  the  election  condition- 
ally. Dr.  Hopkins  made  the  parish  a  visit  and  preached  in  the 
church  for  the  first  time.  He  subsequently  signified  his  full 
acceptance,  and  his  rectorshi])  began  on  the  loth  of  De- 
cember. 

In  his  biography  we  are  told  that  "the  peo])lc  who  came  to 
the  early  celebration  of  the  Eucharist  that  Christmas  morning 
were  surprised  to  see  that  so  notorious  a  Ritualist  as  Dr.  Hop- 
kins had  not  changed  the  violet  altar-cloth  proper  for  Advent 
for  a  white  one !"' 

At  the  instance  of  the  new  rector,  steps  were  at  once 
taken  for  the  amendment  of  the  parish  charter,  and  a  rear- 
rangement of  the  lectern  and  choir  seats  was  efifected. 

A  subject  in  which  Dr.  Hopkins  from  the  first  evinced 
the  liveliest  interest  and  energy  was  the  division  of  the  Diocese 
of  Central  Pennsylvania.  To  this  end  he  submitted  to  the 
Vestry  in  March,  1877,  a  letter  which  he  purposed  sending  the 
Bishop,  in  whose  statements  he  desired  and  secured  the  con- 
currence of  the  V'estrx-.  Indeed,  before  he  accepted  the  parish, 
on  the  occasion  of  his  visit  in  November,  he  set  forth  his  de- 
termination to  endeavor  to  secure  the  division  of  the  Diocese, 
and  made  it  the  condition  of  his  acceptance  that  the  parish 
should  further  his  eft'orts,  and  also  that  Christ  Church  should 
be  offered  to  the  Bishop  of  the  new  Diocese  for  his  cathedral, 
in  the  event  of  acc(jm])lislied  dix'ision  Dr.  Hopkins  announced 
his  intention  to  resign  and  leave  the  Diocese.      IWshop   Howe 

torship  of  Plattsbuis  to  accept  the  rectorship  of  Christ  Church,  wliich 
he  resigned  October  1,  1887,  expecting  to  occupy  a  chair  at  the  General 
Theological  Seminary,  but  pending  a  decision  in  the  dispute  which 
arose  in  regard  to  the  validity  of  his  election,  died  at  Troy,  X.  Y.. 
August  14,  1891. 

In  addition  to  the  "Church  . Journal, "  the  "Life"  of  liis  father, 
etc.,  Dr.  Hopkins  was  the  author  of  a  number  of  hymns  and  hymn 
tunes,  and  a  designer  of  ecclesiastical  ornament.  It  is,  however, 
as  a  powerful  and  fearless  controversialist  in  the  American  Church 
during  a  crisis  of  her  life  that  iio  will  i)roh;iMy  be  best  remem- 
bered.    [Ed.] 


Dr.  Hopkins's  Rectorship  51 

successfully  thwarted  all  the  efforts  of  Dr.  Hopkins  to  secure 
division.  To  have  created  the  Diocese  of  Williamsport  would 
have  required  nearly  doubling  the  assessment  for  episcopal  sup- 
port from  fifty  cents  a  communicant  to  about  one  dollar. 
Unfavorably  as  this  was  regarded  in  some  quarters,  in  1882, 
when  it  was  voted  to  ask  for  an  assistant  bishop  instead  of 
dividing  the  Diocese,  the  assistant  bishop's  salary  was  fixed 
at  $4,000,  which  required  an  assessment  of  one  dollar  and 
thirty-five  cents ! 

The  biography  of  Dr.  Hopkins  (by  the  Rev.  Charles  F. 
Sweet)  records  that  when  the  parishes  of  the  Diocese  were 
asked  by  circular,  "How  do  you  think  the  need  of  more  epis- 
copal oversight  can  be  supplied?"  only  ten  per  cent,  of  them 
replied,  "By  an  assistant  bishop,"  while  eighteen  per  cent, 
replied,  "By  a  division  of  the  Diocese."  Ignorant  apparently 
of  the  stipulations  made  with  the  Vestry  of  Christ  Church,  by 
which  Dr.  Hopkins  promised  to  leave  the  Diocese  if  it  were 
divided.  Bishop  Howe  and  others  suspected  him  of  an  ambi- 
tion to  become  the  first  bishop  of  the  new  see. 

Dr.  Hopkins's  efforts  in  this  direction  lasted  for  several 
years,  and  at  one  time  seemed  almost  certain  of  success.  He 
had  secured  pledges  for  the  episcopal  endowment  fund 
amounting  to  about  $30,000 ;  but  neither  his  arguments  nor  his 
energetic  action  could  overcome  the  opposition  of  "the  powers 
that  be." 

Energetic  measures  extending  over  man\-  years  for  the 
extinction  of  the  church  debt  were  finally  crowned  with  suc- 
cess and  the  consecration  of  the  church  made  possible.  Ac- 
cordingly this  beautiful  and  impressive  ceremony  took  place 
on  the  1 8th  of  June,  1879,  nearly  ten  years  after  the  church 
building  had  been  first  opened  for  divine  service.  The  ac- 
count of  the  consecration  service,  published  in  the  "Gazette 
and  Bulletin"  the  next  da\-,  is  of  such  interest  to-day  as  to  de- 
serve reproduction  : 

"The  consecration  of  Christ  Church  yesterday  morning 

was  one  of  the  finest  services  ever  seen  in  this  citw 

At   10  o'clock  the  procession  of   Bishop  and   surpliced 


52  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

clerg}'  started  from  the  rectory,  left  front,  moving  along 
Third  Street  to  Academy,  then  to  Fourth,  and  along 
Fourth  to  the  church.  On  reaching  the  middle  door  of 
the  church,  the  procession  opened,  and  the  Bishop — the 
pastoral  stafT  being  borne  before  him  by  the  Rector  of  the 
church — advanced  to  the  door,  which  was  firmly  struck 
three  times  with  the  i)astoral  staiT.  It  was  then  immedi- 
ately o])ened  from  within  liy  the  Wardens  and  Vestry, 
through  whose  double  line  the  Ibsho])  and  clergy  ad- 
vanced. Owing  to  the  Bishop's  extreme  hoarseness,  the 
])rocessional  psalm  was  sung  by  the  clergy,  one  of  them 
taking  the  first  half  of  each  verse,  to  the  Eighth  Gre- 
gorian tone,  first  ending,  with  intonation  ;  and  the  rest  of 
the  clergy  responding,  completing  the  melody  of  the  chant ; 
the  organ  and  choir  joining  in  at  the  (iloria  Patri.  The 
^^'ardens  and  Vestry  closed  in  l)ehind  the  clergy,  and  ad- 
vanced as  far  as  the  rood-screen,  where  they  remained 
standing  until  the  Bishoj)  and  clergy  were  seated.  The 
instrument  of  donation  and  request,  signed  by  the  Rector. 
Wardens  and  \"cstry  of  the  parish,  and  sealed  with  ihc 
parish  seal,  was  then  read  by  the  Rector,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Hopkins,  the  X'estry  still  standing  before  him.  As  he 
handed  the  document  to  the  Bishop  the  \^estry  went  to 
their  seats.  The  Bishop  i^rocecded  with  the  consecration 
service,  though  able  to  articidate  only  with  the  greatest 
difficulty.  The  sentence  of  consecration  was  read  by  llic 
Rev.  Cyrus  II.  Knight,  Rector  of  St.  James's  Church, 
Lancaster,  Pa. 

Morning  l'ra\er  was  begun  by  the  Rev.  lulward  M. 
Pecke,  Rector  of  .St.  Clement's  Church,  Wilkes- P.arrc.  the 
Rev.  I'".  Duncan  Jaudon.  Rector  of  St.  James's  Church, 
Muncy,  taking  the  psalter;  the  Rev.  Geo.  C.  [■"oley.  Rector 
of  Trinity  Church  in  this  city,  reading  the  first  lesson  ;  the 
Rev.  Geo.  P.  Hopkins,  of  .Stevensville,  I'radford  County, 
the  second  lesson,  and  the  Rev.  Louis  II.  /alnu'r,  Rector 
of  St.  Paul's  Church.  Bloomsburg.  taking  the  creed  and 
l)rayers.     The  Comnnmion  Service  was  begun  by  the  Rev. 


Dr.  Hopkins's  Rectorship 


53 


Dr.  Yarnall,  Rector  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  Philadelphia, 
and  who  was  Rector  of  Christ  Church  about  3=;  years  ago. 
He  was  assisted  in  the  epistle  by  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Black,  of 
Williamsport,  a  successor  of  Dr.  Yarnall  in  the  rectorship, 
and  in  the  gospel  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Paret,  the  immediate 
predecessor  of  the  present  rector.  Dr.  Paret  also  preached 
the  sermon  from  the  words  (John  ii:20)  :  "Then  said  the 
Jews:  Forty  and  six  years  was  this  temple  in  building." 
The  sacredness  of  the  temple  was  shown  to  be  due  not  to 
the  founder  or  builder,  King  Herod,  who  was  an  uncom- 
monly wicked  man  ;  nor  was  it  due  to  the  gifts  made  to  it, 
for  it  was  the  altar  that  sanctified  the  gift,  and  not  the 
gift  that  sanctified  the  altar ;  nor  was  it  due  to  the  purity 
of  the  ritual,  for  no  degree  of  impurity  or  corruption  could 
destroy  that  sacredness.  It  was  holy  because  God  ac- 
cepted it,  and  His  acceptance  made  it  holy,  and  His  abid- 
ing presence  consecrated  the  building  itself,  and  the  gifts 
made,  and  the  worship  oflfered  at  its  altar.  And  it  was 
just  "forty  and  six  years"  since  the  sendees  of  the  Church 
had  begun  in  Williamsport,  building  up  the  spiritual  tem- 
ple of  true  believers.  As  the  preacher  gave  utterance  to 
the  tender  reminiscences  of  his  past  rectorship  here,  his 
emotion  almost  overcame  him  ;  and  great  numbers  of  his 
friends  among  the  crowded  congregation  were  equally 
moved. 

After  the  offertory  ( which  was  devoted  to  Diocesan 
missions),  the  Rev.  Dr.  Yarnall  celebrated,  aided  in  the 
distribution  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Black  and  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Paret. 

At  the  close  of  the  service,  after  the  special  prayer,  the 
Bishop  gave  the  blessing  of  peace,  standing  in  front  of  the 
altar  and  holding  the  pastoral  staff  in  his  left  hand,  while 
his  right  hand  was  lifted  in  benediction. 

The  Bishop  and  clergy  left  the  church  in  procession, 
moving  down  the  broad  alley,  the  Bishop  closing  the  line, 
and  all  returning  to  the  rectory,  the  congregation  remain- 
ing in  their  places  until  the  clerg>'  had  passed  out.     Be- 


54  Chronicles  of  Chrtst  Chi'rch  Parish 

sides  those  mentioned  above,  the  Rev.  John  Hewitt,  of 
Bellefonte.  and  the  Rev.  W'iUiam  Morrall,  of  ]\Iontours- 
ville,  were  present  in  their  robes,  niakin.q-  twelve  in  all 
besides  the  Bisho]). 

The  pastoral  staff  which  was  borne  before  the  Bishop 
by  the  Rector  was  of  carved  oak,  having  on  the  sides  of 
the  crook  fourteen  jewels  (jasper,  malachite,  agate,  lapis 
lazuli,  and  white  cornelian),  and  in  the  centre  of  the  crook 
the  Chi  Rho  in  silver,  set  with  nearly  an  hundred  crystals. 
The  upper  part  of  the  straight  staff  was  cased  in  purple 
silk,  fringed.  It  was  placed  in  a  rest  made  for  it  in  the 
Bishop's  chair,  and  will  be  reserved  for  the  use  of  the 
future  Bishop  of  W'illiamsport. 

The  floral  decoration  was  chaste  and  beautiful.  Be- 
sides the  font,  and  the  altar  cross  and  vases,  the  white 
altar  cloth  was  lined  all  round  its  edge  with  exquisite 
roses,  besides  a  centre  ])iece  of  the  same ;  and  the  lectern 
and  bishop's  chair  were  not  forgotten.  The  new  rood- 
screen  was  lit  up  with  its  fiery  cross  and  its  colored  lights, 
and  flowers  and  greener}-  crested  it  \\ith  additional  beautv 
above. 

The  music  was  admirable,  the  choir  being  at  their  best, 
and  the  whole  congregation  joining  in  the  hymns,  espe- 
cially in  (Jld  Hundred,  which  filled  the  eliurch  with  its 
volume  of  sound. 

The  day  was  as  glorious  a  day  as  June  can  ])roduce. 
Xothing — exce])t  the  serious  hoarseness  of  the  Bishop — 
marred  the  delightful  jierfection  of  the  service  from  begin- 
ning to  end.  An  abundant  and  elegant  collation  was 
given  by  the  ladies  of  the  parish  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
James  \'.  Ih'own  to  the  I'ishop  and  clergy  and  invited 
guests,  and  from  3  to  5  i'.  m.  a  generrd  reception  was  held 
there,  hundreds  of  Church  people  of  both  jiarishes  and 
their  friends  coming  in  to  pav  their  resj^ects  to  the  Bislioj) 
and  to  congratidate  all  eMncerne<l  im  tlu'  hapi)y  services 
of  the  day." 
The   certificate  of  consecration,  at    Bishop   Howe's   sug- 


Dr.  Hopktxs's  Rectorsutp  55 

gestion,  was  framed  and  hung  in  the  vestry-room,  where  it 
may  still  be  seen. 

Beginning  with  April.  1881.  steps  were  taken  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  "Simday  School  Building"  or  Parish  House.  The 
plans  presented  to  the  \^estry  by  Dr.  Hopkins  were  approved 
in  the  main,  but  it  was  not  until  the  spring  of  1883  that  the 
work  was  begun.  The  sum  of  $8,000  was  raised  by  subscrip- 
tion for  this  purpose.  The  building  was  completed  in  the  fall 
of  1883,  at  a  cost  of  $8,500. 

The  next  year  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society  tiled  the  floor  of 
the  church  at  an  expense  of  $1,200.  This  was  a  notable  un- 
dertaking, carried  on  with  great  enthusiasm.  In  October, 
1884,  it  was  decided  to  heat  the  church  with  steam.  The  tiling 
and  introduction  of  heating  apparatus  cost  $3,222.75. 

It  will  be  possible  here  only  to  sketch  summarily  some  of 
the  more  conspicuous  achievements  of  this  rectorship.  Alany 
changes  were  made  in  the  furnishings  and  decoration  of  the 
chancel. 

Dr.  Hopkins's  gifts  as  an  artist  in  correct  and  scholarly 
designs  for  churches  and  church  furniture  were  of  a  high 
order,  and  his  mark  was  left  upon  the  Church  wherever  he 
served.  His  influence  was  widel\-  felt  in  the  Church  at  large 
and  may  be  traced  also  in  Williamsport  outside  the  parish,  as, 
for  example,  in  some  chastely  wrought  tombs  in  Wildwood 
Cemetery,  and  elsewhere.  It  is  difficult  to  say  whether  Dr. 
Hopkins  was  most  widely  appreciated  as  scholar,  writer, 
preacher,  controversialist,  musician,  poet,  or  artist,  because  he 
was  a  man  of  "many  parts"  and  excelled  in  all. 

To  Dr.  Hopkins  can  be  credited  the  canopied  episcopal 
chair  and  prayer-desk,  the  altar  and  reredos  (the  latter  after 
his  time  altered  somewhat  and  completed  with  painted  panels), 
and  the  massive  rood-screen  (which  cost  $400).  Allusions  to 
some  of  the  chancel  furniture  that  he  had  introduced  will  be 
found  in  the  newspaper  account  of  the  consecration,  already 
given.  The  pastoral  staves  of  the  Bishops  of  Central  Penn- 
sylvania (now  Bethlehem),  and  Wisconsin  (now  Milwaukee), 
were  also  designed  by  him. 


56  Chronicles  of  Christ  Cih'rch  Parish 

He  was  a  zealous  Churcliman  and  indefatigable  worker,  a 
simple-minded  man  of  God.  a  sympathetic,  kindly-mannered 
friend  of  "all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men,"  especially  of  the 
poor  and  of  little  children,  an  able  champion  of  the  Catholic 
Faith  and  an  active  propagandist  of  the  Church.  He  never 
married,  and  well  i)ast  middle  age  when  he  became  rector  of 
Christ  Church,  was  always  understood  to  have  religiously 
adopted  a  celibate  life.  He  is  said,  moreover,  to  have  always 
worn  the  tonsure — that  is.  the  shaven  crown  of  a  monk — and 
a  full  beard. 

During  his  time  the  debt  on  the  W'adleigh  Memorial 
Chapel,  now  St.  Mary's,  was  paid  off.  and  in  1886  a  lot  was 
bought  in  "Rocktown,"  now  South  Williamsport,  for  the  erec- 
tion of  another  chapel.  Here  St.  John's  Chapel  was  built  and 
opened  in  the  spring  of  1887,  the  building  and  lots  having  cost 
nearly  $2,000.^  The  missions  were  worked  by  deacons  who 
lived  with  the  rector.  The  rectory  was  regarded  as  a  clergy- 
house  for  a  religious  community,  and  in  order  to  make  possible 
this  ideal  of  clerical  life  and  service  a  third  story  was  added  to 
the  building.  Chief  among  the  clergy  who  served  in  the  city 
and  neighborhood  under  the  arrangement  were  the  Rev. 
Charles  E.  Dobson,  the  Rev.  Enos  J.  Balsley,  and  the  Rev. 
William  Louis  WoodrufT. 

One  of  the  events  of  the  year  in  those  days  still  pleasantly 
remembered  by  former  scholars  was  the  annual  union  service  of 
the  Sunday  Schools  of  the  parish  in  the  parish  churcli,  wlien, 
brave  with  banners  and  joyous  with  song,  the  chapel  scholars 
joined  the  school  of  Christ  Church  and.  after  a  hearty  service. 
were  addressed  by  their  beloved  Rector.  This  custom  served 
well  to  develop  a  sense  of  unity  in  the  dilYerent  ])arts  of  the 
parish. 

The  rectorship  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  lIoi)kins  ended  October  i, 
1887,  having  extended  over  nearly  eleven  years,  beginning  De- 
cember loth,  1876.  It  was  the  longest  in  the  history  of  the 
parish.     "Christ    Churcli."    writes    his    biographer,    [hr    Rev. 

1  There  seems  to  be  no  doubt  that  l)i.  ll()|)kliis  paid  lor  the  lots 
(there  were  two  of  them)  bhnself,     lEd.l 


Dr.  Hopkins's  Rectorship  57 

Charles  F.  Sweet,  in  "A  Champion  of  the  Cross,"  ''had  grown 
so  strong  during  his  rectorship  that  he  felt  he  was  not  able 
longer,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven,  with  the  difficulty  he  had  in 
walking,  and  his  weakened  eyesight,  to  give  the  work  the  at- 
tention it  needed,  and  therefore,  after  his  election  to  a  profes- 
sorship in  the  General  Theological  Seminary,  he  resigned  his 
rectorship.^  More  than  eleven  hundred  had  been  baptized, 
and  five  hundred  and  forty-six  had  been  confirmed  during  his 
eleven  years  in  Williamsport.  The  church  had  been  adorned 
and  enriched ;  two  handsome  mission  chapels  had  been  built, 
besides  the  new  Sunday  School  and  Guild  Hall,  from  his  de- 
signs ;  and,  besides,  he  had  become  personally  responsible  for 
the  building  of  the  Church  of  St.  Alban,  at  Peale,  mentioned 
in  his  letters. 

"The  night  before  he  departed  a  reception  was  given  him, 
which  all  the  parish  attended,  and  many  others.  A  large  sum 
of  money  was  given  him  as  a  last  token  of  esteem,  and  so,  with 
tears,  he  separated  from  his  well-loved  people." 

Shortly  before  this  time  the  Alumni  Association  of  the 
General  Theological  Seminar}-,  New  York,  had  established  and 
endowed  the  "chair  of  the  evidences  of  revealed  religion,"  to 
which  the  Rev.  Dr.  Dean  had  been  elected  as  the  first  incum- 

1  Dr.  Hopkins  tendered  his  resignation  September  13,  1886,  to 
take  effect,  in  order  that  the  Vestry  need  not  be  hurried  in  select- 
ing his  successor,  one  year  from  that  time,  or  on  October  1,  1887. 
In  his  ietter  he  adds:  "But  it  is  expressly  asked  as  a  personal 
kindness  to  me  that  before  this  resignation  takes  effect  the  in- 
cumbrance on  the  Wadleigh  Memorial  Chapel  be  removed,  so  that 
I  may  see  it  consecrated  before  my  rectorship  ceases."  The  Vestry 
postponed  action  on  his  resignation  for  a  week,  and  then,  when  ac- 
cepting it,  agreed  to  assume  the  debt  of  the  Wadleigh  Chapel  within 
the  time  specified.  The  chapel  was  accordingly  consecrated  on 
October  1,  1887,  Dr.  Nelson  Somerville  Rulison,  Assistant  Bishop  of 
Central  Pennnsylvania,  officiating. 

The  parish  having  lacked  an  assistant  clergyman  for  some  six 
months,  the  Rev.  W.  L.  Woodruff  was  immediately  secured  to  help 
Dr.  Hopkins,  whose  infirmities  began  to  press  heavily  upon  him, 
and  remained  under  Mr.  Graff,  who  assumed  office  in  January,  1888. 
[Ed.] 


5i^  Chroxtci-es  ok  Christ  CurRCTi  Parish 

bent,  the  second  choice  faUing-  on.  Dr.  Hopkins.  Dr.  Dean 
lived  less  than  three  years  after  liis  election,  and  upon  his 
death  Dr.  Hopkins  was  elected  by  a  large  majority  to  the 
vacant  professorship.  "The  election  to  the  Alumni  Lecture- 
ship was  rejected  by  the  Trustees,  the  votes  being  equally  di- 
vided. Thus  it  was  that  the  old  scores  against  him  were  paid 
oft.  In  the  winter  of  1887-88  he  visited  California,  and  spent 
sonic  ha])py  weeks  with  his  brother  Caspar,  at  Pasadena.  The 
election  was  repeated,  and  once  more  it  was  rejected.  Thus 
was  closed  ruthlessly  the  public  career  of  this  able,  brilliant, 
and  self-sacrificing  son  of  the  Church  after  a  suspense  of  two 
years,  which  efifectually  shut  him  out  from  all  occupations."^  It 
should  be  added  in  fairness  that  a  prolonged  disagreement 
had  arisen  between  the  authorities  of  the  Seminary  and  the 
alumni  regarding  the  conditions  under  which  the  chair  was  to 
be  filled,  and  this  disj^ute  the  Alumni  Association  subsequently 
carried  into  the  civil  courts.  Dr.  Hopkins  never  had  an  op- 
portunity to  fill  the  place  to  which  he  had  been  chosen.  Pend- 
ing the  settlement  of  the  dispute  he  died,  August  14,  1891, 
nearly  four  years  after  leaving  Williamsport,  in  the  home  of  a 
friend,  Dr.  Ferguson,  in  Troy,  N.  Y.  He  was  71  years  of  age 
at  the  time  of  his  decease. 

W^ithout  exaggeration  Dr.  Hopkins  may  fairly  be  pro- 
nounced to  have  been  one  of  the  most  notable  and  widely- 
known  men  that  the  American  Church  has  produced.  By  his 
eminent  abilities  as  an  ecclesiastical  statesman,  although  until 
t886  denied  his  long-cherislud  anibiiinn  to  sit  in  the  House 
of  Clerical  and  Lay  Deputies  of  the  ( icncral  Conven- 
tion,^ he  rendered  conspicuous  service  to  the  Church  at  large 
as  the  adviser  of  many  of  its  leading  bisho])s  and  priests  and 
as  the  auth<ir  or  promoter  of  nianv  measures  of   far-reaching 

1  "A  Champion  of  the  Cross,"  p.  221.     [Ed.] 

2  "In  1874  he  was  only  a  supplementary  delegate  and  had  no 
place  on  the  floor  as  a  member  of  the  House  of  Clerical  and  Lay 
Delegates  until,  by  the  departure  of  one  of  the  regular  delegates  at 
the  very  end  of  that  momentous  session,  he  was  called  to  take  his 
place  for  a  few  hours."— "A  (Miampion  of  the  Cross,"  p.  lys.     [b^d.] 


Dr.  Hopkins's  Rectorship  59 

importance.  Among  the  latter  may  here  be  mentioned  the 
canon  of  an  appellate  court  drafted  by  him  and  adopted  by  the 
Diocesan  Conventions  of  Springfield,  Ouincy,  and  Illinois. 
(now  Chicago),  "thus  completing,"  after  twenty  years'  work, 
as  he  wrote  in  his  journal,  "the  organization  of  our  first  prov- 
ince, setting  a  model  to  all  the  rest  of  the  Church  in  America." 
To  him  was  also  due,  after  an  effort  extending  over  more  than 
twenty-four  years,  the  reduction  of  the  board  governing  the 
General  Theological  Seminary  from  between  five  and  six  hvm- 
dred  members  to  fifty-one  besides  the  bishops. 

A  paragraph  from  Mr.  Sweet's  biography  Cpp.  193-195) 
may  here  be  fittingly  introduced : 

"The  parish  was  known  as  a  High  Church  parish,  and  it 
was  quite  willing  for  Dr.  Hopkins  to  lead  it  still  further  along 
the  ways  which  were  then  so  much  spoken  against.  But  his 
course  was  not  so  much  in  the  way  of  advancing  ceremonial 
as  in  deepening  and  enriching  spiritual  agencies.  The  ser- 
vices increased  in  number  and  variety,  and  soon  the  weekl\- 
and  festival  Eucharist  became  the  rule  in  the  parish.  Even 
more  frequent  celebrations  came  later  on,  and  doubtless,  if  he 
had  not  been  so  frequently  called  away  from  home,  he  would 
have  established  the  daily  offering  of  the  Holy  Sacrifice.  But 
there  was  no  unusual  ceremonial  at  these  services.  There 
were  no  candles  on  the  altar,  nor  were  the  Eucharistic  vest- 
ments used.  The  bread  was  'fine  usual  bread,'  and  the  chalice 
was  mixed  beforehand  in  the  vestry.  Even  colored  stoles  were 
not  used  until,  after  some  years,  they  were  given  by  lay  people. 
The  choir  was  but  the  old-fashioned  mixed  choir,  and  there 
were  no  choral  services.  On  Sundays  there  was  an  early  cel- 
ebration, and  at  the  usual  hour  followed  the  full  morning  ser- 
vice and  sermon.  But  there  was  a  depth  of  devotion  apparent 
in  these  simple  services  which  arose  from  an  entire  personal 
consecration  to  the  service  of  the  blessed  Saviour  and  a  full 
belief  in  His  presence  in  the  Catholic  Church.  His  parochial 
activities  were  not  fussy,  and  he  was  clear  of  that  bane  of 
modern  active  Church  work — the  formation  of  a  vast  ma- 
chinery of  guilds  and  chapters  for  doing  useless  and  useful 


6o  riiRoxici.F.s  OF  Christ  CTirRcii  Parish 

thiiif^^s  with  equal  efficiency.  Hut  lie  was  everyl)ocly's  pastor  in 
the  parish.  True  as  steel  himself  and  faithful  to  the  si)irit  as 
well  as  the  form  of  his  vows,  he  had  endless  hope  for  others, 
never-ending"  patience  with  others'  foibles  or  failings,  unvary- 
ing readiness  to  listen  to  every  tale  of  sorrow  or  of  wrong, 
great  gentleness  in  dealing  with  those  who  were  trying  to 
learn  how  to  repent,  breezy,  fresh  wit  and  good  humor  which 
blew  away  selfishness  and  downheartedness,  and  overwhelm- 
ing force  lor  the  insincere  and  the  hyptxrites.  .  .  .  His 
work  was  a  great  one.  It  was  not  confined  to  the  city  or  to  his 
own  missions.  He  was  always  at  the  service  of  his  brother 
clergy  as  far  as  he  could  be.  He  visited  outlying  and  distant 
mission-stations ;  he  hunted  up  the  sick  and  the  wretched  and 
forlorn  ;  he  would  travel  for  miles  and  miles  over  mcjuntain 
roads  to  comfort  a  poor  woman  in  distress.  He  would  preach 
in  country  school-houses,  administer  the  communion  at  night 
to  communicants  otherwise  deprived  of  that  privilege ;  at  one 
place  he  was  known  as  "the  Methodist.'  from  the  fervor  with 
which  he  preachcfl." 


THE    REV.  WILLIAM    HENRY   GRAFF 
Rector  1887    1 89G 


MR.  GRAFF'S  RECTORSHIP. 
1888-1896. 


The  Flood  of  1889 — Celebration  of  the  Semi-Centennl\l 
— Further  Indications  of  Prosperity  and  Zeal. 

The  Rev.  William  Henry  Graffs  was  called  to  Williams- 
port  from  the  rectorship  of  St.  Jude's  Church,  Philadelphia, 
and  took  charge  of  this  parish  January  29,  1888.  His  first 
''assistant"  was  the  Rev.  W.  Louis  Woodruff,  who  had  begun 
his  ministrations  here  under  Dr.  Hopkins  and  who  remained 
until  December,  1888.  He  was  advanced  to  the  priesthood 
May  loth. 

In  the  following  March  the  new  rector  began  the  publica- 

1  The  Rev.  William  H.  Graft"  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  August 
1845,  and  during  the  Civil  War  served  nearlj'  three  years  with  the 
15th  Pennsylvania  Cavalry  (Anderson's).  He  graduated  from  the 
Philadelphia  Divinity  School  in  1870.  In  the  same  year  he  was 
ordained  deacon  by  Bishop  Lee,  and  also  priest  by  Bishop  Stevens. 
While  studying  at  the  Philadelphia  Divinity  School  Mr.  Graff  was 
lay-reader  at  the  Church  of  the  Ascension,  Claymont,  Del.,  and  at 
Calvary  Church,  Brandywine  Hundred.  During  the  summer  of  1870 
he  was  assistant  to  Dr.  Benjamin  Watson  at  the  Church  of  the 
Atonement,  Seventeenth  and  Summer  Streets,  Philadelphia,  and 
later  to  Dr.  Henry  G.  Morton,  at  St.  James's,  Philadelphia.  At 
Christmastide  of  that  year  he  was  called  to  the  rectorship  of  St. 
.Jude's,  Philadelphia,  where  he  remained  for  seventeen  years,  and 
until  he  accepted  the  rectorship  of  Christ  Church,  Williamsport,  in 
1887.  When  he  resigned,  in  1896.  Mr.  Graff  did  so  to  accept  the 
position  of  Vicar  of  the  Memorial  Church  of  the  Holy  Comforter, 
Philadelphia,  which  he  still  holds. 

Mr.  Graff  married,  in  1870,  Miss  Edith  M.  Irvine,  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Ella  Irvine,  who  died  in  1902,  by  whom  he  had 
four  children,  two  sons,  John  S.  and  A.  Hewson,  both  deceased; 
and  two  daughters,  Frances  H.  (now  Mrs.  Dr.  M.  T.  Sime),  and 
Ella  Irvine,  the  latter  living  with  her  father.     [Ed.] 

61 


62  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

tion  of  "Christ  Church  Messent^'er."  whicli  ran  <jn  coiiiinuously 
unlil  March.  1894,  and  was  revived  under  Mr.  Eckel  in  1897, 
but  was  discontinued  in  December,  1898,  because  under  a  new 
rule  of  the  Board  of  Trade  it  was  impossible  to  get  adver- 
tising. 

\Mien  Mr.  Graff  became  rector  he  fovmd  the  following 
guilds  already  organized  and  at  work :  The  Ladies'  Aid  So- 
ciety, imder  the  presidenc\-  of  Mrs.  John  White  ;  the  Woman's 
Auxiliary  to  the  Board  of  Missions,  under  the  presidency  of 
Mrs.  F.  R.  Weed ;  St.  Mary's  Guild,  under  Mrs.  Ann  E. 
Stowell  (now  Mrs.  A.  P.  Perley)  as  "The  Lady  of  the 
Guild;"  a  men's  guild  known  as  St.  John's  Guild;  a  Hospital 
Aid  Society,  with  Mrs.  F.  E.  Embick  as  secretary-treasurer  ; 
and  two  important  committees  known  as  the  \'estment  Com- 
mittee and  the  Flower  Committee.  At  Wadleigh  Chapel.^  be- 
sides the  "Committee  of  Management"  and  the  Sunday  School, 
they  had  a  "Wadleigh  Chapel  Guild"  and  an  "Industrial 
School ;"  and  at  St.  John's  Chapel,  besides  the  "Committee  of 
Management"  and  the  Sunday  School,  the  "Bishop  Hopkins 
Guild"  and  the  "Ladies'  Aid  Society.''  Messrs.  Charles  V. 
l^unkle  and  William  Sweeley  were  lay  readers  for  the  two 
chapels,  and  the  Vestry  of  the  parish  comprised  Major  J.  H. 
Perkins  and  Mr.  J.  \'.  Brown  as  wardens,  and  Messrs.  John 
White,  Edgar  Munson,  Charles  B.  Howard.  Dr.  William  F. 
Logan,  Judge  Hugh  H.  Cummin,  George  L.  Sanderson,  Henry 
C.  Parsons,  Col.  Frederick  E.  Embick,  John  J.  Crocker,  A. 
Howard  Merritt,  C.  LaRue  Munson.  Allen  P.  Perley.  and 
r'rederick  E.  Glcim.      Thai  was  in    1887. 

Soon  after  the  l)eginning  of  Mr.  (iraff's  rectorship  ex- 
tensive alterations  were  made  to  the  rectory,  one  of  which  was 
the  addition  of  the  part  containing  the  study.  These  improve- 
ments cost  $3,200. 

The  vested  chtjir  of  bo\  s  and  men  was  introduced  with  a 
special  service  of  admission  to  the  choir  on  Wednesday  even- 
ing, ISIarch  28th,   1888,  and  sang  its  first  service  Easter  even- 

1  "Wadleigh  Cliajxl."  as  "St.  Mary's,"  became  a  separate  parish 
in   June,   1894.     [Ed.] 


]Mr.  Graff's  Rectorship  63 

ing,  April  1st.  The  roster  of  the  choir  showed  the  following 
names :  Trebles — Dayton  Runkle,  Robert  Gilmore.  Jerry 
Blue,  James  A.  Heller,  John  A.  Hollyhead,  Frederick  Zahn, 
Robert  H.  Stead,  Harry  H.  Ryder,  Oliver  Grove,  Fred.  A. 
Perley,  Charles  Heathcote,  Harry  Whitman,  David  Caldwell, 
George  Zimmer,  John  S.  Graff,  and  Robert  L.  Stead  :  Tenors 
— Messrs.  Robert  H.  Munson,  William  Zahn,  G.  H.  Parke, 
and  A.  P.  Bishop;  Basses— Messrs.  J.  H.  Berkley,  H.  B. 
Woodruff".  G.  P.  Crocker,  and  Xewton  Chatham. 

Mr.  Graff's  warm-hearted  sympathy  with  the  sick  and 
poor  made  his  rectorship  notable  for  kindly  ministrations  to 
all  in  affliction.  The  purchase  of  two  lots  in  Wild  wood  Cem- 
etery and  the  gift  of  one  in  the  old  \\'ashington  Street  Ceme- 
tery, known  as  "Christ  Church  lots,"  provided  a  burying  place 
for  the  poor.  A  comfortable  reclining  chair  for  the  sick  was 
also  added  to  the  parish  equipment. 

The  first  year  of  Mr.  Graff's  plan  of  systematic  offerings 
for  missions,  in  the  collection  of  which  he  was  assisted  by  the 
"Missionary  Staff"  of  women  workers,  yielded  $392.69,  almost 
the  $400  he  had  hoped  for.  His  plan  was  to  "lump"  the  ob- 
jects together,  and  then  to  disburse  the  offerings  as  follows : 
Fifty  per  cent,  to  Diocesan  [Missions.  15  per  cent,  to  Domestic 
Missions.  15  per  cent,  to  Foreign  Missions,  and  5  per  cent, 
each  to  Negro  Missions,  Indian  Missions,  the  American 
Church  Building  Fund,  and  Theological  Education. 

aIv.  Woodruff"  resigned  the  assistantship  near  the  end  of 
1888,  and  the  Rev.  David  Stuart  Flamilton,  a  recent  graduate 
of  the  General  Theological  Seminary,  took  his  place  the  follow- 
ing June.  Mr.  Hamilton's  salary  was  $600  at  first,  which  was 
later  raised  to  $800,  and  finally  to  Si, 000,  when  he  was  called 
to  the  rectorship  of  Trinity  Church,  West  Pittston,  at  Si. 200. 
He  was  influenced  to  decline  this  call  b}-  petitions  to  have  him 
stay  in  Williamsport,  which  were  signed  by  81  of  St.  Mary's 
people  and  97  of  St.  John's.  A  few  months  later,  however,  he 
accepted  a  call  to  the  rectorship  of  St.  Paul's,  Columliia,  and 
terminated  his  connection  with   Christ  Church   Xovember   16, 


64  Cn RON ici.es  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

1890.1  Meantime  he  hcul  been  advanced  to  the  priesthood  by 
Bishop  RuHson,  in  Christ  Church,  on  April  27th,  1890.  The 
sermon  on  this  occasion  was  preached  by  IMr.  Graff  and  the 
cancHdate  presented  by  the  Rev.  E.  J.  Balsley.  Confirmation 
and  the  Holy  Communion  were  also  administered  at  the  same 
service. 

During  Mr.  Graff's  rectorship  began  the  custom  of  having 
the  winter  session  of  the  "Convocation,"  afterwards  (1889) 
called  "Archdeaconry/"  held  alternately  in  Christ  Church 
Parish  and  Trinity  Parish.  During  this  time  also  the  Rev.  J. 
M.  Koehler  began  to  make  occasional  visits  to  Williamsport 
for  the  purpose  of  holding  services  and  social  meetings  for  the 
deaf-mutes  of  the  city  and  vicinity.  In  1889  the  Woman's 
Auxiliary^  on  account  of  the  long  distances  in  the  Diocese, 
began  to  hold  archidiaconal  meetings,  each  Archdeaconry  hav- 
ing its  own  Organizing  Secretary.  Mrs.  Graff  was  the  first 
Organizing  Secretary  of  the  Williamsport  Archdeaconry. 

A  disastrous  flood  in  June,  1889,  did  much  damage  to  the 
church  building  and  rectory,  as  throughout  the  lower  parts  of 
the  city.  It  took  a  long  time  to  recover  from  the  effects  of 
this  calamity.  The  flood  was  so  extensive  that  it  impover- 
ished many  families,  seriously  affected  the  fortunes  and  busi- 
ness prosperity  of  the  most  substantial  citizens,  and  made  no 
small  number  of  the  poor  for  some  time  dependent  on  the 
charity  of  other  parts  of  the  country.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Graff 
was  a  member  of  the  Flood  Relief  Committee  which  handled 
and  disbursed  the  moneys  received  from  outside.  The  church 
building  still  shows  the  effects  of  the  flood,  and  much  of  its 
furnishings  had  to  be  renewed.  The  organ  also  had  to  be  re- 
paired, which  was  done  l)y  the  organist,  Mr.  Hills. 

A  summar\-  l)y  the  Rector  in  the  parish  pai)er  of  what  had 
been  accomplished  within  a  few  months  after  this  calamity,  is 

1  Mr.  Hamilton  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Lansing  Swan  Hum- 
phrey, and  the  latter  by  Rev.  Morris  Washington  Christman,  on 
July  3,  1891.  Mr.  Chrlstman's  work  at  St.  Mary's,  which  resulted 
in  its  becoming  a  separate  parish,  is  recorded  in  the  chapter, 
"Summary  Notes:    Wadleigh   (St.   Mary's)    Chapel."     [H)d.] 


Mr.  Graff's  Rectorship  65 

very  interesting.  He  says :  "Vestry-room  vastly  improved ; 
Sunday  School  room  been  made  one  of  the  prettiest  in  the 
city ;  infant  school  room  newly  furnished  ;  tower  vestibule  en- 
tirely renovated  and  decorated ;  beautiful  brass  eagle-lectern 
given  as  a  memorial,  and  an  exquisite  brass  font-ewer,  one  of 
the  most  elegant  in  the  country ;  a  piano  added  to  the  guild 
room ;  and  altar-cloths  and  antependia,  far  in  advance  of  those 
lost  in  the  flood,  have  come  or  are  coming  to  beautify  the 
chancel,"  and  he  adds,  with  evident  pride  and  gratification, 
"Verily  a  new  life  seems  flowing  through  the  parish  veins." 
To  these  notes  should  also  be  added  the  fact  that  the  church 
was  re-carpeted  by  the  Mothers'  Meeting  at  a  cost  of  about 
$300,  and  that  the  pews  were  re-cushioned  from  a  fund  col- 
lected for  the  purpose  by  Misses  Helen  Stiltz  and  Elizabeth 
Parsons. 

The  efficiency  of  the  spiritual  work  of  the  year  1889-90  is 
indicated  by  the  fact  that  the  baptisms  in  the  parish  that  year 
numbered  over  100,  and  that  66  persons  were  confirmed  in  the 
Spring,  divided  among  the  several  congregations  as  follows : 
Christ  Church,  17;  Wadleigh  Chapel,  24;  St.  John's  Chapel, 25. 

A  second  freshet,  May  20-21,  1894,  fortunately  less  exten- 
sive than  the  one  five  years  before,  did  som,e  damage,  however, 
and  made  the  necessity  of  a  new  organ  more  imperative. 

A  Beneficial  Association  was  organized  during  Mr. 
Graff's  third  year,  which  was  intended  especially  for  railroad 
men,  mill  men,  laboring  men,  and,  as  the  prospectus  adds,  "in 
fact,  all  classes."  The  initiation  fee  was  50c.,  the  monthly 
dues  60c.,  with  the  promise  of  $5.00  a  week  sick  benefits. 
Free  medical  attendance  was  to  be  available  at  all  times, 
funeral  benefits  v/ere  to  be  assessed  and  a  reorganization  ef- 
fected every  year  with  a  pro-rata  return  to  the  members  of  any 
surplus  contained  in  the  treasury.  Any  man  between  16  and  50 
was  eligible  for  membership  on  producing  a  medical  certificate 
of  good  health.  The  preliminary  meeting  was  held  November 
8,  1889,  and  the  association  organized  November  22,  with  40 
members.  The  officers  were :  President,  the  Rector,  ex- 
officxo;   first   vice-president,   Mr.   A.    P.    Perley ;   second   vice- 


66  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

president,  Mr.  Aaron  F.  Fry;  treasurer,  Prof.  Samuel  Tran- 
seau  ;  financial  secretary,  Mr.  C.  V.  Runkle ;  recording  secre- 
tary, "Sir.  J.  E.  Colket ;  physicians,  Drs.  Louis  Schneider  and 
L.  G.  Baker.  A  year  later,  80  per  cent,  of  the  old  members. 
68  in  number,  were  re-elected. 

In  October,  1889,  the  Sunday  School  library  numbered 
300  books.  Mr.  C.  LaRue  Munson,  who  had  become  super- 
intendent of  the  Sunday  School  in  1882,  served  throughout 
this  period  and  did  much  to  stimulate  interest  in  the  study  of 
the  Church  Catechism  and  other  lessons  by  the  gift  of  Prayer 
Books  and  other  rewards  of  merit. 

Constant  interest  in  the  ^^'illiamsport  Hospital  and  Home 
for  the  Friendless  was  shown  by  the  Rector  and  parishioners. 
As  already  noted,  extensive  alterations  were  made  to  the  rec- 
tory in  1889.  The  guild  hall,  or  parish  house,  was  heated 
with  steam  in  1890,  and  carriage  sheds  were  built  on  the  rear 
of  the  church  lot.  Ventilators  were  put  on  the  parish  house 
in  1890.  An  artistic  and  substantial  brass  pulpit  in  memory 
of  Dr.  Hopkins,  the  work  of  Oscar  Luetke,  was  erected  in  the 
church  by  popular  subscription  of  the  parishioners,  in  1892,  at 
a  cost  of  nearly  $575.  A  portrait  executed  by  Mr.  Charles 
Crawford  was  also  hung  in  the  parish  house,  where  it  still  is. 
The  choir-room  was  enlarged  in  1891.  St.  John's  Chapel  was 
moved  forward  on  its  lot  in  1890. 

Chief  est  of  the  material  improvements  which  marked  Mr. 
Graff's  rectorship  was  the  completion  of  the  church  tower  at  a 
cost  of  $5,300.  The  first  gift  towards  this  t)bject  was  v$ioo  in 
gold  and  came  anonymously.  Soon  after  it  was  announced 
that  two  members  of  the  Vestry  had  agreed  to  give  $500 
apiece.  Later  on  it  came  to  be  known  that  these  two  donors 
were  the  wardens.  Messrs.  i'erkins  and  Brown.  The  tower 
was  carried  up  in  1891  to  commemorate  the  Soth  anniversary 
of  the  ])arish,  22  years  after  the  building  of  the  church  and  12 
vears  after  its  consecration.  The  last  named  event  had 
marked  the  extinction  of  the  debt  incurred  bv  its  erection.  As 
Mr.  Graff  said,  the  C()m]>lelinn  of  the  tower  was  "a  fitting 
memorial  of  a  half  century's  i)rosperity."" 


Mr.  Graff's  Rectorship  67 

The  celebration  of  the  semi-centennial  anniversary  was 
held  with  great  rejoicing  on  Quinquagesima  Sunday,  Feb- 
ruary 8th,  189 1.  A  reception  was  held  on  the  evening  before 
in  the  rectory  to  meet  the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  (Dr.  Howe) 
and  Mrs.  Howe,  the  Bishop  of  Maryland  (Dr.  Paret)  and 
Mrs.  Paret,  and  the  Rev.  George  C.  Foley,  rector  of  Trinity 
Parish,  and  Mrs.  Foley.  It  was  attended  by  a  large  number 
of  parishioners  and  other  Churchmen  and  citizens  of  Wil- 
liamsport,  notwithstanding  the  very  stormy  night.  The  morn- 
ing service  at  Trinity  Church  was  given  up  the  next  day  and 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Foley  and  his  people  joined  the  clergy  and 
people  of  Williamsport's  mother-parish  in  their  rejoicings. 
The  services  of  the  day  were :  Morning  Prayer  at  9  :oo 
o'clock;  sermon  and  Holy  Communion  at  10:30;  union  service 
of  the  three  Sunday  Schools  of  the  parish  at  3  :oo  p.  m.  ;  and 
a  union  service  of  the  guilds  of  the  parish  in  the  evening  at 
7  :oo  o'clock. 

The  church  was  crowded  for  the  morning  service.  In 
the  procession  were  the  vestries  of  Christ  Church  and  Trinity 
Church,  the  choir,  the  reverend  rectors  of  the  two  parishes,  the 
assistant  of  Christ  Church  (the  Rev.  Mr.  Humphrey),  the 
general  missionary  of  the  Diocese  (the  Rev.  S.  P.  Kelly),  the 
Bishop  of  Maryland  and  the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese.  The  pro- 
cessional hymn  was — 

"O  'twas  a  joyful  sound  to  hear 

Our  tribes  devoutly  say — 

Up,  Israel,  to  the  temple  haste. 

And  keep  your  festal  da}'." 

Letters  of  regret  for  their  absence  were  read  from  two 
former  rectors,  the  Rev.  Drs.  Hopkins  and  Clemson,  and  from 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Stone,  Rector  of  Grace  Church,  Philadelphia, 
which  had  liberally  fostered  our  Williamsport  parish  in  its 
early  days.  Dr.  Hopkins  sent  his  blessing,  and  note  was 
made  that  Dr.  Clemson  had  entered  into  rest  soon  after  pen- 
ning his  letter. 

After  a  brief  congratulatory  address  had  been  made  by 
the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese,  the  Bishop  of  Maryland  preached  a 


68  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

strong',  earnest  sermon  on  the  text :  "As  every  man  hath  re- 
ceived the  gift,  even  so  minister  the  same  one  to  another,  as 
good  stewards  of  the  manifold  grace  of  God"  (I  Pet.  4:10). 
The  hymn,  "X^ow  thank  we  all  our  God,"  was  sung  as  the 
recessional. 

The  floral  decoration  of  the  church  on  this  occasion  was 
a  notable  feature,  flowers  having  been  sent  from  Philadelphia 
to  grace  the  w-indows  in  memory  of  Chief  Justice  Lewis  and 
Mr.  F.  C.  Campbell.  Airs.  Wiley,  daughter  of  the  former, 
and  one  of  the  first  persons  baptized  in  the  parish,  came  from 
Bethlehem  for  the  day ;  as  did  also  from  his  home  Mr.  N. 
Ferree  Lightner,  son  of  the  priest  who  began  Church  services 
in  Williamsport. 

Major  James  H.  Perkins,  who  had  been  Vestry's  Warden 
since  1867,  died  July  15,  1893.  In  1894  Mr.  Edgar  Munson^ 
was  elected  by  the  Vestry  as  his  successor. 

1  Edgar  Munson  was  born  April  21,  1820,  in  Greenfield,  Saratoga 
County,  N.  Y.,  of  New  England  Puritan  ancestry.  He  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  in  the  neighborhood  and  at  academies  at 
Manchester  and  Bennington,  Vt.  He  entered  mercantile  life  as  a 
clerk  at  the  age  of  15,  and  became  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Merrl- 
man,  Munson  &  Company,  at  the  age  of  27.  In  1854  he  became  finan- 
cially interested  in  lumber,  and  in  1864,  in  company  with  Col.  S.  W. 
Starkweather,  purchased  mills  in  Williamsport,  to  which  place  he 
removed  in  1870.  Mr.  Munson  at  different  times  was  a  member  of 
the  firms  of  .John  R.  Cook  &  Company,  Slonaker,  Howard  &  Com- 
pany, and  Starkweather  &  Munson,  a  director  and  president  of  the 
Syracuse.  Geneva  and  Corning  Railroad,  president  of  the  West 
Branch  Lumber  Company,  largely  interested  in  the  Kettle  Creek 
Coal  Mining  Company,  a  director  of  the  Lycoming  Rubber  Com- 
pany, president  of  the  Williamsport  National  Bank  and  of  the 
Citizens  Water  and  Gas  Company. 

On  June  15,  1852,  he  married  I.,ucy  Maria  Curtis,  by  whom  he 
had  throe  sons,  Cyi-us  LaRue,  Robert  H.,  and  Edwin  C.  He  was  a 
member  of  Christ  Church  Vestry  1874-1901,  and  Vestry's  Warden 
1894-1901.     His  death  occurred  May  25,  1901. 

His  son  Cyrus  LaRue  was  elected  to  the  Vestry  during  his 
lifetime,  and  since  his  death  his  grandson,  Edgar  Munson,  has 
also  been  elected  to  that  body. 

A  window  to  the  memory  of  Mi'.  .Mniison  and  his  wife  was  un- 
veiled on  All  Saints'  Day,  November.  !!•()(;.     tl<:d.] 


Mr.  Graff's  Rectorship  69 

One  noticeable  feature  of  Mr.  Graff's  rectorship  was  the 
corporate  attendance  at  service  from  time  to  time  of  various 
lodges,  military  organizations,  etc.,  on  special  occasions  of 
public  worship :  such  as,  for  example,  Reno  Post,  G.  A.  R. ; 
Baldv^in  Commandery,  K.  T. :  the  Twelfth  Regiment,  Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers,  etc. 

An  industrial  school  was  started  at  St.  John's  Chapel 
about  March,   1889. 

The  parochial  branch  of  the  Woman's  Auxiliary  to  the 
Board  of  Missions  of  the  Domestic  and  Foreign  Missionary 
Society,  organized  during  Dr.  Hopkins's  rectorship,  has 
throughout  its  long  history  been  an  important  agency  of  the 
parish  in  fostering  interest  in  the  Church's  larger  work,  and 
in  contributing  to  its  support  by  gifts  of  money  and  valuable 
"missionary  boxes"  packed  with  useful  articles  designed  to 
supplement  the  meagre  stipends  of  missionary  priests  in 
various  parts  of  our  land,  or  to  help  maintain  schools,  orphan- 
ages, and  hospitals  in  the  mission  field  at  home  and  abroad. 
The  estimated  value  of  the  boxes  sent  from  this  parish  proba- 
bly amounts  to  thousands  of  dollars.  The  grateful  letters  of 
the  recipients  of  this  bounty  from  time  to  time  are  a  sufficient, 
as  they  are  also  often  a  most  touching,  reward  for  the  thought 
and  labor  and  sacrifice  expended  in  the  preparation  of  the 
boxes. 

A  Mothers'  Meeting,  held  at  first  under  the  name  of  the 
"Woman's  Evening  Club,"  was  started  October  26,  1888,  to 
give  hard-working  women  a  pleasant  social  evening  with  op- 
portunity for  doing  some  "Church  work,"  such  as  sewing  and 
quilting,  with  which  was  combined  a  little  reading  and  a  short, 
bright  service. 

An  interesting  side-light  on  the  faithful  diligence  of  the 
clergy  at  this  time  is  afforded  by  the  statement  in  the  parish 
paper  that  they  had  eight  appointments  every  Sunday  and 
walked  eight  miles  to  fill  them.  Major  Perkins  and  Dr. 
Saylor-Brown  soon  after  put  their  horses  and  carriages  at  the 
disposal  of  the  clergy  on  Sunday  afternoon. 

The  Ministering  Children's  League  was  organized  under 


70  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

Miss  Mary  Smythe  in  May,  1890.  Mrs.  H.  Packer  provided 
the  little  girls  with  badges.  The  motto  of  the  society  was. 
"One  kind  deed  every  day."  Some  six  months  after  their  or- 
ganization Bishop  Hare,  of  South  Dakota,  visited  the  parish, 
and  the  little  girls  became  so  interested  in  his  Indian  work  that 
thev  decided  to  devote  their  efforts  to  aiding  it,  which  they  did. 

On  January  12,  1895,  a  fire  in  the  ])arish  house  damaged 
the  guild  rooms  and  roof  to  the  amount  of  nearly  v$i.700.  which 
was  covered  by  insurance. 

It  would  be  impossible  in  brief  comi)ass  to  do  justice  to 
the  manifold  and  abundant  activity  of  the  various  guilds  and 
of  individual  parishioners  during  this  period,  under  Mr. 
Graff's  ceaseless  and  indefatigable  leadership. 

On  May  5th,  1896,  Mr.  Graff's  rectorship  ended,  and  the 
Rev.  W.  H.  Burbank  soon  after  became  lociini  tciiciis  i)ending 
the  election  of  a  rector. 


THE  NEY7  YORK 
PUBLIC     LiBrJARY 


ASTOR,   L6»iCX  AMD 
TILOEN   FOUNDATfONfl, 


THE    REV.    EDWARD    HENRY    ECKEL 
Rector  I  890     I  905 


MR.  ECKEL'S  RECTORSHIP.i 
1896-1905. 


Mrs.  Christman  Set  Apart  as  Deaconess — Consecration 
AND  Renovation  of  St.  John'.s — Work  In  and 
Throughout  the  Parish. 

The  Rev.  Edward  Henry  Eckel, ^  to  whose  zeal  and  un- 
tiring energy  Christ  Church,  WilHamsport,  is  indebted  for  its 
interesting  and  painstaking  history  down  to  the  beginning  of 
his  own  rectorship,  began  his  official  connection  with  the  parish 
on  All  Saints'  Day,  Sunday,  November  i,  1896. 

Immediately  on  Mr.  Eckel's  taking  charge  of  the  parish, 
the  matter  of  repledging  the  whole  parish  for  parochial  ex- 

1  This  chapter  has  been  contributed  by  Miss  Mary  Smythe.   [Ed.] 

2  The  Rev.  Edward  Henry  Eckel  was  born  in  New  Orleans,  La., 
November  5,  1862,  and  graduated  from  Rugby  Academy,  Wilming- 
ton, Del.,  1880;  B.  A,  from  Delaware  College,  Newark,  Del.,  1886,  and 
B.  D.  from  the  General  Theological  Seminary,  N.  Y.  City,  1889. 
He  was  ordained  deacon  by  Bishop  Coleman,  of  Delaware,  in  Holy 
Trinity  (Old  Swedes')  Church,  Wilmington,  June  16,  1889,  and 
priest  in  St.  James's  Church,  near  Stanton,  Del.,  May  28,  1890. 
He  m.arried  Miss  Anna  Todd  Reynolds,  in  St.  Andrew's  Church, 
Wilmington,  Del.,  on  June  27,  1889,  by  whom  he  has  had  three  chil- 
dren, Edward  Henry  (1890),  Elizabeth  (1891)  and  Albert  Reynolds 
(1895). 

Mr.  Eckel  was  rector  of  St.  James's  Church,  near  Stanton,  St. 
James's  Church,  Newport,  and  St.  Barnabas's  Church,  Marshallton, 
Del.  (the  last  named  founded  by  himself),  1889-1891;  then  of 
Trinity  Church,  West  Pittston,  Pa.,  1891-1896,  resigning  in  order 
to  accept  the  rectorship  of  Christ  Church,  WilHamsport,  in  1896.  In 
1905  a  call  to  the  rectorship  of  Christ  Church,  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  which 
he  still  holds,  was  tendered  to  and  accepted  by  him. 

He  was  founder  and  first  president  of  the  Church  Students'  Mis- 
sionary Association,  1888;  member  Joint  Diocesan  Lesson  Com- 
mittee for  Sunday  Schools  since  about  1895;  member  General 
Committee  of  the  Church  Congress  since  about  1902;   member  of 

71 


y2  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

penses  was  taken  up,  and.  at  the  sugji^estion  of  the  Rector,  the 
individual  payment  of  the  Episcopal  and  Convention  Fund 
Assessment.  In  March,  1897,  over  475  notices  of  this  assess- 
ment were  sent  out.  so  that  all  confirmed  persons,  rich  and 
poor  alike,  might  realize  their  relation  to  the  Diocese  and  its 

Advisory  Committtee  of  Church  Students'  Missionary  Association 
since  about  1904;  provisional  deputy  to  General  Convention  from 
Diocese  of  Central  Pennsylvania,  1897  and  1901;  deputy  to  General 
Convention  from  Diocese  of  Kansas  City,  1907  and  1910,  in  former 
of  which,  member  of  Committee  on  the  State  of  the  Church;  dele- 
gate from  latter  diocese  to  Missionary  Council  of  the  Sixth  De- 
partment, 1906  and  1907,  and  to  the  Missionary  Council  of  the 
"Department  of  the  Southwest"  (Seventh),  1908  and  1909;  ap- 
pointed secretary  of  the  last  named  department  in  1909,  but  de- 
clined; appointed  delegate  to  the  Pan- Anglican  Congress  from  the 
Diocese  of  Kansas  City,  1908. 

He  was  Examining  Chaplain,  Diocese  of  Central  Pennsylvania, 
1898-1905;  member  of  Committee  on  the  Increase  of  the  Episcopal 
Endowment,  1901-1904,  and  chairman  of  Committee  on  same  and 
on  Organization  of  Diocese  of  Harrisburg,  1904;  member  of  Com- 
mittee on  Diocesan  Apportionment,  1902-1903;  nominee  for  Bish- 
opric of  Harrisburg,  1904;  member  of  Board  of  Missions,  Diocese 
of  Harrisburg,  1904;  Dean  of  Northern  Convocation,  Diocese  of 
Kansas  City,  since  1905;  member  of  Standing  Committee  (Kansas 
City)  since  1906;  member  Diocesan  Missionary  Board  (Kansas 
City)  since  1909;  member  Diocesan  Committee  on  Constitution 
and  Canons  since  1906,  and  chairman  of  same  since  1909. 

He  reorganized  Pittston  Library;  organized  Williamsport  Bu- 
reau of  Associated  Charities  (now  defunct);  was  a  deputy  rep- 
resenting the  city  of  Williamsport  in  National  Conference  of 
Charities  and  Corrections,  N.  Y.  City,  1898  (?);  a  trustee  The 
.James  v.  Brown  Library,  Williamsport.  1904;  is  one  of  the  organ- 
izers and  directors  of  the  Buchanan  County  (Mo.)  Society  for  the 
Relief  and  Prevention  of  Tuberculosis,  1910;  organized  St.  Luke's 
Mission,  South  St.  Joseph,  1906,  and  is  an  active  member  of  St. 
Joseph  Ad  Club.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Fraternity  and 
Elks;  member  of  Benton  Club,  Country  Club,  and  l.,otus  Club,  of 
St.  Joseph. 

His  eldest  son,  Edward  Henry,  .Ir.,  wlio  is  a  candidate  for  Holy 
Orders,  has  recently  won  the  Rhodes  Scholarship  for  the  State  of 
Missouri,  and  after  three  years  at  the  State  University  will  enter 
Oxford  University  this  autumn  (1910).     [Ed.] 


Mr.  Eckel's  Rectorship  73 

Bishop.  This  work  was  done  mainly  by  Miss  Mabel  Prior 
(now  Mrs.  Wilbur  Sallada)  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Kilbourn. 

During  his  first  year  Mr.  Eckel  made  a  systematic  visita- 
tion of  the  parish,  entering  his  visits  on  a  card  catalogue  in- 
vented by  himself.  In  one  set  of  cards  the  families  are  given 
alphabetically,  with  full  information  as  to  whether  baptized  or 
confirmed.  Another  set  of  cards  gives  the  families  by  streets. 
This  system  is  still  in  use  and  has  proved  of  great  value  to  the 
succecdin^y  rector. 

To  the  various  guilds  of  the  parish  was  added  by  Mr. 
Eckel,  in  1897,  the  \^isiting  Committee,  with  Mrs.  C.  LaRue 
Munson  as  Directress,  and  Mrs.  E.  A.  Christman  as  Visitor-at- 
large.  The  parish  was  divided  into  thirteen  districts,  co-ter- 
minous  with  the  wards  of  the  city.  The  duties  of  the  com- 
mittee were  threefold,  embracing  the  systematic  visitation  of 
strangers,  the  sick  and  the  poor.  Members  of  the  parish  were 
asked  to  make  reports  to  the  Directress  and  district  visitors 
were  to  make  their  reports  to  her. 

An  event  of  far-reaching  importance,  not  only  to  the 
parish  of  Christ  Church,  but  to  the  city  of  Williamsport  as 
well,  was  the  setting  apart  of  Mrs.  Eliza  A.  Christman  as  the 
first  Deaconess  of  the  parish,  and  the  second  in  the  Diocese  of 
Central  Pennsylvania.  Her  husband,  the  Rev.  Morris  W. 
Christman,  Rector  of  St.  Mary's,  and  a  former  curate  of  Christ 
Church,  died  August  28,  1896,  after  a  brief  illness,  deeply 
mourned  by  his  parishioners  and  throughout  the  city.  His 
life  was  one  of  splendid  promise  suddenly  cut  off.  Mrs. 
Christman  had  shared  his  labors  to  an  unusual  degree,  and  felt 
a  desire  to  devote  the  rest  of  her  life  to  the  Church.  After  her 
husband's  death  she  had  returned  to  her  family  in  Allentown. 
(Jn  January  28,  1897,  she  came  to  Williamsport  to  visit  her 
friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  S.  Smythe.  On  learning  of  her 
desiic  *n  be  a  Deaconess.  Mr.  Eckel  took  up  the  matter  with 
hi?  usual  enthusiasm,  with  the  result  that  her  visit  of  a  few 
weeks  ended  in  years  of  faithful  service  in  the  parish.  She 
has  also  responded  to  many  calls  for  help  from  the  poor  and 
distressed  of  the  city. 


74  Chroxiclks  of  Christ  CurRcii   Parish 

She  was  set  apart  as  Deaconess  by  Bishop  Talbot,  May  8, 
1898,  it  being  his  first   official  act  in  the  parish.     What  her 
work  has  been  cannot  be  better  told  than  in  a  letter  from  Mr. 
Eckel  to  the  writer  of  this  chapter : 
My  Dear  Miss  Smythe: 

Although  the  record  of  Deaconess  Christman's  work  belongs 
to  the  period  of  my  rectorship,  and  therefore  rightly  falls  into  your 
hands  for  treatment,  who  are  both  her  friend  and  mine,  and  will 
therefore  do  it  justice,  it  will,  nevertheless,  I  trust,  be  considered 
no  impropriety  on  my  part  if  I  ask  the  privilege  of  saying  a  few 
words  on  the  same  subject. 

I  shall  get  directly  at  the  point  if  I  say  at  the  outset  that  I 
thankfully  acknowledge  that  no  small  part  of  the  success  of  my 
ministry  in  Williamsport,  in  whatsoever  degree  it  may  have  been 
successful,  was  due  to  Deaconess  Christman's  intelligent  and  loyal 
co-operation.  I  don't  know  how  I  could  have  got  along  without  her, 
especially  after  the  lirst  year  or  two's  experience  of  her  helpful- 
ness. I  have  always  said  I  would  rather  have  had  her  for  an  as- 
sistant than  any  graduate  of  the  deaconess  training  schools,  be- 
cause she  brought  to  her  work  not  only  the  native  qualities  of 
practical  common  sense  and  good  judgment,  and  of  intelligent  sym- 
pathy with  the  poor  and  distressed,  but  also  the  ripening  and  en- 
riching experience  of  a  clergyman's  wife.  She  had  shared  in  the 
thoughts  and  labors  of  her  husband,  whose  greatly  lamented  death 
had  occurred  in  August  of  the  year  I  became  rector,  and  knew 
beforehand  what  it  meant  to  be  a  deaconess,  as  few  women  with- 
out that  experience  can  know.  She  had  the  knowledge  of  men 
and  women — aye,  and  of  little  children,  although  never  herself  a 
mother — and  that  was  worth  more  than  a  course  in  a  training- 
school  could  give  her.  She  studied  and  worked  with  me  for  a 
little  more  than  a  year  before  being  formally  set  apart  as  a  dea- 
coness, but  I  was  persuaded  myself,  and  had  little  difficulty  in 
persuading  the  Bi.shop,  that  her  several  years'  experience  as  the 
helpmeet  of  her  husband  in  his  work  was  easily  the  equivalent  of 
the  other  one  year  of  technical  training  required  by  the  canon. 

She  was  accordingly  set  apart  as  a  deaconess  In  Christ  Church 
l)y  Bishop  Talbot,  Sunday,  May  8,  1898,  with  a  very  beautiful  and 
impressive  service  of  ordination.  She  assumed,  as  she  had  a  right 
to  do,  the  uniform  of  her  order,  to  which  was  added  a  heavy  silver 
pectoral  cross  bearing  the  inscription,  "From  the  First  Deaconess 
of  Central  Pennsylvania  to  the  St'cond."  and  the  date — the  donor 
being   Deaconess   Henrietta   Goodwin. 

Thereafter,    through    the    remaiuiug    years    of   my    rectorship, 


MRS.   ELIZA    ANNA   CHRISTMAN 
Deaconess  1898 


Mr.  Eckel's  Rectorship  75 

Deaconess  Christman  was  my  ever  valued  assistant.  She  was  ab- 
solutely dependable.  She  was  devout  and  conscientious  to  the 
highest  degree,  always  systematic  and  punctilious  in  her  work, 
wise  in  counsel  and  cheerful  in  the  face  of  difficulties  and  dis- 
couragements. Her  goings  in  and  out  among  the  people  soon 
taught  Williamsport  what  the  deaconess  uniform  meant.  What  a 
friend  she  was  to  the  poor,  what  an  indefatigable  visitor  to  all 
sorts  and  conditions  of  men,  what  a  ray  of  sunshine  to  the  dis- 
tressed in  hospital  or  prison,  what  a  mother  to  all  the  waifs  and 
strays  of  childhood  and  wayward  girlhood!  I  cannot  sufficiently 
express  my  admiration  and  appreciation  of  her  helpfulness  and 
efficiency.  I  thank  God  I  had  her  with  me.  God  bless  Deaconess 
Christman — He  has  and  will — and  give  the  Church  more  of  such 
"ministering   women." 

Very  sincerely  yours, 

EDWARD  HENRY  ECKEL. 
Christ  Church  Rectory, 

St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  July  9,  1910. 

A  branch  of  the  Girls'  Friendly  Society  was  started  by 
the  Deaconess  in  January  of  1900,  of  which  she  had  the  entire 
charge  the  first  year.  In  February,  1901,  Miss  Alma  A.  Baird 
became  the  secretary  of  the  society,  which  office  she  held  until 
April,  1910. 

The  custom,  now  thoroughly  established,  of  holding  the 
election  of  Vestrymen  in  the  evening  was  inaugurated  on 
Easter  Monday,  April  11,  1897.  After  Evening  Prayer  in  the 
church,  a  general  parish  meeting  was  held  in  the  parish  house, 
when  reports  from  the  treasurer  of  the  parish  and  all  the 
various  guilds  were  read.  At  the  Easter  parish  meeting  in 
1899  the  parish  was  pronounced  to  be  free  from  debt  for  the 
first  time  in  many  years.  Congratulatory  addresses  were  made 
by  Mr.  C.  LaRue  Munson,  Mr.  Edgar  Mtmson,  Capt.  Sweeley 
and  the  Rector. 

The  most  important  financial  undertaking  during  Mr. 
Eckel's  rectorship  was  the  decorating  of  the  church  and  the 
addition  of  the  clerestory  windows,  under  the  charge  of  St. 
Mary's  Guild. 

The  following  were  appointed  by  the  Vestry,  June  4,  1900, 
to  meet  a  committee  from  St.  Mary's  Guild,  with  power  to 
act :    Messrs.  A.  P,  Perley,  John  A.  White,  C.  LaRue  Munson 


7^  Chronicles  of  Christ  Chi'Rcii   Parish 

and  the  Rector,  Rev.  E.  H.  Eckel.  The  committee  from  the 
Guild  was  composed  of  Mrs.  A.  P.  Perley,  ^Irs.  C.  \*.  Runkle, 
Miss  Lucy  O.  Scott,  Miss  Elizabeth  Logan.  Miss  Anne  Doeb- 
ler,  and  Mrs.  Durant. 

Tlic  decoration  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Tiii'anv 
Glass  and  Decorating  Company,  and  at  the  same  time  the  ladies 
of  the  parish  raised  money  for  new  carpets  and  cushions  for  the 
church.     Tlie  total  cost  of  the  improvements  was  as  follows: 

Windows    • $      210.00 

Bill  to  Tiffany  G.  and  D.  Co 2,250.00 

Carpets    ■ 417.00 

Cushions    347-00 

General    repairs    • 178.48 

Total    $  3,402.48 

The  church  was  reopened  November  18,  1900,  with  a 
beautiful  service,  and  in  the  evening  the  choir  gave  Garrett's 
"The  Two  Advents." 

Mr.  Eckel  being  a  man  of  unbounded  energy  and  en- 
thusiasm, interested  in  everything  pertaining  to  the  Church, 
throughout  his  rectorship  missions  continually  came  to  the 
front.  He  has  the  honor  of  being  the  founder  of  the  Church 
Students"  Missionary  Association  in  1888,  while  a  student  in 
the  General  Seminary,  and  as  was  to  be  expected,  was  always 
ready  to  preach  and  work  for  missions.  At  his  suggestion,  in 
the  summer  of  1899,  Deaconess  Christman  visited  every  famil\- 
in  the  parish,  to  i)l)lain  new  i)r  increased  pledges  for  missions, 
which  al  that  time  were  l)aid  (|uarter]\-. 

At  one  time  Mr.  Eckel  had  under  his  charge  St.  John's 
(South  Williamsi)ort ).  Montoursville,  Cpper  Eairfield,  Halls 
Station  and  Jersey  Shore,  and  a  colored  mission,  known  as  the 
Church  of  the  lilpiphany.  The  latter  was  started  June  17, 
1902,  in  a  room  rented  lor  the  purpose  on  the  corner  of  Wal- 
nut and  High  Streets. 

A  very  successful  club  for  boys,  known  as  "The  IJishop 
Talbot  Club,"  was  organized  during  Mr.  Eckel's  rectorship, 
under  the  charge  of  Mrs,  C.  1^.  Farr.  Miss  Anne  Doebler  and 


Mr.  Eckel's  Rectorship  tj 

Miss  Elizabeth  Parsons,  the  object  of  the  club  being  originally 
entirely  for  missionary  work  and  continued  for  six  years. 
The  first  officers  were  George  Reinhard,  President ;  Boyd  P. 
Betzel,  Secretary.  The  charter  members  of  the  club  were 
eleven,  the  number  afterwards  being  limited  to  forty,  and  it 
often  had  a  waiting  list  of  twenty.  The  club  never  solicited 
money,  earning  all  the  money  contributed  themselves.  They 
gave  annually  $5.00  to  the  Deaf  Mute  Mission ;  books,  toys 
and  money  to  the  Lenten  box  of  the  Woman's  Auxiliary ;  con- 
tributed $50.00  toward  the  furnishing  and  papering  of  the 
parish  house  at  St.  Mary's  (Wadleigh  Memorial),  and  pre- 
sented two  handsome  prayer  books  to  the  parish  church  for 
the  use  of  the  Rector  and  the  Bishop.  For  some  time  they 
served  as  ushers  in  the  church,  taking  charge  of  the  prayer 
books  and  hymnals. 

On  the  evening  of  the  Conversion  of  St.  Paul,  January 
25,  1904,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Archdeaconry  in  Christ  Church, 
was  held  a  splendid  missionary  service,  when  the  vested 
choirs  of  the  city,  Trinity,  All  Saints,  St.  John's,  and  St, 
Mary's,  united  with  Christ  Church  choir  in  rendering  the  ser- 
vice. The  procession  of  clergy  and  choristers  was  very  im- 
posing, the  singers  numbering  about  one  hundred  and  fifty. 
Mr.  Frank  Gatward,  organist  of  Christ  Church,  arranged  the 
service  and  was  the  precentor  on  the  occasion,  the  organist  of 
Trinity,  Mr.  Daniels,  being  at  the  organ.  The  speakers  were 
Bishop  Talbot,  Archdeacons  Radcliffe.  Thompson,  of  Read- 
ing, Mr.  Butts,  Mr.  Daughters,  and  the  Rector.  There  were 
over  eight  hundred  persons  in  the  congregation  and  the  singing 
of  the  missionary  hymns  was  very  inspiring. 

St.  John's  Chapel  was  consecrated  by  Bishop  Talbot  Mav 
9,  1898. 

In  Lent  of  1901,  during  the  curacy  of  the  Rev.  James  W. 
Diggles,  the  chancel  of  St.  John's  was  enlarged  by  removing 
the  old  vestr}'  room,  to  make  room  for  the  first  vested  choir. 
The  work  w^as  mainly  done  by  Mr.  Diggles  and  Mr.  Charles 
Palmer.  The  whole  chancel  was  repainted  by  private  subscrip- 
tion,  and   a   Bishop's   Chair   was   given.     Capt.    Sweeley   pre- 


78  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

sented  the  rc-table  and  a  wooden  cross  for  the  ahar,  and  a 
large  Bible  for  the  lectern  was  given  by  an  unknown  donor. 
The  ini])roved  chancel  was  used  by  the  vested  choir  for  the 
first  time  on  Easter  Day. 

The  Sunday  School  was  a  matter  of  very  great  interest 
to  Mr.  Eckel,  especiall}-  the  subject  matter  taught,  he  being 
a  member  of  the  Joint  Diocesan  Lesson  Committee.  He  him- 
self was  a  diligent  I)ible  student,  the  results  of  years  of 
study  being  noted  on  the  margins  of  one  Bible,  which  he  had 
rebound,  and  all  these  notes  he  carefully  copied  into  a  new 
Bible  while  here.  He  held  Teachers'  Meetings  and  catechised 
the   school   faithfully. 

January  i,  1899,  the  Sunday  School  was  changed  to  a 
graded  school,  with  Senior,  Intermediate,  Primary,  Home  De- 
partment, and  Deaf  Mute  Classes.  The  last  named  class  was 
begun  on  November  13,  1898,  taught  by  Miss  Mary  A.  Gor- 
man, herself  a  mute,  with  an  attendance  of  eleven.  For  a 
time  the  attendance  of  the  school  fell  of?  after  such  a  radical 
change,  but  time  has  demonstrated  the  wisdom  of  the  graded 
school.  The  choir  had  formerly  used  the  upstairs  guild  room 
for  their  rehearsals,  but  in  September,  1898,  it  was  moved  down 
stairs,  and  the  Primary,  under  the  charge  of  the  Deaconess, 
was  taken  upstairs.  At  this  time  the  average  attendance  of 
this  department  was  only  about  thirty.  The  Deaconess  di- 
vided the  school  into  classes  and  by  much  visiting  the  attend- 
ance was  verv  soon  brought  up  to  nearly  a  hundred,  the 
rooms  being  so  crowded  that  the  necessity  of  rebuilding  of 
the  parish  house  became  ai)parent.'  Her  organist  and  assist- 
ant for  many  years  was  Miss  Nan  Lumley. 

In  1904  the  Cradle  K<>11  was  started  under  the  charge 
of  Miss  Sarah  .Augusta  Wilson.  com])rising  children  up  to 
three  years  of  agi'.  The  mothers  were  asked  to  bring  the 
little  children  on  their  birthdays  with  as  many  pennies  as  they 
were  years  old,  the  tn')ne\-  being  used  for  missions.  This 
birthday  offering  is  a  custom  still   in  the   Primary  and   Kin- 

iMr.  Eckel  took  this  question  up  with  the  Vestry  May,  1903, 
but  nothing  was  accomplished.     [Ed.] 


Mr.  Eckel's  Rectorship  79 

dergarten  Schools.  The  Kindergarten  Department  was 
started  in  1905,  just  before  Mr.  Eckel  left,  and  was  also  under 
the  charge  of  Miss  Wilson,  and  has  been  most  successful. 

Mr.  Frederick  W.  Zahn,  who  had  served  the  school  for 
many  years  as  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  was  made  Superin- 
tendent of  the  main  school  in  1901.  The  same  year  Mr.  H. 
C.  Parsons  became  Secretary-Treasurer.  These  gentlemen 
have  served  the  school  faithfully  ever  since  in  the  same  ca- 
pacity. 

Mr.  Eckel  was  an  active  factor  in  all  matters  pertaining 
to  the  Diocese.  He  was  on  the  Committee  for  the  Increase 
of  the  Episcopal  Endowment  Fund,  the  object  of  the  endow- 
ment being  to  relieve  the  parishes,  so  as  to  liberate  as  large 
an  amount  as  possible  for  the  work  of  Church  Extension.  In 
a  circular  issued  in  January,  1904,  in  the  interest  of  the  $60,- 
000  endowment  desired  for  the  new  Diocese,  an  address  of 
Mr.  Eckel  was  quoted.  After  emphasizing  the  opportunity 
given  to  the  rich  and  well-to-do  to  do  a  good  work  for  Christ 
and  His  Church,  and  that  from  such  Churchmen  the  Church 
has  a  right  to  expect  large  contributions,  Mr.  Eckel  insisted 
that  the  movement  was  a  public  one,  in  which  every  communi- 
cant should  have  a  part.     He  said: 

"Can  it  be  done,  I  ask  again?  Let  me  give  you  a  hy- 
pothesis. Let  us  suppose.  They  tell  us — the  reports  of 
1903 — that  we  have  19,000  communicants  in  this  Diocese. 
Well,  let  us  suppose  a  great  many  of  these  are  non-wage- 
earners.  Let  us  suppose  many  of  them  are  children,  and 
many  of  them  are  very  poor,  while  some  of  them  are  so 
rich  that  they  ought  to  do  great  things,  and  some  of 
them  are  indifferent,  and  some  of  them,  perhaps,  are 
lapsed,  and  some  of  them  are  in  Europe  or  some  other 
equally  inaccessible  part  of  the  world.  Let  us,  to  be 
perfectly  fair  and  reasonable,  lop  off  11,000  of  them. 
That  leaves  us  8,000  to  do  business  with.  Suppose,  now, 
that  three-fourths  of  these  8.000 — that  is  6,000 — have  an 
average  income  of  not  more  than  $600  a  year.  Suppose 
that  three-fourths   of   the   rest — namely,    1,500 — have   an 


8o  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

average  income  of  $1,200  a  year.  Su]3pose  that  the  re- 
mainder— 500  in  number — have  the  comparatively  muni- 
ficent income  of  $2,000  a  year,  and  none  of  them  more 
than  this.  Now  suppose  that  the  $600  people  give  us 
one  per  cent,  of  a  single  year's  income — payable,  if  they 
choose,  in  three  installments  a  year  apart — only  $2.00  a 
year,  mind  you  ;  that  would  be  $36,000  for  the  Episcopal 
Endowment  Fund  of  the  Diocese  of  Central  Pennsylva- 
nia !  And  suppose  the  $1,200  people  gave  us  two  per 
cent,  of  their  income  for  a  single  year — payable,  if  they 
prefer,  $8.00  a  year  for  three  years ;  that  would 
be  $36,000  more  for  the  Episcopal  Endowment  Fund  of 
the  Diocese  of  Central  Pennsylvania!  And  suppose  that 
comfortable  little  compan\-  of  500,  who  have  $2,000  a 
}ear  income,  were  to  give  three  per  cent,  of  their 
income — payable,  if  they  choose,  the  same  way — $20.00 
for  three  years ;  that  would  be  $30,000  more  for  the 
Episcopal  Endowment  Fund  of  the  Diocese  of  Central 
Pennsylvania.  And  $36,000  and  $36,000  and  $30,000 
make  $102,000  for  the  Episcopal  Endowment  Fund  of 
the  Diocese  of  Central  Pennsylvania,  and  the  thing  is 
done!  And  there  are  no  famishing  babies  in  the  working- 
man's  home  as  a  consequence,  no  sheriff's  sales,  no  bank- 
ruptcies— and   11.000  other  people  to  hear  from." 

The  division  of  the  Diocese  of  Central  Pennsylvania  was 
consented  to  by  IJisho]")  Talbot  at  the  convention  held  in  Trin- 
ity Church,  \\'il!iamsi)ort,  June  14.  1904.^  The  Primary  Con- 
\ention  for  the  new  Diocese  was  In-ld  in  St.  James's  Church, 
Lancaster,  I'a.,  November  29-30,  1904.  At  this  convention 
Mr.  Eckel,  as  Chairman  of  the  Committee  appointed  at  the  last 
meeting  of  the  Diocese  of  Central  Pennsylvania  to  take  all 
necessary  steps  for  the  organization  of  the  new  Diocese,  pre- 
sented the  rules  of  order  for  the  Convention,  He  also  pre- 
sented the  reixjrt  of  the  Committee  for  the  Increase  of  the 
l-lndowment  as  follows: 

1  In    the    chapter.    "Dr.    Hopkins'    Rectorshi)),"    an    account    was 
given  of  the  previous  attempts  to  accomplish  this  division.     [Ed.] 


Mr.  Eckel's  Rectorship  8i 

Money  from  original  fund   $16,771.48 

Pledges  to  Diocesan  Convention  of  1904. 6,887.50 

New  pledges  since  Convention  of   1904 9,634.25 

Additional  since  draft  of  the  report 1,082.23 

$34,37546 

Of  this  amount  Christ  Church,  Williamsport,  had  in 
original  fund,  $2,610.00;  in  new  pledges  $3,122.50;  a  total 
of   $5,732.50. 

On  the  eve  of  this  Primary  Convention  the  Wardens  and 
Vestrymen  of  Christ  Church  sent  out  the  following  circular 
letter,  which  is  inserted  here  as  an  evidence  of  their  apprecia- 
tion of  Mr.  Eckel  and  his  work : 

Williamsport,  Pa..  November  2,  1904. 

At  the  forthcoming  convention  to  organize  the  new  Dio- 
cese, its  most  important  work  will  be  the  selection  of  its 
Bishop.  It  would  seem  best  that  the  choice  should  fall  upon 
one  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  Diocese  and  its  needs,  and 
in  such  health  and  strength  that  its  entire  field  may  be  fully 
and  frequently  traversed  and  its  work  performed  with  such 
vigor  as  will  ensure  the  best  results. 

W^ell  knowing  his  ability  to  fill  that  high  office,  we  shall 
instruct  our  delegates  to  present  the  name  of  our  beloved  rec- 
tor, the  Reverend  Edward  Henry  Eckel,  B.  D.,  for  the  choice 
of  the  convention.  He  is  42  years  of  age,  is  a  graduate  of  the 
General  Theological  Seminary  in  the  class  of  1889,  and  has 
been  in  the  Diocese  of  Central  Pennsylvania  in  active  service 
for  thirteen  years.  He  is  of  the  type  of  Churchmanship  accept- 
able to  the  people  and  to  his  brethren  of  the  Clergy ;  is  a  most 
excellent  preacher,  and  indefatigable  worker,  and  an  admin- 
istrator of  affairs  such  as  will  be  needed  in  this  important 
Diocese.  His  work  in  Williamsport  during  the  past  eight 
years  has  not  only  brought  our  parish  to  a  state  of  usefulness 
and  activit}  surpassing  all  that  she  had  theretofore  accomr 
pli.-^lied,  but  has  won  for  him  the  affection  of  his  people  and 


82  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

commanded   the   respect   of   his    fellow   citizens    in    this    com- 
munity. 

We  shall  be  glad  to  have  your  assistance. 
Signed, 

James  V.  Brown, 
C.  LaRue  Munson, 

Wardens. 
Allen  P,  Perley, 
John  F,  Laedlein, 
C.  B.  Farr, 
Frank  C.  Bowman, 
W.  C.  Robinson, 
John   B.   Irvin, 
Geo.  p.  Crocker, 
J.  B.  Dayton, 
Edward  E.  Shay, 
A.  Thomas  Page, 
H.  Y.  Otto, 
]'estrymcn,  Christ  Church,   Williaiiisporf. 

Mr.  Eckel's  name  was  presented  to  the  Convention  and  he 
received  votes  on  the  first  eight  ballots  cast  for  Bishop,  when, 
in  the  interest  of  harmony,  he  withdrew  his  name. 

On  the  ninth  ballot  the  Rev.  W.  T.  Manning  was  elected 
Bishop.  lie  having  declined  the  honor,  a  special  convention 
was  called  at  Harrislnirg,  in  St.  Stephen's  Church,  February 
I.  I905>  when  on  the  thirteenth  ballot  the  Rev.  James  Henry 
Darlington  was  elected  the  first  Bishop  of  Harrisburg. 

Mr.  James  V.  Brown,  the  senior  warden,  died  suddenly 
December    8,    1904.'     Always    interested    in    (lunch    matters 

1  During  Mr.  Eckel's  rectorship  the  Vestry  suffered  heavily 
from  death,  no  less  than  eight  member.s  entering  into  their  eternal 
rest:  1898— Mr.  Henry  Cooley  Parsons;  1899— Mr.  J.  F.  Starr; 
1901- Mr.  Edgar  Munson;  1902— Mr.  .Tohn  Jerniain  Crocker;  1903— 
Mr.  William  Swceley ;  1904 — Mr.  .John  Elcock  .Tones,  Mr.  John  Allison 
White  and  Mr.  James  Van  du  Zee  Brown.  All  men  who  had  worked 
faithfully  and  miselflshly,  the  loss  to  the  parish  was  a  true  one. 
and  the  resolutions  passed  by  the  surviving  mcnihers  of  the  Vestry 
but  reflected  the  sorrow  felt  by  the  entire  congregation.     [Ed.] 


Mr.  Eckel's  Rectorship  83 

and  a  warm  friend  of  the  Rector,  he  had  during  his  latter 
years  become  also  interested  in  public  libraries,  and  designed  to 
bequeath  the  larger  part  of  his  fortune  for  the  establishment 
and  maintenance  of  a  library  to  be  his  gift  to  the  people  of 
Williamsport  and  vicinity.  By  his  will  the  amount  set  aside 
for  this  purpose  was  $150,000  for  a  building,  $10,000  for 
books,  and  bonds  sufficient  to  produce  an  annual  income  of 
$10,000,  a  total  bequest  of  between  $400,000  and  $450,000. 
The  library,  known  as  "The  James  V.  Brown  Library,"  was 
to  be  under  the  administration  of  a  Board  of  Trustees  con- 
sisting of  five  persons  named  bv  the  testator  in  his  will,  with 
the  Rector  of  Christ  Church,  the  Mayor,  the  Superintendent  of 
Schools,  ex-ofUcio,  and  one  person  elected  by  City  Councils. 
By  this  orovision  Christ  Church  is  connected  for  all  time  with 
the  institution  most  dear  to  the  heart  of  her  senior  warden.^ 

On  the  death  of  Mr.  Edgar  Munson,  Vestry's  Warden,  in 
1 90 1,  Mr.  James  Van  du  Zee  Brown,  who  had  been  Rector's 
Warden,  was  elected  his  successor,  and  Mr.  Eckel  appointed 
Mr.  John  Jermain  Crocker^  Rector's   Warden.     Mr.   Crocker 

1  Mr.  Eckel  took  much  interest  in  tlie  first  meetings  of  the 
Library  Board,  and  his  successor,  Mr.  Jones,  has  throughout  his 
rectorship  been  one  of  the  most  active  members  of  the  "Library 
Committee."     [Ed.] 

2  John  Jermain  Crocker,  son  of  John  and  Ardelissa  (Dyer) 
Crocker,  was  born  on  August  12,  1839,  in  Warsaw,  New  York.  Mov- 
ing as  a  young  man  to  Williamsport,  he  was  confirmed  by  Bishop 
Vail,  of  Kansas,  in  the  old  Christ  Church,  April  13,  1866,  during  the 
rectorship  of  Mr.  Wadleigh.  He  was  made  Secretary  and  Treasurer 
of  the  Vestry  in  1873,  and  six  years  later  elected  to  membership 
in  that  body,  being  annually  re-elected  till  his  death,  April  8,  1902. 
Though  he  resigned  the  treasurership  in  1897,  he  held  the  secretary- 
ship to  the  end  of  his  life — a  term  exceeding  a  quarter  of  a  century 
by  four  years.  He  frequently  served  as  lay-reader  and  on  several 
occasions  was  a  delegate  to  the  Diocesan  Convention.  In  1901  he 
was  appointed  Rector's  Warden  by  Mr.  Eckel,  which  position  he 
held  at  the  time  of  his  death.  The  Vestry,  in  the  resolution  they 
passed,  paid  a  touching  tribute  to  the  faithfulness  with  which  he 
had  discharged  the  duties  of  his  offices. 

Mr.  Crocker  was  connected  with  the  banking  firm  of  Weed  & 
Company  for  twenty  years,  and  was   identified  with  various  other 


84  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

died  within  a  year  of  his  appointment,  and  Mr.  Eckel  then 
appointed  Mr.  Cyrus  LaRue  Alunson^  as  his  successor. 

business  interests  in  Williamsport,  serving  in  both  Councils,  and 
being  active  in  various  ctiaritable  undertaltings.  In  1869  he  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  Ann  Beer,  of  Mt.  Clemens,  Mich.,  who  with  three 
children,  George  Perkins,  John  Archdell  and  Mary  Elizabeth,  sur- 
vive him.  The  elder  of  his  sons,  George  P.,  was  elected  in  1902  to 
the  vacancy  in  the  Vestry  occasioned  by  his  death.     [Ed.] 

1  Cyrus  LaRue  Munson,  the  son  of  Edgar  Munson,  of  whom  a 
biographical  note  has  already  been  inserted,  was  born  in  Bradford, 
N.  Y.,  July  2,  1854.  He  was  educated  in  private  schools  and  the 
Episcopal  Academy  of  Connecticut,  from  which  he  graduated  in 
1871.  He  read  law  in  Williamsport  with  Allen  &  Gamble,  and  in 
1873  entered  the  Yale  Law  School,  graduating  with  the  degree  of 
LL.  B.,  July  1,  1875,  on  which  day,  though  still  under  age,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  Connecticut  Bar.  In  1875  he  entered  into  law 
partnership  with  Addison  Candor,  as  Candor  &  Munson,  which 
partnership  still  continues.  He  was  elected  a  lecturer  on  legal 
practice  by  the  Yale  Corporation  in  1890,  which  lectureship  he  still 
holds.  He  received  an  honorary  degree  of  M.  A.  from  Yale  in  1891; 
and  in  1897  published  a  "Manual  of  Elementary  Practice."  In  1902 
he  was  elected  President  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Bar  Associa- 
tion, and  in  1904  President  of  the  Yale  Law  School  Alumni  Asso- 
ciation. 

Mr.  Munson  is  a  director,  in  many  cases  president,  of  a  number 
of  the  large  business  enterprises  of  the  city,  among  which  are  the 
Savings  Institution  of  Williamsport,  E.  Keeler  Company,  Williams- 
port Iron  and  Nail  Company,  Lycoming  National  Bank,  Williamsport 
Passenger  Railway  Company,  Citizens  Water  and  Gas  Company, 
John  N.  Stearns  &  Co.  (N.  Y.),  Burns  Fire  Brick  Company,  Eagles 
Mere  Light  Company,  and  the  Scootac  Railway  Company.  He  was 
one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Williamsport  Board  of  Trade,  of  which 
he  is  serving  as  president. 

A  Democrat  in  politics,  he  received  his  party's  nomination  for 
the  Supreme  Court  Judgeship  in  1909,  and  though  failing  of  elec- 
tion, received  a  majority  of  the  votes  outside  of  Philadelphia 
County.  In  1910  his  party  was  anxious  to  have  him  accept  the 
Gubernatorial  nomination,  but  his  physical  condition  and  business 
affairs  forced  him  to  refuse  to  permit  his  name  being  placed  before 
the  convention. 

Mr.  Munson  married,  November  8,  1877,  Josephine  Anthony 
White,   by    whom    he   had    issue,    lOdgar    (1881)    and    George    Sharp 


Mr.  Eckel's  Rectorship  85 

Upon  Mr.  Brown's  death,  in  1904,  the  Vestry  elected  Mr. 
Munson  Vestry's  Warden,  and  Mr.  Eckel  then  appointed  Mr. 
Allen  Putnam  Perley^  Rector's  Warden. 

Mr.  Eckel's  last  official  act  in  Christ  Church,  Williams- 
port,  was  to  unite  in  marriage  Helen  Graves  Runkle  and  Noel 
W.  Smith. 

(1883).  Subsequent  to  his  wife's  death,  in  1889,  Mr.  Munson  mar- 
ried,  October  20,   1891,   Minnie  Wright  Tuller. 

Mr.  Munson  has  been  a  Vestryman  of  Christ  Church  since  1881; 
(Rector's  Warden  1902-1904;  Vestry's  Warden  1904-1910).  He  was 
Superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School  1877-1892,  a  period  of  25  years. 
During  the  years  1877-1882  this  superintendency  was  shared  by  Mr. 
A.  Howard  Merritt.  His  eldest  son,  Edgar,  was  elected  to  the 
Vestry  in  1908  and  was  made  Assistant-Secretary  in  the  same  year. 
Mr.  Munson  was  elected  Chancellor  of  the  Diocese  of  Harrisburg 
in  1906,  and  has  been  re-elected  each  year  since  that  time.     [Ed.] 

1  Allen  Putnam  Perley  was  bom  in  Oldtown,  Penobscot  County, 
Me.,  on  March  8,  1845;  his  father  being  a  physician,  Dr.  Daniel  .J. 
Perley,  his  mother,  Mary  (Lovejoy)   Perley. 

Mr.  Perley  received  his  education  in  the  schools  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  his  birthplace,  and  entered  mercantile  life  as  a  clerk. 
He  moved  to  Williamsport  in  1865,  securing  a  position  as  book- 
keeper with  George  Zimmer  &  Co.,  planing  mills.  Four  years  later 
he  purchased  an  interest  in  the  firm,  which  he  retained  till  1873. 
Subsequently  he  was  bookkeeper  with  Daniel  W.  Smith,  and  in 
July,  1874,  bookkeeper  for  Slonaker,  Howard  &  Co.  In  1874  he 
purchased  Mr.  Slonaker's  interest,  the  firm  becoming  Howard,  Per- 
ley &  Howard.  C.  B.  Howard  retiring  in  1887,  the  firm  became 
Howard  &  Perley.  His  lumber  interests,  both  in  the  Northwest  and 
the  South,  are   extensive. 

In  1898  Mr.  Perley,  who  had  been  a  director  of  the  West 
Branch  National  Bank,  was  elected  its  president,  and  the  bank 
under  his  direction  has  since  grown  to  be  the  largest  and  strongest 
financial  institution  in  Northern  Pennsylvania.  In  1908  Mr.  Perley 
was  appointed  Postmaster  of  Williamsport  by  President  Roosevelt. 

Mr.  Perley  married,  in  1869,  Clara  Lovejoy,  daughter  of  Albert 
Lovejoy,  of  Gardiner,  Me.,  by  whom  he  had  eight  children,  five  of 
whom  are  now  living.  Subsequent  to  Mrs.  Perley's  death,  in  1886, 
he  married  (1888)  Mrs.  Anne  (Higgins)  Stowell.  Mr.  Perley  has 
been  a  member  of  Christ  Church  Vestry  since  1883.  (Rector's  War- 
den 1904-1910).  His  sons-in-law,  A.  Thomas  Page  and  William  H. 
Crockett,  are  also  members  of  the  Vestry,  the  former  1892,  1900- 
1910;  the  latter  1909-1910. 


86  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

During  liis  rectorship  he  baptized  310  persons,  presented 
for  confirmation  188  persons,  married  T)!  con])les,  and  buried 
104  persons. 

Mr.  Eckel's  Churchmanship  was  of  the  plain  Oxford 
type.  He  was  a  Prayer  Book  Churchman,  giving  every  fast 
and  feast  its  due  observance ;  but,  except  on  the  high  festivals. 
the  services  were  of  the  usual  plain,  dignified  character  cus- 
tomary in  the  parish.  His  own  manner  in  the  chancel 
was  most  devout,  without  afifectation — a  prayerful  man. 
His  emphasis  in  saying,  "Let  us  pray,"  was  in  itself  a 
hearty  call  to  prayer.  With  the  approval  of  Bishop  Talbot, 
he  had  the  following  collect  mailed  to  every  member  of  the 
parish,  generally  using  it  himself  at  the  close  of  the  Com- 
munion Service : 

"Let  vour  requests  be  made  known  unto  God."     Phil.  4:6. 

Parish  Collect. 

Approved  by  the  Bishop  of  Central  Pennsylvania: 
"My   permission   to   use   the   Parish   Collect  is   most   gladly 
granted,  and  I  deem  it  a  privilege  to  endorse  the  use  of  such 
a  useful  and  complete  prayer." 

Almighty  God,  Who  feedest  Thy  flock  and  callest 
Thine  own  by  name,  look  down  in  mercy  upon  our  Parish, 
that  we  may  be  cleansed  from  all  our  sins,  and  serve  Thee 
with  a  quiet  mind.  Hallow  and  bless  to  us  the  Sacra- 
ments and  services  of  Thy  Church.  Inspire  our  Clergy  to 
show  forth  Thy  truth  by  their  preaching  and  living,  and 
daily  to  minister  according  to  Thy  will.*  Keep  our  com- 
municants in  singleness  of  heart,  from  unbelief  and  world- 
liness,  giving  them  grace,  both  in  their  homes  and  call- 
ings, faithfully  to  confess  Thy  Holy  Name.*  May  all 
our  children  be  taught  of  Thee.*  Draw  to  the  Cross 
those  who  are  imijcnitent  and  hardened  in  sin."*^  And  we 
beseech  Thee,  heal  the  sick;  comfort  the  sorrowing;  re- 
lieve the  di.stressed.*  Take  our  parish  work  into  Thy 
keeping.*  Move  Thy  people  to  give  as  Thou  hast  given 
to  them.     Fill  the  workers  with  the  Spirit  of  power,  of 


ATr.  Eckel's  Rf.ctorshtp  87 

love,  and  of  a  sound  mind.  And  while  we  plant  and 
water,  do  Thou  give  the  continual  increase ;  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 

('^Here  intercessions  may  be  made  for  special  persons 
or  objects.) 

]\Ir.  Eckel  had  a  card  placed  at  the  tower  door,  "Come  in, 
rest  and  pray,"  and  had  the  church  open  all  day  for  private 
devotion,  many  not  of  our  communion  availing  themselves  of 
this  privilege.  He  had  daily  services  in  Advent  and  Lent,  and 
on  the  great  festivals  the  services  were  as  inspiring  as  elab- 
orate ritual  and  music  could  make  them,  accompanied  by 
crowded  congregations.  In  1898  he  instituted  the  custom  of 
the  Midnight  Eucharist  on  Christmas  Eve — a  high  celebra- 
tion with  elaborate  music  and  ritual.  This  service  has  always 
been  largely  attended  and  is  evidently  dear  to  the  communi- 
cants of  the  parish.  He  was  the  first  rector  to  introduce  the 
use  of  wafer,  or  unleavened,  bread. 

A  very  interesting  and  profitable  service  was  held  on  the 
evening  of  Maundy  Thursday — a  service  of  self-examination 
and  devotion  in  preparation  for  the  Easter  Communion. 

The  cards  now  in  the  tower  of  the  church  regarding  The 
Ceremonies  of  the  Church,  The  Holy  Catholic  Church,  The 
Anglican  Church  and  The  Apostolic  Succession,  were  placed 
in  ]:)osition  by  Mr.  Eckel,  as  well  as  the  appeal :  "Whosoever 
thou  art  that  enterest  this  church,  leave  it  not  without  one 
prayer  to  God  for  thyself,  for  those  who  minister  and  those 
who  worship."  The  photographs  in  the  vestry-room  of  the 
rectors  and  curates  of  the  parish  were  also  obtained  by  Mr. 
Eckel. 

Mr.  Eckel  was  a  brilliant  preacher,  a  clear  thinker  and  an 
absolutely  fearless  champion  of  whatever  he  believed  to  be 
right.  He  also  had  the  rare  gift  of  accepting  failure  cheer- 
fully. He  never  bore  malice  and  was  always  ready  to  try  a 
new  plan  to  forward  the  work  of  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

He  was  also  interested  in  all  civic  matters.  It  was  at  his 
instance  that  city  elections  ceased  to  be  held  in  the  saloons,  and 
he  organized  the  Williamsport  Branch  of  the  Bureau  of  Asso- 


88  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

ciated  Charities,  which  relieved  the  parish  of  many  of  its  pen- 
sioners. 

Mr.  Eckel  was  chaplain  of  the  Actors'  Alliance  and  fre- 
quently ministered  to  members  of  the  profession  while  in  the 
city,  and  on  more  than  one  occasion  prevented  the  presenta- 
tion of  undesirable  plays  on  the  stage  of  the  opera  house. 

Mr.  Eckel  also  belonged  to  the  ^Ministerial  Association  of 
the  city  (in  addition  to  the  Clericus  of  our  own  Church),  and 
at  one  time  invited  all  the  ministers  and  their  wives  to  a  tea 
in  the  parish  house,  which  was  followed  by  a  fine  musical  ser- 
vice in  the  church,  arranged  by  the  organist,  Mr.  Frank  Gat- 
ward,  for  their  enjoyment ;  one  of  the  numbers  sung  being  the 
"Sanctus,"  from  Gounod's  St.  Cecelia,  the  solo  being  sung  by 
.Mr.  William  H.  Deibert. 


THE  NEY/YORK  ' 
PUBLIC     LIS«ARY 


ASTON,   LENOX   ANB 
TILDF.M   FOUNDATION, 


THE    REV.   WILLIAM    NORTHEY   JONES 
Rector  I  905 


MR.  JONES'S  RECTORSHIP.i 
1905. 


Tnii  Girl  Choir — The  New  Parish  House — The  New  St. 

John's  Chapel — The  New  Church  Wixdow.s — At  the 

End  of  Seventy  Years. 

Immediately  upon  Mr.  Eckel's  resignation,  the  \'estr}- 
appointed  a  committee  to  secure  his  successor ;  which  com- 
mittee, on  April  i8,  1905,  unanimously  recommended  that  a 
call  be  extended  to  the  Rev.  W.  Northey  Jones,  then  Rector  of 
Grace  Church,  Manchester,  N.  H.  Accordingly  the  rector- 
ship was  offered  Mr.  Jones,  the  call  being  renewed  at  a  Vestry 
meeting  held  May  9,  1905,  and  accepted  a  few  days  later. 

Mr.  Jones,-  on  taking  charge  of  the  parish,  perceived  im- 

1  This  chapter  has  been  contributed  by  the  Registrar  of  the 
Parish. 

2  The  Rev.  W.  Northey  .Jones  was  born  in  Portland,  Me.,  May 
27,  1866,  of  old  New  England  Puritan  ancestry.  He  received  his 
early  schooling  at  St.  Paul's  School,  Concord,  N.  H.,  under  Dr. 
Henry  A.  Coit,  the  well  known  rector  of  that  famous  school.  He 
entered  Trinity  College,  Hartford,  Conn.,  in  1884,  graduating,  B.  A., 
1888,  and  immediately  entered  the  General  Theological  Seminary, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1891.  In  the  same  year  he  also  re- 
ceived his  degree  of  M.  A.  from  Trinity  College.  While  at  the 
General  Theological  Seminary  Mr.  Jones  acted  as  lay-assistant  in 
Christ  Church,  Bedford  Avenue,  Brooklyn,  under  Dr.  James  Henry 
Darlington,  who  has  since  become  the  first  Bishop  of  the  Diocese 
of  Harrisburg.  It  was  from  this  Brooklyn  parish,  too,  that,  three 
years  later  (1894),  he  secured  his  bride,  Carrie  Louise  Clark,  the 
daughter  of  the  Junior  Warden. 

After  leaving  the  General  Theological  Seminary  Mr.  .Tones  was 
invited  by  his  Bishop,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Henry  A.  Neely,  to  become  a 
canon  of  the  cathedral  and  reside  in  the  Episcopal  residence.  He 
also  received  a  call  to  the  rectorship  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  Port- 
land; but,  preferring  not  to  work  in  his  native  city,  he  offered  his 
services  to  the  Bishop  of  Montana,  In  which  district  be  was  sta- 

89 


90  ClIRONICLlZS   OF    CllRIST    ClIURCH     PaRISH 

mediately  that  if  it  was  to  progress  its  physical  equipment 
must  be  made  commensurate  with  its  obvious  needs.  His  ex- 
perience in  missionary  work  in  the  West,  as  well  as  his  ob- 
servation of  conditions  and  methods  in  New  York,  had  made 
him  an  advocate  of  work  along  the  lines  pursued  by  what  are 
known  as  Institutional  Churches.  The  parish,  favored  by  an 
unusually  loyal  and  united  congregation,  was  hampered  by 
lack  of  space  in  all  its  undertakings.  The  Sunday  School  was 
over-crowded,  the  choir  inadequately  provided  for,  the  guilds 
and  clubs  heavily  handicapped.  The  mission  work  at  St. 
John's  was  laboring  under  difficulties  that  even  a  few  hundred 
dollars,  spent  in  additions  to  the  chapel,  would  have  relieved. 
The  financial  situation  needed  attention.  If  free  of  bonded 
indebtedness,  the  path  of  the  treasurer  was  still  difficult ;  while, 
most   important   of  all,   the   times   were   ripe   and   conditions 

tioned  for  three  years,  first  at  Livingston  and  later  at  Virginia 
City.  Returning  to  New  York  City,  he  accepted  a  curacy  at  old 
St.  Clement's,  Fourth  and  McDougal  Streets.  Six  months  later, 
having  been  nominated  by  Bishop  Potter,  he  accepted  the  rector- 
ship of  St.  Paul's  Church,  Evansville,  Ind.,  where  he  served  for 
three  and  a  half  years,  and  where  he  was  appointed  an  E.xamining 
Chaplain  of  the  Diocese  of  Indiana  (1894-1897).  He  accepted  the 
rectorship  of  Grace  Church,  Manchester,  N.  H.,  in  1898,  resigning 
to  accept  the  call  to  Christ  Church,  Williamsport,  in  1905. 

For  six  years,  while  in  Manchester,  Mr.  Jones  was  a  member 
of  the  Diocesan  Board  of  Missions.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
General  Convention  of  1904,  being  seated  as  first  alternate  deputy. 

In  1908  Mr.  Jones  was  appointed  a  delegate  to  the  Pan-Anglican 
Congress;  and,  in  1910,  to  the  General  Convention  at  Cincinnati, 
receiving  the  highest  number  of  votes  cast  and  being  the  first 
clerical  deputy  from  Christ  Church  to  represent  the  Diocese  in 
the  General  Convention  since  Dr.  Hopkins  enjoyed  a  similar  honor, 
twenty-four  years  ago.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Joint  Diocesan  Sun- 
day School  Commission,  and  for  three  years  has  been  a  delegate  to 
the  Missionary  Council. 

Mr.  Jones  was  nominated  in  the  Richmond  Convention  to  be 
one  of  the  bishops  of  one  of  the  Western  Missionary  districts. 

Like  many  mtmbeis  of  the  Christ  (Church  Vestry,  he  is  in- 
terested in  Masonry,  being  Captain  General  of  Knights  Templar 
and  Past  Most  Wise  Master  of  the  Williamsport  Rose  Croix,  Scot- 
tish Rite.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Pennsylvania  Society  Sons  of 
the  Revolution,  and  the  Psi  Upsilon  (College)  Fraternity;  and  a 
Trustee  of  The  Jamea  V.  Brown  Library. 


rTHE  ^^V:-'  "^OKK 
PUBLIC     u-,f..\RV 


TILOF.M   FOUNDATIOMti 


Mr.  Jones's  Rectorship  yi 

favorable  for  an  increase  in  the  numerical  strength  of  the 
parish. 

In  some  respects  the  chronicles  of  the  five  years  of  Mr. 
Jones's  rectorship  must  consist  in  records  of  large  sums  of 
money  spent  in  buildings  and  improvements,  of  gifts  given  and 
received,  of  clubs  and  guilds  organized,  of  financial  resources 
placed  on  a  sounder  basis.  But  from  a  higher  standpoint  all 
these  things  must  remain  of  secondary  interest  and  signifi- 
cance as  compared  to  the  life  of  the  parish,  perhaps  best  evi- 
denced in  the  number  of  baptisms  and  confirmations. 

As  a  Churchman  Mr.  Jones  belongs  to  the  school  which 
holds  the  Catholic  faith ;  but  which,  while  admiring  the  ornate, 
considers  ritual  beyond  that  demanded  for  order,  decency  and 
dignity,  as  a  non-essential ;  a  school  which  in  the  pulpit 
eschews  as  far  as  possible  the  politico-ethical  questions  of  the 
day,  that  have  here  and  there  dragged  the  pulpit  into  politics ; 
but  a  school  which,  by  preaching  the  whole  gospel  of  Christ, 
and  Him  crucified,  seeks  not  only  to  minister  to  the  soul  but 
to  furnish  guidance  for  the  solving  of  the  complex  problems 
that  confront  present-day  men  in  their  dealings  with  each 
other. 

It  would  possibly  be  in  bad  taste  for  the  writer  of  the 
present  chapter  to  do  more  than  mention  the  present  rector's 
ability  as  a  thoughtful  and  helpful  preacher ;  his  persistent 
selection  of  the  old  biblical  narratives  to  enforce  the  lessons  to 
which  he  woud  have  his  congregation  give  heed ;  and  his  rev- 
erent and  impressive  reading  of  the  services  of  the  Church.  A 
better  and  a  truer  estimate  of  the  value  of  his  work  can  be 
given  by  the  mere  quotation  of  the  parish  records,  which  show 
that  in  the  past  five  years  the  baptisms  numbered  246  and  the 
confirmations  239.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  in  1906  the  class 
presented  for  confirmation  mmibered  75,  the  largest  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  parish  by  nearl\-  50  per  cent.^  As  an  evidence  of 
the  strength   of  the  Church   to   attract   not  only  the  children 

1  The  largest  previous  classes  were  presented  by  Dr.  Paret  in 
1870  and  Dr.  Hopkins  in  1879,  both  numbering  47;  but  of  these  a 
number  came  from  Wadleigh  Chapel,  now  St.  Mary's  Church. 


92  CiiRoxicr.Es  OF  Christ  Church   Parish 

whose  parents  are  members,  it  is  not  out  of  place  to  add  that  26 
of  the  candidates  for  the  rite  were  of  sectarian^  upbringing. 

On  February  4,  1906,  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  James  H.  Darhng- 
ton.  Bishop  of  the  Diocese,  Mr.  Jones  was  instituted  as  Rector 
of  Christ  Church  Parish,  the  ceremonies  being  in  accord  with 
those  prescribed  by  the  Church.  The  Rev.  Harry  G.  Hart- 
inan,  whoiii  Mr.  Jones  had  engaged  as  assistant^  acted  as 
chaplain  to  the  llishop,  and  carried  the  pastoral  stafif  f'  while 
Mr.  Jones  was  escorted  by  Mr.  C.  LaRue  Munson,  Senior 
Warden,  and  Mr.  Allen  P.  Pcrley,  Junior  Warden,  the  former, 
on  behalf  of  the  congregation,  accepting  Mr.  Jones  as  rector, 
and  presenting  him  with  the  keys  of  the  church.  After  the 
Bishop  had  presented  th.e  new  rector  with  the  Bible,  the  Book 
of  Common  Prayer,  the  Constitution  and  Canons  of  the 
Church,  and  the  Canons  of  the  Diocese  of  Harrisburg,  and  had 
spoken  to  the  people  as  to  the  significance  of  the  rite  in  which 
they  had  taken  part,  the  Communion  Service  followed,  over 
one  hundred  persons  receiving  the  Sacrament. 

Among  the  early  work  undertaken  by  Mr.  Jones  was  the 
revival  of  the  parish  paper'*  under  the  title,  "Christ  Church 
Messenger,"  in  the  form  of  an   illustrated  monthly,-''  designed 

1  This  class  is  also  the  banner  class  in  the  history  of  the  Dio- 
cese of  Harrisburg.  In  addition  one  member  of  the  Roman  Branch 
of  the  Catholic  Church  was  received  into  the  Church. 

2  The  Rev.  Harry  G.  Hartman  came  to  Christ  Church  on  August 
1,  1905,  after  graduating  from  the  General  Theological  Seminary. 
He  was  given  special  charge  over  St.  John's  Mission;  was  advanced 
to  the  priesthood  Trinity  Sunday,  I'JUC,  and  resigned  October  1, 
1900,  having  received  a  call  to  the  rectorship  of  Trinity  Church, 
Shamokin,  Pa. 

3  Bishop  Darlington's  staff  was  made  from  a  design  prepared 
by  Dr.  Hopkins,  and  it  was  first  carried  before  Bishop  Howe  by 
Dr.  Hopkins  himself,  when  he  acted  as  Bishop's  Chaplain  on  the 
occasion  of  the  consecration  of  Christ  Church  in  1879. 

i  Reference  to  this  paper  is  made  in  some  of  the  previous  chap- 
ters and  a  summary  of  its  history  given  in  "Summary  Notes,  'The 
Parish  Paper."  " 

0  Editor,  Rev.  W.  Northey  Jones;  Associate  Editors,  George  P. 
Crocker  and  Henry  C.  Parsons;  Advertising  Manager,  Frederick  W. 


Mr.  Jones's  Rectorship  93 

to  enable  the  members  of  the  parish  to  keep  in  close  touch  with 
all  its  affairs;  and  the  establishment  of  the  ''Knights  of  King 
Arthur,"  an  organization  of  boys,  which  has  developed  into  a 
sound  and  useful  club.^ 

Of  greater  importance  was  the  maintenance  of  interest  in 
the  probationary  chapter  of  the  Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew, 
organized  shortly  before  Mr.  Eckel  resigned,  under  the  presi- 
dency of  Mr.  A.  Thomas  Page.  This  work  resulted,  Septem- 
ber, 1907,  in  the  granting  of  a  charter,  No.  1962.  to  the  '"Christ 
Church,  Williamsport,  Chapter."  Twenty-five  men  were  en- 
rolled as  charter  members,  with  Mr.  Washington  Righter  as 
Director,  Mr.  Robert  Field,  Secretary,  and  Mr.  Jasper  Nichol- 
son, Treasurer.  The  Chapter  continues  active  and  is  of  much 
service  to  the  Church. 

( )f  great  help,  too,  was  the  organization  of  a  choir  of 
girls'  voices,  in  December,  1905,  to  assist  at  the  services  when 
the  regular  choir  could  not  be  present ;  daily  during  Lent,  and 
on  Wednesday  evenings  during  the  rest  of  the  year.  Origin- 
ally it  was  hoped  it  would  sing  first  at  the  early  communion 
service  on  Christmas  Day,  but  it  did  not  take  part  till  the  first 
r^Ionday  in  Lent — March  5,  1906.^ 

Zahn.  The  present  staff  (1910)  is:  Editor,  Rev.  W.  Northey 
Jones;  Associate  Editors,  George  P.  Crocker,  Augusta  Wilson,  Wil- 
liam U.  Mussina  and  Henry  C.  Parsons;  Circulation  Department,  A. 
Thomas  Page;  Advertising  Manager,  Hugh  Gilmore;  Assistant 
Manager,  J.  Raymond  Geiger. 

1  Originally  the  "Knights"  were  boys  between  the  ages  of  9  and 
14,  assisted  by  25  patronesses,  of  whom  Mrs.  C.  LaRue  Munson  was 
President,  and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Kilbourn,  Secretary-Treasurer.  Later, 
they  became  the  "Junior  Knights,"  owing  to  the  organization  of 
the  "Senior  Knights,"  who  were  boys  over  15  years  of  age,  assisted 
by  36  men  of  the  parish.  These  "Senior  Knights"  had  but  a  short 
existence,  and  on  January  2,  1908,  the  Junior  Knights  w'ere  reor- 
ganized as  "Knights  of  King  Arthur,"  under  the  direction  of  Mr. 
Edgar  Munson,  who  still  remains  in  charge.  The  boys  conduct 
their  own  meetings  under  parliamentary  rules,  and  when  in  session 
wear  picturesque  capes  as  the  insignia  of  their  knighthood. 

2  The  sacrifice  of  time  and  comfort  in  coming  daily,  no  matter 
what  the  weather,  is  greater  than  is  usually  appreciated.     The  time 


94  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

A  number  of  other  clubs  have  been  organized  and  have 
been  more  or  less  effective  in  accomplishing  the  purposes  for 
which  they  were  created ;  while  the  older  clubs,  such  as  "The 
J''arish  Ladies'  Aid  Society,"  "The  Woman's  Auxiliary  to  the 
Board  of  Missions,"  and  "St.  Mary's  Guild."  have  continued 
towers  of  strength.' 

From  the  beginning  Mr.  Jones  had  impressed  on  the 
X'estry  his  opinion  that  the  parish  house  must  be  enlarged  if 
successful  work  was  to  be  achieved,  and  to  a  man  they  not 
only  sympathized  with  him  in  his  desire,  but  set  to  work  to 
realize  it.  By  March,  1906,  St.  Mary's  Guild,  to  which  no 
task  seems  impossible,  commenced  the  work  of  raising  funds, 
and  the  Vestry  co-operated,  by  agreeing  to  set  aside  the 
Easter  offering  for  the  purpose  to  which  they  were  now  com- 
mitted. On  March  29,  1906,  the  architect  submitted  plans 
covering  alterations  the  estimated  cost  of  which  was  about 
$10,000.  That  sum  was  not  in  hand,  neither  were  the  altera- 
tions and  additions  sufficiently  extensive  for  the  work  that  was 
being  planned.  The  matter  went  over,  the  Vestry  appointing 
Miss  Lucy  O.  Scott.  Treasurer  of  St.  Mary's  Guild,  as  special 
treasurer  of  the  building  fund  till  a  sufficient  amount  had  been 
accumulated  to  justify  proceeding  with  the  work.-  The  Easter 
offering  in  1906  was  about  $3,400;  in  1907  it  was  about 
$3,800.  The  money  collected  justified  commencing  work  and 
the  plans  had  been  elaborated  till  they  seemed  adequate.  Bids 
were  asked  for  in  September,  and  obtained,  and  in  the  October 
"Messenger,"  the  editors  record  that  they  have  been  driven  out 
of  the  i)arish  house,  it  having  been  turned  over  to  the  contrac- 

aiid  help  given  by  .Mrs.  Gatsvard,  the  Misses  Lumley  and  others 
to  the  choir  is  acknowledged  in  "Summary  Notes,  'The  Choir.'  " 
The  Oxford  caps  and  materials  for  their  vestments  were  donated 
by   Mrs.   Allen    P.   Perley. 

1  It  would  seem  that  in  Christ  Church,  as  elsewhere,  for  length 
of  service  and  unremitting  effort,  the  women's  guilds  form  exam- 
ples utterly  unmatched  by  their  male  collaborators. 

:j  Kor  convenience  tlie  funds  were  actually  iiandlcd  as  l)y  the 
St.    Mary's    Guild. 


b^-s.z. 


O     - 
uj    cr 

a.  a 


Mr.  Jones's  Rectorship  95 

tor.^  Apparently  they  were  not  absolutely  homeless,  for  the 
School  Directors  of  the  Franklin  Building  generously  loaned 
them  a  room  in  which  to  meet. 

With  the  commencement  of  work  gifts  poured  in.  The 
plans  called  for  store-rooms,  lavatories,  club  rooms,  and  a 
bowling  alley  in  the  basement :  hall,  infants'  room,  choir  room, 
and  a  Sunday-School  room  on  the  first  floor,  the  last  named 
with  regular  stage  and  paraphernalia ;  and  for  club  rooms, 
kitchen,  study  and  an  auditorium  on  the  second  floor.  The 
furnishings  for  such  a  plant  must  of  necessity  be  costly,  and 
for  some  months  the  "Messenger"  seems  a  mere  chronicle  of 
gifts  of  furnishings,  windows,  fittings,  rugs,  etc.,  by  members 
of  the  parish,  who  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity  to 
both  help  the  project  and  erect  memorials  to  the  memory  of 
those  they  loved.^  By  the  date  the  parish  house  was  opened, 
October  12,  1908,  the  value  of  the  gifts  so  made  must  have 
equalled  nearly  $6,000,  while  the  sums  paid  by  the  church  it- 
self totaled  a  little  over  $24,000.  The  Easter  offering  in  1908 
had  reached  $4,200,  and  in  the  succeeding  year  $3,300  more 
was  realized  from  the  same  source.  All  bills  were  paid  and 
by  the  middle  of  1910  the  parish  house,  which,  with  furnish- 
ings, must  have  cost  $30,000,  was  paid  for  with  the  exception 
of  about  $1,500,  which  will  be  wiped  out  next  Easter. 

Hardly  had  the  parish  house  project  gotten  well  under 
way,  than  an  unexpected  gift  was  made  for  St.  John's  Mission 
on  the  South  Side.  Mr.  Henry  J.  Lutcher  and  ^.Ir.  G.  T.  Bedell 
Moore,  the  latter  the  son  of  a  former  rector  of  the  parish,  pre- 
sented to  the  Church  a  lot  on  Market  Street,  splendidly  situ- 

1  Samuel  Larrivee  was  the  contractor;  G.  W.  Talley,  clerk-of- 
the-works;  the  Vestry  Committee — the  Wardens  and  Messrs.  C. 
B.  Farr,  John  F.  Laedlein,  .Joseph  C.  Righter  and  William  C.  Rob- 
inson. The  contract  was  for  $14, .500,  exclusive  of  lighting,  heating, 
windows,   etc. 

2  The  individual  gifts  are  itemized  in  "Summary  Notes;  'Gifts, 
Memorials,  etc' "  Every  room  was  completely  furnished  through 
the  generosity  of  some  person  or  family  immediately  on  its  com- 
pletion. 


96  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

ated  and  of  ample  dimensions  to  permit  the  erection  on  it  of  a 
church,  parish  house  and  parsonage. 

The  possibiHties  that  this  gift  suggested  were  tremen- 
dous. At  the  beginning  of  his  incumbency  Mr.  Jones  had  re- 
quested the  Vestr\'  to  increase  the  salary  of  the  curate  to  $700, 
which  they  liad  done,  and  he  had  then  insisted  that  the  curate 
reside  on  the  South  Side,  among  the  people  to  whom  he  was 
supposed  to  minister,  instead  of  living  in  the  city  and  "visiting 
them."  as  in  the  past.  Only  by  perpetual  contact  and  com- 
munit}-  of  interest  did  he  believe  the  Mission  could  advance. 
On  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Hartman,  in  October,  1906,  he  had 
secured  ]\Ir.  Thomas  R.  Yates,^  who  was  the  type  of  man  he 
was  looking  for,  and  who  threw  himself  so  whole-heartedly 
into  the  work  as  to  soon  win  the  affection  of  his  people.  The 
chapel  was  a  wooden  building,  erected  by  Dr.  Hopkins  23 
\ears  ])reviously,  and  naturally  was  not  on  the  lot  presented. 
To  move  it  would  be  expensive ;  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
future,  unsatisfactory.  While  the  matter  was  being  considered 
Mr.  G.  T.  Bedell  Moore,  who  with  his  partner,  Mr.  Lutcher. 
had  just  given  the  lot,  solved  the  problem.  Writing  from  his 
residence  in  San  Antonio,  he  informed  the  Vestry  he  desired 
to  give  St.  John's  a  church  in  memory  of  his  father,  and  placed 
the  matter  of  its  erection  in  the  hands  of  Wardens  of  the  i)arish, 
only  asking  that  the  foundations  be  put  in  before  cold  weather. 
The  plans  drawn  by  Duhring,  ( )kie  &  Zieglcr,  calling  for  a 
church  of  brown  mountain  slone  up  to  the  eaves,  above  which 
there  was  to  lie  luiglish  open  timber  work,  were  accepted,  and 
the  necessary  excavations  commenced.  The  cost  was  esti- 
mated at  $10,000,  l)u(   before  c»)ni])]etion   the  hills  i)ai(l  by   Mr. 

1  'I'lic  llcv.  Thomas  R.  Yates  wa.s  born  in  Englaiui.  but  came 
to  this  country  as  a  young  man,  laboring  in  a  eoal  mine  in  order 
to  secure  money  to  get  through  college.  He  spent  four  years  at 
Harlem  Springs  College,  Ohio,  and  then  entered  Mt.  Union  Col- 
lege, Alliance,  Ohio,  graduating  in  1891.  He  spent  one  year  at 
the  Western  Theological  Seminary  (Methodist)  and  one  year  trav- 
eling in  Europe,  before  becoming  pastor  of  a  Methodist  church 
at  Pulaski,  Pa.  Mr.  Yat^  was  ordained  deacon  by  Bishop  Dar- 
lington, September,   1907,  and   priest   March    17,   1908. 


YUUUC     Li:>?»Alu 


^,Lr»«  w    rt»u»*OATIOMtf 


Mr.  Jones's  Rectorship  97 

Moore,  and  after  his  death  by  his  widow,  Mrs.  Moore,  totaled 
nearer  $20,000.  The  Vestry,  on  its  part,  promised  to  see  that 
a  parsonage  was  erected.  Early  in  the  next  year,  on  May  14, 
1908,  the  corner-stone  was  laid  by  Bishop  Darlington,  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  Masons  assisting,  while  the  Rev.  Mr.  Graff,  a 
former  rector  of  the  parish,  came  in  person  to  tell  his  remin- 
iscences of  the  Mission's  early  history.  The  clergy,  preceded 
by  the  vested  choir,  at  the  head  of  which  was  carried  the  pro- 
cessional cross,  left  Christ  Church  fully  vested,  and  followed 
by  the  Bishop  in  his  robes,  in  front  of  whom  was  carried  a 
pastoral  staff,  proceeded  out  Fourth  Street  to  Market  Street, 
and  thence  down  Market  Street,  across  the  bridge,  to  the  site 
of  the  new  church.  The  procession  was  a  dignified  one  and 
doubly  pleasant,  as  demonstrating  that,  excepting  in  the  larger 
cities,  the  Church  can  still  perform  her  rites  with  some  of  the 
pomp  that  befits  them,  without  fear  of  ribaldry  or  interruption. 

The  building  operations  proceeded  steadily  and  on  March 
28,  1909,  the  new  church  was  used  for  the  first  time;  being 
consecrated  by  Bishop  Darlington  shortly  after,  on  Ascension 
Day  of  that  year. 

The  completed  building  is  so  beautiful  that  it  adds  to  the 
sorrow  felt  throughout  the  parish  that  Mr.  Moore  did  not  live 
to  see  it.  He  died  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  on  October  11, 
1908,  his  body  being  brought  to  Williamsport  for  interment  in 
the  lot  which  contained  the  bodies  of  his  first  wife  and  two 
children.  His  sisters,  the  Misses  Gertrude,  Sarah  Vir- 
ginia and  Emily  Salter  Moore,  desired  the  permission  of  the 
Vestry  to  erect  a  window  to  Mr.  Moore's  memory  in  the  chan- 
cel, but  before  it  was  completed,  death  again  stepped  in 
and  claimed  Miss  Gertrude  Moore.  The  window  depicts 
six  scenes  in  the  life  of  St.  John,  and  is  probably  the  finest 
piece  of  stained  glass  in  Williamsport.  Upon  the  death  of 
her  husband  Mrs.  G.  T.  Bedell  Moore  assumed  his  interest  in 
the  Memorial  Church,  and  to  her  kindness  and  interest  much 
is  due.  The  rood,  altar,  reredos  and  sedilia  constitute  her 
tribute  to  Mr.  Moore's  memory. 

As  promised,  the  Vestry  proceeded  with  the  erection  of  a 


98  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

parsonage,  the  contract  price  being  $4,400,  Mr.  Yates  with  his 
family  moving  in  in  March,  19 10.  The  financial  problem  was 
so  far  simplified  through  the  sale  of  the  old  church  and  lots 
that  to-day,  despite  the  fact  that  it  cost  $5,000,  the  only  encum- 
brance on  the  property  is  a  mortgage  for  $1,500.^ 

The  two  large  building  operations  have  in  a  way  over- 
shadowed, so  far,  the  story  of  this  rectorship.  But  an  im- 
mense amount  has  been  done  in  other  ways,  the  most  far- 
reaching  act  being  the  decision  of  the  Vestry  to  rent  the  pews. 
When,  in  1866,  Mr.  Wadleigh  accepted  the  rectorship,  he  did 
so  only  upon  the  understanding  that  the  church  should  be 
made  a  free  church ;  and  it  has  been  recorded  how  he  and  Mr. 
Grange  spent  an  afternoon  carrying  down  into  the  cellar  the 
doors  of  the  pews,  in  order  that  it  might  not  only  be  free,  but 
appear  so.  Yet  the  history  of  the  church  since  his  tim^,  as  well 
as  before  it,  is  largely  one  of  financial  difficulties,  of  endless 
borrowings  and  payments  of  interest,  of  difficulties  experi- 
enced in  persuading  each  member  of  the  parish  to  pay  his 
share.  After  the  erection  of  the  Diocese  of  Harrisburg,  and 
the  election  of  Bishop  Darlington,  who  is  a  strong  believer  in 
pew-rentals,  the  Vestry,  after  much  anxious  consideration,  de- 
cided to  make  a  trial.  The  Bishop  visited  the  parish  in  1908 
and  spoke  plainly  to  the  congregation,  pointing  out  that, 
though  in  theory  the  free  church  was  most  excellent,  it  gen- 
erally failed  in  practice.  On  April  2y,  1908,  therefore,  the 
pew-rent  system  was  authorized  to  take  efifect  July  i.  A  dia- 
gram was  drawn  and  published  in  the  "Messenger,"  in  which 
the  rent  of  the  pews  was  shown  to  vary  from  $15  to  $120,  each 
pew  containing  five  sittings.  A  person  desiring  a  single  sit- 
ting could  have  one  assigned,  and  if  this  sitting  was  in  one  of 
the  $15  pews,  it  would  cost  him  but  54-5  cents  a  Sunday. 
Free  seats  were  provided  for  the  inmates  of  the  Girls'  Training 
School,  and  precautions  taken  to  prevent  those  unable  to  con- 
tibute  even  the  nominal  sum  named  from  feeling  that  the  new 

1  The  Mission  is  rapidly  becoming  self-supporting.  Christ 
Church  pays  $400  of  the  curate's  salary;  the  Mission  pays  the 
balance  and  all  other  expenses. 


Mr.  Jones's  Rectorship  99 

rule  affected  them.  The  committee  having  the  matter  in  charge 
went  to  work  and  has  been  so  successful  that  at  Easter,  1910, 
but  two  pews  and  fifteen  individual  sittings  remained  un- 
taken,  and  the  "Messenger"  reported  that  the  income  of  the 
Church  had  been  increased  by  $1,500. 

In  the  early  part  of  1907,  after  careful  consideration  on 
the  part  of  the  Vestry,  an  amended  charter^  was  submitted  to 
the  congregation  at  a  parish  meeting.  Being  approved,  it  was 
forwarded  to  the  President  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common 
Pleas  of  Lycoming  County  and  subsequently  approved  by  him.^ 

Work  of  all  kinds  has  gone  forward  during  the  past  five 
years,  but  none  has  done  more  to  beautify  the  church  itself 
than  the  presentation  of  memorial  windows.  When,  at  the 
April,  1905,  meeting  of  the  Vestry,  Messrs.  Robert  Hallam 
Munson  and  C.  LaRue  Munson  requested  permission  to  place 
in  the  church  a  window  in  memory  of  their  parents,  and  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  H.  Doebler,  at  the  same  time,  requested  permission 
to  place  a  window  in  the  church  in  memory  of  her  husband, 
the  nature  of  the  windows,  and  the  cumulative  effect  to  be  ob- 
tained, was  seriously  considered,  and  it  was  decided  that  donors 
should  be  requested  to  have  the  windows  depict  scenes  from 

1  The  amendments  were  of  a  nature  to  enable  tlie  Vestry  to 
better  administer  tlie  financial  affairs  of  the   parish. 

2  In  every  rectorship  losses  by  death  are  inevitable.  On  No- 
vember 19,  1908,  Mr.  John  B.  Dayton,  who,  confirmed  in  1860,  had 
become  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School,  and  later,  1892,  a 
member  of  the  Vestry,  passed  away,  after  attending  Christ  Church 
for  48  years.  The  officers  of  the  Sunday  School  met  and  passed 
suitable  resolutions,  the  Vestry  taking  similar  action. 

Mr.  William  Humbert  Kilbourn,  who  had  attained  manhood 
before  entering  the  Episcopal  Church,  died  suddenly  on  March  14, 
1908.  Though  only  connected  with  Christ  Church  since  1899,  he 
had  worked  so  indefatigably  for  her  interests — especially  in  the 
Sunday  School — that  his  loss  was  a  severe  one.  The  oSicers  of 
the  Sunday  School  met  and  passed  suitable  resolutions. 

On  January  31,  1907,  Miss  Saiah  Ann  Damant,  the  sister  of 
Mr.  James  Damant,  who  served  the  parish  in  so  many  capacities, 
died  peacefully  in  her  home.  She  was  much  loved  in  the  parish 
and  had  recently  celebrated  her  101st  birthday. 


(^77798 


loo  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

the  life  of  Christ,  while  the  windows  themselves  should  be  so 
I)laced  that  the  scenes  would  follow  each  other  in  chronological 
order. ^ 

Of  the  four  windows  in  the  church,  given  during  the 
present  rectorship,  the  first  to  be  unveiled  was  the  "The  Na- 
tivity," given  in  memory  of  Edgar  and  Maria  Curtis  Munson^ 
by  their  sons,  Robert  Hallam  and  Cyrus  LaRue  Munson.  It 
was  unveiled  by  Robert  Hallam  Munson  on  All  Saints'  Day, 
1905,  in  the  presence  of  the  Bishop  of  the  Diocese,  a  number 
of  clergy  and  a  large  congregation,  to  whom  Mr.  Cyrus  LaRue 
Munson  read  a  paper  commemorating  the  lives  of  his  parents. 

The  second  window  to  be  placed  in  position  was  that  of 
"The  .Ascension, "  presented  by  the  legatees  of  James  Van  du 
Zee  Brown''  to  his  memory,  and  unveiled  by  Mr.  Edmund  B. 
Piper  on  June  4,  1906.  The  ceremonies  were  simple,  but 
gained  dignity  through  the  presence  of  the  Bishops  of  Harris- 
burg  and  Maryland,  the  latter.  Dr.  Paret,  having  been  the 
rector  who  first  a]:)pointed  Mr.  Brown  warden. 

In  1905  Mrs.  Elizabeth  W.  Doebler  had  made  arrange- 
ments to  place  a  window  to  the  memory  of  her  husband,  but 
before  they  could  be  completed  she  herself  was  stricken  by 
death.  So  it  was  not  till  the  17th  of  October,  1907,  that  the 
window,  "Christ  before  the  Doctors,"  was  unveiled  by  Mr. 
John  Doebler,  who  on  behalf  of  the  family  presented  it  to  the 
church  in  memory  of  V^alcntine  Smith  and  Elizabeth  Hepburn 
Doebler. 

1  Mr.  Eckel  had  suggested  the  scheme  to  the  Vestry  during  his 
rectorship  and  warmly  advocated  it.  Unfortunately  the  condition 
of  the  older  windows  made  the  moving  of  them  such  a  hazardous 
proposition  that  they  remain  as  originally  placed. 

■-'  Edgar  Munson  was  for  years  a  warden  of  Christ  Church  and 
a  short  notice  of  his  life  has  been  inserted  in  the  chapter  "Mr. 
Graff's  Rectorship."  His  wife,  Lucy  Maria  Curtis,  whom  he  mar- 
ried in  1852,  was  as  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  church  as  he 
himself.  She  passed  away  February  10,  1902.  less  than  a  year 
after  her  husband's  death. 

3  .James  Van  du  Zee  Brown  became  a  warden  of  Christ  Church 
during  the  rectorship  of  Dr.  Paret.  A  short  account  of  his  life 
hag  been  inserted  In  the  chapter,  "Dr.  Paret's  Rectorship." 


Mr.  Jones's  Rectorship  tot 

The  last  of  the  windows,  that  of  "Christ  Seated  in  Glory," 
was  placed  in  the  triangular  panel  over  the  main  entrance.  It 
was  presented  as  a  memorial  to  George  Westle  Baird,  by  Mrs. 
Susanna  and  Miss  Alma  A.  Baird,  his  widow  and  daughter, 
and  unveiled  on  the  Eve  of  All  Saints,  1909. 

Many  other  gifts  have  been  made,  of  which  the  Sanctuary 
Rail,  a  memorial  to  Carile  Cone  Brown,^  presented  by  her  sis- 
ters, Mrs.  Allen  P.  Perley  and  Mrs.  Helen  A.  Piper,  and  the 
tablet  to  Mr.  John  White  and  his  son,  John  Allison  White, 
presented  by  Mrs.  John  White,  are  the  most  important. 

The  spiritual  life  and  the  social  life  of  the  parish  have 
both  progressed.  The  "Messenger"  records  numbers  as 
present  at  and  receiving  the  Eucharist  and  an  immense  num- 
ber of  pastoral  calls  both  bv  the  Rector  and  the  Deaconess. 
The  new  parish  house,  with  its  complete  equipment  of  bowling 
alleys,  billiard  tables,  guild  rooms  and  auditoriums,  has  proven 
a  magnet  of  attraction.  The  Men's  Club,  entertained  by 
various  members  of  the  church,  has  on  several  occasions  as- 
sembled a  hundred  strong,  to  listen  to  lectures,  to  smoke  and 
to  banquet.  The  girls  also  have  organized.  The  Sewing  Club 
is  active  and  the  Girls'  Friendly  and  other  guilds  keep  steadily 
at  work.  Parochial  missions  have  been  held :  in  Christ  Church, 
February  11-28,  T908,  under  the  Rev.  Kenneth  Mackenzie,  Jr.; 
in  St.  John's  Chapel,  November  17-23,  T906,  under  different 
preachers.  The  services,  about  once  a  month,  for  deaf-mutes, 
of  whom  there  are  sixteen  communicants  in  the  parish,  have 
been  continued  under  the  Rev.  Franklin  C.  Smileau,^  and  in 
November,  1907,  a  i^Iissionary  mass  meeting  was  held,  with 
Bishop  Spalding,  of  Salt  Lake,  and  Bishop  Kinsolving,  of 
Texas,  as  the  speakers.  The  work  organized  by  Mr.  Eckel  in 
the  Church  of  the  Epiphany  for  colored  people  was  recalled  in 

1  Carile  Cone  Brown  was  the  wife  of  James  Van  du  Zee  Brown. 

2 The  Rev.  Mr.  Smlleau,  himself  a  deaf  mute,  is  doing  wonder- 
ful work.  Despite  his  physical  handicap,  he  took  the  full  course 
of  theology,  including  Greek  and  Hebrew.  He  covers  the  dioceses 
of  Harrisburg,  Bethlehem  and  Western  New  York — some  36,000 
square  miles. 


I02  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

November,  1906,  when  the  Rev.  Joseph  W.  Livingston,  a  col- 
ored priest,  held  a  service  for  the  members  of  his  race  in  the 
church  and  organized  a  guild.  In  all  undertakings  the  choir 
has  responded  to  the  calls  made  upon  it,  the  special  services  of 
Maunder's  "Song  of  Thanksgiving,"  1905  and  1906,  and  of 
the  same  composer's  "Penitence,  Pardon  and  Peace,"  in  Lent, 
1909  and  1910,  standing  out  as  brilliant  achievements.  In  en- 
tertainments to  raise  funds  for  various  purposes  the  members 
of  the  parish  have  worked  unselfishly  and  eflfectively.^ 

In  the  Diocese  the  election  of  the  Senior  Warden,  Mr.  C. 
LaRue  Munson,  to  the  Chancellorship  has  added  to  the  im- 
portance of  the  parish,  while  the  organization  of  an  annual 
Laymen's  Banquet  of  the  Archdeaconry  of  Williamsport,  un- 
der the  direction  oi  the  Williamsport  Clericus,^  has  aroused 
and  concentrated  enthusiasm  amongst  the  laymen  to  an  unex- 
pected degree. 

The  parish,  permeated  with  a  spirit  of  loyalty,  sound 
financially  and  equipped  with  adequate  organizations  and  build- 
ings for  its  work,  celebrates  the  seventieth  anniversary  of  the 
first  Episcopal  Church  service  in  Williamsport,  in  the  fall  of 
the  present  year.  That  the  completion  of  three-score  years  and 
ten  of  its  history — the  allotted  length  of  a  man's  life — will 
mean  to  it  merely  renewed  life,  in  which  it  will  continue  to 
labor  for  the  advancement  of  the  Kingdom,  cannot  be  doubted. 


1  "The  Coming  of  Ruth,"  a  costumed  cantata,  was  sung  at  the 
Opera  House  April  4  and  5,  1907,  by  a  chorus  of  one  hundred 
voices;  a  variety,  "The  County  Fair,"  was  produced  at  the  Valla- 
mont  Theatre  June  14,  1907;  and  "Across  the  Continent"  at  the 
Opera  House,  September  18,  1908.  In  addition,  dozens  of  enter- 
tainments of  various  kinds  have  been  given. 

2  The  Annual  Banquet  is  under  the  direction  of  the  Williams- 
port Clericus.  Suggested  by  Mr.  Jones  at  a  meeting  in  1906,  the 
Vestries  of  Christ  Church  and  Trinity  Church  were  called  together 
and  the  necessary  arrangements  made.  Each  year  since  that  lime 
between  .300  and  400  Churchmen  have  sat  down  in  token  of  their 
good  fellowship  and  desire  to  promote  the  interests  of  the  Church. 
Speeches  by  prominent  clerics  and  laymen  have  been  by  no  moans 
the  least  enjoyable  features  of  the  dinners. 


SUMMARY  NOTES.i 


Before  bringing  this  sketch  to  an  end  it  will  be  desirable 
to  present,  in  summary  form,  a  few  notes  under  the  following 
heads :  The  Parish  Paper ;  The  Bishops  of  the  Diocese ;  List 
of  the  Clergy ;  Lay  Officers  and  Prominent  Lay-Workers ; 
Choir  and  Music;  The  Money  Problem;  Wadleigh  (St. 
Mary's)  Chapel ;  St.  John's  Chapel ;  Memorials  and  Thank- 
offerings  and  The  Parish  in  Archdeaconry  and  Diocese. 


1  Mr.  Eckel's  narrative  is  here  resumed.  For  that  part  of  the 
text,  however,  which  relates  to  his  and  Mr.  Jones's  rectorships,  the 
Registrar  is  responsible.   [Ed.] 

103 


Summary  Notes 


THE  PARISH  PAPER. 


From  the  beginning  of  Dr.  Paret's  rectorship  onward  the 
chronicler  of  Christ  Church  Parish  history  is  embarrassed,  not 
by  the  dearth  of  data,  but  by  its  abundance.  For  there  is 
available  a  file  of  parish  magazines  which,  supplemented  b}'^ 
the  Rev.  C.  F.  Sweet's  biography  of  Dr.  Hopkins,  "A  Cham- 
pion of  the  Cross,"  from  which  quotations  have  already  been 
made,  and  other  literary  material,  gives  one  a  vivid  story  of 
that  progressive  development  from  year  to  year  which  has  not 
only  given  the  parish  a  foremost  place  in  the  Diocese,  but  made 
its  savor  of  good  works  to  be  smelled  abroad. 

"The  Parish  Guide"  was  begun  by  Dr.  Paret  in  February, 
1870,  and  published  continuously  until  the  end  of  1875.^  It 
was  a  modest  little  paper  of  eight  or  twelve  pages  (the  one 
size  or  other,  according  to  circumstances),  9x6  inches.  On 
the  upper  part  of  the  cover  appeared  the  picture  of  a  battle- 
mented  church-door  bearing  the  name,  "Parish  Guide,"  with 
the  year  over  the  door,  and  flanked  on  either  side  with  grape 
and  ivy  vines.  Lower  down  was  the  motto:  "Whatsoever  ye 
do,  do  it  heartily,  as  to  the  Lord,  and  not  unto  men — Colos- 
sians  iii :  23."  In  his  initial  number  the  Rector  remarked: 
"Those  who  will  take  the  trouble  to  preserve  successive  num- 
bers and  have  them  bound  will  find  them  a  good  record  of 
parish  history."  He  asks  for  100  subscribers  at  $1.50  each, 
but  was  evidently  disappointed,  for  again  and  again  the  rector- 
editor  expresses  his  fear  that  the  publication  of  the  little  paper 
must  soon  come  to  an  end  for  lack  of  financial  support.  Yet 
each  time  until  December,  1875,  his  friends  seem  to  have  ral- 

1  The  following  numbers  are  yet  missing  from  the  file,  and  will 
be  gladly  received  from  any  persons  who  can  supply  them:  Octo- 
ber and  December,  1873;  November.  1874,  and  all  but  March  and 
April  of  the  year  1875.     [Ed.] 

105 


io6  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

lied  to  his  aid  and  the  paper  went  on,  the  subscription  price, 
however,  being  reduced  to  60  cents  for  1871,  but  raised  to 
$1.00  the  next  year.  At  one  time  for  a  considerable  period  the 
"business  management''  was  lodged  in  the  hands  of  a  com- 
mittee of  "the  Brotherhood,"  composed  of  Messrs.  J.  J. 
Crocker  and  F.  E.  Gleim  (January,  1872). 

\Yc  find  tlic  Rector  not  only  maintaining  the  "free  seats" 
policy  of  his  i:)redecessor  "as  a  pecuniary  policy,"  but  defend- 
ing it  "on  grounds  of  holy  principle."  We  note  also  that  in 
the  issue  for  May,  1870,  he  expresses  his  gratitude  for  "the 
prompt  fulfilment,  and  more  than  fulfilment,  of  every  promise 
made  me ;  the  warm  personal  friendship  and  interest  mani- 
fested, with  many  instances  of  personal  kindness ;  the  ready 
co-operation  in  all  the  Rector's  plans  and  purposes  of  Church 
work ;  the  hearty  confidence  and  utter  lack  of  fault-finding,  and 
the  tokens  of  growing  interest  and  zeal." 

The  first  number  of  "Christ  Church  Messenger"  appeared 
in  March,  1888.  This  was  a  twelve-page  magazine,  9>4  x  7 
inches,  with  a  four-page  colored  cover.  The  "Messenger"  was 
a  more  ambitious  periodical  than  the  "Guide,"  and  contained, 
besides  its  monthly  quota  of  parochial  news  items  and  exhorta- 
tions, some  columns  of  well  selected  articles  from  the  general 
Church  press  and  a  condensed  summary  of  Church  movements 
and  notable  events  at  home  and  abroad,  especially  in  the  mis- 
sion fields  of  the  Church.  From  time  to  time  Mr.  Graflf  ex- 
presses misgivings  like  to  those  of  Dr.  Paret  regarding  his 
ability  to  keep  up  this  publication,  but  assistance  seems  ever  to 
have  been  forthcoming  until  Febraury,  1894.  when  we  read  a 
pathetic  "farewell."'  Publication  was  suspended  each  year 
during  the  months  of  August  and  September.  The  subscrip- 
tion price  of  the  "Messenger"  throughout  its  history  was  25 
cents  a  year.  During  Mr.  Grafif's  time  the  cover  bore  the  mot- 
toes:    "One  Holv  Cathnh'c  and  Apostolic  Church"  and  "  'Thus 

1  The  only  missing  numbers  from  the  file  arc  June  and  July, 
1889.  It  is  supposed  that  no  June  number  was  published  on  ac- 
count of  the  flood,  and  perhaps  the  same  reason  explains  the  ab- 
sence of  the  July  number. 


The  Parish  Paper  107 

saith  the  Lord,  Ask  for  the  old  paths,  where  is  the  good  way, 
and  ye  shall  find  rest  for  your  souls' — Jer.  vi:i5."  The  names 
of  "Wadleigh  Chapel,  East  Williamsport,"  and  "St.  John's 
Chapel,  South  Williamsport,"  also  appeared  on  the  front  im- 
mediately below  the  name  and  location  of  the  parish  church. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  the  present  writer  to  enter  upon 
the  period  of  his  own  rectorship,  but  it  may  here  be  added,  for 
the  sake  of  completeness,  that  "Christ  Church  Messenger"  was 
revived  by  Mr.  Eckel  in  March,  1897,  as  a  four-page  leaflet, 
io>4  X  7%  inches  (later  reduced  to  9>4  x6),  and  ran  for  two 
years,  when  its  discontinuance  was  necessitated  by  the  with- 
drawal of  advertising  under  a  rule  of  the  merchants'  associa- 
tion against  all  publications  but  newspapers.  Under  altered 
circumstances  a  later  revival  of  the  paper  by  Mr.  Jones  came 
in  October,  1905,  when  its  form  and  style  were  greatly  im- 
proved, and  it  has  continued  its  appearance  since  then  as  an 
illustrated  monthly.^ 

This  resume  of  the  history  of  the  parish  papers  has  been 
deemed  a  proper  subject  of  introduction  here  for  the  reason 
that  both  the  clergy  and  parishioners  have  always  regarded 
their  parish  paper  as  an  important  agency  in  maintaining  and 
forwarding  the  prosperity  of  the  parish. 

1  Ten  issues  a  year.     Not  published  in  July  and  August.     [Ed.] 


Summary  Notes 


THE  BISHOPS  OF  THE  DIOCESE. 


It  should  not  be  forgotten  that  to  a  larger  degree  than 
rectors  or  people  realize,  the  prosperity  of  a  parish  depends 
upon  the  personality  and  administrative  efficiency  of  the 
Bishop.  If  the  parishioners  in  general  know  the  Bishop  of  the 
Diocese  only  as  an  occasional  visitor  to  their  church,  chiefly 
for  the  Laying  on  of  Hands  in  Confirmation,  the  clergy^  know 
him  as  a  personal  friend  and  adviser,  as  a  Father  in  God,  as 
the  Chief  Shepherd,  as  the  Pastor  of  Pastors,  and  as  the  direc- 
tor of  policies  designed  to  strengthen,  invigorate,  and  expand 
the  corporate  life  of  the  Church.  Not  a  little  of  the  success  of 
the  parochial  and  missionary  clergy  of  a  diocese  is  due  to  the 
encouragement  and  guidance  of  their  Bishop,  to  the  private 
admonitions,  incentives,  and  example  of  their  chief.  But  if 
the  majority  of  parishioners  are  unaware  of  the  Bishop's  influ- 
ence in  their  religious  affairs,  it  is  not  so  with  the  Vestry  or 
with  the  lay-delegates  to  the  Diocesan  Convention.  The  prac- 
tical value  of  the  episcopal  system  is  made  clearly  evident  as 
to  the  clergy,  so  also  to  the  lay-officials  of  the  Church,  in  a  mul- 
tiplicity of  ways.  Under  the  leadership  and  counsels  of  a 
strong  and  able  Bishop,  a  beneficial  impress  is  made  upon  each 
parish  and  mission  in  the  Diocese.  When,  therefore,  one 
would  reckon  up  the  forces  which  have  made  Christ  Church 
Parish,  Wiliiamsport,  what  it  is,  the  names  and  splendid  per- 
sonality of  its  Bishops  must  not  be  forgotten. 

It  is  an  interesting  circumstance  in  our  history  that  all 
the  early  Bishops  of  Pennsylvania  except  the  first  (the  Right 
Rev.  William  White,  D.  D..  who  died  in  1836,)  have  officially 
visited  this  parish  and  ministered  to  our  people.  Their  por- 
traits and  those  of  the  Bishops  of  Central  Pennsylvania,  and 
that  of  the  present  Bishop  of  Harrisburg,  can  be  seen  hanging 
on  the  walls  of  the  ve.stry-room. 

109 


no  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

Our  Fathers  in  God  have  been  the  following: 
Bishops  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  Right  Rev.  Henry  Ustick  Onderdonk,  D.  D.,  born 
1789,  consecrated  Assistant  Bishop  of  Pennsylvania  in  1827, 
became  second  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  in  1836,  and  died  in  1858. 

The  Right  Rev.  Alonzo  Potter,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  born  1800, 
consecrated  1845,  ^'id  died  1865. 

The  Right  Rev.  Samuel  Bowman,  D.  D.,  born  1800,  con- 
secrated Assistant  Bishop  in  1858,  and  died  1861. 

The  Right  Rev.  William  Bacon  Stevens,  D.  D.,  LL.  D., 
born  181 5,  consecrated  fourth  Bishop  of  Pennsylvania  in  1862, 
and  died  1887.  During  his  episcopate  the  Diocese  was  divided 
(1871),  and  thereafter  the  Diocese  of  Central  Pennsylvania 
had  its  own  Bishops. 

Bisiioi'S  OF  Central  Pennsylvania. 

The  Right  Rev.  Mark  Antony  DeWolfe  Howe,  D.  D., 
LL.  D.,  born   1809,  consecrated   1871,  and  died  1895. 

The  Right  Rev.  Nelson  Somerville  Rulison,  D.  D.,  born 
1842,  consecrated  Assistant  Bishop  in  1884,  became  Bishop  of 
the  Diocese  in  1895,  and  died  1897. 

The  Right  Rev.  Ethelbert  Talbot,  D.  D.,  LL.  D..  born 
1848,  consecrated  Missionary  Bishop  of  Wyoming  and  Idaho 
in  1887,  and  translated  to  Central  Pennsylvania  as  Diocesan  in 
1898.  During  his  episcopate  the  Diocese  was  divided  (1904), 
and  the  Diocese  of  Harrisburg  erected,  Dr.  Darlington  being 
elected  its  first  Bishop.^ 

Els  1 1  OPS  ov  Harrisburg. 
The  Right  Rev.  James  Henry  Darlington,  D.  D.,  LL.  D., 
I'll.    J).,   born    1856,   consecrated   first    Ijishop    of   Harrisburg 
1905. 

1  The  name  "Diocese  of  Central  Pennsylvania"  has  since  been 
changed  to  "Diocese  of  nctlilehcm."     [li^d.] 


Summary  Notes 


LIST  OF  THE  CLERGY. 


Rectors — (i)  The  Rev.  Edwin  Nathaniel  Lightner,  April 
I,  i84Q-June  13,  1842;  (2)  The  Rev.  John  Baker  Clemson, 
June  26,  1842-April  16,  1843;  (3)  The  Rev.  Thomas  Coffin 
Yarnall,  Deacon,  September  17,  1843-April  11,  1844;  (4)  The 
Rev.  William  James  Clark,  November  15,  1846-April  6,  1851 ; 
(5)  The  Rev.  John  Henry  Black,  October  10,  1 851 -June  12, 
1853;  (6)  The  Rev.  Edward  Purdon  Wright,  October  10, 
1853-April  II,  1854;  (7)  The  Rev.  W.  H.  Cooper,  Septem- 
ber 17,  1854-July  20,  1855 ;  (8)  The  Rev.  Richard  Channing 
Moore,  October  20,  1855-October  — ,  1865 ;  (9)  The  Rev. 
Albra  Wadleigh,  April  i,  1866- April  i,  1869;  (10)  The  Rev. 
William  Paret,  D.  D.,  May  i,  1869-October  4,  1876;  (11)  The 
Rev.  John  Henry  Hopkins,  D.  D.,  S.  T.  D.,  December  10, 
1876-October  I,  1887;  (12)  The  Rev.  William  Henry  Graff, 
November  25,  1887-May  4,  1896;  (13)  The  Rev.  Edward 
Henry  Eckel,  B.  D.,  November  i,  1896-March  i,  1905;  and 
(14)  The  Rev.  William  Northey  Jones,  May,  1905 . 

Of  these  fourteen  rectors  the  addresses  of  those  who  are 
still  living  are :  Dr.  Yarnall,  Philadelphia ;  Bishop  Paret,  Bal- 
timore ;  Mr,  Graff,  Philadelphia ;  Mr.  Eckel,  St.  Joseph ;  and 
Mr.  Jones,  Williamsport. 

Assistants. — (i)  The  Rev.  Samuel  Earp,  July  5,  1868- 
January  i,  1869;  (2)  The  Rev.  Charles  Edward  Dobson,  Octo- 
ber 3,  1880-March  30,  1886;  (3)  The  Rev.  William  Louis 
Woodruff,  December  28,  1886  (?)-November  4,  1888;  (4) 
The  Rev.  David  Stuart  Hamilton,  July  i,  1889-November  16, 
1890;  (5)  The  Rev.  Lansing  Swan  Humphrey,  January  15, 
1891-July  I,  1891  ;  (6)  The  Rev.  Morris  Washington  Christ- 
man,  July  3,  1891-June  I,  1894;  (7)  The  Rev.  Lauren  Pet- 
tebone  Wolfe,  July  i,  1898- February  28,  1900;  (8)  The  Rev. 
Thomas  Henry  Johnston,  March  i,  1900- June  i,  1900;   (9) 

III 


IT2  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

The  Rev.  William  A.  Eardley  (Thomas),  September  i,  1900- 
December  i,  1900;  (10)  The  Rev.  James  VVhalley  Diggles, 
February  i,  1901-December  9,  1902;  (11)  The  Rev.  Martin 
Damer,  F"cbruary  i,  1903-Xovember  26,  1903;  (12)  The  Rev. 
Job  Osiander  Babin,  May  30,  1904-February  i,  1905;  (13) 
Rev.   Harry   G.   Hartman,  August   i.    1905-October   i,    1906; 

(14)  Rev.  Thomas  R.  Yates,  October  1,  1906 . 

The  Rev.  Enos  Josiah  Ealsley  lived  with  Dr.  Hopkins 
contemporaneously  with  Mr.  Dobson  and  served  outlying 
missions,  but  took  occasional  duty  in  this  parish. 

The  Rev.  William  Jenkins  likewise  lived  in  Williamsport 
and  ministered  outside,  contemporaneously  with  Mr.  Diggles, 
but  often  officiated  in  the  churches  of  Christ  Church  Parish. 

The  Rev.  George  Read  Savage  and  the  Rev.  Harry  Mc- 
Dowell served  as  assistants  temporarily  between  Mr.  Wood- 
ruflf  and  Mr.  Hamilton. 

The  Rev.  Alfred  Evan  Johnson  was  locum  tencns  between 
Dr.  Paret  and  Dr.  Hopkins ;  the  Rev.  William  H.  Burbank 
between  Mr.  Graff  and  Mr.  Eckel ;  and  the  Rev.  Joseph  F. 
John  between  Mr.  Eckel  and  Mr.  Jones. 

Deaconess. — Mrs.  Eliza  Anna  (Derr)  Christman  (widow 
of  the  Rev.  Morris  Washington  Christman,  Assistant,  July, 
1891-June,  1894)  was  set  apart  as  a  deaconess  May  8.  1898, 
and  still  ministers  in  the  parish. 


!if;AHY 


Frank  C.  Bowmam 


gJohn  B.Irvin 


Vestrymen  o/^  Christ  Church 

Easter     /9'o 


Summary  Notes 


LAY   OFFICERS   AND   PROMINENT 
LAY-WORKERS. 


This  narrative  would  not  be  complete  nor  just  to  the 
people  of  Christ  Church  Parish  were  it  to  pass  over  without 
notice  the  names  and  active  services  of  the  many  earnest  and 
devout  lay-folk  whose  zeal  and  generosity  have  contributed 
so  signally  to  its  prosperity. 

The  records  of  the  Vestry  reveal  the  interesting  fact 
that,  with  the  rarest  exceptions,  a  layman  once  chosen  to  mem- 
bership in  the  Vestry  is  annually  re-elected  and  remains  in 
this  body  until  his  death  or  removal  from  the  city.  Several 
of  these  records  of  long  service  are  particularly  noteworthy. 

Of  the  Vestry  chosen  when  the  parish  was  organized  in 
February,  1841,  Mr.  F.  C.  Campbell  served  first  as  Vestry's 
Warden  until  1853,  then  as  Rector's  Warden  from  1855  until 
his  death  in  1865,  a  period  of  24  years  in  all. 

Mr.  Campbell  was  succeeded  as  Vestry's  Warden  by  Mr. 
Lester  Griswold,  who  had  been  Rector's  Warden  from:  the 
time  of  Judge  Ellis  and  a  vestryman  from  the  date  of  organi- 
zation. Mr.  Griswold  died  in  January,  1867,  after  26  years' 
service. 

Major  J.  H.  Perkins,  whose  death  at  the  great  age  of 
91  years,  occurred  July  17,  1893,  succeeded  Mr.  Griswold 
as  Vestry's  Warden  in  1867,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
had  been  a  member  of  the  Vestry  for  over  40  years  and 
warden  for  more  than  half  that  time. 

Mr.  Oliver  Watson  was  a  vestryman  from  1841  till  his 
death  in  August,  1882,  a  period  of  over  41  \'ears. 

Mr.  John  White  was  elected  April  9,  1855,  and  served  in 
the  Vestry  for  34  years,  till  his  death  in  1890. 

Judge  Maynard  was  a  -vestryman  from  1841  till  the  or- 
ganization of  Trinity  Parish  in  1865,  a  period  of  24  years. 

Mr.  James  Damant  was   elected  "Clerk  of  the  Vestry" 

113 


114  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

April  12,  1852,  and  in  this  capacity,  later  as  a  member  of  the 
Vestry,  as  Parish  Treasurer,  and  for  many  years  as  organist 
of  the  church,  served  a  period  of  over  21  years. 

^Ir.  J.  \'.  Brown  became  a  vestryman  in  1863,  and  served 
for  41  years,  till  his  death  in  1904.  He  was  appointed  Rec- 
tor's Warden  in  1873,  and  elected  Vestry's  Warden  upon  the 
death  of  Mr.  Edgar  Munson  in  1901. 

Dr.  W.  F.  Logan  was  a  vestryman  from  1863  till  Easter, 
1892,  a  period  of  29  years.     He  died  December  20,  1892. 

Mr.  n.  C.  Parsons,  Sr.,  was  a  member  of  the  Vestry  from 
April  2,  1866,  until  his  death,  November  21,  1898,  a  period 
of  32  years. 

Col.  F.  E.  Embick  served  from  January  28,  1867,  until 
his  removal  to  New  York  City  in  1901,  a  period  of  34  years. 

Mr.  Charles  B.  Howard  served  as  vestryman  from  April 
18,  1870,  till  his  removal  from  the  city  in  the  summer  of  1891, 
a  period  of  21  years. 

Mr.  J.  J.  Crocker  became  Secretary  and  Treasurer  April 
28,  1873,  ^^'^s  elected  vestryman  six  years  later,  and  served  till 
his  death,  April  2,  1902,  a  period  of  29  years.  He  became 
Rector's  Warden  June  4,  1901. 

Mr.  Edgar  Munson,  Sr.,  was  elected  to  the  Vestry  on 
Easter  Monday,  April  6,  1874,  became  Vestry's  Warden  nearly 
20  years  later,  February  i,  1894,  and  died  in  1901,  after  27 
years'  service  in  the  Vestry. 

Of  the  present  Vestry  three  have  been  members  for  over 
20  3'ears,  namely,  Mr.  C.  LaRue  Munson.  since  1881  ;  Mr.  A. 
P.  Perley,  since  1883;  and  Mr.  John  F.  Laedlein,  since  Octo- 
ber 6,  1888. 

Other  important  names  a  quarter  of  a  century  or  more 
ago  arc  the  Hon.  Chief  Justice  Ellis  Lewis,  E.  C.  Johnson,  H. 
F.  Snyder,  V.  S.  Doebler,  F.  H.  Bunnell.  John  Piatt,  D.  W. 
Smith,  George  Webb,  Martin  Powell.  V.  \.  Page,  Judge  H. 
H.  Cummin,  D.  H.  Mcrriman,  A.  II.  Merrill,  K.  FL  Biggs, 
J.  H.  Fry,  Dr.  J.  A.  L.  P.urrell,  and  F.  E.  Clleim.  all  of  whom 
served  on  the  Vestry. 

The  long  service  of  Mr.  C.  LaRuc  Munson  as  la)-supcr- 


/^ 


George:  R  Crocker 


Edward  P  Almy 


Vestryman  o/^'' Christ  Church 

Easter,     iqio 


Lay  Officers  and  Prominent  Lay-Workers        115 

intenclent  of  the  Sunday  School  deserves  special  notice.  Shar- 
ing with  Mr.  A.  Howard  Merritt  a  "joint  superintendency" 
from  1877  to  1882,  Mr.  Munson  continued  at  the  head  of  the 
school  until   1892,  a  period  of  twenty-five  years. 

It  would  be  difficult  if  not  impossible  to  particularize  all 
the  old  families  of  the  parish  or  mention  the  names  of  all  the 
active  workers  of  Christ  Church  during  the  70  years  of  its 
history.  Many  such  names  have  occurred  in  the  course  of 
this  sketch.  But  there  is  one  fact  of  special  interest  that 
should  be  noted  in  this  connection.  To  a  remarkable  degree 
one  finds  the  interest  of  many  families  continued  through  the 
second,  third,  and  fourth  generations,  and  embracing  also 
connections  by  marriage  on  both  sides.  Of  such  families  yet 
identified  with  Christ  Church  may  be  named  the  Griswolds, 
Watsons,  Whites,  Perkinses,  Browns,  Munsons,  Perleys, 
Crockers,  Parsonses,  Daytons,  Logans,  Piatts,  Zahns,  Gilmores, 
Pottses,  and  some  others.  These  names  must  be  recorded  with 
appreciation  and  gratitude.  Of  devout  communicants  there 
are  many  whose  connection  with  the  parish  runs  back  a  long 
w^ay,  and  of  devoted  young  people  there  is  a  goodly  company 
whose  record  of  faithfulness  will  doubtless  adorn  those  future 
chronicles  of  the  parish  which  traverse  the  period  of  the 
present  generation. 

Mrs.  John  White  is  the  oldest  living  member  of  the 
parish,  her  affiliation  with  it  dating  from  1852. 

The  Wardens. — As  in  many  other  parishes,  the  wardens 
of  this  parish  are  known  as  the  Senior  Warden  and  the  Junior 
Warden,  but  reversing  the  usual  order,  the  former  is  the  Ves- 
try's Warden  and  elected  by  their  suffrages,  and  the  latter  is 
the  Rector's  Warden  and  appointed  from  the  Vestry  by  the 
rector.^ 

Vestry's  (Senior)\\\\rdens:  Francis  C.  Campbell  1841- 
1853;  Lester  Griswold,   1854-1867;  James  H.   Perkins,    1867- 

1  During  some  of  the  earlj  years  of  the  parish's  history  the 
Senior  Warden  seems  to  have  been  Rector's  Warden  and  the 
Junior  Warden,  Vestry's  Warden.  Possibly  this  inconsistency  is 
due  to  the  Secretary's  clerical  errors.     [Ed.] 


ii6  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

1893;  Edgar  Munson,  1894-1901  ;  James  Van  du  Zee  Brown, 
1901-1904;  Cyrus  LaRue  Munson,  1904 . 

Rector's  (Junior)  Wardens:  The  Hon.  Ellis  Lewis, 
1841  ?;  Lester  Griswold,  ?  -1854;  Francis  C.  Campbell,  1855- 
1867;  Oliver  Watson.  1867-1869  or  1870;  Dr.  William  F. 
Logan.  iSfxj  or  1870-1873;  James  Van  du  Zee  Brown,  1873- 
1901  ;  John  Jermain  Crocker,  1901-1902;  Cyrus  LaRue  Mun- 
son, 1902-1904;  Allen   Putnam  Perley,   1904 . 

Secretary  and  Treasurer. — Sometimes  these  offices  have 
been  combined  and  filled  by  the  same  person,  and  sometimes 
they  have  been  separate.  At  times,  moreover,  there  has  been 
a  "Clerk  of  the  \'estry."  who  was  not  a  member  of  that  body, 
and  sometimes,  though  a  member  of  the  Vestry,  this  official 
seems  to  have  been  indififerently  called  Clerk  or  Secretary. 

Secretaries  and  Clerks. — James  Damant,  clerk,  1852 
(?)-i855;  Oliver  Watson,  clerk,  1855-1856;  John  White,  sec- 
retary, 1856-1859;  E.  C.  Johnson,  1859-1862;  H.  F.  Snyder, 
clerk  (secretary,  1864),  1862-1866;  James  Damant,  secretary, 
1866-1873;  John  Jermain  Crocker,  secretary,  1873-1902;  An- 
drew Thomas  Page,  1902-1906;  Henry  C.  Parsons  (Jr.),  as- 
sistant secretary,  1905-1906,  secretary,  1906;  Edgar  Munson 
(Jr.),  assistant  secretary,  1908 . 

Treasurers.— J.  J.  McCoy,  i852(  ?)-i855 ;  Oliver  Wat- 
son, 1855-1856;  John  White,  1856-1859;  H.  F.  Snyder,  1859- 
1861  ;  P.  G.  Smith,  1861-1864;  J.  Eutermarks,  "treasurer  and 
collector,"  1864-1867;  James  Damant,  1867-1873;  John  Jer- 
main Crocker,  1873-1897;  William  C.  Robinson,  1897-1906; 
Andrew  Thomas  Page,  assistant  treasurer,  1905-1906,  treas- 
urer, 1909;  Frank  Parsons,  assistant  treasurer,  1910 . 

Rec.lstkar. —  (This  office  was  created  December  18,  1908.) 
O.  R.  Howard  Thomson,  1908 . 

Superintendent  of  Buildings  and  Grounds. — This  po- 
sition was  created  by  the  Vestry  in  April,  1906,  and  Mr.  Frank 
Gatward,  organist  atid  choirmaster,  chosen  as  its  first  incum- 
bent. 


THE  NEW  YOKK 
PUBLIC     l\^^ 


THE  NEW  YORK  | 
PUBLIC     Lib^.'.SVl 


E.D(.AU    l-ilJMtSON 


William  H. Crockett 


Vestrymen  07^  Christ  Church 

Easter    1310 


Lay  Officers  and  Prominent  Lay-Workers        117 

Sextons. — In  view  of  the  useful  services  rendered  by  the 
church  sexton  it  seems  a  pity  that  we  have  no  complete  list  of 
the  men  who  have  served  in  this  capacity.  The  names  of  Jerry 
Blue,  Joseph  R.  xAnderson,  T.  Roy  Meginnis,  Frank  E.  Hunt, 
and  Edward  Powell  have  been  met  in  the  records  that  have 
come  under  our  eye. 

Chronological  List  of  Vestrymen.^ 

As  the  dates  given  are  dates  of  election,  and  as  the  elec- 
tions are  held  on  Easter-Mondays  (the  term  being  one  year), 
the  vestrymen,  unless  they  resigned  or  died,  held  office  till 
Easter  of  the  year  following  that  given.  In  a  few  cases  elec- 
tions to  fill  vacancies  were  held  immediately  upon  such  vacan- 
cies occurring. 

Campbell,  Francis  C 1841-1853,  1855-ii 

Lewis,  Hon.  Ellis 1841-  ? 

Griswold,   Lester    1841-1867 

Watson,  Oliver 1841-1882 

Maynard,  Hon.  John  W 1 841 -1862 

Vastine.  Dr.  Thomas 1841-  ? 

Hutchens,  John    1841-  ? 

Shoemaker,  Henry   1841-  ? 

Cox,  Hopewell 1841-  ? 

Damant,  James 1852 (  ?)-i854,  i86o-i( 

Cowan,  John  F i852(  ?)-i854 

Dodge,  John  C i852(  ?)-i857 

Perkins,  Maj.  James  H 1852 (  ?)-i893 

McCoy,  John  J i852(  ?)-i857 

Desanges,  Henry  S 1853-1855 

Montgomery,  Mr 1853 

White,  John    1855-1890 

Fouquet,  J.  D 1856-1858 

Noland,  P 1858-1861 

1  Minutes  of  the  Vestry  l''41-1851  are  lacking.  Vestrymen  of 
1841  who  are  recorded  as  being  vestrymen  in  18.52  are  credited  with 
holding  office  during  the  intervening  years.     [Ed.] 


ii8 


Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 


Snyder,  Henry  F- 

Johnson,   Edward  C.  . .  . 

Smith,  P.  G 

Brown,  James  V 

Logan,  Dr.  William  F.  . 

Parsons,  Henry  C 

Bunnell,  F.  H 

Doebler,  V^alentine  S .  .  .  . 
Embick,  Col.  Fred.  E.  . . 

Piatt,  John    

Smith,  D.  W 

Howard,  Charles  B.  .  .    . 

Webb,  George    

Powell,  Martin  

Smeeton,  James    

Page,  F.  N 

Munson,  Edgar   

Cummin,  Hon.  Hugh  H. 

Merriman,  D.  H 

Biggs,   Elisha  H 

Merritt,  Thomas  P 

Fry,  H.  Howard 

Watson,  William  S 

Crocker,  John  J 

Merritt,  A.  Howard.  ... 
Munson,  Cyrus  LaRue.  . 

Perley,  Allen  P 

Sanderson,  George  L.  . . 

Gleim,  Frederick  E 

Lacdlein,  John  F 

Burrell,  Dr.  James  A.  L 

Starr,  James  S 

Page,  A.  Thomas 

Robinson,  William  C... 

Dayton,  John  B 

Jones,  John  E 

Tallman,  Lewis  


I858-I859,  1862- 

1866 

1859- 1 860 

1862 

1 863- 1 904 

I 863- I 89 I 

1 866- 1 898 

I 866- I 87 I 

1866 

I 867- 1900 

1867-1868 

1 869- 1 873 

I 870- I 888 

1 870- 1 873 

I 870- I 876 

1870-1880 

1871-1876 

1 874- 190 1 

1876-1889 

1877 

1877-1878 

1 877- 1 879 

I 877- I 88 I 

1878-1882 

1 879 -1 902 

I 880- I 888 

1881-1910 

1883-1910 

1 883- 1 89 1 

1883-1896 

1888-1910 

1891 

1 892- 1 899 

1892,  1900- 19 10 

1892-1910 

1892-1908 

1 892- 1 904 

1893-1899 

Lay  Officers  and  Prominent  Lay-Workers        119 

Bowman,  Frank  C 1896-1910 

Sweeley,  William 1897-1905 

White,  John  A 1899-1904 

Irvin,  John  B 1900-1910 

Otto,  Horace  Y 1901-1910 

Shay,  Edward  E 1902-1910 

Crocker,  George  P 1902-1906,   1908-1910 

Almy,  Edward  P 1907-1910 

Parsons,  Henry  C.   (Jr.) 1904-1910 

Piper,  Edmund  B 1904-1907 

Parr,  Creon  B 1905- 1910 

Hand,  Charles  H 1905-1907 

Munson,  Edgar   (Jr.) 1908-1910 

Crockett,  William  H 1909-1910 


Summary  Notes 


CHOIR  AND  MUSIC. 


A  brief  summary  of  choir  history  will  not  be  out  of  place. 

We  have  already  noted  the  purchase  of  "an  uncommonly 
fine-toned  organ"  for  $400  in  1850.  The  first  organist  of 
whom  we  have  any  record  is  Miss  Jones,  who  resigned  her 
position  May  3d,  1864.  Her  resignation  was  referred  by  the 
Vestry  to  "the  ladies  of  the  congregation."  On  the  ist  of 
August  "a  letter  from  Miss  Jones  was  read  desiring  an  ad- 
vance of  salary."  This  also  was  referred  to  "the  ladies  of  the 
congregation."  We  wonder  if  she  got  it.  "The  ladies  of  the 
congregation"  were  at  any  rate  a  very  convenient  refuge  for 
the  Vestry  in  handling  the  delicate  case  of  Miss  Jones. 

Mr.  James  Damant,  as  a  volunteer  organist,  together  with 
such  singers  as  he  could  get,  supplied  the  church  music  for 
years,  but  it  is  difficult  to  ascertain  dates  with  any  degree  of 
accuracy,  except  that  Mr.  Damant  resigned  his  position  at  the 
organ  in  1873. 

On  October  26,  1869,  the  new  church  being  then  nearly 
ready  for  use,  the  Vestry  resolved  that  "as  soon  as  $1,300  was 
subscribed  towards  the  purchase  of  a  new  organ,  the  Secretary 
should  authorize  Mr.  J.  G.  Marklove,  of  Utica,  N.  Y.,  to  com- 
mence building  the  same  according  to  specifications,  and  that 
the  ladies  be  respectfully  requested  to  devote  the  balance  of 
money  in  their  hands,  after  paying  for  the  chancel  furniture, 
towards  the  purchase  of  the  organ." 

In  the  spring  of  1872  efforts  were  made  to  obtain  sub- 
scriptions towards  securing  the  services  of  an  instructor  of 
music,  because  the  Rector  thought  that  "systematic  training  of 
the  choir"  was  necessary.  Nothing  seems  to  have  come  of 
this  till  the  following  April,  when  Mr.  Damant  resigned  and 
Mr.  Horace  Hills,  Jr.,  became  "organist  and  choir-leader." 
The  improvement  in  the  music  of  the  church  thereafter  and  the 

<2l 


122  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

names  of  some  of  the  "chief  siiii^ers  in  the  sanctuary"  have 
been  already  noted.  Mr.  Hills  remained  in  charge  of  the 
music  until  September  30,  1892. 

Early  in  1877,  with  the  consent  of  the  Vestry,  Dr.  Hop- 
kins rearranged  the  choir-seats. 

Prior  to  1879  the  salary  of  the  organist  was  paid  by  pri- 
vate subscri])tion,  but  on  September  22  of  this  year  the  Vestry 
formally  assumed  the  obligation.  On  November  2,  1885,  the 
organist's  salary  was  advanced  from  $400  to  $600,  and  he  was 
requested  to  train  "the  younger  people  of  the  church  for  the 
choir."     A  year  later  the  salary  was  made  $700. 

The  resolution  to  organize  a  vested  male  choir  was  passed 
February  23,  .18S8,  and  the  new  choir  sang  for  the  first  time 
on  the  following  Easter.  Three  years  later  the  choir-room 
was  enlarged. 

Mr.  Hills  resigned  his  position  in  September,  1892,  after 
nearly  twenty  years'  faithful  and  fruitful  service,  to  take  the 
work  at  Mount  Calvary,  Baltimore,  where  he  remained  until 
his  death,  the  latter  part  of  January,  1908.  He  and  his  family 
had  many  friends  in  Williamsport  whom  they  occasionally 
visited.  His  body  was  brought  here  from  Baltimore  and 
buried  from  Christ  Church,  the  pallbearers  being  all  former 
members  of  the  choir  under  his  direction. 

Mr.  Hills  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  H.  DeKoven  Rider,  who 
entered  upon  his  duties  November  i,  1892,  and  remained  for 
two  years.  The  full  choral  service  was  introduced  on  Sunday 
evenings,  and  a  "monthly  musical  service"  was  instituted,  at 
which,  under  his  insi)iring  direction,  such  splendid  composi- 
tions as  the  following  were  sung:  Stainer's  "The  Cruci- 
fixion;" Gaul's  "The  Holy  City;"  Mendelssohn's  "Hear  My 
Prayer;"  Garrett's  "The  Two  Advents;"  Gaul's  "The  Ten 
Virgins;"  (iounod's  "Gallia;"  Stainer's  "The  Daughter  of 
Jairus;"  Parry's  "Job;"  Mendelssohn's  "The  h'orty-Sccond 
Psalm,"  and  Stainer's  "St.  Mary  Magdalena."  That  record 
has  been  kept  up  ever  since. 

The  custom  of  an  annual  choir-dinner  began  during  this 
period,  a  gracious  undertaking  associated  chiefly  with  the  name 


Choir  and  Music  123 

of  Mrs.  E.  P.  Almy  and  the  young-  ladies  whose  assistance  she 
enlists  from  year  to  year.  Some  of  these  affairs  have  been  on 
an  elaborate  scale  and  all  of  them  have  been  delightful.  The 
dinner  and  the  "summer  outing"  are  the  two  focal  points  of  the 
year  to  the  choir  on  its  social  side,  which  invariably  awaken 
the  greatest  enthusiasm. 

A  choir  baseball  club  has  been  another  off-set  to  the  more 
serious  work  of  this  for  many  years  splendid  musical  organ- 
ization. 

At  first  the  choir  boys  used  to  be  rewarded  with  a  "Christ- 
mas dollar,"  in  addition  to  the  "treats"  of  which  mention  has 
been  made,  but  about  the  first  of  the  year  1894  the  system  of 
small  weekly  payments  was  adopted,  and  later  still  the  monthly 
"pay-day,"  with  its  regular  pay-roll,  came  to  be  a  feature  of 
choir  experience.  Occasionally  the  choir  was,  as  it  still  is, 
treated  to  some  form  of  entertainment,  as  when,  for  example, 
several  gentlemen  many  years  ago  gave  the  choir  boys  tickets 
to  see  Kellar,  the  magician. 

Some  of  the  choir  notes  from  the  parish  paper  of  fifteen 
years  ago,  edited  by  choir  members  themselves,  are  funny 
enough  to  merit  quotation  and  may  possibly  contain  useful 
warnings  to  the  present-day  choir  boys: 

"Willie  R makes  a  face  as  though  he  had  a  pain 

when  he  sings." 

"Willie  S has  a  good  voice,  but  sings   too  hard 

sometimes,  and,  therefore,  harshly." 

"Harry  F ,  after  a  long  and  hard  contest,  has  been 

chosen  soprano  soloist.  He  feels  proud  and  carries  his  head 
high." 

"The  music  for  Easter  Day  is  very  hard,  but  in  the  few 
rehearsals  we  have  had  on  it  we  begin  to  get  the  best  of  it." 

"Some  of  our  boys  ought  to  be  more  particular  about 
combing  their  hair  before  services.  At  present  the  effect  of 
some  heads  is  not  very  pleasing." 

"G M would    sing   more   effectively    if   he 

would  hold  his  head  up." 

"C S likes  to  look  down  on  the  congregation 


124  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

during  services.  He  had  better  take  care  that  Mr.  Rider  does 
not  notice  it,  for  Mr.  R.  is  pretty  severe  on  us  in  this  kind  of 
thing." 

And  more  of  the  same  sort.     Pretty  good  criticism. 

One  of  these  "choir  notes,"  written  in  the  same  style,  we 
shall  quote,  with  the  name  in  full,  because  the  admiration  ex- 
pressed we  know  to  have  been  well  deserved : 

"Our  crucifer,  Fred  Zahn,  we  think  is  the  model  crucifer 
around  this  part  of  the  country.  For  reverence  and  dignity 
he  takes  the  lead." 

Miss  Louise  Larzelere  became  organist  and  choirmistress 
October  i,  1894.  From  "Christ  Church  Chorister,"  published 
in  the  interest  of  the  "Choir  15oys"  in  August,  1898,  a  large 
eight-page  leaflet  that  appeared  once  and  then  expired,  we 
gather  several  items  of  special  interest : 

The  choir  luuubered  21  boys  and  8  men.  Romaine 
Moorehead,  who  entered  the  choir  at  eight  years  of  age,  at- 
tended 630  services  and  rehearsals  out  of  a  possible  642  in 
thirty  months,  had  been  fined  but  four  times,  and  had  been 
paid  $26.20.  Charlie  Page,  Walter  Zahn,  and  Alvin  Longs- 
dorf  had  records  not  far  below  Moorehead's.  The  average 
attendance  during  the  winter  of  1897-8  was  28,  although  the 
seating  capacity  of  the  choir  was  only  25.  The  probationers 
were  paid  two  cents  for  each  attendance,  which  was  raised  to 
three  cents  when  they  entered  the  choir,  and  then  to  five  and 
six  cents  according  to  progress.  Between  October,  1894,  and 
August,  1898,  there  had  been  98  boys  enrolled  in  the  choir,  of 
whom  18  were  dismissed  on  account  of  age,  11  were  expelled 
for  bad  beliavior,  and  several  had  droi)ped  out  for  various  rea- 
sons. This  is  incidental  to  boy-choir  work  and  inevitable. 
There  were  only  two  bo\s  in  the  choir  at  that  time  whose 
])arents  attended  Christ  Church.  The  nuisic  library  could  not 
be  replaced  for  $300  and  was  then  twice  as  large  as  three  years 
before.  It  contained  19  Te  Deums,  105  Anthems,  12  Mag- 
nificats, etc.  Excepting  during  July  and  August,  when  re- 
hearsals were  held  from  8  to  9  in  the  morning,  there  were  five 
regular  rehearsals  and  two  services  a  week — Tuesdays,  4-5  p. 


Choir  and  Music  125 

M.,  altos;  Tuesdays,  5-6  p.  m.,  sopranos;  Tuesdays,  7:15-8:15 
p.  M.,  tenors  and  basses;  Thursdays,  5-6  p.  m.,  sopranos  and 
altos;  Fridays,  7:30-8:30  p.  m.,  full  choir  and  organ. 

The  record  of  such  details  is  not  without  value,  perhaps, 
as  giving  the  congregation  a  clearer  impression  of  the  patient 
and  persistent  routine  work  of  the  organist  and  choir. 

Mr.  George  P.  Crocker,  who  described  himself  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  old  chorus  choir,  and  a  charter  member  of  the  new 
vested  choir,  said  in  the  "Christ  Church  Chorister :"  "During 
the  last  days  of  Dr.  Hopkins's  rectorship  the  congregation  was 
compelled  to  listen  to  a  very  indifferent  aggregation  of  singers 
known  as  a  'Chorus  Choir.'  It  was  located  on  both  sides  of 
the  church,  occupying  space  where  the  font  and  the  pulpit  now 
stand."  While  the  decision  to  "try  the  experiment  of  a  boy- 
choir"  was  made  by  the  Vestry,  Mr.  Crocker  credits  Mr.  Hills 
with  being  its  "prime  mover  and  organizer." 

For  some  time  prior  to  the  autumn  of  1894  the  church 
organ,  which  had  suffered  in  the  flood  of  1889,  and  again  to  a 
lesser  degree  earlier  in  the  year  1894,  was  in  bad  condition 
and  had  to  be  replaced  for  a  time  by  the  Sunday  School  organ. 
A  "choir  note"  of  this  period  facetiously  observes  that  "the 
organist  never  begins  a  service  without  placing  a  candle,  screw- 
driver, and  some  wire  conveniently  near  by ;  because  very  often 
our  organ  needs  attention  during  services  and  he  has  to  climb 
around  and  doctor  matters."  Bids  were  received  for  a  new 
instrument,  and  after  Mr.  Hills  had  been  requested  by  the 
Vestr}^  to  come  from  Baltimore  to  aid  in  examining  the  bids, 
and  none  had  been  found  satisfactory,  he  was  authorized  to 
draw  specifications,  and  new  bids  were  called  for.  The  con- 
tract was  awarded  (November  9,  1894)  to  Johnson  &  Son,  of 
Westfield,  Mass.,  for  an  instrument  to  cost  $2,400  and  the  old 
organ  exclusive  of  case.  Two  months  later  the  organ  com- 
mittee reported  that  sufficient  had  been  subscribed  to  pay  for 
the  organ  and  all  incidental  expenses.  In  order  to  obviate  any 
such  damage  in  the  future  ah  had  injured  the  old  organ,  the 
new  instrument  was  built  over  the  vestry-room.  The  work 
of  installation  was  not  completed  until  April,  1895. 


126  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

For  several  years  an  appropriation  of  $1,500  a  year  was 
made  by  the  \'estry,  out  of  which  the  org"anist  was  to  pay  the 
boys,  buy  new  music,  and  have  the  organ  tuned  and  kept  in 
repair.  The  lialancc  was  to  be  the  organist's  salary.  This 
plan  was  given  U])  later  and  a  flat  salary  of  $720  paid  the  or- 
ganist, which  has  since  been  increased  to  a  sum  more  com- 
mensurate with  the  importance  of  the  position. 

In  order  to  complete  this  outline  of  choir  history  it  will 
be  sufficient  to  add  that  Mrs.  Chatham  (nee  Larzelere)  was 
succeeded  by  Mr.  W'illiam  B.  Reeve  in  1899,  who  served  three 
years  and  was  followed  by  the  present  incumbent,  Mr.  Frank 
Gatward,^  a  licentiate  of  the  London  College  of  Music,  under 
whose  tuition  and  direction  much  progress  has  been  made. 
Three  of  the  special  musical  programmes  rendered,  in  addition 
to  the  Union  Evensong  on  January  25,  1904,  already  men- 
tioned, were  Maunder's  popular  "Thanksgiving  Cantata,"  No- 
vember 30,  1905,  repeated  the  following  year,  and  the  same 
composer's  "Penitence,  Pardon  and  Peace,"  March  6,  1910. 

At  the  request  of  the  Knights  Templar  the  choir  has  on 
several  occasions  rendered  service  on  Ascension  Day  in  the 
Masonic  Temple;  while  the  boys,  trained  by  Mr.  Gatward  in 
quaint  drills  and  songs,  have  for  a  number  of  years  been  a 
feature  of  "local  talent"  performances  for  charitable  objects. 

On  the  death  of  Mr.  Horace  Hills,  a  former  organist  of 
the  church,  as  also  on  the  death  of  Mr.  William  H.  Kilbourn, 
y\r.  (iatward,  at  the  succeeding  Sunday  evening  service,  gave 
a   short   recital,   "In    Mcmoriam."     Not  only   was   the   tribute 

1  Mr.  Gatward  was  born  in  the  Diocese  of  St.  Alban's,  England, 
and  after  graduating  at  the  London  College  of  Music  in  1881,  was 
appointed  in  succession  organist  and  choirmaster  of  the  following 
churches:  Great  Gaddeston  (1  year);  Berkhampstcad  (11  j'ears) ; 
came  to  America  in  1898;  St.  Luke's  Cathedral,  Halifax,  N.  S.  (5 
years);  Gethsemane,  Minneapolis;  Cathedral  Church,  South  Beth- 
lehem;   and  1902,  Christ  Church,  WiIliamsi)ort. 

Mr.  Gatward  is  examiner  in  this  country  for  the  London  Col- 
lege of  Music,  vice-president  of  the  London  Guild  of  Organists, 
honorary  representative  of  the  Royal  Academy  of  Music  and  joint 
founder  of  the  American  Guild  of  Organists,  New  York.     [Ed.] 


Choir  and  Music  127 

thoughtful  and  kind,  but  the  time  selected  enabled  nearly  every 
member  of  the  parish  to  attend,  and  by  their  presence  express 
their  sense  of  loss. 

In  October,  1905,  the  Sunday  Choral  Evensong,  which 
had  lapsed,  was  revived  and  has  since  been  maintained. 

For  several  years  Mrs.  H.  Y.  Otto  and  Mrs.  Fred  Zahn 
have,  in  the  absence  of  Mr.  Gatward,  presided  at  the  organ, 
while  Mrs.  Frank  Gatward  has  taken  charge  of  the  Wednes- 
day evening  service  and  Mr.  Dan  Thomas  given  assistance. 

The  choir  of  girls'  voices  for  some  of  the  Lenten,  Ad- 
vent and  week-day  services  should  not  be  overlooked,  nor 
the  work  and  time  that  Mr.  Gatward,  Mrs.  Gatward,  the 
Misses  Lumley  and  others  have  freely  given  to  their  training. 

The  annual  outing  of  the  choir  boys — two  weeks — at  Nip- 
pono  Park  continues  to  be  popular.  The  boys  have  a  spacious 
cabin  in  which  they  "camp,"  avoiding  most  of  the  ordinary 
drudgery  by  obtaining  their  meals  at  the  Park  restaurant. 

The  choir's  present  repertoire  consists  of  Anthems ;  ser- 
vices of  standard  church  musicians,  such  as  Stainer,  Goss, 
Stanford,  Hollins,  Coleridge-Taylor,  Tertius  N"oble,  Gounod, 
Roberts,  Garrett,  Martin,  Smart,  Monk,  Steggal,  Burnett, 
Ouseley,  Barnby,  West,  Woodward,  etc. ;  while  excerpts  from 
the  masterpieces  of  Handel,  Beethoven,  Mozart,  Mendelssohn, 
Sullivan,  and  Haydn  are  sometimes  given. 

The  personnel  of  the  choir,  Easter,  1910,  was: 

Basses — G.  P.  Crocker,  F.  Zahn,  J.  MacCollum,  D. 
Thomas,  E.  Ball,  F.  Newel,  C.  Levering. 

Tenors— W.  Zahn,  W.  H.  Deibert,  L.  Heller,  W.  Bennett, 
R.  Allen,  M.  Button. 

Altos — H.  Yandine,  W.  Erieg,  F.  Otto,  C.  Frank. 

Sopranos — C.  Rose,  E.  Zahn,  G.  Eyster,  A.  Page,  R. 
Frank,  A.  Schradie,  D.  Harman,  R.  Erieg,  C.  Leaber,  P.  Meth- 
erel,  R.  Segart,  C.  Teupel,  L.  Bullard,  R.  Metherel,  J.  Erieg, 
J.  W.  Fulmer,  J.  Steel,  L.  Neal,  H.  Ardell. 


Summary  Notes 


THE  MONEY  PROBLEM. 


The  question  of  ways  and  means  is  always  conspicuous 
upon  the  administrative  side  of  parish  life.  A  few  words  on 
this  subject  will  be  proper. 

We  have  already  seen  that  the  early  struggles  of  Christ 
Church  were  those  of  the  feeblest  mission.  If,  as  is  generally 
supposed,  and  not  unreasonably,  the  salary  paid  the  minister 
is  any  gauge  of  the  financial  strength  of  the  parish,  then  we 
have  every  stage  of  parish  strength  exhibited  in  the  history 
of  this  parish. 

Who,  and  how  many,  gave  the  $3,000  for  the  building 
of  the  first  church  on  East  Third  Street — a  structure  of  brick, 
be  it  remembered — and  how  the  money  was  gathered,  when 
as  yet  there  were  but  14  communicants,  none  of  the  records 
disclose.  But  the  building  was  paid  for  and  consecrated  as 
soon  as  completed.  No  salary  was  paid  the  minister,  the 
Rev.   Mr.  Lightner. 

No  light  is  thrown  upon  the  amount  of  the  rector's  stipend 
until  we  come  to  the  beginning  of  Air.  Clark's  incumbency  in 
1846,  when  we  find  the  Missionary  Society  of  Grace  Church, 
Philadelphia,  stipulating  to  pay  $400  a  year  for  three  years, 
provided  the  parish  pay  annually  $200  for  the  same  period  and 
extinguish  a  $650  debt.  A  fair  the  next  year  netted  $275 
towards  cancelling  this  debt,  and  at  the  end  of  the  stipulated 
time  it  was  entirely  wiped  out.  The  parish  was  received  into 
union  with  the  convention  that  year  (1847),  an  indication,  we 
think,  that  it  must  have  been  meeting  its  engagements.  One 
can  only  conjecture  that  the  pitiably  small  salary  of  the  earlier 
rectors  had  been  supplemented  by  the  "Advancement  Society" 
of  the  Diocese  (corresponding,  perhaps,  to  the  later  Diocesan 
Missionary    Board),    because    we   find    an    offering   of    $2.35 

129 


130  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

collected  for  this  society  in  1841.  Mr.  Clark's  salary  of  $300 
was  paid  reg^ularly,^ 

Mr.  Cooper  was  promised  a  salary  of  $500  besides  $100 
for  removal  expenses,  and  the  free  use  of  a  house  until  the 
rectory,  then  buildinsj^,  should  be  completed ;  but  ten  months 
later  the  Vestry  found  it  had  undertaken  too  much. 

The  parish  ]:)ledi:;'ed  Mr.  Moore  $400  and  the  rectory,  and 
at  the  same  time  requested  the  "Diocesan  Missionar}'  Society" 
to  continue  the  aid  they  had  been  givinj^.  How  much  that 
was  \vc  do  not  know,  but  it  and  the  stipend  did  not  make  a 
sufficient  salary,  for  it  was  hoped  Lock  Haven  would  add  its 
quota  for  one-fourth  of  the  minister's  time.  By  1861  the 
parish  was  entirely  out  of  debt  and  had  just  become  self-sus- 
taining"— no  longer  a  mission.  The  rector's  salary  was  now 
$650  plus  the  rectory.  In  1864  it  was  raised  to  $800.  but  when 
he  resigned,  in  the  spring  of  1865,  the  salary  was  $400  in 
arrears. 

When  Mr.  Wadleigh  was  called  he  was  promised  $1,000 
and  the  rectory. 

Dr.  Paret  was  called  at  a  salary  of  "not  less  than  $2,000 
a  year"  and  the  rectory.  He  received  $2,266  the  second  year, 
the  total  amount  of  the  offerings  at  the  morning  services,  and 
was  voted  $2,400  for  the  third  year.  Meantime  the  parish 
was  paying  for  its  new  church.  In  1872  the  "expenditures 
and  appropriations"  amounted  to  more  than  $10,200;  and  this 
is  a  sample  of  the  large  sums  annually  disbursed,  with  some 
fluctuations,  of  course,  throughout  the  rectorships  of  Dr. 
Paret  and  Dr.  Hopkins. 

The  salary  i)ai(l  Dr.  Ilojikins  was  $2,000,  and  Mr.  Graff 
received  $2,200. 

One  cannot  but  admire  the  courage  and  energy  with 
v/hich,  throughout  the  entire  peri<jd  of  this  "History"  new  en- 

1  Mr.  Black,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Clark,  soems  to  have  suffered 
from  lack  of  funds,  while  Mr.  Wright,  who  succeeded  him,  was 
guaranteed  .$400  plus  any  sum  arising  from  rent  of  house  on  the 
parsonage  lot  from  the  time  of  his  election  (ill  the  1st  of  April  next 
ensuing.     [Ed.] 


The  Money  Problem  131 

terprises  were  undertaken  and  the  funds  raised  to  pay  for  them. 
Eight  years  after  the  first  church  was  built  a  "parsonage  lot" 
was  purchased  for  $500  (and  a  $400  organ  the  same  day!), 
and  four  years  later  the  Rector  (Mr.  Clark)  moved  into  a 
$2,250  brick  rectory,  covered,  however,  with  a  $1,000  mort- 
gage. In  less  than  three  years  that  debt  was  wiped  out,  $350 
worth  of  repairs  were  put  on  the  church,  and  the  rectory 
was  piped  and  fitted  with  gas.  Next  year  it  was  gas  into  the 
church  and  water  into  the  rectory  at  an  expense  of  about 
$250. 

Then  in  1864  the  \^estry  bought  the  brick  house  at  the 
rear  of  the  church  for  $800  for  a  school  building — Sunday  and 
day  school. 

Next  came  the  project  of  a  new  church,  beginning  with 
an  expenditure  of  $4,000  for  the  lot  and  an  expenditure  of 
$40,000  for  the  church,  without  the  carrying  up  of  the  tower. 
The  burden  of  that  expense  was  felt  for  many  a  long  year, 
but  Church  extension  was  not  allowed  to  suffer  on  account 
of  the  big  debt.  The  parish  had  a  good  many  "irons  in  the 
fire"  at  the  same  time.  \\"adleigh  Chapel  was  built  and  an 
assistant  minister  got.  The  new  church  had  to  be  furnished, 
and  a  $2,000  organ  installed.  When  the  church  was  opened 
the  debt  amounted  to  nearly  $17,000.  The  sale  of  the  old 
church  reduced  this  to  about  $12,000.  But  then  came  the 
division  of  the  Diocese,  and  the  parish  put  $2,160  into  the 
Episcopate  Endowment  Fund  in  less  than  two  years  after  mov- 
ing into  the  new  church.  There  seems  to  have  been  no  dispo- 
sition to  whine  or  shirk  outside  responsibilities  because  the 
parish  had  a  big  debt. 

Meantime  schools  and  clubs  and  chapels  and  charities 
were  under  way  or  freshly  started  up,  all  calling  for  and  re- 
ceiving maintenance,  while  at  the  same  time  diocesan  missions 
and  foreign  missions  and  home  missions  were  not  passed  by 
without  fair  and  reasonable  attention.  Nor  did  the  extraordi- 
nary calls  like  those  of  the  fire  sufiferers  in  the  West  in  1871 
fall  on  unheeding  ears,  for  nearly  $360  was  sent  them  in  the 
very  same  year  that  over  $2,000  was  paid  the  Diocesan  Endow- 


132  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

ment  Fund  and  the  church  debt  was  being  reduced.  One  is 
amazed  at  the  courage  and  generosity  of  those  days. 

Ten  years  after  its  com])letion,  save  the  tower,  the 
clnircli  was  j)ai(l  for  and  consecrated.  r)Ut  then  began  large 
expencHtures  for  adornment,  memorial  gifts,  chapel  building, 
assistants'  salaries,  and  various  forms  of  aggressive  work 
under  Dr.  Hopkins.  The  parish  building  of  stone  cost 
$8,500  in  1 88 1,  the  tiling  of  the  church  cost  $1,200,  the  steam- 
heating  apparatus  for  the  church  cost  over  $2,000,  St.  John's 
Chapel  cost  nearly  $2,000.  the  debt  on  Wadleigh  Chapel  was 
paid  off  and  the  building  consecrated,  a  Mansard  story  was 
added  to  the  rectory  at  the  Rector's  own  expense,  and  so  it 
went. 

Under  Mr.  GraflF  the  tower  of  the  church  was  finished, 
at  a  cost  of  $5,300 — meantime  chapel  support,  charities,  new 
piano,  sidewalks,  repairs  and  refurnishing  necessitated  by 
flood ;  the  last  a  big  expense. 

The  thirty  years  from  1865  to  1895  exhibit  great  achieve- 
ments. But  peeping  within  the  covers  of  the  vestry  minute- 
books,  or  reading  the  parish  papers  of  this  period,  we  discover 
that  it  was  not  without  many  anxious  meetings  of  the  Vestry 
nor  without  much  gasping  and  prodding  on  the  part  of  the 
rectors.  What  a  sigh  of  relief  went  up  in  187Q  on  learning 
that  the  last  notes  of  debt  on  the  new  church  had  been  taken 
up.  I  low  tired  and  sore  the  Vestry  was  after  that  ten  or 
fifteen  years'  struggle  can  be  read  between  the  lines  of  a  reso- 
lution passed  two  months  before  the  consecration  of  the 
church,  which  now  makes  one  smile  who  reads  it:  "Resolved: 
That,  after  the  present  indebtedness  of  the  church  is  cancelled, 
no  debt  shall  hereafter  be  created  until  the  money  is  in  the 
hands  of  the  Treasurer  to  pav  the  same"  !  !  ! 

One  can  reacl  formidable  lists  of  "lialiilities,"  and  count 
up  big  sums  paid  as  interest  or  borrowed  money.  Yet  no 
sooner  out  of  debt  and  smiling  than  in  again.  Thus  has  much 
been  accom|)lislu(l.  'Unis  have  others  ]al)oi-c'(l  while  their 
successors  enter  inio  their  labors.  Tt  is  what  a  progressive 
world  is  doing  all  the  while,  and  a  church  to  be  progressive 


The  Money  Problem  133 

and  follow  the  high  ideals  set  by  the  Master  can  do  no  less. 
Stagnation  is  death. 

Before  leaving  this  subject  a  word  should  be  said  about 
the  creation  of  a  parochial  endowment  fund  by  legacies.  Upon 
Major  Perkins's  death,  in  1893,  the  church  received  a  bequest 
of  $4,000,  Scranton  Street  Railway  6's,  and  $500  Williamsport 
Gas  Company  bonds,  the  yield  of  $500  to  be  used  in  keeping 
up  the  decedent's  grave  and  the  yield  on  the  balance  to  be  used 
for  the  support  of  the  parish.^  Miss  Agnes  Montgomery  left 
$500  in  Lycoming  Electrical  Company  5's,  which  was 
added  to  the  endowment  fund.  A  few  years  later  Mr. 
Josiah  Howard,  of  Emporium,  gave  $7,500  Northern  Pacific 
3's  to  this  fund  in  memory  of  his  father,  Charles  B.  Howard, 
and  the  fund  was  still  further  augmented  by  a  bequest  of 
$5,000,  Northern  Pacific  3's,  of  Mr.  J.  V.  Brown.  At  present 
the  fund,  owing  to  reinvestments,  produces  about  $800  annu- 
ally. In  addition  to  this  fund  there  has  recently  been  started, 
through  a  contribution  of  $50  from  Mr.  H.  Y.  Otto,  a  pa- 
rochial endowment  fund,  the  income  from  which  is  also  to  be 
applied  to  current  expenses.  Aided  by  an  offering  taken  in 
the  church,  and  by  reinvestments,  the  fund  now  amounts  to 
$150.  It  is  hoped  that  members  of  the  parish  will  contribute 
small  sums  to  it  from  time  to  time  during  their  lifetimes,  till 
it  produces  annually  at  least  an  amount  equal  to  the  rector's 
salary. 

Nor  should  the  addition  of  $3,150  to  the  Diocesan  Episco- 
pate Fund  upon  the  erection  of  the  new  Diocese  of  Harrisburg 
be  overlooked. 


as 


1  This  bequest   of   Major  Perkins   is   of   particular   importance. 
It  started  the  endowment  fund.     [Ed.] 


WADLEIGH     ST.   MARYS     CHAPEL 


Summary  Notes 


WADLEIGH    (ST.   MARY'S)    CHAPEL. 


The  beginnin^s^s  of  this  important  work  have  already  been 
noted  in  their  proper  place.  It  is  proposed  here  merely  to 
summarize   its   subsequent   development. 

On  July  ID,  1870,  there  was  first  used  the  fine-toned  bell 
which  had  been  purchased  with  the  offerings  made  by  the 
Sunday  School  for  that  purpose. 

The  "Parish  Guide"  for  October,  1870,  states  that  a  night 
school  for  colored  boys  and  men,  prevented  by  their  work 
from  attending  schools  during  the  day,  was  being  held  at  the 
mission  chapel,  and  that  30  pupils  were  present  at  the  previous 
session.  The  Rector  appeals  for  old  school-books  to  help  on 
the  good  work.  By  February  of  the  next  year  the  school  was 
transferred  to  the  building  on  the  old  church  lot,  formerly 
used  for  a  parish  school.  The  school  met  regularly  through- 
out the  winter  on  Monday  and  Thursday  nights,  with  an  aver- 
age attendance  of  30.  Mr.  Martin  Powell  and  Airs.  Paret 
were  the  teachers.  The  next  winter  the  school  went  to  Miss 
Cortwright's  school-room  on  Grove  Street. 

In  October,  1871,  Mrs.  J.  V.  Brown  became  the  principal 
of  the  sewing  school.  In  Mr.  Graff's  time  (twenty  years 
later)  Miss  Rose  Bentley  and  ]Mrs.  Girard  are  named  as  being 
in  charge,  and  an  average  attendance  of  over  40  is  recorded. 

Data  regarding  the  building  of  the  present  St.  Mary's 
(Wadleigh  Memorial)  Chapel  seem  strangely  lacking,  but 
the  present  writer  has  the  impression  that  it  was  built  in  Dr. 
Hopkins's  time,  and  from  sundry  memoranda  of  payments  on 
the  debt  infers  that  it  must  have  cost  about  $15,000.^ 

A  mortgage  for  nearly  $765  yet  hung  over  Wadleigh 
Chapel  in  July,  i( 


1  The  old  chapel,  turneu  into  a  double  dwelling,  still  stands  at 
Almond  and  Meade  Streets.  The  new  church,  at  Almond  and  Menne 
Alley,  is  some  two  squares  distant.    The  fund  that  made  the  new 

135 


136  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

Much  of  the  progress  of  this  mission,  from  the  autumn 
of  1889  onward,  was  due  to  the  "Wadleigh  Workers."  Mr. 
Charles  L.  Girard  was  its  "warden"  or  president,  and  Mr. 
Jacob  Springman  its  treasurer.  Among  its  gifts  to  the  chapel 
may  be  mentioned  a  crimson  plush  dossal  in  the  fall  of  1890. 

In  January,  1890,  the  altar,  behind  which  there  had  been 
till  this  time  an  "ambulatory""  or  passage,  was  moved  back 
against  the  east  wall  of  the  chancel,  thus  enlarging  the  sanc- 
tuary. 

A  Jardine  pipe  organ,  costing  $600,  was  installed  in  the 
chapel  and  first  used  on  July  2"],  1890.  The  church  was 
crowded  on  this  occasion,  and  it  is  recorded  that  many  stood 
on  the  outside  and  looked  through  the  windows. 

A  club  of  young  men  was  organized  in  the  fall  of  1890, 
whose  first  enterprise  was  the  enlargement  of  the  choir-room 
by  adding  about  40  feet  to  its  length.  Mr.  Samuel  McCoy 
was  its  first  president,  and  Mr.  Watson  Pass  its  first  secre- 
tary-treasurer. 

In  the  summer  of  this  year  (1890)  it  is  reported  that  the 
chapel  had  over   100  weekly  contributors  to  its  support. 

About  this  time  the  chapel  received  the  gift  of  a  hand- 
some brass  altar-cross  from  Mr.  Charles  \' .  Runkle,  who  was 
also  its  designer. 

Early  in  the  winter  of  1890  a  young  women's  choir  was 
formed  to  assist  at  the  Thursday  night   services. 

In  the  fall  of  1891  a  "Sewing  Chapter""  of  the  Wadleigh 
W'orkers  was  organized,  with  Mrs.  iiridgeland  as  president 
and  Mrs.  Calehoof  as  secretary-treasurer. 

In  March,  1892,  an  average  attendance  of  12  teachers 
and  187  scholars  in  the  Sunday  School  is  noted. 

In    ( )clober,    1892,    the    Wadleigli    Workers    tleveloped   a 

church  possible  was  largely  collected  through  the  efforts  of  Miss 
Susan  Emily  Hall.  At  the  time  the  money  was  being  raised  the 
Rer.  Charles  Edward  Dobson  was  curate.  His  energy,  enthusiasm 
and  devotion  to  the  work  of  the  chapelry  at  this  critical  period  of 
its  existence  cannot  be  overestimated.  Mr.  Dobson  resigned  his 
curacy  before  the  new  church  was  dedicated,  but  was  present  when 
It  was  consecrated.     [Ed.] 


Wadleigh  (St.  Mary's)  Chapel  137 

"Social  Chapter,"  especially  intended  to  care  for  the  younger 
communicants,  the  gathering"  in  of  the  lukewarm  and  cold, 
and  the  promotion  of  the  social  interests  of  the  people. 

On  the  Sunday  before  Christmas,  1892,  a  new  choir,  com- 
prising seven  boys,  fourteen  girls,  and  six  men  took  its  place. 

A  set  of  sterling  silver  communion  plate  of  Gorham  manu- 
facture with  the  name  of  the  chapel  engraved  on  each  piece, 
and  costing  $50,  was  blessed  by  the  Bishop  at  his  visitation, 
April  22,   1893. 

In  Advent,  1893,  Mr.  Charles  V.  Runkle  gave  the  chapel 
a  brass  altar  desk  in  memory  of  his  father,  Mr.  Nelson  Runkle. 

Mr.  Runkle  began  his  services  as  superintendent  of  Wad- 
leigh Chapel  Sunday  School  in  1877,  and  continued  in  this 
position  for  over  twenty-five  years,  with  a  splendid  record  for 
regularity  and  faithfulness  that  cannot  be  forgotten  by  the 
admiring  and  loyal  people  of  this  chapelry  and  congregation. 

On  June  i,  1894,  Wadleigh,  with  its  name  changed  to 
St.  Mary's  Church,  "set  up  housekeeping  for  itself,"  under 
the  rectorship  of  the  Rev.   Morris  W.   Christman  ^  who  had 

1  The  Rev.  Mr.  Christman  had  been  a  German  Reformed  min- 
ister, and  was  one  of  several  ministers  of  that  communion  who 
came  into  the  Episcopal  Church  within  a  brief  period.  He  was 
ordained  deacon  by  Bishop  Rulison  in  June,  1891,  and  after  serving 
as  missionary  at  Milton,  he,  in  July,  1891,  became  assistant  to  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Graff.  He  was  advanced  to  the  priesthood  November,  1892. 
Wadleigh  Chapel  greatly  flourished  during  his  time  as  has  abund- 
antly appeared  elsewhere  in  this  narrative,  and  when  the  chapel 
was  to  become  a  separate  parish,  June  1,  1894,  under  the  new  name 
of  St.  Mary's,  Mr.  Christman  naturally  became  its  first  rector.  Al- 
though a  resident  of  Williamsport  but  a  few  years,  he  was  widely 
known  in  the  city  and  had  the  highest  respect  and  affection  of 
all  classes.  Mrs.  Christman,  it  is  needless  to  add  for  any  who 
have  known  her,  shared  in  this  regard.  It  is  an  interesting  fact 
that  at  the  time  when  St.  Mary's  Church  was  admitted  to  union 
with  the  Diocesan  Convention  as  a  parish,  it  had  the  largest  Sun- 
day School  in  the  Archdeaconry. 

In  1893  Mr.  Christman  endeavored  to  persuade  the  Vestry  of 
Christ  Church  to  build  a  pariou  house  for  the  chapel,  but  without 
success,  owing  to  its  estimated  cost.  In  1895,  the  chapel  having 
become  a  separate  parish,  a  lot  (that  on  which  the  present  rectory 


138  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

been  serving  as  assistant.  The  Vestry  of  Christ  Church 
agreed  to  pa}^  $500  towards  the  support  of  St.  Mary's  the 
first  year  of  its  independence  and  a  yearly  sum  thereafter  for 
four  years,  one  hundred  dollars  less  each  year.  This  agree- 
ment was  faithfully  carried  out  to  the  letter,  and  more.^ 


stands)  was  purchased.  On  the  lot  was  a  barn  and  an  ice  house,  so 
the  men  of  the  parish,  led  by  their  Rector,  took  to  carpenter  work 
in  the  evenings  so  effectively  that  in  a  short  time  they  had  trans- 
formed the  barn  into  a  serviceable  house  with  two  rooms.  Furni- 
ture of  various  vintages  was  given  and  the  place  made  habitable, 
while  the  old  ice  house  was  "run  up  to  the  rear"  of  the  reorganized 
building  and  for  a  long  time  did  valiant  service  as  kitchen.     [Ed.] 

1  The  Rev.  John  Conley  Grimes  is  the  present  rector  of  St. 
Mary's.  The  number  of  communicants  is  given  as  230;  of  Sunday 
School  scholars,  ITjO.     [Ed.] 


Summary  Notes 


ST.  JOHN'S  CHAPEL. 


As  already  stated,  the  establishment  of  this  work  on  the 
south  side  was  due  to  the  missionar}'  zeal  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Hopkins. 

The  name  of  Captain  William  Sweeley  will  be  af- 
fectionately recalled  by  the  mention  of  St.  John's  Chapel. 
Through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  its  early  history  and  until  the 
time  of  his  lamented  death,  May  12,  1903,  Captain  William 
Sweeley,  as  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School,  lay-reader, 
and  lay-administrator,  was  the  mainstay  of  St.  John's. 

When  the  first  anniversary  of  the  chapel  was  celebrated, 
on  Low  Sunday,  1888,  the  Sunday  School  was  reported  to  be 
in  a  flourishing  and  most  encouraging  condition.^  The  people 
were  gladdened  on  this  occasion  by  the  presence  and  words 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Black,  a  former  rector  of  the  parish.  Two 
years  later,  February,  1890,  an  attendance  of  174  in  the  Sun- 
day School  was  recorded.  A  sewing  school  under  ]\Irs. 
Sweeley  had  prospered  during  the  year,  with  a  membership 
of  about  65  girls. 

The  Bishop  Hopkins  Guild  has  wrought  valiantly  through- 
out the  history  of  this  chapelry  for  the  material  and  moral 
upbuilding  of  the  work.  To  this  body  of  earnest  young  peo- 
ple was  due  the  purchase  of  the  first  furnace  for  heating  the 
chapel  and  the  carpet  for  the  aisles.  The  oak  pews  were 
paid  for  by  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society  and  cost  $1,600  ( ?).  The 
Sunday  School  paid  for  the  organ. 

In  April,  1890,  a  street-lamp  was  erected  in  front  of  the 
chapel,  through  the  eftorts  of  Mrs.  Gibson  and  Sunday 
School  scholars. 

By  the  generous  contiibution  of   lumber  by   Mr.   Perley 

1  Organized  Low  Sunday,  1887,  in  the  old  Armory  Building. 

139 


140  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

and  another  ^entleman,  the  "infant-room,"  or  vestry,  was  en- 
lar^G^ed  in  the  fall  of  1890. 

llie  lectern  Bible  was  ,^iven  by  Captain  Sweeley,  Christ- 
mas, 1890. 

Beginnings  with  the  second  Sunday  in  April,  1891,  the 
afternoon  service  was  changed  to  the  morning  as  an  experi- 
ment. 

The  financial  administration  of  the  chapel  at  this  time 
involved  the  annual  payment  of  $200  to  the  Vestry  towards 
the  salary  of  the  assistant  minister,  a  like  sum  being  asked  of 
Wadleigh  Chapel.  This  arrangement  continued  for  several 
years  with  varying  success,  the  $200  being  generally  some- 
what beyond  the  ability  of  this  chapelry. 

The  new  chancel  rail  took  the  place  of  an  "old  ten-foot 
bar"  in  October,  1S91,  and  the  Bishop  Hopkins  Guild  supplied 
the  pews  with  book-racks,  prayer  books,  and  hymnals. 

.V  "jelly  closet"  was  started  about  the  same  time  to 
supply  delicacies  to  the  sick.  A  similar  one  was  established  at 
the  parish  church  and  Wadleigh  Chapel.  Systematic  efforts 
were  also  made  the  same  winter  by  the  guild  for  beautifying 
the  chapel  and  also  for  caring  for  the  poor  and  providing 
clothing  for  the  needy.  The  vestry-room  was  also  fitted  out 
with  conveniences  for  holding  services  there  instead  of  in  the 
chapel  itself. 

A  re-table  was  added  to  the  altar  Christmas,  1891,  the 
gift  of  Captain  Sweeley.  Here  may  be  noted  the  interesting 
fact  that  it  has  been  the  custom  of  St.  John's  Chapel,  through 
a  long  term  of  years,  for  the  guilds  or  individuals  to  make  a 
"Christmas  present"  to  the  chapel  of  some  needed  article  of 
use  or  adornmcnl.  The  exchange  of  Christmas  presents  by 
scholars,  teachers,  and  officers  at  the  time  of  and  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Sunday  School  festival  has  also  for  years  been 
the  pleasing  custom  of  the  chapel  people. 

Not  forgetful  to  help  others,  St.  John's  Chapel  cheered 
the  mission  at  Watsontown  by  the  gift  of  an  altar  service 
and  chancel  prayer  book,  Easter,  1892. 

Altar  cloths  of  the  proper  ecclesiastical  colors  were  made 
by  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society  in  the  summer  of  1892. 


St,  John's  Chapel  141 

A  handsome  Sunday  School  banner,  designed  by  Mr.  J. 
E.  Jones  and  worked  by  Miss  Ann  Bentley,  was  used  for  the 
first  time  on  Easter,  1893. 

The  Bishop  Hopkins  Guild  supplied  the  chapel  with  a 
cassock  and  full  set  of  stoles  in  the  fall  of  1893. 

A  conveniently  arranged  book-case  for  the  Sunday  School 
library  was  installed  in  the  winter  of  1893. 

The  chapel  was  consecrated  by  Bishop  Talbot  May  9th, 
1898. 

In  March,  1907,  a  brass  altar-cross,  in  memory  of  Captain 
William  Sweeley,  was  given  by  some  of  his  friends  in  the 
Sunday  School  and  chapel.  At  the  same  time  as  the  cross  was 
blessed  the  handsome  candlesticks  now  on  the  altar,  presented 
anonymous!}',  were  also  dedicated  to  the  Church's  worship. 

The  communicants  of  the  parish,  Easter,  19 10,  numbered 
83,  and  the  members  of  the  Sunday  School  165. 

The  presentation  of  the  lot  on  which  the  new  church 
stands  by  Messrs.  Henry  J.  Lutcher  and  G.  T.  Bedell  Moore, 
and  of  the  church  itself  by  Mr.  G.  T.  Bedell  Moore,  has  been 
dealt  with  in  detail  in  the  account  of  Mr.  Jones's  rectorship. 
The  memorials  to  Mr.  Moore,  given  by  his  widow  and  his 
sisters,  have  also  been  recorded. 


Summary  Notes 

GIFTS,  MEMORIALS   AND  THANKOFFERINGS. 


The  following-  summary  of  gifts,  memorials,  and  thank- 
offerings  presented  to  the  church  during  the  latter  half  of  the 
period  under  review  may  well  quicken  the  gratitude  and  emu- 
lation of  the  present-day  members  of  the  parish : 

April,  1870.  Churchwoman  gives  $10  for  oak  chest  for 
altar  vestments.  From  three  gentlemen,  the  drawings  for  an 
altar  and  chancel  rail  for  Wadleigh  Chapel ;  the  material  for 
same  sawed  to  pattern  in  oak ;  the  money  needed  for  complet- 
ing them.  From  another,  violet  bookmarks  for  the  Bible. 
From  another,  50  prayer  books  for  Wadleigh.  From  another, 
25  hymnals  for  Wadleigh.  From  Miss  Susan  E.  Hall,  a  beau- 
tiful violet  altar-cloth,  the  embroidery  having  been  done  by 
Miss  Anne  C.  Norris,  of  Erie,  Pa. 

May,  1870.  From  a  lady,  white  bookmarks  for  the  lec- 
tern. Fair  white  linen  cloths  for  the  altar,  material  and  gift 
from  Miss  Susan  E.  Hall ;  needlework  by  ^Nliss  Lizzie  Shoe- 
maker, of  St.  James's  Church,  ]\Iuncy.  From  Air.  E.  H. 
Biggs,  two  beautiful  chalices,  value  $100. 

June,  1870.  From  Miss  Susan  E.  Hall,  red  altar-cloth, 
part  of  needlework  done  by  Miss  Sarah  Bonine,  of  ]\Iuncy. 

November,  1870.  From  Mr.  F.  N.  Page,  vestry-room 
furniture,  value  $81.50. 

Easter,  1871.  From  donor  anonymous  at  the  time  (Mrs. 
Louisa  Logan),  for  private  communion  service,  $25,  w'ith 
which  a  silver  paten  and  chalice  of  convenient  size  were  pro- 
cured.^ 

May,  1872.  From  the  Dorcas  Society,  articles  of  altar 
linen.     From  the  Brotherhood,  window  over  the  vestry-room 

1  This  was  later  inscribed  to  the  memory  of  the  Rev.  Albra 
Wadleigh.     [Ed.] 

143 


144  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

door,  with  crossed  keys  and  pastoral  staff  as  emblems  of  the 
pastoral  office. 

June,  1872.  Two  thankoffering-s  aggregating  $105,  used 
for  purchase  of  a  silver  flagon,  which  was  first  used  on  Sun- 
day, July  7th.  Among  the  offerings  on  the  Sunday  after 
Ascension  Day,  $100,  marked  as  "a  thankoffering  for  special 
mercies,  to  be  used  for  church  objects  as  the  Rector  may  judge 
best." 

October,  1872.  Thankoffering  for  recovery  from  sick- 
ness, $5.00,  for  communion  plate. 

December,  1872.  Completion  of  the  altar-linen  and  of  "a 
tasteful  dress  and  blanket,  to  be  lent  as  occasion  may  require 
for  bringing  infants  to  baptism."  A  second  alms-chest  was 
put  in,  on  the  east  side  of  the  church. 

January,  1873.  Thankoffering  from  person  unknown, 
$5.00,  accompanied  by  these  words:  "I  present  the  enclosed 
sum  as  a  thankoffering  to  Almighty  God  for  the  innumerable 
blessings  showered  upon  me  and  mine  during  the  past  year, 
and  for  the  kind  care  and  protection  He  has  ever  exercised 
towards  us.  It  seems  almost  presumptuous  in  one  so  deeply 
unworthy  as  I  feel  myself  to  be.  But  as  He  blessed  the 
widow's  mite,  I  trust  He  will  not  despise  this  humble  tribute 
to  His  kindness  and  love." 

Christmas,  1873.  Thankoffering  accompanied  by  the  fol- 
lowing words:  "What  shall  I  render  unto  the  Lord  for  all  His 
benefits  toward  me?  While  others  far  more  worthy  have  been 
steeped  in  poverty  and  wretchedness,  God  has  dealt  out  His 
blessings  to  me  and  mine  with  an  oi)en  hand.  Accept,  O 
Father,  I  beseech  Thee,  this  my  offering  for  all  Thy  mercies; 
and  grant  that  the  coming  year  ma\-  find  us  all  more  worthy  of 
Thy  love  and  kindness." 

Julv  5.  1874  (V.  Trinity).  "Thankoffering  for  special 
mercies,"  used  for  jiurchase  of  silver  paten  ;  cost  $46. 

April  8,  1878.  Vestry  adopts  resolution  of  thanks  to 
Miss  Agnes  Montgomery  for  gift  of  brass  altar-desk. 

June  5,  1878.  Vestry  thanks  Mrs.  Charles  Tiffany  for 
gift  of  Bishop's-chair. 


Gifts,  Memorials  and  Thaxkofferixgs  145 

July  8,  1878.  Vestry  thanks  Miss  Susan  E.  Hall  for  gift 
of  embroidered  green  lectern  antependium. 

April  6,  1880.  Vestry  thanks  ^^Irs.  C.  F.  Ranstead  for 
white  lectern  antependium,  given  in  memory  of  her  child, 
Encie  Ai-ny  Ranstead. 

December  26,  1882.  Vestry  thanks  ]Mrs.  A.  L.  Wiley  for 
stained-glass  window  in  memory  of  her  father,  Chief  Justice 
Lewis.     Subject:     "The  Judgment." 

April  13,  1885.  Vestry  thanks  Major  J.  H.  Perkins  for 
stained-glass  window  in  memory  of  Mrs.  Perkins.  Subject: 
"The  Annunciation." 

April  13,  1885.  Vestry  thanks  ladies  of  the  church  for 
having  the  chancel  and  aisles  tiled.     Cost,  $1,200. 

February,  1889.  From  Mrs.  J.  H.  Cochran,  through  Dr. 
Saylor-Brown,  a  reclining  chair  for  the  use  of  the  sick  poor. 

October,  1889.     Handsome  new  lectern  Bible  purchased. 

All  Saints',  1889.  Exquisite  large  brass  eagle-lectern, 
with  memorial  inscription,  in  memory  of  Mrs.  Josephine  White 
Munson,  the  gift  of  her  husband,  Mr.  C.  LaRue  Munson.  In- 
scription:  "In  Memory  of  Josephine  AMiite  Alunson,  1856- 
1889." 

November,  1889.  From  the  x\ltar  Society  of  St.  Mark's 
Church,  Philadelphia,  a  white  stole. 

January,  1890.  Platform  and  benches  for  "infant  school," 
lumber  contributed  by  Mr.  Edgar  Munson.  Benches  cost  $52. 
From  "one  of  our  ladies,"  several  pieces  of  new  altar-linen. 

March,  1890.  The  Rector  thankfully  records  the  pur- 
chase of  a  lot  in  Wildwood  Cemetery,  after  a  long  efifort  to 
secure  the  money,  where  indigent  parishioners  and  others  can 
be  buried.  The  lot  cost  $30.  The  Young  Men's  Guild  pro- 
vides a  signboard  for  the  church. 

October,  1890.  From  an  anonymous  doner,  a  thankofifer- 
ing  of  $100  in  gold,  the  first  contribution  towards  the  comple- 
tion of  the  tower. 

All  Saints',  1890.  Frc!^.  St.  Mary's  Guild,  white  brocade 
silk  altar-cloth,  exquisitely  embroidered  by  the  Sisters  of 
Mercy  at  St.  ^Mark's  Church,  Philadelphia.     The  central  figure 


146  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

is  an  Agnns   Dei,  and  on  either   side   are   adoring  angels 
swinging  their  censers.     Cost,  $175. 

January,  1891.  From  Mrs.  H.  H.  Cummin,  brass  altar- 
cross  of  unusual  size  (54  inches  high)  and  superb  design  and 
workmanship,  in  memory  of  her  husband,  the  Hon.  Hugh 
Hart  Cummin. 

January,  1891.  From  an  anonymous  donor,  four  copper 
alms-basins,  inscribed  with  the  name  of  the  church. 

P'ebruary,  i8gi.  Made  and  presented  to  the  Sunday 
School  by  Mrs.  William  A.  F.  Zahn,  a  white  silk  banner. 

Easter,  1891.  From  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  H.  Grove,  a 
fine  brass  processional  cross  with  copper-bronze  medallions 
containing  the  Agnus  Dei  and  emblems  of  the  four  evan- 
gelists ;  in  memory  of  their  son,  Harry  H.  Grove,  at  one  time 
a  chorister  at  \\'adleigh  Chapel.  It  bears  a  memorial  inscrip- 
tion, as  follows : 

"In  memory  of  Harry  Haswell  Grove,  1873-1885. 
'Angels,  sing  on!  your  faithful  watches  keeping! 
Sing  us  sweet  fragments  of  the  songs  above !'  " 

Easter,  1891.  From  Mr.  C.  LaRue  Munson,  set  of  book- 
marks for  the  lectern  Bible. 

April,  1 89 1.  St.  Mary's  Guild  provides  large  closet  in 
guild-room  for  care  of  altar-hangings.  St.  John's  Guild  ap- 
propriates $9.50  for  new  music-closets  in  choir-room,  and 
$7.00  for  storm-doors  at  church  tower.  Also  orders  a  croki- 
nole-board  for  guild-room. 

May,  1 89 1.  St.  Mary's  Guild  provides  book-racks  for 
the  choir  desks,  at  a  cost  of  $14.25.  The  cost  (to  date)  of  re- 
l)airs  in  the  j)arish  house  occasioned  1)\'  the  Hood  of  1889  is  re- 
ported to  be  $195.97;  carpets  and  cushions  in  the  church, 
$872.74;  ventilators  for  the  parish  house,  $98.10;  and  maps 
for  the  Sunday  School,  recent!)-  purcliascd.  $13. 

I.  Trinity,  1891.  From  Mrs.  John  White,  exquisitely  em- 
broidered green  altar-cloth,  with  medallion  of  Christ  the  Good 
Shepherd  embroidered  in  centre. 

October,  1891.  From  donor  unnamed,  cushion  and  kneel- 
ing-stool    for   Bishop's-chair.     Pencil    sketch    portrait   of    Dr. 


Gifts,  Memorials  and  Thankofferings  147 

Hopkins,  Charles  Crawford,  artist,  purchased,  framed  and 
hung  in  school-room  (afterwards  in  guild-room )  by  some  of 
the  young  people.     Cost,  $12. 

November,  189 1.  Upper  back  veranda  of  rectory  en- 
closed to  make  a  "sun-gallery"  for  winter  plants.  Lumber  for 
same  the  gift  of  a  parishioner. 

December,  1891.  From  Bishop  White  Prayer  Book  So- 
ciety, Philadelphia,  75  prayer  books  and  hymnals  for  chapels 
and  Sunday  Schools. 

February,  1892.  Prayer  books  and  hymnals  injured  by 
flood  rebound  at  the  expense  of  a  vestryman. 

March,  1892.  An  Edison  mimeograph  for  copying  music 
is  procured. 

Easter,  1892.  From  Mrs.  Burrell,  two  large  brass  can- 
delabra for  altar-steps,  each  eight  feet  high  and  having  31 
lights.  They  bear  the  inscription :  "In  loving  memory  of 
James  Albert  Luther  Burrell,  M.  D.,  1847-1892,"  with  the 
added  words  on  one,  "In  Peace,"  and  on  the  other,  "In  Hope." 

July,  1892.  Two  vestrymen  promise  each  to  pay  one- 
fourth  of  the  $4,000  indebtedness  of  the  parish,  and  a  third 
vestryman  $250  of  the  amount,  provided  the  balance  is  raised 
by  April  1st,  1893. 

July,  1892.  Brass  pulpit  in  memory  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hop- 
kins, a  gift  to  the  church  by  popular  subscription.  It  cost 
$568.75,  and  bears  the  inscription :  "To  the  Glory  of  God  and 
in  Pious  ]\Iemory  of  the  Rev.  John  Henry  Hopkins,  S.  T.  D., 
Rector  1876-1887." 

St.  John's  Guild  presents  new  kneeling-cushions  for  the 
chancel  at  a  cost  of  $12.  St.  Mary's  Guild  presents  hand- 
somely embroidered  red  altar-cloth  and  stole.  Cost,  $110  and 
$22.  From  St.  Mary's  Guild,  new  chancel  prayer  books  of  re- 
vised edition.  From  Miss  Elizabeth  Logan,  new  linen  cre- 
dence-cover. From  Vestment  Committee,  new  clergy  cassock. 
From  Ministering  Children's  League,  decorated  china  and 
toilet  articles  for  vestry-room. 

Christmas,  1892.  Check  for  $100  found  in  alms-plate  for 
domestic  and  foreign  missions. 


148  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

May,  1893.  New  hardwood  floor  laid  in  dining  room  and 
hall  of  rectory.  Stone  pavement  laid  on  Mulberr}'  and  Fourth 
Streets  in  place  of  old  wooden  sidewalk. 

June,  1893.  Smaller  guild-room  wall  tinted  and  room 
newly  furnished  by  St.  Mary's  Guild.  Large  rug  provided 
for  larger  guild-room  by  the  Mothers'  Meeting,  assisted  by 
others. 

July,  1893.  Church  pews  supplied  by  a  parishioner  with 
250  revised  prayer  books  and  hymnals,  marked  "Christ 
Church"  in  red  letters. 

July,  1893.  By  deed  of  Miss  Mary  S.  Lloyd  and  Miss 
Susan  Lloyd,  a  lot  in  the  Washington  Street  Cemetery  for 
burial  of  the  poor. 

October,  1893.  By  will  of  Major  J.  H.  Perkins,  $4,500  is 
bequeathed  to  the  church,  the  interest  on  $4,000  of  the  same  to 
be  divided  between  the  choir  fund  and  current  expenses. 

November,  1893.  Evenden  Brothers,  florists,  plant 
geranium  beds  on  the  church  lawn. 

November,  1893.  From  Mrs.  W.  F.  Logan  and  Miss 
Elizabeth  Logan,  a  glass  and  silver  cruet  for  Holy  Com- 
munion, in  memory  of  Harry  W.  Logan. 

March,  1897.  Bequest  of  $500  for  the  endowment  fund 
of  the  parish,  by  will  of  Miss  Agnes  Montgomery. 

May,  1900.  On  Ascension  Day,  Litany  Desk,  a  thank- 
ofifering  from  Mrs.  John  White. 

November,  1900.  Bequest  of  $7,500  ]:)resented  by  Mr. 
Josiah  Howard  in  memory  of  his  father,  to  be  known  as  the 
"Charles  1>.  Howard  Memorial  Fund." 

1900.      1  lymn  boards,  in  memory  of 

Mary  Frances  Dayton,  1826- 1899 

Elizabeth  Grafius  Piatt,  1825- 1896 

Samuel  Lloyd  Lehman.  1856- 1896 

James  Stevenson  Smythe,  1841-1899 

June,  1901.  Silver  ewer  f(ir  Rector's  private  communion 
set,  ]jresented  by  Mrs.  Louisa  Logan,  in  memory  of  her  son, 
Harry  W.  Logan. 


Gifts,  Memorials  and  Thankofferings  149 

Christmas,  1901.  Window  of  the  "Good  Shepherd,"  pre- 
sented by  Mr.  G.  T.  Bedell  Moore,  in  memory  of  his  father,  the 
Rev.  Richard  Channing  Moore,  replacing  a  former  window  of 
the  same  subject. 

1902.  Baptismal  shell,  presented  by  Miss  Ella  Ryder,  in 
memory  of  her  niece,  Rena  Myers. 

1903.  Altar  vases,  "To  the  Glory  of  God  and  in  loving 
memory  of  Matilde  Edith  Graff,  1849- 1902.  St.  Mary's 
Guild." 

October,  1903.  Gift  of  $200  from  Mr.  Josiah  Howard, 
for  the  purchase  of  two  pianos  for  the  parish  house. 

December,  1904.  Bequest  of  $5,000  for  the  endowment 
fund,  by  will  of  James  Van  du  Zee  Brown. 

November,  1905.  Memorial  window  to  Edgar  and  Lucy 
Maria  (Curtis)  Munson,  presented  on  All  Saints'  Day  by  their 
sons,  Cyrus  LaRue  and  Robert  Hallam  Munson. 

1905.  Globes  and  mantel  lights  for  church,  from  Allen 
P.  Periey. 

1906.  Lantern  slides  for  Good  Friday  services,  from 
Cyrus  LaRue  Munson. 

February,  1906.  Furnishings  for  boys'  room  in  new 
parish  house,  and  billiard  table,  presented  by  Cyrus  LaRue 
Munson. 

May,  1906.  Bronze  tablet  in  memory  of  her  husband, 
John  White,  and  of  her  son,  John  Allison  White,  presented 
by  Mrs.  John  White;  unveiled  May  29. 

June,  1906.  Memorial  window  to  James  Van  du  Zee 
Brown,  presented  by  his  legatees,  and  unveiled  June  4. 

November,  1906.  Sanctuary  rail  in  memory  of  Mrs. 
Carile  Cone  Brown,  presented  by  her  sisters,  Mrs.  Helen  A. 
Piper  and  Mrs.  Allen  P.  Periey,  and  placed  in  position  No- 
vember 17. 

November,  1906.  Wardrobe  for  the  vestments  of  the 
Girls'  Choir,  presented  by  Mrs.  Max  Mitchell. 

December,  1906.  Waidrobe  for  choir  vestments,  pre- 
sented by  Mrs.  H.  Y.  Otto. 


150  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

December,  1906.  Set  of  lantern  slides  of  Tissot's  "Life 
of  Christ,"  presented  by  Cyrus  LaRue  M,imson. 

December,  1906.  Plot  of  ground  on  Market  Street,  South 
Williamsport,  as  a  site  for  church,  parish  house  and  parsonage 
for  St.  John's  Mission,  presented  by  Henry  J.  Lutcher  and  G. 
T.  Bedell  INIoore,  the  latter  being  the  son  of  the  Rev.  Richard 
Channing  Moore,  sometime  rector  of  the  parish. 

1907.  Brass  altar-cross,  in  memory  of  Captain  ^^'illiam 
Sweeley,  for  St.  John's  Mission,  presented  by  friends. 

1907.     Candlesticks  for  altar  of  St.  John's  (anonymous). 

October,  1907.  Memorial  window  to  Valentine  Smith 
Doebler  and  Elizabeth  (Hepburn)  Doebler,  presented  by  mem- 
bers of  the  family,  and  unveiled  October  17. 

October,  1907.  Funds  for  Memorial  Church  to  the  Rev- 
erend Richard  Chaning  Moore,  sometime  rector  of  Christ 
Church,  presented  by  his  son,  G.  T.  Bedell  Moore.  Mr. 
Moore's  gift  probably  totaled  $20,000. 

April,  1908.  Brass  bracket  shelf  for  the  font  ewer,  a 
memorial  to  Mary  Elizabeth  (Milliken)  Beisser,  presented  by 
her  husband,  J.  Fred  Beisser. 

April,  1908.  Electric  fixtures  for  the  new  parish  house, 
presented  by  Allen  P.  Perley,  in  memory  of  his  first  wife,  Clara 
Scott  (Love joy)  Perley. 

April,  1908.  Furnishings  for  a  room  for  the  "Brother- 
hood of  St.  Andrew"  in  the  new  parish  house,  presented  by 
Joseph  C.  Righter,  as  a  thankofifering  for  the  recovery  of  his 
son,  Washington  Righter,  3rd,  from  serious  illness. 

April,  1908.  Furnishings  for  a  ro(-)m  for  "The  Men's 
Club,"  in  the  new  parish  house,  presented  by  William  IL 
Crockett. 

May,  1908.  l*"urnishings  for  the  stu(l\-  and  guest  cham- 
ber of  the  new  parish  house,  ])resented  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George 
B.  Breon. 

May,   1908.     Windows  for  the  new  ])arish  house. 

In    memory    of   John    Klcock   Jones,    ])resented   by   his 

widow,  Mrs.  Olivia  Jones,  and  his  daughter,  Mrs.  H.  L. 

Lehman.     (Placed  in  the  vestry-room). 


Gifts,  Memorials  and  Thankofferings  151 

In  memory  of  John  Melick  Piirsel,  presented  by  his  son, 
Thomas  Pursel. 

In  memory  of  Andrew  and  Bertha  Lindlay,  presented 
by  their  son,  Arthur  G.  Lindlay. 

In  memory  of  Casimer  and  Henrietta  Edler  Schiesley, 
presented  by  their  davtghter,  Mrs.  Charles  M.  Renaut. 

In  memory  of  William  Hugh  Taylor,  presented  by  his 
parents,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  Eder  Taylor. 

In  memory  of  James  Francis   Starr,  presented  by  his 
widow,  Mrs.  James  Francis  Starr. 

In  memory  of  Horace  Hills,  presented  by  his  widow, 
Mrs.  Horace  Hills. 

In  memory   of  John   F.   Tomlinson,   presented   by   his 
parents,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  J.  Tomlinson. 

In  memory  of  William  Humbert  Kilbourn,  presented  by 
his  friends. 

October,  1908.  Twelve  brass  plates  for  inscriptions  re- 
cording gifts  to  the  new  parish  house,  presented  by  Brua 
Keefer. 

October,  1908.  Furnishings  and  fittings  for  kindergarten 
room  in  new  parish  house,  presented  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank 
C.  Bowman. 

October,  1908.  Curtain  and  scenery  for  stage  in  new 
parish  house,  presented  by  Mrs.  Ackley  P.  Tuller. 

October,  1908.  Furnishings  and  fittings  for  primary 
room,  in  new  parish  house,  presented  by  Mrs.  John  White. 

October,  1908.     Furnishings  and  fittings  for  ladies'  guild 
room  in  new  parish  house,  presented  by  Mrs.  Allen  P.  Perley. 
November,  1908.     Hall  carpet  for  parish  house,  presented 
by  Mrs.  Charles  Cochran. 

1908.  Memorial  window  to  G.  T.  Bedell  Moore  in  St. 
John's  Chapel,  presented  by  his  sisters.  Misses  Gertrude,  Sarah 
Virginia  and  Emily  Salter  Moore. 

February,  1909.  Reflectorscope,  presented  bv  C.  LaRue 
Munson. 

October,  1909.  Mem'^'-''al  window  to  George  Westle 
Baird,  presented  by  his  widow,  Mrs.  Susanna,  and  daughter. 
Alma  A.  Baird ;  unveiled  Eve  of  All  Saints. 


152  Chronicles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

Long  and  miscellaneous  as  this  list  is,  it  will  readilv 
enough  be  seen  that  it  is  by  no  means  exhaustive,  even  for  the 
periods  covered  by  the  dates  given.  The  lack  of  records  and 
of  parish  papers  will  explain  some  omissions  ;  the  fuller  allu- 
sion to  the  gifts  and  good  works  of  the  parish  elsewhere  in  this 
narrative  will  explain  others.  What  has  been  stated,  however, 
sufficientl}''  indicates  the  loyal  and  constant  generosity  of  the 
people,  the  Christian  modesty  with  which  many  of  their  gifts 
were  made,  and  the  widely  and  wisely  directed  interest  of  the 
rectors  in  planning  and  securing  the  things  most  useful  and 
worthy  to  adorn  the  sanctuary,  strengthen  the  parish,  honor 
God,  and  advance  the  well-being  of  His  people. 


Summary  Notes 


THE  PARISH   IN  ARCHDEACONRY 
AND  DIOCESE. 


In  its  broader  relations,  Christ  Church,  Williamsport,  has 
for  at  least  the  last  forty  years  of  its  history  been  of  great  help 
and  encouragement  to  the  Diocese  and  Archdeaconry.  It 
would  be  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  note  in  detail  the  gifts 
to  young  and  struggling  missions  elsewhere  in  the  Diocese, 
made  not  only  by  the  parish  church,  but  also  by  its  chapels. 
The  names  of  Upper  Fairfied,  W'atsontown,  Northumberland, 
and  others  will  occur  to  mind. 

The  rectors  of  the  parish,  moreover,  have  always  taken  an 
active  part  in,  and  been  fairly  honored  by,  the  Diocesan  Con- 
vention. One  of  them  at  least,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Graff,  served 
with  ability  for  several  years  as  Archdeacon  of  Williamsport. 
Several  of  them  have  been  sent  to  the  General  Convention.^ 
As  members  of  the  Standing  Committee,  the  Missionary  Board, 
and  of  various  standing  or  special  committees  of  the  Diocesan 
Convention,  they  have  upheld  the  hands  of  the  Bishop  and  done 
their  part  to  strengthen  and  further  the  work  of  the  Diocese. 

The  lay  deputies  from  this  parish  to  the  Diocesan  Conven- 
tion have  been  no  less  useful  and  no  less  honored,  and  some  of 
them  likewise  have  been  chosen  to  represent  the  Diocese  in 
the  General  Convention. 

Several  times  in  the  history  of  the  last  seventy  years  the 
Diocesan  Convention  has  met  in  Williamsport,  the  guest  alter- 
nately of  Christ  Church  and  Trinity  Church,  the  sister  parish 
in  every  such  case  sharing  with  the  host  of  the  occasion  in  pro- 
viding entertainment  for  the  members  of  the  convention.  For 
many  years  it  has  been  the  custom  to  hold  the  Winter  Convo- 

1  The  present  rector,  Mr.  Jones,  was  the  first  to  be  so  honored 
since  Dr.  Hopkins's  time.  He  was  also  a  delegate  to  the  Pan- 
Anglican  Convention.     [Ed.] 

153 


154  Chroxtcles  of  Christ  Church  Parish 

cation  of  the  Archdeaconry  in  WilHamsport,  the  entertaining 
parish  on  these  occasions  also  being  alternately  Christ  Church 
and  Trinity. 

Christ  Church,  moreover,  has  frequently  been  favored 
with  the  presence  and  helpful  words  of  many  diocesan  and 
missionary  bishops  and  other  distinguished  visitors,  thus  on 
its  part  sharing  in  the  wider  acquaintance  and  larger  work  of 
the  Church  at  large.  The  name  and  fame  of  the  church  and 
parish,  enhanced  by  the  record  of  its  good  works,  by  the  dis- 
tinguished ability  of  some  of  its  rectors,  and  by  the  social, 
civic,  and  professional  prominence  of  some  of  its  lay-people, 
have  gone  abroad  in  the  American  Church,  and  there  is  no 
member  of  the  parish  but  may  feel  with  St.  Paul,  when  he 
made  allusion  to  Tarsus  of  Cilicia,  that  he  is  "a  citizen  of  no 
mean  city." 


Summary  Notes 


CONCLUDING  V^^ORDS. 


Thus  are  we  brought  to  the  close  of  this  narrative.  If 
ever,  from  the  history  of  their  past,  a  people  might  be  cheered 
with  encouragement  and  stimulated  to  good  works  and  great 
deeds  in  the  present,  and  face  the  future  with  good  courage 
and  high  determination,  surely  the  people  of  Christ  Church 
Parish,  Williamsport,  may.  The  story  of  their  Zion  is,  indeed, 
like  that  of  Israel,  a  record  of  fluctuating  zeal  and  prosperity — 
as  what  human  history  is  not  ? — but  as  the  day  of  small  things 
and  the  struggle  for  existence  have  been  left  far  behind,  and 
have  been  forgotten,  save  as  the  hand  of  some  chronicler  of  to- 
day shall  turn  back  to  the  yellowed  leaves  of  early  records,  so 
now,  with  humble  thanksgiving  to  the  Divine  Head  of  the 
Church  for  all  that  He  has  wrought  through  the  labors, 
prayers,  anxieties  and  tears  of  His  servants,  the  clergy  and 
faithful  laity,  may  His  blessing  continue  to  rest  upon  and  make 
eflfective  all  that  shall  be  planned  and  attempted  in  His  name 
and  in  accordance  with  His  will  for  the  salvation  of  souls  and 
the  upbuilding  of  His  Kingdom  in  and  through  Christ  Church, 
Williamsport.  With  a  heart  full  of  gratitude  that  I  have  been 
privleged  to  share  in  this  work  for  a  time,  and  with  sincerest 
love  for  the  parish  and  people  whose  story  I  have  so  inade- 
quately rehearsed,  I  lay  down  my  pen. 


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