Evening Star Newspaper, February 28, 1932, Page 76

Rev. George W. Samson, D. D., pastor of the First Baptist Church, 1869 to 1863. BY JOHN CLAGETT PROCTOR. NE Lundred years mean a great dea! in the history of the United States, when we realize how young the Government really is. Indecd, we are celebrating this year the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington, and yet Wash- ington was 44 years of age at the time the Declaration of Independence was signed, and he died a year before Congress began meeting in this city. At that, he has only been dead 132 years. With our own city, we find that the lives of just two men, Benjamin Ogle Tayloe, first president of the Association of Oldest Inhabitants, and Theodore W. Noyes, now serving in that office, overlap the entire period of its existence. ‘We might even go further and mention just the life of one man—our venerable citizen, ‘Maj. S. Willard Saxton, now pushing his 103d year. Born in 1829, during the administration of Andrew Jackson—before the war with Mex- ico, before gold was discovered in California, before the telegraph had ticked off its first message, before Arkansas, Michigan, Florida, Texas, Iowa, Wisconsin, California, Minnesota and Oregon were admitted to the Union, not to mention the great number of notable things that have happened during and following the Civil War. In its young life, this Rcpublic of ours has made some real strides, some real progress, and stands today at the top of the nations of the world for its marvelous achievements—in wealth, in education, in population, in re- sources—and only 143 years this March since the Constitution went into effect. It is almost unbelievable! Religion canno: be omitted when we refer to the progress of this country. Indeed, it has had much to do—aye, all to do with the shaping of its destiny, and even in its growth has kept pace with our national economic progress. N 1790, the Baptist Church, just to mention one denomination, had but one church in Maryland, and that at Seneca; thiiree in Fairfax County, Va, and five in Loudoun County of the same State, and it was not until 1802 that six of the inhabitants of the District of Columbia were constituted into the First Baptist Church which has now developed into 27 churches and & membership of about 15,000. The number of churches for colored Baptists during the origin from the same source is even greater and amounts to about 78, with a congregation that totals nearly 41,000. While visiting the Pirst Baptist Church, at Sixteenth and O streets northwest, a few days ago, the writer stepped into the office to see Rev. Samuel Judson Porter, D. D, the pastor and one of the Capital's most noted divines. The church is now celebrating the 130th anni- versary of its founding, and Dr. Porter, know- ing the writer’s interest in the historic, let him read over the early minutes of the church, which were indeed interesting, and from these records the fact was gleaned that, “On Sunday the 7th of March, 1802, six of the inhabitants of the city of Washington and its neighbor- hood, being regularly baptized according to the apostolic mode by immersion, and humbly de- siring to be established into a rezular society to worship God, were constituted into the First Baptist Church.” Then follows the name of the original six: Charles P. Polk, Cephas Fox, Charles Rogers, John Burchan, Joseph Borrows and Sarah Borrows. The Seventh Congress was then meeting in Washington, the Sixth, which opened its sec- ond session a few months before, having just expired. Thomas Jefferson was President; the city was not incorporated until May 3, 1802, and the act, by the way, gave the President the power to appeint the mayor, while he in turn was empowered to appoint all the city officials—just substantially as we have it to- day, except that we call our executives “Com- missioners” instead of “mayors.” Naturally “the first act under the charler was the select- ing of a city seal, and on this point it was agreed “that the seal of the Cily of Washing- ton shall be the representation of an edifice supported in 16 columns having the word ‘Washington’ at the top, the words ‘city seal’ with the figures ‘1802’ at the bottom, and the motie ‘Union’ beneath the dome.” For the making of the seal $100 was appropriated. 8 an old-timer has said: “F street was then the principal thoroughfare. Pennsylvania avenue was an almost lmpl-‘-'n rond, marked First Congre gation Has Been Identified With History of District From Early Times. Highlights in Its Development—Once Occupied Site o f Ford’s Theater, IWWihere Lincoln Was Slain. only here and there by a house, and in some parts was washed by every tide and in cthers the thick bushes formed a safle retreat for the rabbit and furnished an abundance of berries and wild flowers.” At the second meeting of the church, held at the home of Charles Roger s, steps were taken to erect a house of worship. Two months after the first meeting three new members were acded by leiter and cne by bap- tism, the ordinance being porformed by Rev. william Parkinson, then chaplain to Congress, and on the same day the Lord's supper was for the first time celebrated. June 6, 1302, a committee consisting of Charles Polx, John Burchan and Joseph Bor- rows was authorized to purchase lct No. 11 in square 118, at the southwest corner of I and Nineteenth streets, for the purposes of vhe church, which was incorporated under the name of “The Baptist Church of Christ in Washing- ton City.” The dimensions of the lct were 37 feet on Nineteenth street and 75 feet on I street, for which the little flock paid $225, and upon which a house of worship was erected. Mr. Parkinson preached the dedicatory sermon and continued to supply the church without salary until 1804, when he declined reappoint- ment as chaplain of the House of Representa- tives and probably left the city. Washington was then in its swaddling clothcs and capable Baptist preachers were not to be easily found. For this rcason the church con- tinued five years without a pastcr. Finally, however, on January 20, 1307, at the request of a committee appointed for the purpose, Rev. Obadiah Bruen Brown of Newark, N. J., was extended an invitation to visit and spend a season with the church, which, it was hoped, would result in a permanent call. He came, as requested, arriving here on February 21, 1807, and so satisfied was the congregation that he soon received a unanimous invitation to re- main indefinitely, and remained as pastor of the church until 1850, when he resigned. . ARSON BROWN, as he was lovingly called, was one of the bright lights among the early Washington clergymen. He was a hard worker for the church and his efforts were crowned with success. Up to the time he came to this city but 3¢ members had been added to the original number composing the congrega- tion; as a result of deaths and removals, how- ever, the actual number he found on the roll at the time of his ordination was 23, which was soon greatly increased. This kindly preacher, who seems to have had the love of every one, was born in Newark, N. J, in 1779 and died in May, 1852, and his funeral was preached by Rev. Edward Kings- ford. Mrs. Elizabeth Brown, wife, died the same year. At first they were buried in Con- gressional Cemetery, but their bodies were later transferred to Oak Hill, overlooking picturesque Rock Creek, He left issue, but as to his descendants the writer kncws little. Besides his love for the church, Parson Brown was also deeply interested in educatioa and upon the founding of Columbian College (now George Washington University), in 1821, was chosen president cf ils board of tr@stees. George W. Brown of Fitch, Fox & Brown, who married a Miss Cuthbert, daughter of Dr. S. H. Cuthbert, is 2 grandson and owns an oil paint- ing of his grandfather and grandmother. For a number of ycars Mr. Brcwn resided cn the south side of E street between Eighth and Ninth streets northwest and it is quite probable he died here. i The good work which Parson Brown did right from the start is shown by the number of pcrsons who united with the church up to 1820. This list naturally includes the names of many Washingtonians from whom undoubtedly many present residents of the city are descended and who have every reason to be proud of the fact that their ancestors so far back were interested in the religious side of life. The membership list in part includes Caleb Jeffers, Suzannah Jeffers, Jane Watson, Hannah Jones, Nancy Craven, Hannah Ustick, Thomas Ustick, Eliza- beth Borrows, Hannah Foxton, Thomas Le Tel- lier, Job Haigh, Elizabeth Haigh, Bartleson Fox, Martha Rouse, Clement Boswell, Joseph Hud- dleston, Thomas Carpenter, Mary Carpenter, Mary Guyer, Annie Minifie, Isabella Craven, Hervey Bestor, Obadiah B. Brown, Jacob Hoyle, Richard Gaines, Peter Knight, Elizabeth Fox, Edward Langley, Nancy Langley, Isaac Clarke, Eleanor Davis, Polly Fox, Elizabeth Hunt, Mar- garet Duckworth, Jeremiah Hunt, Nathan Corn- well, Eleanor Stillions, Elizabeth Brown, Mrs. Greenfield, Sarah Gaines, Ann Warner, Mary Wells, Charlotte Hubbard, Ann Sherwood, Jo- seph Gibson, Margaret Gibson, Daniel Camp- bell, Margaret Campbell, Enoch Reynolds, Mary McChesney, Greenbury Gaither, Elizabeth Kil- ton, Margaret Brumley, Eliza Ellison, Elizabeth Reed, Oliver C. Comstock, Samuel Wallace, Catharine Norvell, Rebecca Pickerell, Spencer H. Cone, Thomas Huddleston, David Stewart, Mary Pickerell, Mary Ott, Elizabeth Smoot, Anne McKerraher, Rebecca Hunt, Catharine Wilson, Margaret McCutchin, Mary Ann Wal- lace, Elizabeth McCutchin, Elizabeth McDaniel, Rachel Hoagland, Sarah Reynolds, Anne Riley, Maria Diggs, Ruth Lord, Charles Bell, Joseph Jones, Joseph Thaw, Solomon Stewart, Samuel Smoot, Daniel Brown, Phebe Brown, Barbara Osborn, Elizabeth Osborn, Joseph Cooper, Sarah Cocoper, James Redman, Martha Redman, Mary Harris, John Armstrong, George Wood, Mary Wood, Mary Ann Wood and Jacob Creath. BADIAH BROWN never had but the one charge during his entire career as a min- ister of the gospel and, like nearly all of the eariy preachers of the city, found his salary insufficient for his maintenance. The result was the securing of a clerkship in a Govern- ment department to make up the difference, and this he held for some years, faithfully per- forming both his ministerial and governmental duties. It was while he was pastor, in 1833, that the question of securing a new site for the church came up, and the proposal was agreed to by Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, at Nineteenth and | streets northwest. Site of the First Baptist Church, 1802-1833. S— — Rev. Dr. Stephen C. Hill, pastor of First Baptist Church, 1850 to 1860. the congregation. At this time the church owned a lot on D street between Eighth and Ninth. A lot belonging to Nicholas Travers, on E street between Twelfth and Thirteenth, seemed to suit them better, and an exchange was offered, but not accepted, as the minutes of June 12 show, saying in substance that, being disappointed in the exchange‘ol the lot with Mr. Travers, they had exchanged the D street lot for lot No. 10, in square 377, which is the lot upon which now stands the building made historic through the assassination there of Abraham Lincoln on the evening of April 14, 1365. Apparently Mr. Brown and his flock worked very fast when once they started, for in the same minutes we are told that the walls of the house are already carried up about 14 feet from the foundation. However, the pace must have been too fast, for the church was not used for the first time until a year hence, June 26, 1834. When the Baptists first began preaching here, and for many years afterward, they had & number of colored members—as had all, or practically all, of the religious denominations of that period—and it was the increasingly large number of the colored bretbren, perhaps, more than anything else, that brought about the idea of moving from their old home at Nineteenth and I streets, which was sold to the colored Baptists on June 7, 1833, for $1,200 with $800 more pledged to be raised by sub- scription. However, Dr. Porter, present pastor of the First Baptist Church, says that the pay- ments of these amcunis were generously waived, and that the church finally repre- sented a gift to the colored Baptists. Of course, little of the original church remains standing, in fact, the corner stone befars this inscription: “19th Street Baptist Church, Organized August, 1839, Rebui't April, 1871.” In 1853, according to the record, “a number of brethren, principally from E Street Church, became associated under Rev. T. C. Teasdall, for the purpose of forming a new interest. They were so far successful as to increase to a considerable church and congregation, and to erect a commodious house of worship on Thirteenth street.” HOUGH officially the “Fourth Baptist Church,” yet few early Washingtonians know it by that name. It was generally spoken of as the Thirteenth Street Baptist Church. But by whatever name we may call it, for several years, at least, the congregation was quite successful and succeeded in erecting a very nice building which stood for many years, and was used by the church until about 1890, It stood where is now the old Builders’ Ex- change Building, to the south of the alley, on Thirteenth street, near the telephone office. Prior to 1859, as a recult of indebtedness and lack of support, an effort was made by the Thirteenth street church to merger its inter- est and identity with the Tenth street church, but the First Baptist could not be brought to terms and for the time be.ng efforts along this line ceased. In the year menticned, the Thirteenth street church again brought the matter up, and it was substantially agreed by that church to turn over to the First Baptist its right, title and interest in its property, and the latter agreed to assume tte former’s liabilities. This being done, all the members of the Thirteenth street body were given certificates of demission and upon these, such members as desired to do so were admitted to membership in the surviving meother church. As there was no necd for two churches, the Tenth street building was offered for sale, and in The Star of July 8, 1839, appeared the fol- lowing advertisement: “Church Building for Sale—The First Baptist Church intends either to improve their present house of worship or to erect a new one on an- other lot; they thcrefore offer for sale, the building and lot now occupied by the church on Tenth street between E and F, lot 10, square 377. The lot fronts 53 feet on Tenth street, and runs back 107 feet 2 inches to a 30-foot alley. The house is built in the most substantial manner, and is well adapted for a public hall or for conversion into dwelling houses. For terms inquire, until the 25th of June, of Isaac Clarke, corner of H and Eighth streets.” Apparently i was not the easiest thing %o sell chureh proneriv inet 3t that time. when