Centennial History of Columbus and Franklin County. William Alexander Taylor
He reached out to the surrounding towns and planted the seeds for other churches. Log and clapboarded houses served for his first church edifices, even the locations of which are being rapidly effaced. The first church numbered about fifty members, and they were scattered over not less than five hundred square miles from Walnut creek on the east, to Darby on the west, and from Dublin on the north to near Circleville on the south.
A second congregation grew up in 1808, in what is now Truro township.
When Columbus was surveyed in 1812 and the east bank of the river began to become populated, and in 1814 an edifice twenty-five by thirty feet, made wholly of hickory saplings and christened by common consent "The Hickory Church," was erected on Spring run, near the corner of Spring and Third streets. Here he conducted services as well as in the Truro church. Then in 1821 a more pretentious house was erected at Front and Town streets. It was capable of seating four hundred people. He was extended a second call and received six hundred dollars and later eight hundred dollars for his services. Efforts were made by other towns to engage the Doctor, but he clung to his first love. In 1833 a new house of worship was erected at State and Third streets.
Later it was remodeled and beautified and it was here that Dr. Hoge preached, his greatest sermons and did his greatest works. That sanctuary has now been abandoned as a house of worship and looms against the background of sky and brick walls, a melancholy wreck of a past generation. In 1850 Dr. Hoge accepted the chair of pastoral theology and church history in a theological seminary in Cincinnati. This detained him away from his charge in Columbus half of each year, and at his urgent request Rev. Josiah D. Smith was chosen as his colleague. In 1854 the seminary was removed from Cincinnati and Dr. Hoge resigned.
A Century of Presbyterianism.
The one hundredth anniversary of Presbyterianism in Columbus was celebrated November 12 to 19, 1905, opening in the great Auditorium on Broad street, Sunday evening, November 12, at 7:30 p. m., at which an address, "A Century of Missions," was delivered by Rev. Charles L. Thompson, D. D., LL.D.. New York; the Mesdames MacDonald sang a memorial offering; Rev. William. O. Thompson, D.D., presided: an anthem was sung by Mrs. Henry C. Lord, soprano; Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson, alto; Mr. James S. Webb, tenor; Mr. A. R. Barrington, baritone.
The last general meeting was held at the Broad Street church Friday evening, November 17, and was presided over by William H. Huston. Remarks were made by Professor Josiah R. Smith, Dr. Gladden and Dr. Morris, and a general reception followed. At the meeting Monday evening, November 13, Mr. P. W. Huntington presided, and Dr. Peyton H. Hoge, of Louisville, Kentucky, delivered the address: "The Making of the Man."
Rev. S. S. Palmer presided on the afternoon of the 14th; Rev. James A. Patterson on the evening of the same day; Rev. George Allen Brewer, evening of the 15th; Rev. George H. Fullerton, Lancaster, evening of the 16th; Rev. R. G. Ramsey on the afternoon of the 16th: Rev. W. H. Huston on the evening of the 17th. Sunday the 19th was observed with memorial meetings in all the churches, separately.
Among the other prominent persons who spoke during the week's services were Mr. P. W. Huntington; Rev. D. J. Moffat, D. D., LL. D., president of Washington and Jefferson College; President Henry M. McCracken, D. D., LL. D., New York; Rev. Henry A. Nelson, D. D., professor in Lane Seminary; Rev. Alexander Riggs, D. D., LL.D., professor in Lane Seminary; Rev. Francis L. Patton, D. D., LL.D., Princeton, New York; Dr. Norcross; Foster Copeland; Professor Josiah R. Smith; and Dr. Morris.
The following churches and pastors participated: First, Rev. George Allen Brewer; Central, Rev. James Albert Patterson; Broad Street, Rev. S. S. Palmer; Olivet, Rev. R. G. Ramsey; West Broad, Rev. W. H. Huston; St. Clair Avenue, Rev. F. M. Kumler; Nelson Memorial, Rev. W. L. Staub.
Also the following resident ministers: Rev. W. O. Thompson, D. D., LL. D.; Rev. W. S. Eagleson, Rev. Robert H. Cunningham, Rev. N. C. Helfrich, Rev. Thomas B. Atkins, Rev. Robert A. Watson, Rev. H. P. Barnes, Rev. J. M. Anderson and Rev. A. R. Tarr.
The Hoge Centenary.
On Sunday and Monday, February 11 and 12, 1906, was celebrated the centenary of the First Presbyterian church of Columbus. The celebration was no less solemn than it was beautiful and in perfect taste and accord with the occasion and the event it celebrated and memorialized.
The services were held in the new (present) First Presbyterian church at Bryden road and Ohio avenue. After music and appropriate readings from the scriptures, prayer by Rev. S. F. Scovel, D.D., LL.D., announcements, etc., etc., an historical address, "A Sketch of James Hoge and the First Presbyterian Church," was delivered by Mr. Robert S. Neil, president of the board of trustees. The address was not only replete with historical incident and description, but scholarly and well delivered to the deeply interested congregation. This reading was followed by the singing of the hymn (tune Ward, hymnal 531) sung at the semi-centennial, preserved in the corner-stone of the old church and exhumed to be sung at the centennial.
On Sunday evening following the music, prayer and offertory, Rev. William McKibbin, D. D., LL. D., delivered a most impressive address, the subject being "The Obligations Which the Past Imposes on the Present and Future."
On Monday evening Rev. Samuel S. Palmer, D. D., presided. There were "Greetings" by the pastor, Rev. Geo. A. Brewer; soprano solo, "Angels of Glory," by Mrs. Edith Sage McDonald; remarks by Rev. James Albert Patterson, D.D.; duet, "My Faith Looks up to Thee," Mrs. Edith Sage MacDonald and Mrs. Maude Wentz MacDonald; remarks by Rev. W. K. Fulton: remarks by Robert G. Ramsey; and contralto solo, "Set of Sun," Mrs. Maude Wentz MacDonald.
The present organization consists of J. D. Harlor, clerk; H. E. Brook, Alfred McClure, G. W. Shepherd, U. B. Strickler, G. W. Miller, F. B. Milligan, A. M. McPeak; trustees, Robert S. Neil, president; F. G. Houser, Charles McKee, E. M. Baldridge, treasurer; deacons, William Endslow, chairman, Mason M. Gill, W. O. Copeland, Paul Hedges, Robert H. Dunn, Robert S. Miller, Carl Frankenberg; Missionary Society, Mrs. Florence Strickler, president; Ladies' Aid Society, Mrs. Alfred McClure, president.
The Second Presbyterian Church was organized on the first Sabbath in March, 1839. The organization at the beginning comprised thirty-one persons, the most of whom were from the first old Presbyterian church. For a short time prior to the regular formation of the church, those connected with it had held their meetings for worship in a room on High street. The church was incorporated by an act of the legislature, April, 1839, and measures were taken to secure a site for a church edifice.
After the church was organized and until the ensuing October, the congregation had the services of Rev. Topliff; thereafter until 1840 the services of Rev. George L. Boardman. A call had been tendered Rev. Henry L. Hitchcock, D.D., which he accepted, and on November 24, 1841, he was regularly installed as pastor, and continued to sustain that relation until August 1, 1855, when he was transferred to the presidency of the Western Reserve College.
Early in September a unanimous call was tendered to the Rev. Edward D. Morris, then at Auburn, New York. This call he accepted and on the first Sabbath of the ensuing December, he began his ministerial labors, and was duly installed as pastor on the 2nd of January, 1856. The church grew and prospered and in 1857-8, it was evident that a more commodious church building was necessary, and the erection of the present church on Third street, directly south of the government building, was begun.
In 1858, the organization was: Pastor, Rev. E. D. Morris; elders, H. B. Carrington, Asa D. Lord, Chauncey N. Olds, John J. Ferson, Ebenezer McDonald, John H. Stage; trustees, D. T. Woodbury, A. P. Stone, Ermine Case, Jonas McCune, Collins Stone; treasurer, John M. Ferson. The number of members for that year is given at two hundred and forty-five.
Westminster Church—This church was organized on the 1st of June, 1854, and consisted at that time of thirty members, who had been dismissed from the First Presbyterian church. For three years and a half the congregation worshiped in the lecture room of Starling Medical College. In 1856 and 1857 they erected their church edifice at the corner of Sixth and State streets, at a cost of about fifteen thousand dollars. It was dedicated on the 23rd of August, 1857. The number of members in 1858 was one hundred and sixteen. Rev. J. D. Smith had been pastor from the first, having been called to the charge of it from the First church,