METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHES.

Sands Street Methodist Episcopal Church. From the remnant of the first class ever formed in Brooklyn, who were living in 1831, the Rev. Noah Levings ^[1] learned that the pioneer of Methodism here was Thomas Webb, a captain in the British army, who began to preach "in his own hired house," near the barracks, in New York, as early as 1766. Subsequently he visited Brooklyn, then a rural hamlet, and preached salvation, by grace through faith, to the Dutch inhabitants; how often, we know not, but it is certain that he formed no class here. He afterwards visited Newtown, ^[2] and Jamaica, in which place he planted the gospel; large crowds everywhere being drawn together to see and listen to a preacher uniting in himself the apparently irreconcilable characters Of warrior and a messenger of peace. The second man of whose preaching in Brooklyn we have any information, was Woolman Hickson, who is described as having a promising genius, and considerable abilities as a preacher; but he was snatched away from his useful career, by consumption, having labored seven months in the ministry. ^[3] His first sermon in Brooklyn was delivered in the open air from a table, in what is now called Sands street, and directly in front of the site of the present Methodist Episcopal church. An offer made by him, at the close of his discourse, to visit the village again, if any one present would open their house for preaching, was accepted by a Mr. Peter Cannon, a cooper, living near the ferry. And at his cooper shop, which he prepared for the accommodation of the people as best he could, the early disciples of Methodism worshiped for some time. Mr. Hickson, in a short time, about 785 or '86, formed a class of several members, and from that time Brooklyn continued to be visited occasionally by the preachers stationed in New York. The whole of Long Island, at that time, formed but one circuit, having a single preacher attached to it. ^[4] It cannot be definitely stated when Brooklyn became one of the regular appointments of the conference; but, in 1793, the Rev. Joseph Totten and George Strebeek was appointed to Long Island, laboring alternately a month in Brooklyn and a month in other parts of the Island, by which arrangement Brooklyn was regularly supplied with preaching and other pastoral duties. There was as yet, however, but one class, under the leader ship of Nicholas Snethen, subsequently a zealous, useful and popular preacher; and he was succeeded by Justice John Garrison, who held this position until his death, a period of thirty-six years. On the 19th of May, 1794, during the ministry of the Rev. Joseph Totten, the Methodist church in the village of Brooklyn, was duly incorporated; and at a meeting held at the house of Peter Cannon, an election was held, at which John Garrison, Thomas Vaupelt, Burdet Stryker, Stephen Hendrickson, Richard Everit and Isaac Moser, were chosen as Board of "Trustees, to take the charge and care of the temporalities belonging to the said church;" Mr. Garrison being elected president and treasurer, and Mr. Vanpelt, clerk of the board. September lot, 1794, they purchased from J. & C. Sands the ground fronting on New (now Sands) street, upon which the present edifice stands, and commenced the erection of a house of worship, the corner-stone of which was laid by the Rev. Wm. Phoebus, and subsequently a sermon was delivered upon the foundation by Mr. David Buck, from Isaiah, xxxviii, 16. The completed edifice was dedicated to the worship of God, Sunday, June 1st, 1794, by the Rev. Joseph Totten, who preached on the occasion from Exodus, xx, 24. At the annual conference of this year Brooklyn was united with New York, and Rev. Messrs. Ezekiel Cooper, Lawrence M. Combs, W. Phoebus, J. Brush and D. Kendall were appointed preachers to the station. Brooklyn appears as a separate station, for the first time, on the minutes of the conference in 1795, with twenty-three white and twelve colored members, under the ministry of Rev. Joseph Totten. The congregation so increased, that, in 1804, during the incumbency of Rev. Cyrus Stebbins, it was found necessary to enlarge their accommodations by an addition to the size of the church edifice. In December of the same year, Mr. Stebbins left the connection and joined the Protestant Episcopal Church of England and was settled at Schenectady, N. Y. The records of the church also adds in connection with the above, that: "Little Reuben Hubert left our connection and joined the church; he was formerly a Methodist preacher stationed in Brooklyn. Poor things!" In 1806, as appears from the church records, Mr. Samuel Thomas was appointed by Bishop Asbury, as supernumerary preacher at Brooklyn, and the society promised to supply house rent and $160 per annum for his expenses. During the same year, also, it was resolved, " that there shall be a new set of steps erected at the front door of the church, and seats inside the altar, all round from the altar door ; also that of a dark night when there is public meeting, the sexton shall light the lamps at the church door." Joseph Moser was then sexton, on a salary of £7 currency, or $17.50, and grave digger's perquisites, per annum. In 1808, when the church committee waited upon Mr. Joshua Sands to pay a bond of $100 due him on the land upon which the church was built, he generously returned them the money and cancelled the bond; and when, in the following year (1809), through the exertions of the Rev. Mr. David Ostrander, money had been subscribed for the purpose of building a parsonage, and the committee again waited upon Mr. Sands to negotiate for the purchase of a "strip of land on High street, against the lots belonging to the Methodist church," he surprised them with a gift of the desired property. These acts were characteristic of Mr. Sands, whose impulses were never limited or restricted by denominational prejudices, and, who though himself an Episcopalian, was ever ready to respond to the wants of the master's servants.

Again the old house of worship was found to be altogether too small for the accommodation of the congregation, and it was resolved, September 10, 1810, to erect a new edifice. Through the exertions of the trustees and the indefatigable labors of the then pastor, Rev. William Thatcher, a plain, neat church, forty-five by sixty-five feet, and capable of accommodating from one thousand two hundred to one thousand five hundred persons, was erected on the side of the old building, and was generally known to the inhabitants of Brooklyn, at that time, and to many of the old residents at the present day as the Old White Church. On the church records, for the year 1815, we find an amusing list entitled, "What is the duty of a sexton in the Methodist church." Among the articles of this list we find the following, viz: "3. To have the church open and candles lighted at least a quarter of an hour before the time of beginning the meeting, and to have them snuffed once before the meeting begins. 4. To see that the boys make no disturbance. 6. When lighting the chandelier there must be a piece of board laid on the seats, to step on, to prevent rubbing off the paint and dirtying the seats."

In 1823, during the residence of the eloquent and lamented Rev. Win. Rose, the church and congregation had so increased, that it colonized and formed a church now known as the York Street Methodist Church.

In the year 1843, and during the Rev. Mr. Vincent's ministry, the Old White Church building was demolished, much to the regret of many of the older members, by whom its destruction was deemed little less than a sacrilege, and upon its site was erected and completed during the following year, a new brick edifice, which was destroyed by the great fire of September, 1848, together with all the church buildings, viz: the lecture-room, classrooms, and parsonage. The walls of the building being found, on examination, to be perfectly safe for rebuilding, a building committee was appointed, consisting of Messrs. David Coope, Warren Richmond, Nathaniel Bunnell, Jacob Brown, and J. J. Studwell, under whose superintence the present edifice was erected. It is of brick, sixty feet front and rear, by eighty feet deep, the outside presenting a very neat appearance, interior plain, but commodious, and is calculated to hold about one thousand two hundred persons, without crowding. In the rear of the church, fronting on High street, is a building thirty-three feet front and rear, by sixty deep; the first story of which is occupied as a lecture room, and the sabbath school room. The class rooms building forms a second floor as a sabbath connecting link between the church and lecture room, and is sixty feet long by eighteen deep, and two stories high. The parsonage, a modern threestory brick building, attached to the church, is on High Street. The remainder of the -round, save a stone walk between the church and the parsonage, is occupied by the graves of the good who have, in other days, sung the praises of God in this sacred spot. These graves are green and marked only by simple headstones, bearing, merely names, dates and modest epitaphs. ^[5]

1835-6-7, Bartholomew Creagh. 1837--8-9, W. H. Norris. 1839, Fitch Reed. 1840-1, P. C. Oakley. 1842-3, Leonard W. M. Vincent. 1844-5, H. F. Pease. 1846-7, Nathan Ban,",. 1848-9, W. H. Norris. 1850-51, J. W. B. Wood. 1852-3, H. J. Fox. 1854-5, L. S. Weed. 1856-7, Jno. Miley. 1859, J. B. Hagany. 1860-61, B. H. Nadel. 1862-3, L. S. Weed. 1864-6, Charles Fletcher. 1867, E. G. Andrews. 1868, H. B. Elkins.

Among the early officers of the church we find the following officiating as treasurers: John Garrison, 1794; R. Everit, 1797; Thomas Van Pelt, 1798; James Harper, 1800; Thomas Kirk, 1807; Isaac Moser.

The church records give the following list of early members at the end of the year 1798: trustees, Thomas Van Pelt, John Garrison, Burdet Stryker, Isaac Moser; class leaders, John Garrison, Isaac Moser, James Degraw. Members of the Sociely. Males-Thomas Van Pelt, John Garrison, Burdet Stryker, Isaac Moser, James Degraw, Caleb Shreve, John Hastings, Joseph Moser, Jeremiah Smith, James Hubert, Joseph Webb, John Leaneigh, Samuel Engle, John De Vosuell, Joseph Herbert, John Haness, John Cornelison, Win. Foster, John Finn, John Shnell. Females - Sarah Van Pelt, Mary Garrison, Mary Powers, Margaret Moser, Sarah Everitt, Rachel Moser, Jemima Kissam, Idah Moser, Deborah Hasting, Sarah Hillear, Catharine Johnson, Sarah Engle, Rebecca Lynch, Anna Sutliff, Mary Denton, Caty Herbert, Hannah Smith, Elizabeth Rote, Sarah Cornelison, Sally Howzy, Leanah Smith, Milicent Shreve, Anna Day, Betsy Dale, Lear Conner, Elmer Ward, Ann Senell, Rachel Carman, Lamy Acker, Elmer Ferguson ; and twenty-seven blacks, thirteen of whom were females, under Peter Conger and James Titus, colored exhorters.

1803. Peter Jayne. 1304. Ithiel Smead. 1806. George Smith. 1808. Win. Foster. 1808. Andrew Mercein.

York Street Methodist Episcopal Church is the child of Sands Street Church, whose congregation had so increased that, in 1823, during the pastorate of the eloquent William Ross, it was found necessary to erect another house of worship. This, a neat, frame building, forty-two by fifty-five feet, with a small gallery, was built by Gamaliel King and Joseph Moser, at a cost of $5,000, and was dedicated June 6th, 1824, by the venerable Bishop George, who was assisted in the remaining services of the day by the sainted Summerfield and Rev. John Hannah, a delegate from the British conference, thirteen candidates for the ministry being also ordained by the bishop on the Same occasion. In 1828, a parsonage was erected near the church, and the congregation continued under the watchful eye and careful nursing of its devoted parent until it attained its twelfth year, 1835, when it was "setoff" and "setup" for itself. Rev. Seymour Landon was on the circuit which included York Street, in 1828, Rev. Charles Carpenter, in 1832-33 and Rev. J. Luckey from '33 to '35. The first meeting of the separate board of trustees was held June 4th, 1835, and there were present Benj. R. Prince, elected president; M. Suydam, treasurer; Christopher M. Hempstead, Joshua Rogers and one more. Shortly afterwards, Linus K. Henshaw, Alvin S. Mulford, and John Benam were added.

Rev. Raphael Gilbert was the first minister stationed in York street after the separation from its parent church. He remained two years, 1835-37, and was succeeded by the following named preachers in order: John L. Gilder, 1837-38, E. E. Griswold, 1839-40, Seymour Landon, 1841-43, John Poinsal, 1843-45, Buel Goodsell, 1845-47, Phineas Rice, 1847-49, W. C. Hoyt, 1849-50, Joseph Law, 1851-52, John L. Gilder (second term), 1852-54, Geo. W. Woodruff, 1854-57, C. Kelsey, 1856-7, J. E. Searles, 1858-9, E. Sands, 1860-1, W. H. Boole, 1862-3, R. C. Putney, 1864, S. Rushmore, 1865-7, Charles Backman, 1868.

In 1835 an alteration was made, enlarging the old building about twentyfour feet in its length; and in 1839, during the administration of E. E. Griswold, side galleries were added, and the building thoroughly renovated.

The present large and substantial brick building was erected in 1851, during the administration of Rev. Joseph Law, at a cost of 13,000. The corner-stone was laid by Bishop Janes, and the church was dedicated by Dr. Foster, January 23, 1852. At that time the present parsonage was built. In April, 1853, the ground on which the present commodious school and lecture room building stands were generously given by Rutson Suckley and sister, and the brick building was put up. The Sabbath School was organized in 1830, by Rev. Charles Carpenter. The first superintendent was Father Booth.

Washington Street M. E. Church (Washington street, between Concord and Tillery streets), was erected' in 1831, at a cost of $15,000, and was set off as a separate station in 1835. It was then on the outskirts of the city, which has since grown around it until it has become the centre of a dense population, and the parent of Several of the most flourishing churches in the community. Adam Seabury, who met the first class formed in Washington Street, is still leader of that same claw, and the only member that survives the original number that composed his little band. The first Sabbath school in connection with this church, was organized in 1832, by Judge John Dikeman, who was also a teacher in the first Sunday school formed in Brooklyn. His first female superintendent was Miss Hannah Stryker, both of whom are still spared to gather some of the rich fruit of their early labors.

Mary Cornwell, Stephen Haynes, and a few others of the original members, still linger on the shore of time, but the greater part of them have fallen asleep, and now rest from their labors in the hope of a blessed immortality.

The following ministers have been regularly stationed in Washingtonc street since it became a separate charge in 1835. Revs. Stephen Remington 1835-7, J. B. Sratten; Robert Seney, 1837-8 and 1847-48, James Floy) D.D., 1841-2, James Sewell, 1842-43, ^[7] Charles W. Carpenter, 1845-46, Daniel Curry, D.D., 1849-50, John Crawford, 1851-52, John Kenneday, D.D., 1852-54 (two terms), [8] Robert M. Hatfield, 185457, Charles Shelling, 1856-7, Jac. Kenneday, 1858-9, M . L. Scudder, 1860, F. S. De Hass, 1861-2, W. F. Watkins, 18535, A. S. Hunt, 1866-8) and 1869, Rev. C. E. Harris. The church and chapel are valued at $35,000, the parsonage (No. 217 Washington street), at $5,500. Membership in 1868, about two hundred and ninety.

African Wesleyan Methodist Episcoval Church (colored), in the village of Brooklyn (Regular Line), High street, near Bridge. The beginnings of this church have been noted on page 700. On the 18th of January, 1818, it was duly incorporated under the above title, with the following trustees: Peter Crager, Israel, Jemison, Caesar Sprong) Benjamin Cruger, John E. Jackson. Ministry, as far as known : Rev. Stephen Dutton, in charge 1823; Samuel Todd, in charge from.1829 to 1837; Richard Williams in 1837-8; Wm. Moore, in 1839-40; John Spencer, 1841-2; Edmund Cosby, in 1842-3; William Moore, in 1844-45 ; Ely N. Hall, 50-51 ; Israel Paterson, 1854.

The Ebenezer M. E. Church was organized June 18, 1837, at the Wallabout, by the formation of a class of eight persons, and preaching was held at a school house in that vicinity. In 1841, a church edifice, forty by thirty-five feet was erected on Franklin avenue, near Park, at a cost of about $2,000, besides $800 for the ground. Ministers: 1853-4, Orlando Starr ; 1845, Jacob Shaw; 1846, Ezra Withers; 1847-8, D. Osborn; 1849-50, William Gothard; 1851-2, Jos. Henson; 1853, Samuel W. King.

The Centenary M. E. Church (Johnson, corner of Jay), originated in the dissatisfaction of a large portion of the Washington street congregation with the appointment of a preacher to that station in 1838 They remonstrated against the appointment, while the conference was still in session, but without effect. The house of worship being under the control of the congregation, the people refused to receive the appointed preacher, and provided themselves with another. The preacher appointed by the bishop, and those who adhered to him withdrew, and maintained service, during the current year at Classical Hall. In 1839, a new society was organized, and a church erected on Johnson street, corner of Jay, eighty by fifty feet, for $8,000, which was finished and occupied in 1840. It received its name from the date of its commencement, that year being the centenary of Methodism (Prime's L. 1, 393). Ministers: 1840, Benjamin Griffen; 1841, Jarvis Z. Nichols; 1842-3, James Young; 1844-5, Jno. M. Pease; 1846, J. C. Green ; 1847, B. Griffen ; 1848-9, J. Law; 1850-51, J. G. Smith; 1852, Geo. Brown; 1853-4, C. H. Whitecar; 1855-6, J. S. Inskip; 1857-8, Heman Bangs; 1859, Jos. Law; 1860-61, T. D. Stevenson ; 1862-3, Chas. E. Glover; 1864-5-6, William McAllister; 1867, J. E. Searles.

Mount Zion African Protestant Methodist Church. Prime gives the following account of this organization In the early part of 1842, the Rev. William Harden, a blind colored preacher, commenced preaching in Brooklyn. His hearers assembled temporarily, in a room provided in a rope-walk, in Nassau street near Jackson. The rope-walk being burned down, they assembled for a time in private houses. A church of fifteen members was organized June 18, 1842. It was incorporated under the above name June 4, 1844, and they procured a small building in Navy street, near Sands," in which they worshiped under Mr. Harden, as a stated supply. He died in the autumn of 1847, and shortly after, May, 1848, the church became broken up, its membership mostly uniting with the African M. E. church in High street.

South Brooklyn, (at Gowanus, Eighteenth street), was commenced about 1842, in which year a small church church edifice, twenty-five by thirty-five feet, costing $700, was erected. The incorporation was effected February 4, 1844, under the style, Sixth M. E. Church of Brooklyn, and the charge included service of New Utrecht. Ministry: 1846, Henry Hatfield; 1847-8, E. S. Hebard; 1849, H. D. Latham; 1850, H. D. Latham; 1851-2, Geo. Taylor; 1853-5, Wm. B. Hoyt; 1856-7, M. N. Olmstead; 1858-9, Joseph Henson; 1860-1, S. W. King; 1862-3, Stephen Rushmore; 1864-5, A. Nash; 1866-8, A. Hubbell; 1869, Calvin B. Ford.

Carlton Avenue M. E. Church. This congregation was organized as the Eighth M. E. Church with eight members in the month of September, 1844, under the pastoral charge of Rev. Paul Goodsell. During the following summer a small building was erected on Carlton, near Myrtle avenue for this society, whose certificate of incorporation had been recorded on the 24th of February, 1845. In 1851, the membership had increased to one hundred and twenty-eight, and was constantly receiving new accessions, and on the 24th of September of that year the corner-stone of a new church edifice was laid by the Rev. Dr. Kennedy. This building, which was located on the original site, was constructed mostly of materials from the old York Street M. E. Church, of wood, with brick basement, forty-two by ninety-seven feet, costing about $5,000, and was then under the pastoral charge of the Rev. Nicholas White. Ministers: 1849, R. Seney; 1852-3, S. A. Seaman; 1854-5, J. H. Perry; 1855-6, J. W. B. Wood; 1857-8, Geo. A. Hubbell; 1859, Chas. E. Harris; 1860, C. Kelsey; 1861-2, J. A. Roche; 1863-5, Francis C. Hill; 1866-7-8, G. L. Taylor.

The Pacific Street M. E. Church is built in the romanesque style of brown stone, and is the most costly and attractive of the churches of this denomination in the city. On Tuesday evening, October the 1st, 1844, a few persons belonging to the denomination met at the house of Aaron B. Marvin, corner of Court and Livingston streets, to deliberate as to the purchase of the property formerly occupied by the South Presbyterian church, on Pacific street, between Court and Clinton, as a place of worship for the Methodists in South Brooklyn. A committee was appointed which lost no time in effecting the proposed purchase for the sum of $6,500. The Rev. George Peck, D.D., then editor of the Quarterly Review, having been appointed to take charge of the movement, preached the first sermon on Sunday, October 13, 1844. On the Sunday following, October 20, the church was formally organized under its present charter, as the fifth separate Methodiststation in the city of Brooklyn, forty persons connecting themselves by certificate with the new society. ^[9] It is a singular circumstance that notone of the original official members is now in connection with this church. Most of them have " fallen asleep," and others have removed to other places or churches. The society continued to worship in this place till the 18th of May, 1851, when they removed to their present beautiful edifice, on the corner of Clinton and Pacific streets. The corner-stone of the present church was laid by their pastor, the Rev. J. Kennedy, D.D., assisted by the Rev. Waters Burrows, of the New Jersey conference, on the 13th of June, 1850. The following ministers have been regularly stationed in Pacific street since the church was organized : Rev. George Peck, D.D.; Luther Peck, 1845; A. M. Osbon, D.D., 1846-7; W. K. Stopford, deceased, 1848-9; John Kennedy, D.D., deceased, 1856-7 ; John Miley, D.D., 1853; R. S. Foster, D.D., 1854 - W. H. Milburn, 1859-60; J. H. Perry, D.D., deceased, 1.861 ; M. R. Vincent, and F. S. De Hass, 1864-5. The present pastor, Dr. Sewell, 1866-7-8. His place is being most acceptably filled by the historian of Methodism, the Rev. Abel Stevens, LL.D.

The (True) Wesleyan Methodist Church was organized in April, - 1845, and consisted of thirty members. It is in connection with the organization formed at Utica, May 31st, 1843. They first held their meetings in an academy hall, corner of Atlantic and Henry street.

First Place M. E. Church. In the year 1849, the Washington street M. E. Sunday school authorized Charles Bridges, one of its members, to survey the south of Brooklyn and report on a position eligible for opening a Sunday School. The Atlantic docks had recently been built and the Hamilton ferry established. The streets had many of them been graded, but there were few houses. A large hill extending from Fourth Place to Degraw street, and from Columbia street nearly to Gowanus canal, which was some forty to fifty feet in height, was being removed. Mr. Bridges spent some months in exploring the locality. There were no churches or schools south of Atlantic street except in the vicinity of that street. In his searches he found several brethren, Baptist and Methodist, who united and organized a union school in the upper part of the engine house in Van Brunt, between Carrol and President streets. This was continued for some months with the most friendly feeling, until some eight or ten Methodists being engaged in the work, it was thought by them advisable that they should separate and organize a Methodist school. A sincere and candid explanation was made to the Baptist brethren, and a separation effected in the most Christian spirit. The Baptist brethren formed the nucleus of the organization that ultimately became the Strong Place Baptist church. During the week a vacant store in Columbia street was secured and fitted up as a school room, and for church services, and on the following sabbath, which was in November, 1849, the school was opened, under the superintendence of Mr. Chas. Bridges, and with an attendance sufficient to encourage the projectors. Church services were also held the same day.

At this time the Rev. Samuel W. King became the first pastor, preaching on alternate Sundays for the Dean street M. E. church (since Hanson Place). During the same month, three lots on Hicks street, corner of Summit (each twenty-five by one hundred feet), were purchased, and a rough frame building immediately put up on the corner. The first board' of trustees were elected March 25, 1850, and consisted of Lindsay J. Wells, Charles Carter, William H. Story, Charles Bridges and Stephen Haynes; afterward Thomas Emereon, Ola Helland, Nathan Carpenter and John W. Cantine were elected to complete the number allowed by the law. A brick building on the rear of the lots facing on Summit street, was now commenced. It was about tbirty-six. feet on the street by fifty feet deep. It was designed ultimately. to extend it so that it would have a front (the main one), on Hicks street. The cornerstone was laid the 13th of August, 1850, by Dr. Nathan Bangs. When the walls were up, a gust of wind prostrated one of the side walls, entailing much loss on the young society.. In the spring of 1850, Rev. Mr. S. H. Clark was appointed to the charge. His health was feeble, and he remained but one year. In 1851, Rev. Gad S. Gilbert was appointed. He served the church for two years, and was followed, in 1853, by Rev. Mr. Wm. F. Collins, who also had charge of the Warren street mission, where he preached on sabbath afternoons. During his pastorate, viz: on the 23d of Augustj 1853, the church property was sold for $7,000, which was about the amount of the encumbrances upon it. The building was rented from Mr. Bridges, and worship continued therein. Until this time the pastors had been in part supported by the Ladies Home Missionary Society. In 1854, Rev. Thomas H. Burch was stationed in the charge. A pledge having been given that steps should be taken toward building a new church, Iota were accordingly procured on Henry street, corner of Summit, being seventy-four feet by one hundred, and a church edifice fiftythree feet on Henry street, by seventy-five feet deep, was commenced with a parsonage on the rear of the lots facing Summit street. The church is of brick with brown stone trimmings, and of the romanesque order. An octagon tower is surmounted by a spire one hundred and thirty. four feet high. The Sunday school and class rooms are in the basement of the church, which is above the surface of the ground.

On the 26th of October, 1855, the first board of trustees of the new church was elected as follows: Harvey E. Hicks, Daniel Carpenter, Robert Cranford, George F. Bulley, Pickering Clark, Wm. B. Barber, Samuel Cox, Emery Bemis and Chas. H. Smith. As the lots faced First Place, it was incorporated under the name of the "First Place M. E. Church."

The lecture room was dedicated January 13, 1856, Rev. Dr. Hodgson officiating, and the church was dedicated September 14, 1856. Rev. Dr. Durbin preached in the morning, Dr. McClintoch in the afternoon, and Rev. Abel Stevens, the historian of Methodism, in the evening. The contributions made by one hundred and eighty persons, were $7,682 36.

The cost of the entire church property was over $34,000, and in 1864, was freed from all debt.

The history of the church could not be written without stating that it is to Messrs. Wm. B. Barber and Isaac Henderson that it is mainly indebted for its financial success. It is worthy of mention that during the war of the rebellion the cotton with which the church cushions was filled was sold for $1.10 per pound, and New Orleans moss substituted, leaving a profit of some $1,200 after paying expenses.

Rev. Thomas H. Burch was succeeded in the pastorate of the church by Rev. Joseph H. Rylance, in 1856. During his term the society enjoyed the preaching of Rev. Abel Stevens, then editor of the Christian Advocate, on sabbath mornings. He was succeeded from 1858 to 1859 by Geo. C. Robinson. From 1859 to 1861, Rev. George Taylor was pastor. From 1861 to 1862, Rev. Charles E. Glover. From 1862 to 1863, Rev. R. M. Hatfield. From 1863 to 1866, Rev. Albert S. Hunt, and from 1866 to 1869, Rev. John A. Roche. In 1867, the centenary year of Methodism, the church contributed $5,000 to a fund raised throughout the United States for educational and other purposes. The Sunday school superintendents, since the organization have been: in 1851, Lindsey J. Wells; 1852, Samuel Carter; 1853, Samuel Cox; 1854-5, Samuel Carter; 1856, Charles H. Smith; 1856 to 1861, Isaac Henderson; 1861-2, Phillip Walters; 1863, Wm. B. Barber; 1864-5, Rev. A. S. Hunt; 1865-6, W. B. Barber ; 1867-9, Richard 0. Currie.

Fleet Street M. E. Church, corner of Fleet and Lafayette streets, originated in the action of certain members of the Sands street and Washington street M. E. churches, ^[10] at a meeting in the early part of March, 1850. During the same month the land on which the church now stands, was purchased for $4,000, and the erection of an edifice commenced, fifty by seventy feet, and two stories high. Public religious services were held for three successive sabbaths (April 14, 21, and 28), at Mr. J. De Gray's residence; and at a legally called meeting, held May 6, 1850 (Messrs. N. T. Beers, S. H. Humford, J. H. Taft, Chas. Barnum, Stephen Haynes, Wm. Hyde, Thos. Read, Thos. S. Simmone, James De Gray, Thos. Burch, Chas. H. Fellows and J. G. Dollbear, voting), S. H. Humford, Thos. S. Denike, J. H. Taft, James De Gray, and Thos. S. Simmons were elected trustees, Rev. Dr. Curry being appointed pastor, by the conference on the 22d of same mouth. The old oil cloth factory, Nos. 95 to 101 Prince street, was temporarily occupied by the new congregation; and there the sabbath school was organized June 9th, 1850, with Mr. John E. Humford as superintendent, and five teachers, and some sixteen or twenty children. The new brick lecture room was dedicated September 6, 1850, by the Rev. John Kennedy, D.D., and by November following, two hundred names were enrolled, with an average attendance of ninety. In June, .1852, the Rev. R. M. Hatfield was appointed pastor, and the present church edifice commenced. It was completed and occupied in the early part of 1853, at a total cost, exclusive of ground, of $27,000. In May, 1854, the Rev. J. S. Inskip was appointed pastor; and was followed, in May, 1855, by the Rev. Dr. James H. Perry, and he, in April, 1857, by Rev. William Lawrence. In April, 1859, the Rev. C. D. Foss was stationed here; followed in April, 1861, by Rev. J. F. Booth; and he in April, 1865, by Rev. R. M. Hatfield (for second time); he in April, 1863, by Rev. B. M. Adams; then, in April, 1868, by Rev. S. H. Platt, the present incumbent, by reappointment in April, 1869. In 1859, the parsonage was erected, and lecture room enlarged for Babbath school purposes. The total membership of the church, in 1869 (inclusive of ninety-nine probationers), was seven hundred and thirty-nine, with eight hundred and six sabbath school scholars and seventyfive officers. The church, chapel and parsonage, with furniture, and ground, estimated at $80,000, free of debt.

Summerfield M. E. Church, located on the corner of Washington and Greene avenues, was the result of a meeting held on the 27th of January, 1851, at the residence of Mr. Ibbotson on Washington avenue. The edifice was built and occupied before September, 1851. A chapel, in rear of the church was formally opened on the 20th of March, 1869. Ministry : 1852, C. Fletcher; 1853-4, David Osborn; 1855-6, John M. Reid; 1857-8, Wm. S. Studley; 1859-60, Geo. R. Crooks; 1861, T. G. Osburn; 1862-3, B. Sing; 1864-5, L. S. Weed; 1867-8, J. M. Buckley; 1868-9, Wm. S. Studley.

Hanson Place Methodist Church, Hanson Place, corner of St. Felix street, was organized on the 3d of January, 1858. A very neat and commodious church edifice was erected, and though when it was opened for divine service there were but sixty members of the church, all told, there are now about six hundred. Very few church societies in the city can show a larger membership. The first pastor was the Rev. Joseph Law; in 1859-60, the Rev. James H. Perry; 1861-2, the Rev. Cyrus D. Foss; 1863-5, the Rev. G. W. Woodruff; 1866-8, W. F. Watkins; 1868-9, A. S. Hunt. Under all these, the utmost harmony prevailed in the society., all laboring to promote its interests, and with wonderful success. The value of the church and its property, at a low estimate, is at least $55,000.

The Sunday school connected with the church, has been wonderfully successful, and is quite a feature among the. sabbath schools of the city. It was organized on. the 17th of January, 1858, and increased with such rapidity that it was found necessary to erect a commodious building especially for its uses. The success of the school is mainly due to the earnest and indefatigable exertions of its superintendent, ex-mayor Booth. The new building used by the school was chiefly designed by Mr. Booth, and is very superior to most edifices of the kind.

Nostrand Avenue M. E. Chapel, corner of Nostrand avenue and Quincy street, was dedicated February 28, 1869. It is a neat gothic edifice, fronting on Quincy street forty feet, and running back eighty-five feet. The interior of the building has a high arched ceiling and a rear gallery. The furniture is of black walnut and presents a neat appearance, and will seat five hundred persons. There is a Sunday school room in the basement of the building. The main edifice, when erected, will front on Nostrand. avenue, and will measure sixty by ninety feet. The same style will be preserved in the construction of the main building. The location is in a region which is being speedily developed by the ever increasing population that is gathering from New York and other crowded neighborhoods. The chapel has already cost $25,000. The Sunday school is capable of accommodating four hundred children, and that number is now in regular attendance. Ministry: 1865-7, S. M. Hammond; 1868-9, R. H. Rust.

Seventh Avenue M. E. Church, corner of Butler street, was organized about 1866, by members of the Hanson Place M. E. church. Eight lots of ground have been procured, on which a chapel building, ninety-eight by fifty-six feet in size, and two stories high, has been erected and dedicated December 26, 1869. A church and parsonage are to be erected. Ministry 1867, G. A. Hall; 1868--; 1869, C. M. Griffen.

Simpson M. E. Church, at corner of Willoughby and Clermont avenues. The new edifice of this congregation was dedicated May 17th, 1869. It is one hundred and sixteen by seventy-seven feet, and will accommodate from one thousand five hundred to two thousand persons. The roof is about eighty feet high, to the ridge, with a square tower at each front corner, one about one hundred and ten feet in height and the other about sixty feet. The walls on both sides will be of Philadelphia brick, with elegant Jersey stone trimmings and buttress, and circle windows will add to the general effect. Galleries will run round the interior of the building. The site will cost $12,000, and includes the land for a chapel, school house and parsonage. The total cost of site and church is estimated at $82,000.

Tompkins Square M. E. Chapel, have a neat and commodious frame edifice, on Greene avenue near Tompkins, the land and building being valued at $15,000. It was dedicated June 25th, 1869. Ministry: 1865, G. S. Gilbert; 1866-7, F. C. Hill; 1868-9, A. H. Mead.

In March, 1869, a new Methodist congregation was organized in the 21st ward, under the ministry of the Rev. Robert P. Christopher, formerly of Cook street church. Their building, located on Kosciusko street, near Broadway, E. D., is a neat frame structure, sixty by thirty-six feet, costing $7,000.

First Methodist Episcopal Church (E. D.). The first ecclesiastical organization in the village of Williamsburgh, and the second in the old town of Bushwick, was formed about the beginning of the present century. Their first house of worship was erected in 1808, on North Second street, between Fourth and Fifth; was repaired in 1821, and was still standing in 1845; but in the year 1837, the society having greatly increased, the foundation of a spacious brick church was laid on South Second street, between Fifth and Sixth streets. The church here was organized in August, 1838, its first trustees being David Garret, Henry E. Bodwell, Geo. W. Pitman, John L. Gray, Simon Richardson, and James D. Sparkman. The building was erected in 1839, and dedicated on the Sth of January, 1840, at which time there were about fifty communicants, and such has been the rapid increase of the congregation, -that all the Methodist churches of the Eastern District of Brooklyn (with the exception of St. John's), have since been colonized from it. Notwithstanding the mother church thus sent out so many, it continued full. During the pastoral care of Rev. C. B. Sing, in 1866, the debt of the church, which had rested upon it like an incubus for thirty years, was entirely paid off. The building was unroofed in the great storm of 1853, when a number of church steeples were blown down; it was then extended, and is now the largest and oldest Methodist Episcopal church in that part of the city. The present membership is about six hundred; about one thousand two hundred persons can be accommodated in the building. The church is justly celebrated for its large and prosperous Sunday school, which numbers about one thousand children.

Ministry: 1838, Richard Seaman and James Rawson; 1839, William Thatcher and James Rawson; 1840-1, John Le Fevre and C. Ross; 1842-3, Henry F. Roberts; 1844-5, Paul R. Brown; 1846, John M. Pease;

1847.4, Edwin L. Janes; 1849-50, W. F. Collins; 1851, R. H. Loomis; 1852-.3, Harvey Husted; 1853-5, J. Miley; 1856-7, John S. Mitchell; 1858-9, M. L. Scudder; 18,50-1, Rufus C. Putney; 1862-3, James W. Home; 1864-66, C. B. Sing; 1867-8, W. H. Boole.

Grand Street, or Second Methodist Episcopal Church (Gothic Church), located on the corner of Grand and Even streets, was organized September 4th, 1845, with ten communicants. The first board of trustees were Lemuel Richardson, Daniel Manjer, John F. Luther, Robert G. Thursby, Isaac Henderson, and Charles Maujer. The corner-stone of the church edifice which is a neat gothic building, was laid December 4th, 1845, and the edifice itself was dedicated on the 26th of November, 1846.

Ministry : 1846-7, W. R. Stopford; 1848, John J. Matthias; 1849, Samuel Meredith; 1850-1, Wm. C. Hoyt; 1852-3, John Crawford; 1854, J. W. B. Wood; 1855-6, Seymour Landon; 1857, Abm. S. Francis; 1858-9, Charles T. Mallory; 1860, D. A. Goodsell; 18612, F. Bottome; 1865, George Taylor; 1866--8, J. B. Merwin; 1869, George C. Dunbar.

North Fifth Street M. E. Church, North Fifth street near Fifth, was organized April, 1849, and at that time, met in a school house, in North Sixth street, near First, from whence they removed to a frame building in North Fifth near Fourth street. Its first officers were David H. Betts, Henry 0. Austin, Richard White, John C. Brig,",, William Johnson, John Cox, Wm. P. Coleman, Wm. Butler and Henry A. Bodwell. The present edifice was erected in 1849 ; the officers being D. H. Betts, H. 0. Austin, R. White, J. C. Briggs, W. Johnson, J. Cox, W. P. Coleman, W. Butler, and H. A. Bodwell. Number of members at that time forty-three. The first pastor was the Rev. S. H. Clark, 1848; followed by Revs. S. Meridith, 1849; E. S. Hebberd, 1851-2; C Gorse, 1853-4; 1. Wildey, 1855; C. T. Mallory, 1856-7; M. Staples, 1858-9; J. D. Bouton, 1860-1; S. W. King, 1862; H. F. Pease, 1863; W. F. Collins, 1864; E. S. Hebberd, 1865-6; and W. Platts, 1867-8. The number of full members on record since its organization, was six hundred and seventy-six, number at present time, one hundred and sixty; scholars and teachers in Sunday school, three hundred and seventy-five. The church is a plain, substantial edifice, built of brick, with lecture and class rooms in the basement and capable of seating in the audience room a congregation of about five hundred persons. The building is valued at $20,000. The parsonage, in North Fifth street near Fifth, is a frame building valued at about $4,000.

St. John's M. E. Church (formerly known as Third, or South Fifth street), E. D. was colonized from the First M. E. church of Williamsburgh, and was organized May 6th, 1849; its first trustees being James D. Sparkman, Nathaniel Briggs, Dr. S. Wade, Thomas Lewis, William Y. Hemmingway, Gilbert Potter, Wm. Morgan, Geo. W. Smith, and Geo. D. Hubbard. Ground was purchased on the corner of Fifth and South Fifth streets; the Rev. E. L. Janes placed in temporary charge of the society, and services held in the lecture room of the Reformed Dutch church, corner of Fourth and Second streets, until the completion of their building. It was dedicated July 25, 1850, by Bishop Morris. The congregation increased and prospered, so that in April, 1866, it was decided to erect a new building, and lots were secured for the purpose on the corner of Bedford avenue and Wilson streets. At a meeting of the trustees, held on the 18th of the same month, it was resolved to call the church the St. John Methodist Episcopal Church, and s, large sum of money was contributed toward its erection. This building was dedicated April 3d, 1868, the sermon being delivered by the venerable Bishop Janes. The new edifice is built in the decorated gothic style of the 13th century, of Belleville brown-stone, and has a frontage of one hundred feet on Bedford avenue, including twenty feet of parsonage. It extends a depth of one hundred and sixty-seven feet on Wilson street, including lecture room, etc. There are five entrances from the outside, three on Bedford avenue, and two on Wilson street, and two towers, one ending in a spire one hundred and eighty feet high. The audience room is ninety-five feet in length, sixty-eight feet in width and forty-four feet in height, with one hundred and forty pews on the main floor, and sixty-two in the gallery. The pews are of black walnut, and capable of accommodating one thousand one hundred and fifty persons. There are, also, five class rooms, one Bible class room, a lecture room, seating about four hundred persons; a sabbath school room, which including the infant clan room, seating about five hundred and twenty-five children; library, laboratories, water closets, etc. The windows are of stained glass, and the interior of the structure, the audience room, will, at night be lighted by glass jets, arranged in a dome, similar to that in the House of Rbpresentatives at Washington. The choir is in the rear of the pulpit, in a recess around which are triple columns, from which the ceiling springs in rich ribbed work, etc. Between these columns will be the organ pipes. Altogether the church is one of the most complete in the city. The cost is from $150,000 to $160,000. The parsonage, which is nearly completed, on Bedford avenue, adjoining the church, is a neat compact edifice, built in the same manner as the church, and will be complete in all the conveniences of a home.

Ministry : 1849-50, E. L. Janes; 1851-2, B. Creagh (who died during his term of service, August 10, 1852); 1853, F. W. Bill; 1854-5, H. Fox; 1856-8-9-60, W. S. Studley; 1861-2, A. S. Hunt; 1863-4, C. 0. Foss; 1866-7-8, C. H. Payne; 1868-9, E. G. Andrews.

The South Third Street M E. Church, corner of Union avenue, E. D., was organized in 1854, by members from the old South Second street church. Ministry : 1854-5) A. S. Francis; 1856, L. C. Cheney; 1857, Daniel Curry; 1858-9, Samuel W. King; 1860-1, J. L. Peck; 1863, Benjamin Pillsbury; 1864-5, J. S. Inskip; 1866-8, A. C. Eggleston; 1869, W. T. Hill.

First M. E. Church of Green-Point, Union avenue, near Java street, E. D., was organized in the winter of 1847-8, by the Rev. Sylvester H. Clark, of the New York East Conference. The society had been commenced by three laymen, viz: Messrs. Benjamin Downing, Charles Huff and one other, who hired a small room on Franklin street (occupied as the office of Hopkins's livery stable), where, assisted by a few earnest laymen from Williamsburg, they established prayer and clam meetings.

Mr. S. H. Clark remained a pastor two years, during which time the present site was purchased, a frame edifice erected and covered, and a lecture room finished in the basement. In the year 1850, Rev. Harvey Hustead was appointed pastor, and remained two years; being followed in 1852, by Rev. Julius Fields, and in 1853-4, by Rev. George Hollis. Under hi's labors the audience room of the church was completed and the entire property much improved. He was followed in 18554, by Rev. William Gothard; in 1857-8, by Rev. Seymour Landon, under whose labors the church was much increased; and in 1859-60, by Rev. Buell Goodsell; in 1861-2, by Rev. George Taylor; in 1863, by the Rev. John F. Booth. Under his labors the congregation so largely increased that in 1864 a vigorous and thriving colony swarmed, and with Mr. Booth as pastor, commenced the present large and commodious brick church known as the Green-Point Tabernacle. In 1865-6-7, the Rev. Henry Asten was pastor; and in the spring of 1868, the Rev. John W. Leek, the present pastor, was appointed. The congregation has during the past year so largely increased as to necessitate measures for a new and larger' edifice. Lots have already been purchased for that purpose, and a fine brick church is in contemplation.

In 1849, there were about thirty members, and there are now (1869), three hundred in the First church and as many more in the Tabernacle, making a twenty fold increase in twenty years.

Greenpoint Tabernacle was commenced in 1864, by members of the First M. E. Church of Green Point, under the leadership of Rev. J. F. Booth; he was followed in 1866-7-8, by D. A. Goodsell; in April, 1869, by Rev. Freeman Pratt Tower. On his taking charge the basement of the present edifice was the only portion completed, but in August of the same year the work of finishing the edifice was commenced, and probably the dedicatory services will take place in January, 1870.

The exterior of the church building is plain, yet massive in appearance, constructed of brick, surmounted by a very high peaked roof The front is supported by four large hexangular buttresses, between which are the three entrances, and over the main or centre entrance is a ten-foot Catharine-wheel window. The length of the building is ninety feet, with a front sixty feet wide. In the rear is an extension twenty-one feet Iona, and running the whole width of the building, which contains the class rooms, infant claw, and church parlor. The basement exclusive of the vestibule, is fifty-eight feet wide and sixty-three feet long, and capable of seating seven hundred persons. The audience room is to be furnished in black walnut and chestnut.

The intention is to afford sitting room for only eleven hundred, and standing room for three hundred additional. The real estate and building will be worth about $80,000 when finished. The present membership is about four hundred and is increasing. The Sunday school registers eight hundred scholars, and fifty-four teachers, under the superintendency of William Clark. It has the largest congregation and school of any church in that section, and is among a population of twenty thousand.

Central M. E. Church, was formed in March, 1868, by a number of persons from the old mother church (South Second street), who purchased the South Fifth street M. E. Church (that society having built St. John's M. E. Church), and organized a new congregation under the above title. Pastors: 1867, E. L. Janes; 1868-9, B. M. Adams.

Hatfield M. E. Mission Church, Conselyea, corner of Leonard street, a part of the city which has been technically called the "Backslider's Retreat," was established by the exertions of Rev. Henry Hatfield. Trustees: Wm. Yorks, John Clarke, E. Smith, J. Cox, J. Benham. Pastors: 1866-9, Henry Hatfield; 1869, J. H. Hall. A substantial frame edifice has been erected, and was dedicated February 13, 1869. It is fifty feet by seventy, seats six to seven hundred persons, and cost $11,000.

The African M. E. Church (Zion), South Third, corner of Union avenue E. D., was organized in the year 1835, and, at first, worshipped in the old Methodist church, then in a school house, and afterwards in a small frame building, erected by themselves with much difficulty, in North Second street, above Union avenue. Ministers: (as far as known), Peter Lee, 1855; Kenneday, 1869.

Brooklyn Home Mission. Ministers, 1850-1, S. H. Clark; 1852, Jno. Morris Pease; 1853, W. F. Collins; 1854-5, A. Nash.

Hicks Street M. E. Church, corner of Summit, 1851-3, G. S. Gilbert; 1854-5, T. H. Burch.

Atlantic Dock Mission, of which, in 1851-3, Henry D. Latham was pastor.

Dean Street Church. Ministry: 1852-3, Nicholas White; 1855-6, C. Gorse; 1857, Jos. Law. This became the Hanson Place church.

William Street Bethel Mission, William, near Van Brunt street. Ministry 1854, S. Rushmore; 1855-61, E. 0. Bates; 1862-3, Miles N. Olmstead; 186", A. S. Francis; 1869, William P. Estes.

De Kalb Avenue M. E. Church, De Kalb avenue, near Franklin. Ministry: 1856, Joseph Law; 1857, John S. Inskip; 1858-9, Geo. Dunbar; 1860-1, A. H. Mead; 1862-3, Rufus C. Putney; 1864, G. S. Gilbert; 1865-7, J. W. Leek; 1868, D. 0. Ferris.

Nathan Bangs M. E. Church, Clove road, corner of Butler street, from 1856 to 1859, called a mission. Ministry: 1856; 1857-8, S. H. Platt; 1859-60, A. S. Hunt; 1861, A. C. Eggleston; 1862-3, William F. Hatfield; 1864-; 1865-6, H. P. Shepard; 1867-; 1868-9, A. S. Francis.

Janes M. E. Church, Reed avenue,- near Gates. Ministry: 1859-61, S. H. Platt; 1862, A. C. Eggleston; 18684, W. H. Simonson; 186", H. C. Glover; 1869, S. C. Keeler.

Warren Street, East Warren, near Smith street. 1860, J. Law; 1861, J. S. Mitchell; 1862-3, A. S. Francis; 1864-5, E. Sands; 1866-8, W. W. Bowdish; 1869, G. A. Hubbell.

Einbury M. E. Church, Fulton avenue near Marcy, of which, in 1867-9, Thomas Stevens was pastor.

John Wesley M. E. Church, Tompkins corner of Willoughby avenue, 1868, F. C. Hill; 1869, J. W. Barnhart.

Johnson Street M. E. Church, corner of Jay. 1868-9, J. E. Searles.

Free Union Methodist Church E. D., (African), was organized February 4, 1842, and erected a small building, in 1851, on South Third, near Ninth street.

A Wesleyan Methodist church was organized (in the E. D.), August 23d, 1843, but dissolved, by consent of the members, April 15, 1844.

Bushwick and Williamsburgh City Mission. Ministry: 1850-1, Jos. H. Frost; 1852-3, Joseph Law; 1854, J. S. Mitchell.

Division Avenue, of which in 1853, Julins Field was pastor, is perhaps the same as the Broadway Mission, Williamsburgh, 1854, of which Julius Field was also pastor.

Cook Street M. E. Church, Cook street, corner of Bushwick avenue. Ministry: 1855, J. S. Mitchell; 1856, G. L. Fuller; 1862 (with Flatbush), J. Henson; 1863, Joseph Henson 1864, R. Roberta; 1869, Robert P. Christopher.

An Asbury M. E. Church was organized in Williamsburgh, in 1844, and a small building erected in North Seventh street, near Sixth, Rev. John Seymour, pastor in 1856-7.

First Bethel H. E. Church (colored), Frost, near Lorimer street, E. D., was founded in 1847.

Scandinavian Chapel, Pacific near Flatbush avenue, 1869, John Swanstrom.

German Missionary District of the N. Y Conference (Williamsburgh circuit). 1852, Francis G. Gratz; 1853, John J. Graw; 1854-5, Jacob Kendler ; 1856, Jno. Swahler; 1757, Henry Kastenarick ; 1858 (including Brooklyn, N. Y. Bethel Mission and Greenville), John W. Freund and H. Kastendrick; 1859-60, C. F. Grimm; 1859 (Brooklyn and Greenville), J. W. Freund; 1861, Simon F. Zimmerman (Williamsburgh), Henry Leibhart; 1862 (Williamsburgh and Long Island), Leibhart; 1863 (Williamsburgh and Long Island), J. G. Lutz, and (Bethel and Brooklyn), H. Kastendrick; 1864 (Brooklyn and Greenville), F. Bonn; (Williamsburgh and Long Island), J. G. Lutz; 1865 (Brooklyn and Greenville); Williamsburgh and Long Island, S. F. Zimmerman. Eastern German Conference, 1866, Brooklyn south charge, Wm. Kruth, east charge, Lewis Walton; 1867, Brooklyn (Wyckoff Street), Wm. H. Kruth; 1867-8, Williamsburgh (Lorimer Street), Fred. Glank; 1868, Brooklyn (Wyckoff street), F. G. Gratz.

METHODIST (NON) EPISCOPAL CHURCHES.

The Methodist Protestant Church (E. D.), being the third ecclesiastical organization in the former village of Williamsburgh, originated in the secession of thirty-five members from the existing Methodist Episcopal church of the place. It was organized in 1832, and a small, but comfortable edifice was erected, which was dedicated in the autumn of 1853, and was replaced, in 1850, by a brick structure. Its first board of trustees were Frederick Dickerman, John Snyder, Benjamin Doxey, Peter Merrit and Stephen Baker; the number of communicants at the time of organization being twenty. Rev. Ruel Hanks was installed pastor in 1835, and Rev. Wm. H. Johnson was pastor from 1849 to 1854.

The Brooklyn Primitive Methodist Church has existed since 1839. In church government it is entirely democratic, and all matters of progress and discipline are settled by the will of the people. The church is Situated in Bridge street, between Concord and Tillary streets. It is a wood frame building, the inside plain and nest, and the religious devotions are energetic and lively. All the seats in the church are free. An interesting Sunday school is also in operation. Revival services have been conducted in the church since the commencement of the present year (1869). Pastor, Rev. Charles Spurr.

Protestant Methodist Church, originated in a schism, which took place among the Primitive Methodists, in 1839. The secession first assumed the style of Wesleyan Methodists, and hired the building that had been erected by the Primitive society, and sold for the debt, with which it was encumbered. The preacher of the original society went with the secession. For a while the new organization appeared to prosper, and numbered nearly one hundred members. They purchased a lot of ground on Kent street, and in the autumn of 1840, commenced the erection of a church, thirty by forty feet, which was completed at a cost of about $2,000, and occupied in the spring of 1841. Difficulties subsequently arose, and the society being in debt, and unable to extricate themselves, in 1845, the church was sold to the Roman Catholics, and it is understood that the society is dissolved. (Prime's L. I., p. 400). Fred. W. Holland was pastor, 1839-40; George Parsons, 1841-2; Win. Birch, 1844-5.

Notes:

^[1] Methodist Hag. and Quart. Review, vol. xiii; New Series, vol. 11, 1831, p. 258 BACK

^[2] In 1768, when he preached at the house of James Harper, the father of Harper Brothers, the celebrated publishers. Mr. Harper afterwards removed Brooklyn, and his house was a home for the preachers, some of whom boarded there of the to while serving at that station. See Bang's Hist. ff. E. Church, 1, 298, 299, et seq. Mr. Powers and others of the early Methodists of Brooklyn, had to go over the river in a row boat to hear Capt. Webb in the Old Sail Loft. BACK

^[3] Lost Chapters from Early History of Methodiom, 314, 315. BACK

^[4] At Recond Methodist conference, in June, 1789, at New York city, Rev. Win. Phoebus and John Lee were appointed to Long Island, Plicebus serving also for New York. Lost Chaptem, 825, 333. BACK

^[5] Beneath the altar of the church rest the remains of the Rev. John Surnmerfield, widely known as one of the most eloquent preachers and godly men connected with the Methodist church, and who was buried here by his own request. A marble slab in the rear of the church, bears the following Inscription: " Sacred to the memory of the Rev. John Summerfield, A.M., to. 27; a preacher of the Methodist connection; born In England -born again in Ireland; by the first, a child of genius; by the second a child of God called to preach the gospel at the age of nineteen, in England, Ireland and America. Himself the spiritual father of a numerous and happy family. At this tomb, genius, eloquence and religion mingle their tears. Holy in life, ardent in love and incessant in labor, he was to the church a pattern, to sinful man an angel of mercy, to the world a blessing. In him were rarely combined gentleness and energy, by the one attracting universal love, by the other diffusing happiness around him. Singular sweetness and simplicity of manners, inimitable eloquence in the pulpit, natural, graceful and fervent, rendered him the charm of the social circle and the idol of the popular assembly. Upon the lips that moulder beneath this marble, thousands hung in silent wonder. His element was not the breath of fame, but the communion and favor of God. He closed a scene of patient suffering, and slept in Jesus, in the city of Now York, on the 13th of June, 1825. By faith he lived on earth, in hope he died, by love he lives In heaven." BACK

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^[6] He was a man of deep piety and burning zeal, a native of Hempstead, L. I., and died in Philadelphia, in 1818, in the sixtieth year of his age. BACK

^[7] In Brooklyn Directory for 184", Rev. George Pock is Put down as Pastor. BACK

^[8] Mr. Kenneday had charge of the church in 1834-35, before it was set off as a distinct organization. BACK

^[9] Certificate of incorporation recorded October 28, 1844, but, under some misapprehension of mistake, renewed January 29,1845. BACK

^[10] These were Rev. Dr. Curry, pastor of Washington street church, Rev. William Norris, of Sands street church, S. H. Humford, J. S. Taft, M. F. Odell, A. A Gale, Stephen Haynes, L. S. Simmons, J. Studwell, and James De Gray. BACK