[Pennsylvania County Histories]

'■ -- J-/1 ?7*f. 3 // V. 73 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from This project is made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries https://archive.org/details/pennsylvaniacoun73unse i > 3. ) •> MARK TWAIN’S s&ftai? moK. E A TENTS: UNITED STATES. GREAT BRITAIN. FRANCE. June 24TH, 1873. May i6th, 1877. May i 8th, 1877. TRADE MARKS: UNITED STATES. GREAT BRITAIN. Registered No. 5,896. Registered No. 15,979. DIRECTIONS. Use but little moisture, and only on the gummed lines. Press the scrap on without wetting it. DANIEL SLOPE & COMPANY, NEW YORK. U V \ / .the vault owners were paid by the cliurch for [the ground and also for the expense of the transfer of the bodies, the majority of which went to Mount Vernon Cemetery. The Tenth Presbyterian Chhreh was pro¬ jected by Furman Learning, at that time in the hardware business on Market street. The corner stone was laid on July 13, 1828. It was a plain unpretentious structure more like a Quaker meeting house than a church of this day and was never modernized or en¬ larged. The church was opened for service in December, 1829. THE ORIGINAL TRUSTEES. The first Board of Trustees, which served i until May, 1831, were Solomon Allen, William Brown, James Kerr, Furman Learning, George Ralston, Thomas Fleming, Samuel Hilde- burn, James Hunter, Isaac Macaulay, Joshua Tovis, Moses Johnson, Dr. Henry Bond, Charles Watres. Robert Burgess, James Leslie, William W. McMain, John Stille, Jr., and William Watt. DR. BOAR DM AN :S PARISHIONERS Of these many have descendants living in the city, among whom are Miss Margery Ten tli Presbyterian Congregation Di- Dickson, a granddaughter of Solomon Allen; i vibes Its Valuable Property Between Misses Elizabeth, Mary and Fanny Brown and Mrs. G. Dawson Coleman, daughters of Two Other Churches and Will Per¬ William Brown; M. T. Johnson, a son of petuate Its Same Moses Johnson ; two sons of Samuel Hilue- burn and a daughter of Furman Learning. W. G. Stille and Annie Stille, now of Brook¬ The old church edifice at the corner of lyn, but formerly well-known residents of Twelfth and Walnut streets, which was this city, are the children of John Stille, Jr. Among the surviving members of the icrected by and was for sixty-five years the church who joined it within a few years of devotional home of the congregation of the its founding are Robert Cresswell and Will¬ Tenth Presbyterian Church of this city, will iam L. Dubois. soon be a thing of the past. Among the prominent old-time members of ! The building and lot upon which it stands the church were General and Colonel Patter¬ has been sold, and the Episcopal Diocesan son, Judge Greer. Judge William A. Por¬ ter, William E. Dubois and Judge James House will be erected there. The thirty-five Thompson. jhoclies which were interred in the twenty A LONG PASTORATE. vaults in the small yard at the rear of the The first pastor was the Rev. Dr. Thomas church have, during the past week, been McAuley, of New York. He was superseded transferred to other cemeteries, and the in 1833 by the Rev. Henry A. Boardman, a demolition of the old church itself will soon young man just admitted to the ministry at [begin. Princeton, who remained with the church | Tho old church is an object of interest and until May, 1876, when he resigned owing to ' affection to many old Philadelphians owing fill health. He was made pastor emeritus and -to the fact that for forty-two years it was the died four years later. During his pastorate chargo of the Rev.- Henry A. Boardman, a the church became very prosperous, many of, Philadelphia clergyman, whose fame spread Philadelphia’s wealthiest men belonging to it over the whole laDd and whose strong indi¬ [and the congregation became so large that viduality bound to him up to the ciay of his either a larger building or a division of the death a congregation larger than the old- church became necessary. fashioned church structure would accommo¬ Dr. Boardman advised the forming of a date. So strong was this tie between pastor colony to found another church, and his ad¬ and congregation that the members of this vice being followed the West Spruce Street [church were distinguished from other Pres¬ Presbyterian Church, at Seventeenth and byterians of tho city by the name, “Board- Spruce streets, was the result. A peculiar feature, of the sale of the old church is that ’ ;manites,’’ and this title still clings to them the congregation of the original church now 1 fourteen years after Dr. Boaraman’s death. go to their offspring, the West Spruce Street PROMINENT PHILADELPHIANS’ TOMBS. Church, and donate to that church one-half The transfer of the bodies in the cemetery the proceeds of the sale on the condition that the name of the old church be adopted. The | will also awaken memories of men prominent other half is to be given to the Hollond Me-aS | in social, professional and husiness circles morial Church. nearly a century ago, quite a little coterie of Dr. Boardman was followed by the Rev. i whom owned vaults and were interred there. John Dewitt, who was nastor until 1882, and - I There were twenty vaults in the cemetery then by the Rev. William B. Greene, the last land thirty-five bodies rested there. Among pastor, who retired in 1892. The? church property is 88 feet wide on the vault owners were Dr. A. W. Mitchell, a Walnut street by 125 feet ou l'wekth and prominent physician in the early half of the cost wheu purchased $11,700. The church century ; John Knox, John S. Riddle, Thomas structure cost $21,000. It was sold for $150,000. Armstrong and many others. The heirs of /? phia and on summer days to one oF the most From,. L picturesque and interesting of the many small parks which have recently been ac¬ quired by the city. John Bartram’s famous botanical gardens. These people, it must be remembered, live a long distance away from Fairmount and thus seldom find time, even in summer, to avail themselves of its pleas¬ ures. Gray’s Ferry has many historic associa¬ tions, At one time, long before Fairmount GRAY’S FERRY Park was thought of, Gray’s Gardens, which, have long since disappeared, were a popular ! BRIDGES resort on summer days for all classes and con¬ ditions of Philadelphians. The gardens stood; nn the eastern bank of the river, at the foot; THERE HAVE BEEN TWO AND MAY BE if Gray’s Ferry Road, close by the ferry, just A THIRD. far enough from the city proper to be a de¬ lightful walk or drive on a summer after-' noon through country roads and shady THE SPOT FULL OF MEMORIES lanes. The river banks were laid out! with pleasant walks and ornamented; with shrubbery. There were artificial Gray’s Gardens Were Once a Popular Re¬ islands and waterfalls, bowers and grot¬ toes, and every means had been taken to sort, and the Old Floating Bridge Carried make the place attractive. It would be inter-! - esting to have a list of the names of notable, Both the British and the Continental strangers who visited these gardens. Many Armies Across the Schuylkill. fetes of great importance were held there,' among the most notable of them a reception to General Washington and hi* family on the Mayor Stuart, in his last annual message to 2d of September, 1790. The gardens were elaborately decorated, a prominent feature! Councils, directed the attention of that body being a Federal temple, which had for one of! to the great need of a new bridge across the its ornaments a vault of twelve stones, repre- ' Schuylkill river at Gray’s Ferry, and on the senting the Federal Union. From a grove in j , 21st of March Councils' survey committee, on the garden there came at an appointed time > motion of Common Councilman Lewis W.l thirteen young ladiesdressed as shepherdesses j •! Moore, of the Twenty-seventh ward, agreed and thirteen young men attired asshepherds. Li They proceeded to the Federal temple, where ^ to report favorably on an ordinance appropri¬ they sang an ode to liberty, which was di-1 ating $133,000 for the city’s share of cost in! _ _ versified_by solos, chorus and responses. OLD FLOATING erecting a new bridge at Gray’s Ferry. Andl After this entertainment was over an elab¬ it now seems certain that, as soon as Coun-I orate collation was served, which was fol¬ cils’ finance committee can find the money to lowed at night by an illumination of the begin its construction, this new bridge will grounds. be built and thus facilitate, it is thought by many residents of West Philadelphia, the George Gray, who established the gardens, opening up of a vast section of now practi¬ was the second ferry master at what in early cally unused property in the southwestern days was known as the lower ferry. This section of the city. It is also asserted that lower ferry was probably established shortly . the new bridge will be of great benefit to res¬ after complaint was made in 1673 by the idents on the eastern side of the river by af¬ Swedes that Philip England was obstructing fording them ready access to West Philadel-I their passage at the middle ferry. Benjamin Chambers was the first ferry master.

Load more