A Short Account of the Rise and Progress of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in America/Chapter 3
CHAPTER III.
Of Leasing and Purchasing Ground, &c.
In this place it may be proper, also, to relate that the aforesaid two lots of ground, at the corner of Church and Leonard Streets, were leased for twenty-one years, with the privilege of purchasing them at any time previous to the expiration of that term, the price being fixed and agreed upon for that purpose, and inserted in the Lease, which was dated July 21st, 1800, and the names of the Trustees chosen for the Lease, were Francis Jacobs, William Brown, Thomas Sipkins, George White, George E. Moore, Thomas Cook, George Collins and Peter Williams. The lot of ground adjoining in the rear of the two lots leased as aforesaid, fronting on Leonard Street twenty-five feet, and one hundred feet deep, being offered for sale a while after the Church was built, the Trustees embraced the opportunity and bought it, and having obtained an old house for a small amount, they brought it on the Lot, and repaired and fixed it up, with a little addition, for a dwelling house, which continued in use until the building of the brick house now on the same lot, bearing the No. 62 Leonard Street. In a few years after the building of the aforesaid Church, it was found to be too small for the congregation, so that the Trustees saw it necessary to lengthen the house, and they accordingly added to it fifteen or twenty feet more. The vacant parts of the Lots, which were appropriated for our burying ground, were so small and sandy, that the Trustees were obliged to build vaults for Interments in our Church-yard, and after the city was visited with the Yellow Fever, when the Corporation of the city prohibited the opening of graves and vaults in the thickly inhabited parts of the city, in the summer season, the Trustees applied to them for a place for a burying ground, as the Church was not able to purchase ground for that purpose at that time, and on the 17th August, 1807, the Corporation allotted them a place in the (then) Pottersfield, (which is now called Washington Parade Ground) which the Trustees fenced in, and used in the summer season of every year, until the Corporation of the city thought proper to fill up the said Pottersfield, and improve it as it now is. Then the Trustees purchased some lots of ground at Yorkville, and appropriated seven lots for a burying ground.
A few years previous to the expiration of the aforementioned Lease of the two lots of ground, say in the year 1806, the Rev. John Wilson, having the charge of our Zion Church, by appointment of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Trustees began to make some efforts for raising an amount of money sufficient to make a purchase of the aforesaid two lots of ground, in order to annul the Lease, and secure the lots by obtaining a Deed for them; and in doing this, they were much aided by our Elder in charge, who seemed to take a special interest in the welfare of our Church, by his friendly and brotherly advice from time to time, during his appointment with us, but especially in the case of raising an amount of money for the aforesaid purpose. He advised the Trustees to issue subscriptions for the coloured population, and to get the members of the Church to give a certain amount according to their ability, and he actively enforced the necessity of the contribution, and encouraged the members of the Church in particular, and of the congregation generally to contribute, so that there was a sufficient amount gathered to make the aforesaid purchase, and thereby secured the ground, by obtaining a Deed for the same. This was the first time that our coloured citizens were solicited for aid by subscription for the benefit of the Church, as the Trustees had heretofore confined their solicitations to the white citizens. The lot of ground adjoining on the side of the two that were Leased, which also fronted on Church Street 25 feet, and 75 feet deep, was purchased by the Trustees on the 8th of April, 1801, for $750. The time that was agreed upon for the white Elder to preach in our Zion Church, was on Sunday afternoon and on Wednesday night of every week, except on the days of the administration of the Lord's Supper, then his appointment was on Sunday morning, and was agreed upon to be the second Sunday of every month, because the first Sunday in the month was the time for administering the Sacrament in his own church; and our coloured brethren preached on Sunday mornings and evenings and on Friday nights. The work of the Lord prospered greatly in the church, and the number of members of the Society and of the congregation, continued rapidly to increase, so that the enemy of souls began to be angry at the prosperity of the church, and sought opportunities to hinder her progress. The first attempt he made, was with the two eldest preachers of our Society, viz. Abraham Thompson and June Scott, who were induced by the expectation of filthy lucre to try the formation of a society separate from Zion Church. The manner of the attempt (so far as can be recollected) was as follows: A white man, named John Edwards, a scale-beam maker, who had been a member of the Friends' Society, but had been expelled therefrom, and at this time professed to be a preacher according to the order of the Friends' Society, (and was sometimes a kind of troublesome man, acting as if he did not enjoy his right mind) having a lot of ground in Green Street, No. 101, and being desirous to have a place where he might preach occasionally himself, he aided some coloured men, who applied to him, to build a house upon it for a church, which was so constructed as to have two wings for the residence of the preachers who might become attached to the intended society. Our brother, Abraham Thompson, being made acquainted with the supposed favourable circumstance, and hoping to have, at least, a place of residence gratis, and thereby receive some compensation for his labours as a preacher, he consented to become one of the preachers, and having persuaded brother June Scott, to unite with him, they formed a society which was styled "The Union Society." This position of our old brethren caused the minds of many of the members of Zion Church to be measurably divided and inclined to follow them; but this first stratagem of the enemy soon failed, for when the official members of Zion Church found out the intrigue of the enemy, and was on the eve of expelling all those of her members who were aiding in the formation of the Union Society, Abraham Thompson left June Scott, came forward, and pleaded ignorance in what he was doing, and thus saved his membership in Zion Church, as did all the others that were fearful; but June Scott would not return to Zion—he kept his position until it was found that the Union Society was not able to bear its expenses, and was therefore obliged to give up the premises to the said John Edwards, the owner of the ground. The Society consequently was broken up, and June Scott attached himself to another church.
It may be proper to remark, that, at this time, our coloured brethren were not allowed any thing as a compensation for preaching for us, as the (white) Elder who had the charge of the church from time to time, claimed that part of the funds and revenues that the Trustees could afford to allow, at that time, for the support of the Ministers.
The next attempt to hinder the progress of Zion Church, took place some time in the year 1813, in another underhanded manner: our brother, Thomas Sipkins, who had been a member and Trustee of Zion Church, and had been expelled therefrom, for being somewhat headstrong and rather ungovernable, determined that he would never join her again, and there being no other Methodist church of coloured people in the city, he became lonesome and wanted company, (as he said himself,) and therefore sought a method to obtain associates; he therefore found a situation for sale, in Elizabeth Street, between Walker and Hester Streets, with a church on it, which he resolved upon endeavouring to get possession of, for the purpose of forming a society separate from Zion Church, and thereby have a place of worship where he might enjoy himself independent of Zion Church. With this view he consulted with William Miller, (who at this time had become an ordained Deacon in Zion Church,) and the interview terminated in an agreement between them; and when they had obtained possession of the aforesaid situation in Elizabeth Street, and had persuaded a number of the official and private members of Zion Church with enticing words to unite with them, they effected the formation of a society, which they styled the "Asbury Church."
This stratagem of the enemy proved effectual, relative to forming a separate society, as our brother William Miller actively used his influence to entice as many as he could to leave Zion Church and unite with them; but it was done without any essential injury to her notwithstanding.
It was thought by some observers of their movements, that the Asburians did not intend to be under the same church government as the Zioners; but being disappointed in their expectation, they found it necessary to make application to brother Phineas Cook, the Elder in charge of Zion Church at that time, requesting a consideration of their case relative to the spiritual concern of their church. Brother Cook then requested an interview with the Trustees of Zion Church on the subject, and got brother Thomas Ware, an Elder of the white Methodist church in the city, to accompany him at the meeting, which was held at the residence of brother William Brown, Treasurer of Zion Church, in Nassau Street, one door from the corner of (then) Fair (now) Fulton Street, and after considerable consultation on the case, the two aforesaid Elders having obtained the consent of the Trustees, concluded to receive the Asburians into connexion with the Methodist church.
The work of the Lord continued to prosper in Zion Church, and the number of the members, both of the church and of the congregation, so rapidly increased, that the Trustees, viz. William Brown, John Dias, Thomas Jenkins, Charles Tredwell, Tobias Hawkins, Philip Searing, Epiphany Davis, Isaac Benson and George Collins, found their house of worship too small for the increased number of attendants on Divine worship, and being much decayed, they were induced to consult about building a larger and more substantial house, with a school-room underneath, on the site of the old house, and on the 25th day of November, 1818, a committee was appointed to obtain estimates from master builders, in order to understand the cost of the same, and on the 13th of July, 1819, they contracted with Messrs. James Dubois and Thompson Price, to build a house fifty-five feet wide and seventy feet long, of stone, for the sum of eleven thousand five hundred dollars. On the 16th of July, 1819, the Trustees agreed to commence building the foundation around the old house, which was done and carried up nearly to the water table, except the front; but in consequence of the want of money they were obliged to stop the work, and agreed with the builders to cover up the walls, hoping to be able by the following spring to proceed. The Trustees petitioned the Legislature of the State for aid towards the Schoolroom, hoping to obtain from them a small part, at least, of the amount of money which was allowed, according to a law of the state, to be appropriated for the use of public schools; but they did not succeed.
The next spring, in the month of May, 1820, the old house was taken down, by agreement of the Trustees, and being unable to procure a suitable place large enough for the congregation, they were obliged to hire the privilege of a Riding Circus, in Broadway, between Hester (now Howard) and Grand Streets, in which we held meetings morning and afternoon on Sundays, and on Sunday evenings and week nights we held our meetings in a house in Rose Street, between Pearl and Duane Streets, called the Rose Street Academy.
The old house being pulled down, the Trustees were anxious to proceed with the new house; but their prospects being not much better than before, in regard to the means for paying the builders, they found it essentially necessary to borrow three thousand dollars, in order to carry on the work, which amount they obtained from Mr. James Bogert, on bond and mortgage, having obtained special permission from the Master in Chancery for that purpose, and on the 5th day of June, 1820, they recommenced the building.