July 8, 1886

Ground Broken

The New Edifice of the Park Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church

An interesting ceremony which took place yesterday afternoon consisted of the breaking ground for the new edifice of the Park Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church. The structure will be located at the southwest corner of Park Avenue and Norris Street, and will cover the entire lot, 70 by 90 feet. The chapel, on the south, and facing on Park Avenue, was erected about twelve years ago. The new church will be of Gothic style of architecture, and will be constructed of Trenton light brownstone with trimmings of Euclid stone, from Ohio. The building will be surmounted at the northeast corner by a tower 100 feet in height, with an open balcony near the top. The audience room will be amphitheatrical in form, with the pews slightly raised, and having a seating capacity for 850 persons. Three large and handsome stained glass windows will be placed in the church will completed. From the design exhibited yesterday, the new church will prove quite an attractive feature in that rapidly growing section of the city. Its entire cost will be about $40,000, and the contract provides that it shall be roofed over the winter.

The ground was broken yesterday afternoon by the pastor, Rev. Dr. W. J. Stevenson. Among those who took part in the service were: Presiding Elder Joseph Welch and Rev. B. L. Agnew, D.D., pastor of the Bethleham Presbyterian Church, Broad and Diamond Streets. Until the new church is ready for occupancy the congregation of the Park Avenue M. E. Church will worship in the chapel, which will subsequently be used for Sunday school purposes. The membership of the church is 375, and there are in the Sunday school between 500 and 600 scholars. The first pastor of the church was Rev. J. Hepburn Hargis. The other pastors have been: Revs. Solomon Hoover, B. T . Vincent, E. C. Griffith and W. J. Stevenson, who is at present in charge.