610 Chronicles of the Cape Fear River

East Carolina in 1883, when he was succeeded by Dr. Robert
Strange, who also later became bishop of the diocese. The
parish was blessed and prospered under Dr. Strange, and under
his successor, Rev. R. W. Hogue, who was rector from 1903
until 1907. Mr. Hogue was succeeded in 1909 by Dr. William
H. Milton, the present rector, under whose guidance the old
parish is moving forward in its appointed sphere with renewed
faith and vigor.

During the years since the war the parish has, for the second
time, found it necessary to expand, and the mission established
by it in the southern part of the city has prospered and has
become itself the parish of the Good Shepherd.

Standing today at the corner of Market and Third Streets,
the present church, with its earnest parishioners, constitutes a
fitting monument to the efforts that have marked the growth of
the parish through its trials and successes, its vicissitudes and
accomplishments during the one hundred and eighty-five years

of its life.

Sr. Joun’s EpiscopaLt CHurcH.

In 1851 St. James’s parish, then under the rectorship of the
Rev. Robert Brent Drane, D.D., had outgrown the seating
capacity of the church building, and it was decided to erect
another church edifice rather than alter and enlarge the old

historic St. James’s.
The congregation, with the approval and encouragement of

Dr. Drane, worked zealously to accomplish the undertaking.
The ground at the corner of Third and Red Cross Streets was
the gift of Dr. Armand J. DeRosset, senior warden and one of
the pillars of St. James’s Church.

Many of those who subscribed most liberally to the building
of the new church still retained their connection with the old.
The younger members of families joined the organization of
the new parish, while their fathers worshiped in the old, and all
worked heartily and harmoniously in the effort to erect a new
building, no one being more zealous or more ready with counsel
and assistance of every kind than the beloved rector of St.
J ames’s.

The plans of the new church building were accepted in De-
cember, 1852, and the cost of the finished structure was some-
thing over $16,000. On the 21st of November, 1853, the

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cornerstone was laid with appropriate religious ceremonies.
The members of the church formed a procession at St. James’s
Church, and, led by Bishop Atkinson and Dr. Drane, walked
to the site of the new building. As nearly as I can remember,
the stone was placed at the angle of the wall just behind where
the pulpit now stands. The ceremonies were imposing, but my
childish recollection retains most clearly the figure of Bishop
Atkinson, with his beautiful and benignant countenance and
dignified carriage. His remarks were said to be ‘forcible, elo-
quent, and impressive.”

Several years passed before the congregation was able to
liquidate entirely the debt incurred in the erection of the build-
ing, but in the year 1860 this was done and the consecration
ps and the church opened for divine service on April 1,
_ A-small organ, given by the ladies of St. James’s, was placed
in the organ aleove. The chancel furnishing was temporary
and unpretentious. The chancel window, of stained glass, and
the Windows in the body of the church, of plain ground glass
with a narrow border of color, were the gift of the girls of St.
James’s,

The organization of St. John’s parish was at a called meeting
held in St. James’s Church, February 16, 1860. The organiza-
ton was effected by a declaration signed by eighty-seven adult
Members, A vestry of seven was elected: Nicholas N. Nixon,
58 A. Willard, S. L. Fremont, Samuel J. Person, John L.
olmes, William L. DeRosset, and Mauger London, the first
wo being appointed wardens. At the first meeting of the
eee following delegates were appointed to the Diocesan
— held in Charlotte in May, 1860: S. L. Fremont, Wil-
tam L. DeRosset, James A. Willard, and Samuel J. Person,
— Henry Nutt, Robert H. Cowan, J. J. Lippitt, and H. W.

urgwin as alternates.
oh On March 16, 1860, Rev. J. A. Wainwright took charge of

© parish for one year, resigning and returning to his home in
New York at the end of that time. Late in December, 1861,
at the suggestion of Bishop Atkinson, Rev. R. E. Terry was
—o and accepted the rectorship. He carried on the work of
t e church with great zeal and was upheld by the whole congre-
gation. The Sunday-school prospered, the membership in-
creased, and a good voluntary choir added interest to the serv-
‘ce. During the eight years of Mr. Terry’s incumbency a fine