St. Martin’s Church, part 3 – Richard H. Gurley, WWI

By his resignation to become effective next month, the Reverend Richard H. Gurley terminates a pastorate of more than 30 years’ duration at St. Martin’s Church, Radnor. In accepting his resignation, the members of the Vestry paid tribute to the long and amicable relations which have existed between Mr. Gurley and the members of the parish. As a final expression of their esteem they have elected him Rector Emeritus for life.

In October, 1920, Mr. Gurley came to St. Martin’s as curate in charge of the parish from St. James Church, then at 22nd and Walnut streets, Philadelphia, a church that has since gone out of existence. And on March 21 of the following year he was called as Rector of St. Martin’s, to succeed the Reverent George Lamb. He was the eight minister to serve the church in Radnor, and the first to conduct services in the Chapel at Ithan, which had just been completed at the time.

The Reverent Percival H. Hickman, who was elected rector of St. Martin’s Church on September 23, 1887, immediately after it became a parish in its own right following several years as a mission chapel of the Church of the Good Shepherd, tendered his resignation less than two years later as a “consequence of the difference of judgment as to the conduct of the parish”, to quote from the original old record book of the church.

He was succeeded by the Reverent George A. Hunt, who served from July, 1889, to November, 1891. Other rectors have been Winfield S. Baer, November 1892-June 1898; A. A. Abbott, June 1898- September 1898; Frederick A. Schultzburg, October 1898-May 1900; George A. Hunt, April 1900-September 1904, and George W. Lamb, 1904-1920.

Standing alone in St. Martin’s Church in the quietness of a weekday morning not long ago, a gentle rain falling outside, the 64-year-old edifice gave the writer the feeling of a House of God that has been reverently and lovingly cherished by its parishioners throughout all the years of is existence. Perhaps its very size makes for a certain feeling of intimacy. The many memorials, all bearing names of those closely connected with the establishment and growth of St. Martin’s, show that it is here especially that their families would have their lives commemorated.

The rood screen is known as the handsomest in any diocese in Pennsylvania. The work of the Gorham Company, of New York City, it was given by Thomas Newhall in memory of his mother, Eleanor Mercer Newhall. One large stained glass window is in memory of James W. Paul, Jr., another commemorates Margaret Perkins, Morris Wister Stroud and William Daniel Stroud, Jr., while still another is in memory of Fleurette LeBenneville Bell. A fourth commemorates Anna B. Schmidt.

The beautiful organ was presented to the church by the family of Frances Drexel Paul; the Alms Basin is a memorial to J. Franklin McFadden; the wall lanterns were given in memory of C. William Hare by Esther D. Hare; the Baptismal Font commemorates the Rt. Reverend Samuel Babcock Booth, D.D., Bishop of Vermont, 1883-1935.

Following the death of Theodora Rand Gurley, wife of the Reverent Mr. Gurley in April, 1945, a number of gifts were made to the church in her memory. Among these are the baptismal font light, the eight church lamps, and a small stained glass window near the baptismal font.

There are other memorials, too, throughout the church, none more far-reaching in its deep significance to many families than the Carillon Chimes. These have been given “to the glory of God in devoted memory of those from this parish whose lives were taken in World Wars I and II, and as a tribute of honor and respect to all of our fellowship who in these wars have served our country in its times of crisis”. Names from World Wars I are Thomas Roberts Reath, Norman Beadle Hallman and Lewis Gouverneur Smith. Those from the second war are James Dillon Jacoby, David Montgomery Haughton, George Lee Jameson Forster, Edgar Dunbar Morris, Jr., David DeHaven Conley, George Rushton Howell, Jr., John Morton Pool, 3d, John Warren, Christine Blackadder Weston, Louis Crawford Clark and Peter Van Pelt. The names have all been inscribed on a handsome bronze plaque on the right wall of the church.

For more than 25 years Mr. Gurley has been chaplain of Paoli Troop I, which last month celebrated the 40th anniversary of its founding, and is one of the oldest Scout troops in America. On Boy Scout Sunday, which is celebrated in connection with Boy Scout Week each year, services have been held in St. Martin’s Church since 1926. Of those who have marched up the aisle, proudly erect in their Scout uniforms, five who were members of the Church have died in the uniforms of their country. Their names stand on the bronze honor plaque. David Conley, Lee Forster, David Haughton, Edgar Morris and George Howell.

The present Rector Warden of St. Martin’s is T. Truxtun Hare, while the accounting warden is Ledyard W. Heckscher. others serving are Edward S. Buckley, Arthur H. Clephane, Richard S. Crampton, A. Reynolds Crane, M.D., Y. Parran Dawkins, Jr., Hervert S. Henderson, Stanton C. Kelton, Vernon S. Mollenauer, William R. Spofford and W. Furness Thompson.

In closing the series of articles on St. Martin’s Church, Radnor, the write wishes to acknowledge her indebtedness to Mr. Gurley, who has permitted her the use of the old church records, in addition to giving of his own time. Thanks are also due to the church secretary, who has been most helpful with supplementary information.

St. Martin’s Church, part 2

In the spring of the year 1887 a separate parish was organized near Radnor station at what had, up to this time, been the Mission Chapel of the Church of the Good Shepherd, now for many years known as St. Martin’s Church, Radnor. Consent for the organization of this new parish was obtained from the rectors of the Church of the Good Shepherd, of St. David’s Church in Radnor and of Calvary Church in Conshohocken. These were the three parishes nearest to the former Mission Chapel.

The consent of the corporate authorities of the Church of the Good Shepherd was also necessary, as well as the promise of the conveyance of the lot of ground and of the chapel building to a new corporation to be formed, subject to certain conditions. These conditions were: “First, that the said corporation should conform to the doctrine, discipline and worship of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Second, that all sittings in the church of said corporation should be always free and unappropriated, and third, that the property should revert to the grantor if the services in the church were not regularly maintained.”

Articles of association of St. Martin’s Church, Radnor, were then entered into and the first vestrymen chosen. This original vestry was composed of the following nine men, all of whom had been active in the building of the Mission Chapel and the organization of the new parish: W. W. Montgomery, Daniel S. Newhall, Theodore D. Rand, Joseph C. Egbert, William H. Badger, F. Linwood Garrison, Charles F. Hinkle, George W. Righter and George Stuckey.

Among others who came on to the vestry in the early days, when any of the original members left, were Charles F. Hatch, Robert H. W. Koons, Leonis W. Stroud, Moses B. Paxson, W. T. Robinson, P. Randolph Kirk, Charles Stilwell Eldredge and W. W. Montgomery, Jr. The latter served as Rector’s Warden from October, 1900 until his death in August, 1949.

A charter of incorporation was granted to the rector, church wardens and vestry of St. Martin’s Church by the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County on June 22, 1887. The deed of conveyance was then executed, subjected to the conditions provided in the gift. The parish was admitted into union with the Diocese during that same year.

The first services in the newly-organized St. Martin’s Church were held on May 1, 1887, when the Rev. A. B. Conger, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd, preached in the morning and celebrated the Holy Communion. In September of that year the Reverend Percival H. Hickman, formerly of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, was elected the first rector of St. Martin’s Church. On October 5 the Church was consecrated by the Right Reverent O. W. Whitaker, Bishop of the Diocese.

Of this consecration the “Standard of the Cross”, in its issue of October 15 of that year, wrote as follows: “On Wednesday, October 5, the Rt. Rev. Bishop of the Diocese consecrated St. Martin’s Radnor, to the worship of Almighty God. This parish, formerly a mission of the church of the Good Shepherd, Radnor (Rosemont Station) was admitted into union with the convention in May last. During the summer a handsome tower was erected by an anonymous benefactor of the parish, while a carpet laid recently by the Ladies Guild, completed the internal arrangements of the building. This is entirely of stone, with a slate roof; the tower carrying a bell, the gift of members of the parish. A stone wall encloses the lot. The organization of the parish was completed by the acceptance of the rectorship by the Rev. Percival H. Hickman, lately of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, in time to sign the instrument of donation. This was presented to the Bishop by Mr. Daniel S. Newhall, rector’s warden, and the Sentence of Consecration was read by the Rev. George A. Kellar, rector of St. David’s, Radnor. The Biship preached from the text I Kings 8:27 and celebrated Holy Communion. Besides the clergy named, there were present, and participating in the service, the Rev. Arthur B. Conger, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd, and the Rev. Messrs. Byllesby, of Media; Haughton, Boyer, Moore, Bishop, Thomas and Ricksecker, with the Rector. The handsome decoration of the church by the ladies of the parish, the excellent music and the beauty of the autumn day conjoined to make a very enjoyable occasion. This was further promoted by an admirable collation spread in the Lindenwood house.

“The offering on this occasion was very appropriately set aside for the Rector Fund, and amounted to the handsome sum of $202.34.”

The Parish House was started in 1895 and finished soon thereafter. It is to the west of the church building on Glenmary road and contains the Sunday School rooms, the Library, offices, dining rooms and kitchen.

The present stone chapel on the South side of Conestoga road, Ithan, replaces a frame structure built in 1894 in Ithan. The new chapel was begun in 1918 and completed in 1920. It was the gift of the well-known Philadelphia architect, Theophilus Chandler, and was deemed to the Diocese of Pennsylvania and given to St. Martin’s Church to be its property as long as operating and repair expenses were met. Services have been held there continuously since its completion.

(To be continued)

St. Martin’s Church, part 1

The dull gray of the stone exterior of St. Martin’s Church seemed softer than usual in the mistlike rain of a morning last week as this writer walked along King of Prussia road from Radnor station. The brilliance of red roses growing in magnificent clumps at each of the two main entrances to the church was almost startling in contrast. These gorgeous splashes of color only served to bring out the quiet serenity of walls that have withstood the elements for more than 70 years now. Much of their surface is ivy colored, the deep green of the leaves blending with their gray. The church building stands close to the road on two sides, its boundary on both King of Prussia and Glenmary roads marked by a low gray stone wall, almost as old as the church building itself.

On February 15, 1877, the lot of ground on which St. Martin’s stands was conveyed by John Stacker and his wife, Mary, to the rector, church wardens and vestrymen of the church of the Good Shepherd in Radnor. The following month, according to the old Record Book of St. Martin’s, “a society was organized among persons who were in the habit of attending Sunday evening services held in the public school house by the rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd or his assistant, for the purpose of accumulating a fund for building on the lot above mentioned.” But it was two years later before the first excavations were started and still more than a year after that before the corner stone was laid. This was on October 4, 1880.

According to a brief history of St. Martin’s Church, written by the late W. W. Montgomery, it was intimately connected in its early days with the Church of the Good Shepherd. The latter was established in July, 1889, after which the congregation worshiped for some months in the old Wayne Hall on Lancaster Turnpike in Wayne. Later on these services were transferred to a room in the old Morgan’s Corner Hotel, a few hundred yards from where St. Martin’s Church is now built.

Even after the first church building of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont was completed, these services in the old Hotel were not abandoned. Though held irregularly for a few years, they were continued “for the benefit of such persons living near Wayne and Radnor stations as desired to attend the services of the church, but found it impracticable or inconvenient to get to the Church of the Good Shepherd.” These services were usually held but once a week, and then on Sunday evenings. From 1871 until the summer of 1881, the use of the neighboring public school building was given to the congregation of the Radnor Mission. After that time its use was withdrawn.

The first plans for establishing a building fund for the Church that was to be later called St. Martin’s, were made at the March 1877 meeting in the school house. At that time “a small society was organized for the purpose of accumulating a fund by monthly contributions of the members, and other gifts for the purpose of erecting a chapel building.” These first payments, “one dollar and fifty cents in the aggregate”, were received on March 13, 1877, by the Rev. B. R. Phelps, the first treasurer, who was the assistant to the rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd and in special charge of the mission.

Original plans for the building, which were eventually followed throughout, were the gift of a prominent Philadelphia architect. During the spring of 1879 part of the excavation for the foundations and basement were made by voluntary labor. For want of further funds, nothing more was done until the end of September of that year, when additional gifts had brought the fund up to almost $1,000. With part of this the facing stone was bought. By the early part of 1880, the work of building was actively under way. And it was on October 4 of that year that the corner stone was laid.

Early plans called for only the erection of the walls and the roof of the building at first. But once actual work was begun, contributions began to increase, thus making it possible to do the plastering and the glazing of windows very soon after this building was under roof. even before this, however, the first service in the chapel was held. This was on Sunday evening, August 14, 1881, the day after the use of the school house was withdrawn. To quote once more from Mr. Montgomery’s history: “The walls had not been plastered, nor the windows or seats of furniture of any kind put in, but some chairs and lamps were borrowed in the neighborhood for the occasion. A slight thundergust coming up, the wind blowing between the boards on the window spaces, put out some of the lamps, which had been set on the window sills for want of any other places to rest them.

Before the end of the year 1881, some of the pews were put in place, as were the chandeliers for lighting the church. For two years a large stove was the only means of heating the building. Then in December 1885 furnaces were installed for more adequate warmth. in 1884 the organ screen, robing room and chancel wall were built. In 1885 the basement room for Sunday School and for library finished. The following year six carriage sheds were erected and the grading of the property was completed. Work on this by voluntary labor had been going on for some time.

In 1887 the outside woodwork of the church and the carriage sheds were painted and the inside walls of the church tinted. Important additions were those of the tower, the bell and the porch hood. The stone wall was built, the japonica hedge was put in and other planting done. These things came chiefly as gifts from friends and members of the congregation. Thus had the building of the church and the beautification of the grounds gone on slowly and steadily over a period of almost nine years, “according as the Building Committee had the means to do it.” Only once during this time was any debt incurred, and then but for a small amount and for a few months.

(To be Continued)