from
History of the State of Rhode Island with Illustrations
Albert J. Wright, Printer
No. 79 Mille Street, corner of Federal, Boston.
Hong, Wade & Co., Philadelphia
1878.
pp. 253 - 283. (part 130)
"St. James Church is located on Gesler, below Courtland Street. The first
services of this society were held on the 27th day of April, 1867. There
was no settled pastor until July 5, 1868, when the present pastor, W. D. M.
Sherman, took charge of the society. The present church was dedicated on
Christmas Day, 1868. This is a mission church, and numbers a membership of
one hundred.
St. Thomas's Church is located on Douglass [sic] Avenue. The church was
built in 1873, and opened for service July 4, 1873, with the Rev. C. H.
Wheeler as pastor. Present membership is about twenty-five.
Methodist Episcopal Church. The first Methodist preacher to visit
Providence was Rev. Freeborn Garrettson, a native of Maryland, born Aug.
15, 1752. The second preacher was Rev. Jesse Lee, who visited Providence
in 1790. Mr. Asbury, superintendent of the Methodists in America, preached
in Providence in June, 1791. In 1792, Providence appears on the minutes
for the first time, with Lemuel Smith as preacher, and Jesse Lee, presiding
elder. There were in all New England, at that time, but four circuits, and
one hundred and sixty-seven members. In 1793, Providence was connected
with the Greenwich Circuit. In 1798, Providence appears for the first time
on the minutes as a station, with Rev. Joshua Hall, preacher, and George
Pickering, presiding elder. The first house of worship was located on
Aborn Street, but was subsequently replaced by a new house, on the corner
of Chestnut and Clifford streets. The New England Conference was held in
this church in 1822, and Bishop George conducted the services. in 1877,
the membership was three hundred and ten."
continued in part 131.