The Remnant

Hyattsville Presbyterian Church
      3120 Nicholson Street, Hyattsville, MD  20782    Ph.  3015597422   What's Here:
  We welcome all to worship with us. Our services are at 11 am every Sunday morning. We have adult Sunday School at 9:30 am. Holy Communion Sunday is the first Sunday of each month. Please come
Our faithful congregation existed before 1704 in Upper Marlborough, Prince Georgexs County, MD. Hyattsville Presbyterian Church is a continuous Congregation of Holy Bible, Christian loving activity, working together for more than 297 years, "the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone."
Church history records the Trustees of the organized "Patuxent Church," "Upper Marlborough Presbyterian Church" built, 20 December 1704, its first known house of worship on the present site of Trinity Episcopal Church, Upper Marlboro, after they received from their member, Colonel Ninian Beall, his gift-deed to Church ground. In 1709, the same member, Colonel Beall, transmitted a communion set, a silver flagon and two cups, to the congregation. The gift may have come from Queen Anne of England. Nathaniel Taylor was pastor then; he represented his Church in the Philadelphia Presbytery in 1705, and he served through 1711. John Wilson, 1711-1712, and Englishman Daniel McGill 1713-1718, were ministers until the center of commerce and travel shifted from one rural area to another. McGill represented the Church, organizing the first Synod, in 1717, and the New Castle Presbytery in 1718.
The Congregation relocated to the newly named Garrison Landing, a forty foot deep harbour, on the Anacostia, which was also owned by Colonel Ninian Beall. The Church locale was purposely chosen by him, being a unique and special part of his vast landholdings, comprising thousands of acres from Georgetown to north to Upper Marlborough to the south, and the local area later to be known as the Port of Bladensburg. It was a wedding gift to his daughter, Rebecca, who married Charles Calvert. Thereafter, on her death, Elizabeth Calvert owned it. The Churchxs benefactor, Ninian, died in his 92nd year in 1719, a year after the Church broke ground for its second edifice, on a high hill, endowed with its cemetery, "Evergreen". There Pastor Hugh Conn came on the on board and remained for 33 years, from 1718-1752. It was in 1729, on the "Adopting Act", that he, Hugh Conn, took a responsible and decisive role as "one of the twenty" to effectuate the adoption of "Westminster Confession." It was in 1742, that sixty-one one acre lots along the "Potowmack River" were designated and the town was laid out and named by the legislature for the newly appointed provincial governor of Maryland, Thomas Bladen, thus, Bladensburg. The fifth minister of the Church, James Hunt, served 34 years and was elected by the Presbyterians present as the first Stated Clerk of "Baltimore Town" Presbytery.
The Church was one of eight to organize the Presbytery of the Potomac in 1758.
History tells us that members of the Bladensburg Presbyterian Church were an influential force during the forming years of the Republic.
Soon after one of the major conflicts of the War of 1812 took place at Bladensburg, the Church relocated its worship services in Bladensburg again, in 1818, and the manse of God was moved brick by brick to its new home. It retained its use of the  Evergreen. The 1818 building still exists for church use, a red-bricked structure, sandwiched between 2 commercial endeavors, featuring, since 1872, the building was purchased and has been used for 101 years by one congregation, then in 1973 a congregation known as St. Paul Free Hope Baptist Church has been there.
Six ministers, who served from 1787 to 1795, and whose names are associated with the Church were: Cunningham Sample, Samuel Knox, William Moffit, and David Wiley led the flock, although the dates are unsure. Knox was received 29 April 1795, a licentiate from Presbytery of Belfast, Ireland. Moffit, a licentiate from New Castle was received 15 November 1795, ordained 28 October 1798..
At the same 2nd structure, in Bladensburg community, pastor John Breckenridge began his David-like service; his Soldierxs Home gravestone certifies "The Rev. John Breckenridge, D.D. died May 1841. The first Presbyterian preacher in Washington City, who served the Church in Bladensburg 40 years." Baltimore Presbytery placed upon him a commission "to labor in the District of Columbia" in forming the First Presbyterian Church of Washington City, 1811.
Interim ministers serving from 1835 to 1918 are as follows: Eliphalet Bosworth 1835-1840, 5 years; H.V.D Nevins 1840-1842, 2 years; John Decker 1843-1844, 1 year; W.B. Crawford 1844-1845, 1 year; S.T. Baird 1846-1848, 2 years; T.W. Simpson 1851-1859, 8 years; Eliphalet Bosworth 1860-1861, 1 year; C.B. Makie 1862-1864, 2 years; J.B. Ross 1864-1866, 2 years; in Bladensburg - 157 years at 2 different locations. In 1872, the continual remnant Church moved to Hyattsville, J.W. Simpson served a year before the move and in total, 1873-1876, 3 years; Peter H. Burghart 1877-1880, 3 years; Charles Noble 1881-1884, 3 years; J.W. McIlvain 1892-1898, 6 years; S. Ward Righter 1898-1908, 10 years; James K. Argo 1909-1912, 3 years; D.W. Skellenger 1913-1916, 3 years. The first Hyattsville location lasted for 44 years, south side of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad tracks. The Church moved again in Hyattsville to 42nd and Farragut Streets in 1916. This move lasted for 43 years, moving to our present location in 1959. J.W. Slack 1916-1918, served 2 years; Joseph M. Anderson 1918-1926, 8 years; Dr. D. Hobart Evans served from 1926-1962, 36 years and made the transition with his large flock from the 2nd Hyattsville Church to our present Church. 3120 Nicholson Street has been our address for more than 41 years. Then R. Sloan served 1962-1963, 1 year; J. L. Simcox 1963-1974, 12 years; J. Carlson 1975-1986, 12 years; C. Graziano 1987-1997, 10 years; Various 1998, 1 year; and designated pastor, George E. Taylor 1999, 3 years plus;
The continual Church, a remnant, has occupied 6 different sites. Hyattsville Presbyterian Church has been in city limits at three locations, for 129 years, continuously.
The continual remnant Church and members:
Pastor: Reverend George E. Taylor, who hails from New Jersey. He graduated from Princeton Theological and has been our messenger since 1999. He was a military chaplain.
Ruling Elders are: Mrs. Barbara Schott Bletch, Mrs. Jean Nicol, Mr. Gilbert Dehnel, Mr. Vance Liberato, Mrs. Girlie Schana, and Mr. Bill L. Yoho, Clerk of the Session.

Deacons: Mrs. Thelma Baker, chair, Mrs. Alyce Timmons, Mrs. Lillie Brooke, Mrs. Ann Stein, Mrs. Girlie Schana, Mrs. Macie Groves and Mrs. Betty Carrick.
Trustees: Mr. Charles Gienger, chair, Mr. Lester Carrick, Mr. Brandon Bergstadt, Mary Jane Hamas and Mr. John Stein.
Church Accounts - Mrs. Judy Gienger. Organist and pianist, Dr. Samuel DeShay, MD
Choir - Mr. Frank Sullivan, Mrs. Martha Sullivan, Mrs. Edith Noe, Miss Pamela Stubbs, Mrs. Barbara Bletch, Mrs. Rita Clowes and Rev. George Taylor. Our members and regular communicants, including stated officers:
Mrs. Barbara Bletch, Mrs. Jean Nicol, Mr. Gilbert Denehl Mr. Vance Liberato, Mrs. Girlie Schana, Mr. Bill Yoho, Mr. Jim Baker, Mrs. Thelma Baker, Mrs. Alyce Timmons, Mrs. Lillie Brooke, Mr. John Stein, Mrs. Ann Stein, Mr. Charles Gienger, Mrs. Judy Gienger, Mrs. Laura Gienger, Mr. Warren Gilbertson, Mrs. Evelyn Gilbertson, Mrs. Dorcas Glascow, Miss Lorna Hansen, Mrs. Jane Ivey, Mrs. Violet Rankin, Mr. James Rankin, Mrs. Margaret Stubbs, Miss Pamela Stubbs, Mr. Grover Tate, Mr. Lester Carrick, Mrs. Betty Carrick, Miss Cynthia Carrick, Mr. Brandon Bergstadt, Mrs. Sylvia Bergstadt, Mrs. Lenore Denehl, Mrs. Mary Jane Hamas, Mr. Randall Hamas, Mr. Robert Brown, Mrs. Dorothy Brown, Mr. William Clowes, Mrs. Rita Clowes, Mrs. Macie Groves, Mrs. Helen Thomas, Miss Miriam Farwell, Mrs. Jane Deavers, Miss Irene Bartlett, Mrs. Agnes Upchurch, Mr. Irving Thrift, Mr. Eugene Richardson, Mrs. Ester Richardson, Mrs. Nellie Sheen, Mr. Ernest Walker, Mrs. Elizabeth True, Mr. James E. Ridgway, Mrs. Anna Horn,
Forever, O Lord, Your word
is settled in heaven.
Amen, even so, Come ,
Lord Jesus.
 Copyright © Bill L.Yoho 2001
  
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