History of St. James' Parish, Washington, D.C. This file is part of the DCGenWeb Archives Project: http://www.usgwarchives.net/dc/dcfiles.htm ********************************************* http://www.usgwarchives.net/dc/dcfiles.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ********************************************* Contributed to The USGenWeb Archives Project by: Debi Remer St. James Parish, Washington, D.C., was organized June 26, 1873, in accordance with authorization granted by the annual convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the Dioceses of Maryland, held in Baltimore May 28, 1873. The Parish was formerly part of Washington Parish (constituted 1794) and was an organization, granted the following boundaries. "Beginning at the corner of Sixth street East, and M Street, North, being a point on the Northern boundary of Washington City, thence along said boundary line to the corner of Fifteenth street, East, and H street North; thence Southerly along said Fifteenth street, East, and East Capitol street, thence Westerly along said East Capitol street to the corner of Sixth street, East; and thence in Northerly direction along side Sixth Street, East, to the point of the beginning." An organization the following were elected Vestrymen to serve until East Monday 1874. Frederick Augustus Holden George W. Francis Jr. Thomas W. Miller James E. Engle William Rutherford William Grinsted M.D. John B. G. Baxter, M.D. Charles Marshall Dr. Grinsted was elected chairman (afterward named Treasurer) and Mr.. Holden was elected Secretary (afterward named Registrar). It was voted to call the Rev. James Albert Harrold, M.D. s the first Rector of the Parish, who accepted the call. The first services were held Step. 14, 1873, in the Union Chapel, 8th street N. E., between F and G by the kindness of the Presbyterian Church, the owners. The congregation subsequently met at 819 H street, N.E., 809 H Street, N.E. and 813 H Street N. E. the Rev. Dr. Harrold resigned as Rector effective May 1, 1874 and the Rev. Frank Webster Winslow as elected Rector Oct. 2, 1875 and resigned effective Oct. 4, 1876. No successor was chosen until Feb. 15, 1878 when the Rev. Israel L. .Townsend, Rector of the Church of the Incarnation was called to the Rectorship in addition to his Rectorship of the Church of the Incarnation. The Rev. John A. Graves, assistant Minister of the Incarnation assumed charge of the Parish. He was succeeded in 1881 by the Rev. James W. Clark who continued as Rector until Feb. 22, 1925. The Rev. George W. Atkinson D.D. assumed charge of the Parish, Nov. 15, 1925. Taken from FHC reel 845769 Deb