As far as I can tell this church no longer exists. Well in Washington DC. Not anymore.
The reason why I’m typing this up is because someone. I can’t say who. Annoyingly has a lot of personal chaff included in federal records. Some of that chaff, provides glimpses of a life partially lived at Rhode Island and North Capitol streets. The person in question was white, college educated, married and is currently very dead. He was the head, for a number of years of a Federal agency. He resided in various parts of Alexandria during the 40s and 50s. And he went to church in Edgewood? Eckington?
His church home was the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Atonement. I can tell because of other chaff and detritus left behind, such as church programs, pledge statement, and Lutheran publications.
What does this stuff, which personally we should really throw out our own light and gas bills at least 5 years after they’ve been paid, tell me about a ELCotA parishioner? Apparently you didn’t have to live near the church. You could just drive in from Alexandria, worship in DC and I guess go to the office. Because seriously, how does this stuff wind up in your working files?
Anyway, commuting church goers aren’t new and we still deal with them to this day. I just hope none are not the head of a government agency and have a habit of stuffing church crap in their office files.
Category: Shaw History
Shaw lockdown
Center City Charter School is going to be closed. It’s the school looking at the rear end of the Convention Center. I wouldn’t be surprised if some nearby businesses decide it’s better to be closed than pretend that the attendees of this shin-dig are going to make up for your regulars who decide the hassle isn’t worth it. Call ahead to any location in the lockdown zone before heading out, but then again that might be more than what you might want to do.
I am taking Monday off to observe the impact of this on the hood. I’m not going to protest as was suggested. The last time I stood on a corner with a sign was 1988. And after observing too many lame lunchtime protests (a noontime protest lasting long enough to document) from my work window, I personally don’t care for that mode of petitioning one’s government regarding grievances. I’m more of the letter writing, calling and blogging type as those modes have been more fruitful and satisfying. Also I’ve been informed that there have been threats and since I find no great romance in getting arrested or mistaken for a threat (can never be too careful, that woman with the cardboard sign could be hiding something!), I’m going to try not to bring any attention to myself as I observe and document.
I noticed as I documented the fencing that’s already in place, some residents were blasting some horrid gangsta rap from the windows. That’s one form of protest. May I suggest a little Jay-Z. Torture them with the inability to publicly sing along.
Before there was the Shaw School Urban Renewal Area there was NW pt 2
So I have sworn I’ve seen this storefront church window before, I just can’t remember where. Driving me nuts now.
Anyway, where did I leave off? 1957. Italians.
Next is your favorite and mine, Shiloh Baptist church at 9th & P, then led by Rev. Earl L. Harrison who lived at 1743 Webster St NW, which I believe is in the Crestwood neighborhood. It had a membership of 7200 people, 1,200-1,500 attending worship services any given Sunday, with 3% living in the urban renewal area and 95% elsewhere in DC. There are no stats regarding occupational makeup. In 1957 they had a scouting program made up of participants from the church and the surrounding community, and a Baptist Training Union. It was founded in 1863 at 17th and L Streets and moved to its current location in 1924.
Bible Way Church of Out Lord Jesus Christ is not in Shaw but I find it very interesting. It is one the other side of NY Ave at 1130 New Jersey Ave NW. Their pastor, Rev. Smallwood E. Williams lived at 1328 Montello Ave NE. They had a total membership of 2000 people, and the average attendance exceeded the membership with 2200 (3,200 for all three services), it seems they had a lot of visitors and I gather a lot of non-tithers. Thirty percent lived in the renewal area and 69% scattered throughout the rest of rest of DC. This was a working class church, and that’s why I find it so interesting as 90% of the working people attending were ‘unskilled manual’, with 2% professional, 3% white collar, and another 3% skilled manual labor. They had no mortgage and seemed to have owned a good chunk of land down there.
Last in my review is a church that was a storefront that is now a steeple church and that is Mt. Sinai Baptist Church at 1615 3rd St NW, then led then by Rev. Charles Hayes of 47 M St. NW. It had a membership of 225 people with an average worship service attendance of 125. A insignificant number of members, two percent, lived in the renewal area, 96% were in the rest of DC. Occupationally it was 55% unskilled manual, 40% white collar, and 2% professional. They had a mortgage of $2K. Listed under “Future Expansion Program” they desired to build a new church on the present site. If it became necessary to move (because of the renewal) they wanted to stay in this central area so it would be accessible to all members.
SUMMARY
Shaw had a lot of churches then, has a lot of churches now. There were Italians running around the TC on Sunday. And Marie doesn’t like to spend a lot of time typing.