Chapter III - The Early Years
The Church having been organized, Mr. Carhart was appointed Moderator. On July 19th, the Church was incorporated as The Larchmont Avenue Presbyterian Church of Larchmont, N.Y., and the following trustees were elected: Miss Emily Lindsley, Mr. Andrew Lindsay, Dr. G. W. Perkins, Mr. H. M. Requa, Mr. William Vander Roest, and Mr. William Webb, Jr.
In addition to regular Sunday morning and Sunday evening services, Wednesday evening prayer meetings were held in members’ homes. The two latter services were later discontinued.
Collection boxes were placed at the entrance door of the studio, but it soon became apparent that this method of collecting funds would never do and that definite pledged contributions had to be received if the Church were to function. The Trustees requested the Moderator to take up the matter and in August this notice appeared in the village newspaper:
"On Sunday at the New Church the theme of the sermon will be, ‘Now Concerning the Collection’ – I Corinthians 16:I."
The first Every Member Canvass was made on Sunday, August 30th. From January of 1915, the Church began to be partly self-supporting.
From the beginning, this Church has depended for financial support entirely on members’ contributions, many of these quite small. That is to say there was no "angel" to provide a large endowment or come to its rescue in the many financial crises which arose throughout its history. Hence, money must play a prominent part in any history of the Church.
But financially pressed though the little flock was, $106 was apportioned to benevolences the first year.
In October, the Church sponsored a Boy Scout Troop, thus, early in its history, assuming a real interest in the affairs of the community.
On October 30th, Mr. Carhart received this letter from Dr. Robert McGregor, pastor of the North Avenue Presbyterian Church, New Rochelle:
"There should come to you this week a communion service consisting of two trays of forty cups each, from Reed and Barton. Each tray is inscribed ‘The Larchmont Avenue Presbyterian Church.’ This service goes to you from Mrs. McGregor and me as an expression of our deep interest in the work you have started…God grant that from these cups many persons will take of the spiritual water and that many men, women, boys and girls may be quickened to a holier life in His service."
This is one of the communion services in use today.
By the winter of 1914-15, all were aware that the studio was completely inadequate for the growing Church and Sunday School and that action would have to be taken before another winter. Eighty-two children were enrolled in the Sunday School, plus eleven teachers and officers.
A large pot-bellied stove heated the studio. Chairs were arranged in circles for various classes, jamming the limited space. In his first annual report, the Sunday School superintendent queried: "But friends, I ask you, if they are all present at once what can we do with them?" A building fund was started.
The land between Larchmont and Chatsworth Avenues, extending from Atlantic Avenue almost to Palmer Avenue, belonged to Mr. Carsten Wendt whose summer home was on it. After his death, it was acquired by a real estate company; roads were cut through the property (Wendt Avenue is one) and building plots were advertised for sale.
After considering other sites, the Session authorized the Trustees to purchase for lots on Larchmont Avenue, four on Wendt Avenue – extending along Atlantic Avenue – at a cost of $5,000. Five-hundred dollars was to be paid on signing of the contract, $1,600 after six months, the balance to remain on mortgage at six percent.
This was a brave and trustful decision since at the time the total amount in the treasury (cash and pledges) was $863.50.
In April, a large sign was erected at the corner of Larchmont and Atlantic Avenues:
THIS IS THE PROPOSED SITE OF THE LARCHMONT AVENUE CHURCH
Nowhere in the minutes of the Session nor of the Trustees is mention made of why or when "Presbyterian" was dropped from the title even though the Church had been organized as the Presbyterian Church of Larchmont and incorporated as The Larchmont Avenue Presbyterian Church. In his first annual report, the Moderator said:
"Our membership has been gathered from all parts of the world, some from Canada, Scotland, Switzerland and Germany as well as all parts of the U.S.A."
This ecumenical pattern of many denominations and many nationalities forming the membership has continued through the years and it may have been the reason for the omission of the somewhat limiting word "Presbyterian." During the first year, the membership, representing many Protestant denominations, had increased to ninety-five.
In May 1915, The Larchmonter-Times reported:
"Mr. William Vander Roest of Larchmont Park addressed the congregation of The Larchmont Avenue Church and asked for subscriptions payable in thirty days so that the Trustees could complete a substantial payment on the land and be able to begin work on a church building. The congregation which crowded the place of meeting was deeply stirred by the eloquent appeal; backed by manifest need and opportunity the people gave gladly and gifts are still coming in."
And on May 15th: "Church gets $1,000 more from Mrs. John Stuart Kennedy of New York. This makes about $4,000 secured last week."
From the beginning, the Boards ruled that games of chance to raise money should not be permitted.
With cash in hand, work started immediately on the basement which was to be 70 by 40 feet and built to serve as the foundation of the future Sanctuary. Stone found during the excavation on the site was used for backing, and granite was purchased from the Mamaroneck quarry for the facing. A shingled half story was built on the foundation and roofed over to provide for immediate use.
Steps at the Larchmont and Atlantic Avenues corner led down to the Church. A balcony used for Sunday School classes extended across the west end of the building. The pulpit platform was at the east end facing the entrance. In back of it, were the kitchen, the minister’s office and the service areas. The Larchmont Building Company of Mamaroneck was awarded the contract, the cost to be approximately $6,000.
The building committee was composed of the Board of Trustees and, in addition, the Rev. Charles Carhart, Mr. Guy Vroman, and Mr. John Isbister. One of the Trustees, Mr. Andrew Lindsay, an architect, prepared the plans and acted as treasurer, and Mr. William Webb, Jr. was chairman of the building committee.
The proposed complete plant included, in addition to the Sanctuary, a Sunday School building with an adjoining Manse. These, to front on Wendt Avenue, were all to be modified English Gothic style.
The basement Church was finished early in December 1915, and a half-page notice appeared in the newspaper:
ALL CORDIALLY WELCOME
Sunday, December 12th
opening services in the
NEW LARCHMONT AVENUE CHURCH
11 A.M. and 3 P.M.
Laying of cornerstone at afternoon service
Larchmont Avenue corner of Atlantic Avenue
The Sunday School session at 10:00 A.M., the first service held in the building, had an attendance of seventy-seven. One hundred sixty persons attended the morning worship service, and in the afternoon two hundred forty came for the laying of the cornerstone by the Rev. Paul Stratton, Moderator of the Presbytery. It was a cold, clear day, and the capacity of the Church was strained to its limits when all went inside for a continuation of the service.
This "temporary" structure was to serve as the Church for the next fifteen years.
At the second annual meeting, the congregation adopted a resolution presented by the Session:
"Resolved that it is the sense of this meeting that after an Elder, Deacon, or Trustee shall have served a full three-year term he shall not be eligible for re-election to the same office till after the expiration of one year."
The founding fathers were indeed wise since they anticipated by some forty years, the same ruling by the General Assembly.
A Woman’s Society was formed the first year, also a Sewing Group and a Mission Board. A Young People’s Society, led by Mr. Carhart, was established in 1918 and a Men’s Club in the fall of 1921.
Mr. Carhart, who, as Moderator, had guided the Church from its formation, was called to be its pastor. He was a graduate of Yale and of Union Theological Seminary and had had a pastorate in Marlboro, New York. Prior to coming to Larchmont, he had for two years been the librarian at the Protestant College, Beirut, Syria.
He was installed on December 16, 1917. The Rev. Arthur G. McMillan, Rev. F. S. Hunnewell, and the Rev. L. G. Leary presided. Mr. Carhart’s salary was $1,600 per year, and a manse was provided.
About 1921, the name of Atlantic Avenue was changed to Forest Park Avenue, the present address of the Church.
Through the years, Larchmont had been building up slowly. But, in the spring of 1919, World War I having ended in November 1918, Larchmont began to burgeon. There was land in abundance on which to build new homes. The growth rate of the community was reflected in the Church, but even so, the minutes of the Session show constant concern with ways and means of increasing the membership and attendance at Sunday morning worship service.
For several years, the Boards of the Church had been deeply concerned about completing the plant, or at least starting a building fund towards doing so. But, while the spirit was willing, finances were woefully weak.
Everyone was fully aware of the shortcomings of the basement. Sunday School classes were held everywhere – even in the furnace room. After classes, which were held in the Church had been dismissed, their chairs were pushed as far out of the way as possible to make way for the worship service. Nevertheless, when a baptism took place, the Clerk of the Session, carrying the baptismal basin, had to be agile and wary as he picked his way through a confusion of chairs. But, inconvenient as conditions were, the loyal congregation put up with them for ten long years. In 1919, Mrs. J. Godfrey Wilson, a staunch Episcopalian, generously started the building fund with a contribution of $250.
The Trustees were continuously grappling with the problem of finances. At one Board meeting, each Trustee reached into his pocket and gave ten dollars toward the bill of an importunate creditor. On another occasion each member of the three Boards was asked to give fifty dollars as an "emergency contribution." The subject of coal and where to store it was also a constant concern. This problem was finally solved by building a lean-to at the back of the Church.
Sunday School attendance increased so fast that in 1922 the loft had to be remodeled to provide space for the primary department. The Trustees, matter-of-factly outspoken in those days, while approving the alterations to the loft added, "but inasmuch as the Trustees have no funds for meeting these expenses ($183) it is hoped the Sunday School will secure the necessary funds for defraying said expenses."
While finances were an ever present annoyance, benevolences were never omitted and came to more than one-fourth of the budget. Mr. Carhart, in his gentle way, pointed out that since our Church had received missionary help to get started, we, in turn, should be happy to help others.
In June 1922, Mr. Carhart resigned. He was presented with an engraved resolution expressing appreciation and thanks for his and Mrs. Carhart’s devoted labors for the Church from its formation.
