Chapter V - Fruition

From August 30, 1939, until December of that year, the Church had no minister nor assistant minister. During that time a supply minister came each Sunday. Then, the Rev. Floyd E. McGuire was called to the pastorate from the Eastchester Presbyterian Church in New York City, where he had been pastor for nine years.

Mr. McGuire was installed as minister of the Larchmont Avenue Church on January 25, 1940. The Rev. T. F. Smith, Moderator of the Westchester Presbytery presided. Also participating in the service were Dr. E. I. Ruck of the Michigan Conference of the United Brethren Church, the Rev. James Palmer of the New York Presbytery, Dr. John Strong of the North Avenue Presbyterian Church, New Rochelle.

Mr. McGuire is a native of Crooksville, Ohio, and a graduate of Ohio’s Otterbein College, New York University, and The Biblical Seminary in New York City.

His wife is the former Henrietta Runk of Canton, Ohio. At the time, they had one son, David. Later, a second son, Douglas, was born.

Since Dr. Russell had built and occupied his own home, the house on Wendt Avenue had not been needed as a manse. It had been rented when possible to bring in extra income, and when unoccupied, had been used for Sunday School classes and meeting rooms. This house now became the Manse and classes meeting there had to be relocated.

Due to the withdrawal from the community of several substantial subscribers and to the recession of 1937-1938 which adversely affected many incomes, pledges had been falling. In 1937, $30,000 had been pledged, in 1938, $29,300, in 1939, $25,304. Mr. McGuire, coming from a much smaller pastorate, was now faced with a church that had a large plant, a large debt, a falling income, and no regular minister for four months.

In 1940, pledges continued to decrease and fell to $24, 220. But, by March 1941, conditions had improved noticeably. A religious upsurge that swept the nation, resulting from our involvement in World War II, was reflected in the Church by increasing membership, attendance and pledges.

With the rapid influx of new members, it was important for them and for the Church that they be made to feel welcome and a part of the Church. Floyd McGuire’s warm personality and friendliness played an important part in bringing this about. Besides being young and vigorous, he was a good organizer. In 1941, for the purpose of getting the members together socially, he organized the Couples’ Club. Later, two additional social groups, the Fourth Friday Fellowship and the Doublets, were formed. A Men’s Association was organized in the fall of 1945, later to be renamed the Churchmen’s Association. These organizations have served as useful and rewarding function in the life of the Church.

One-third of the yearly budget went for interest and amortization charges, but with better economic conditions, these payments were met more easily. In 1943, through the successful efforts of one of the Trustees, the mortgage was again refinanced. The new mortgage provided for "a fifteen-year loan of $90,000 with $5,000 yearly maturities for the first seven years, $6,000 yearly maturities for the next six years, and $7,000 yearly maturities for the balance of the period." Interest for the first seven years was set at 3-1/2% and for the balance of the period at 3-3/4%.

This meant a reduction in carrying charges, no further refinancing, and the hope that the Church would be free of debt in fifteen years – or sooner – a great relief to those members, particularly those Board members, who had worried and worked unselfishly to bring the Church through the depression and recession years.

During the war, the use of the Church House and its facilities was extended to the Red Cross for its war work.

In addition to his vacation, Mr. McGuire was granted a month’s leave of absence during the summers of 1942, ’43 and ’44, to work under the War Time Service Committee. In 1942, he worked at Fort Benning and with the citizens of Columbus, Georgia. In 1943, he made a tour of Presbyterian colleges in the South, spending a month at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas. At this time, he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity by the College of the Ozarks, Clarksville, Arkansas. In 1943, he worked in the Miami area.

Due to the increasing growth and activities of the Church, Miss Dorothy Hallock was engaged as Dr. McGuire’s assistant in 1942. It also became necessary at that time to inaugurate two morning sessions of the Sunday School; its attendance had grown to such proportions that the plant could not accommodate all the children at one time. Two Easter morning worship services were also started in that year, for in spite of gas and oil rationing, attendance at both Church and Sunday School stood up and membership in each increased.

On October 18, 1944, Miss Emily Lindsley died, having lived to see the Church she founded come safely through the rough seas of the early years and the turbulent ones of the depression years to a calm harbor. Also, the plant had been expanded to far exceed in size the one she had envisaged. During those years, she played an active part in the life of the Church until her final illness. After her death, it was suggested that a memorial be given in her honor by the Congregation. This materialized in the Emily Lindsley Memorial Window.

When the war was finally over, the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. started a $27,000,000 Restoration Fund to "restore and adjust damages caused to churches during the war." In 1946, this Church was advised that its share of the Fund would be $29,000 to be paid over a period of three years. This came as something of a shock to the Session and Trustees, still trying to pay off the mortgage. Nevertheless, both Boards accepted the assignment willingly and incorporated it in the budgets of the following years. At the end of the period, the Restoration Fund Certificate of Honor was presented to The Larchmont Avenue Church for having contributed more than any other Presbyterian church in West- chester County. Thanks to several individual donations, the Church had given $2,479 over our allotment and finished our payments on time.

In 1946, the Rev. Herbert L. Landes was engaged as the Church’s first full-time assistant minister.

Whereas, ten years earlier houses were a glut on the market, now there was a housing shortage. This caused considerable difficulty in finding a home for him, his wife and their baby. A small, inconvenient apartment over a private garage was finally located. In addition to pastoral duties, he was General Superintendent of the Sunday School and in charge of Religious Education.

In 1947, the Christ of the Resurrection Window – the great West Window – was installed at a cost of $10,000, subscribed by individual members of the congregation as a "Memorial and Tribute" to all those men and women of the Church who had served in World War II Armed Forces. A permanent leather bound "Book of Memory" lies on the table at the rear of the Sanctuary and is considered to be an integral part of the Window. In it are inscribed the names of all donors to the Window, the names of all members who served in the Armed Forces (also the names of Larchmont non-members who served), and names of those whose lives were lost while in the Service. Paperback copies of the book were sent to families of those whose lives were lost. One copy was given to the Larchmont Public Library.

In 1950, Robert M. Russell, Jr., son of our former minister, was ordained in this Church.

By this time, the Sunday School had more than seven hundred members, straining the capacity of the plant beyond its limits. Classes had to be held in the kitchen, throughout the Sanctuary before worship service, and in the Manse.

Various plans for enlarging the Church House were studied before it was decided that the only solution would be a new Church School building on the Wendt Avenue land occupied by the Manse.

The first step in preparation for this project was the purchase of a new manse at 20 Bonnett Avenue at a total cost of $29,000 plus $1,500 for renovations. Until it was razed, the old Manse was utilized throughout for Sunday School classes. Those that had met in the Sanctuary, were now held in the Manse, thus freeing the Sanctuary for the installation of two Sunday morning services, the first at 9:30 A.M. and a second service at 11:00 A.M. to accommodate the growing Church membership. Also in 1951, three Easter morning services were inaugurated.

At a Congregational and Corporate meeting, plans were presented for the demolition of the old manse and for the construction of a new Religious Education Building. Although members who vividly recalled the harassments of the 1930’s, questioned the wisdom of immediately incurring further indebtedness – ("just when the mortgage has finally been retired we go into debt again!") – nevertheless the plans were unanimously approved. A wise decision. Today the building is in continuous use, and watching the streams of children as they enter and depart on a Sunday morning, one wonders how the Church School ever functioned without it.

At this time, the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. started a $12,000,000 National Building Fund of which our share (we were advised) was $11,300. The Boards of the Church assumed this added expense even though engaged in the new building project.

The Religious Education building was dedicated with impressive ceremonies September 27, 1953. McCoy and Blair were the architects and Cuzzi Brothers and Singer Inc., the builders. The cost was $294,452. The handsome door at the Wendt Avenue entrance was a gift of the Church School children.

At about the same time, the office facilities in the Church House were enlarged and new offices for the minister and assistant minister were provided.

In 1955, the Trustees made a survey of Larchmont and its environs as it pertained to this Church. It showed that little future growth in membership could be expected. From 1943 to 1950, this Church had grown at a slightly larger rate than the Catholic Church. From 1950 to 1954, the Catholic Churches increased forty-eight percent while our membership remained constant. Even though each year many new members are received into the Church, they just about replace others who leave the community.

The advisability of the Church’s having an endowment fund had been proposed as early as 1928, but it was not until 1958 that the Church had received enough unallocated bequests to make it possible. On June 20, 1958, the Trustees approved the establishment of an endowment fund:

"The purpose of the Endowment Fund is to provide a medium whereby friends and members of the Church may make financial gifts and bequests of a permanent nature, as a memorial or otherwise, to the Church; and to provide the Church with a permanent fund, the interest from which is to be devoted to any purpose of the Church. It is hoped that the establishment of the Endowment Fund will encourage such gifts and bequests."

For several years, the inadequate kitchen facilities had been a source of annoyance and complaint. In 1957, a new kitchen was added at a cost of $53,046. The architects were McCoy and Blair; the builder was James A. Jennings, Inc.

In 1958, the property at 12 Wendt Avenue came up for sale. Because of its proximity to the Church and its suitability as a house for the assistant minister, it was purchased for $18,000. A complete renovation–including drive and sidewalk–amounted to $9,500.

In 1959, to achieve a broader representation of the Congregation, the membership of all Boards – Session, Deacons and Trustees – was increased to eighteen.

In 1961, Dr. McGuire was invited to become a member of an Evangelistic Team to visit the Philippines. Feeling this would prove enriching to the Congregation, the Session authorized the payment of his expenses from the income of the Endowment Fund.

On the completion of the new Educational Building, a library was started in the new Parlor-Library. By 1961, it had between six and seven hundred volumes, largely composed of material for the Church School. To encourage wide use and expansion of the library, in 1961, Dr. McGuire appointed a Library Committee which was authorized to purchase books with religious connotations but broader appeal, and to catalogue the entire library. After the death of Dr. McGuire’s mother, several tributes to her were received from friends. These were used for the purchase of books. In 1962, by an act of the Session, the Parlor-Library became the Floyd E. McGuire Library. Many gifts have since been received as memorials and the Library now has about twelve hundred volumes.

No history of The Larchmont Avenue Church would be complete without mention of Mrs. Charles Martens and David Hampton.

Mrs. Martens was engaged for one day a week in 1937, as Church Caller and to assist Dr. Russell generally. She now is employed three days weekly with the important duties of calling on the parents of new Church School children, on prospective members, and on the sick. From the beginning, she has helped in various capacities in the Church School.

David Hampton joined the Church in 1927, shortly after his arrival from Scotland. He sang in the choir for many years and has taught a Church School class continuously since the late 1920’s. In 1929, he was appointed Sexton and in addition – from 1940 – has worked with young people in their many and varied activities. In 1958, he was relieved of his duties as Sexton and appointed Activities Assistant. To countless numbers of young people, David Hampton is the embodiment of TheLarchmont Avenue Church.

Larchmont, an almost completely residential community, is sandwiched between two communities fast becoming industrialized. Dr. McGuire has had the foresight to realize that the Church should have adjoining land for its protection. In 1962, when the property at 181 Larchmont Avenue was to be sold, the Church bought it to be used as a manse for the minister. It cost $42,514 plus $7,013 for renovations, At the same time, the Bonnett Avenue house was sold for $37,000, thus consolidating the Church’s holdings.

In 1963, the property at 185 Larchmont Avenue, which abuts on both the Wendt Avenue and the Larchmont Avenue properties of the Church, was for sale – the Church purchased it for $26,252. An additional $1,586 was spent on renovating it. This house is used as a home for the assistant minister. The Wendt Avenue house is rented.

It may seem that in this history of the Church more emphasis has been placed on its physical growth than on its spiritual aspect. They are inter-dependent. Large business concerns go to great pains to build handsome buildings, not only to house their activities but as a mark of prestige. Isn’t it seemly that beautiful structures should be built for the worship of God, particularly where members have given tangible expression of their gratitude to the Church and love for it. Stone, and beautiful windows, and real estate do not make a church. These only serve as a setting where the function of the church, "to further the kingdom of God on earth," may be carried out.

The growth in the Church’s membership and the standing our Church has achieved in the community are due only in part to the increase in Larchmont’s population. Rather, it has been the spiritual leadership of our three ministers, their great pastoral work, the aid and comfort they have given in time of trouble, that has brought this Church in fifty years from fifty-one members worshipping in a carriage house to two thousand seventy worshipping in a beautiful, modern church plant.

This Church has also been fortunate in its choice of young assistant ministers and the influence they have exerted on the young adults. Most of them have gone on to successful pastorates of their own.

As for the Church School: "A little child shall lead them" may well apply here, for always it has been consideration for the children, their need for more space, that has pushed the Church into more and more expansion. The dedicated Directors of Christian Education and the unselfish work of scores of lay members over the years have contributed to making the Church School the vital entity it is.

As we go to press, the Church is about to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. For nearly twenty-five of those years, Dr. Floyd E. McGuire has been its pastor. Under his inspired leadership, the Church has grown and flourished and cemented its position in the community. But also, with so many members, has come more need for his pastoral care, the comfort and advice he so well knows how to administer. He is indeed a shepherd to his flock.

Let us trust that with God’s help and guidance, the next fifty years will be as fruitful.