Page:A short account of the rise and progress of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in America.djvu/27

 too small for the congregation, so that the Trustees saw it necessary to lengthen the house, and they accordingly added to it fifteen or twenty feet more. The vacant parts of the Lots, which were appropriated for our burying ground, were so small and sandy, that the Trustees were obliged to build vaults for Interments in our Church-yard, and after the city was visited with the Yellow Fever, when the Corporation of the city prohibited the opening of graves and vaults in the thickly inhabited parts of the city, in the summer season, the Trustees applied to them for a place for a burying ground, as the Church was not able to purchase ground for that purpose at that time, and on the 17th August, 1807, the Corporation allotted them a place in the (then) Pottersfield, (which is now called Washington Parade Ground) which the Trustees fenced in, and used in the summer season of every year, until the Corporation of the city thought proper to fill up the said Pottersfield, and improve it as it now is. Then the Trustees purchased some lots of ground at Yorkville, and appropriated seven lots for a burying ground. A few years previous to the expiration of the aforementioned Lease of the two lots of ground, say in the year 1806, the Rev. John Wilson, having the charge of our Zion Church, by appointment of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Trustees began to make some efforts for raising an amount of money sufficient to make a purchase of the aforesaid two lots of ground, in order to annul the Lease, and secure the lots by obtaining a Deed for them; and in doing this, they were much aided by our Elder in charge, who seemed to