Page:The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany.djvu/83

Rh and the hall was crowded. This date is memorable as the one upon which the Sunday School was formed.

Meanwhile it was felt that the church needed a place of its own, and efforts were made to obtain by purchase some building, or church, in a suitable location. Several places were considered, but were not satisfactory; yet the thought of obtaining a church edifice, although given up for a time, was not forgotten. In the mean time, not only was the attendance rapidly growing in this church in Chickering Hall, but the Cause itself was spreading over the land. September 1, 1892, Mrs. Eddy gave the plot of ground on which The Mother Church now stands. On the twenty-third day of September, 1892, twelve of the members of the church met, and, upon Mrs. Eddy's counsel, reorganized the church, and named it The First Church of Christ, Scientist. This effort of Mrs. Eddy was an inspiration to Christian Scientists, and plans were made for a church home.

In the mean time Sunday services were held in Chickering Hall, and continued there until March, 1894, and during the last year the hall was crowded to overflowing. In March, however, the church was obliged to seek other quarters, as Chickering Hall was to be remodelled. At this time the church removed to Copley Hall on Clarendon Street, which had a seating capacity of six hundred and twenty-five, and in that place Sunday services were held until The Mother Church edifice was ready for occupancy, December 30, 1894. During the months that the congregation worshipped in Copley Hall there was a steady increase in attendance.

Twelve years ago the twenty-first of last month, the corner-stone of The Mother Church edifice was laid, and