ngs have been used as church edifices in the history of
this congregation, the mission building referred to above, the
barracks, a relic of the Civil War, and a frame structure on the site
of the present edifice, which at that time of its dedication in 1884
was valued at $60,000; but today the valuation, conservatively
speaking, may be placed at $175,000. From 1865 to 1890 the membership
was about 2,000, 1,100 of whom were baptized by Robert Johnson. The
first Washington Baptist Convention composed of churches principally
of the District of Columbia requested in September, 1890, that the
church be called the Metropolitan. The congregation formally agreed to
bear the title and since then Metropolitan has been its legal as well
as its popular name.

After securing the services of Dr. M. W. D. Norman, who came from
Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1905, the progress of the church has been
such as to merit fully the title Metropolitan. On his assumption of
the pastorate, a large floating and bonded indebtedness rested on the
church. This has been discharged and modern improvements of
electricity and steam heating at the cost of $15,000 have been
provided. Yet there is not a dollar of indebtedness and the membership
has increased to 5,748.

The following ministers have been ordained by the Metropolitan Baptist
Church: Charles H. Parker, W. Bishop Johnson, John A. Pryer, Edward
B. Gordon, Anderson Hogan, Luke D. Best, William Richardson, William
Johnson, E. R. Jackson, John Braxton, John Mercer, Noah Grimes, Levi
Washington, and W. L. Hill.[36]

The Baptist church on Vermont Avenue between Q and R Streets was
originally established as the Fifth Baptist Church, June 5, 1866, by
the pious J. H. Brooks, with seven members. He built a frame structure
which was afterward replaced by a more comfortable brick building.
Under him the congregation grew and in 1884, when he died the church
had a membership of 1,800. He had served his people well, impressed
the community with his worth, and passed to his reward loved not only
by his own members but by the Christian people throughout the city.

He was succeeded by Dr. George W. Lee, who came to this church from
North Carolina where he had served successfully as a pastor. Dr. Lee
was installed in 1885 and served a quarter of a century, passing away
on February 6, 1910. There were several important achievements during
his pastorate. In 1890, at a cost of about $25,000, he remodeled the
buildi