The congregation of Chariton's St. Andrew's Episcopal Church had broken ground for this new building on East Court Avenue during 1900 and it was completed in 1903. In the interim, the St. Andrew's Guild launched a variety of fund-raising efforts to help furnish and equip it, including an extraordinarily elaborate "trip around the world" on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 23, 1901.
The Chariton Herald of Oct. 24 described the event as "a sort of progressive supper .... Patrons of the social were asked to meet on the north side of the square any time after five o'clock, and trains (of carriages) transported them at intervals to four different homes where entertainment and refreshments were prepared."
The editor of The Patriot, also published on Oct. 24, apparently participated and filed the following report:
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Our party left the station, which was located in front of A.E. Dent's store, and were taken in a carriage to "Boston," at Mrs. F.R. Crocker's. (A.E. Dent's store is now the Edward Jones office; the Frank R. Crocker residence, Fielding Funeral Home.)
There we were welcomed at the door by "Boston ladies" dressed in colonial costume. We were then ushered into the spacious dining room. The table was decorated with silver candelabra in the center, and pumpkins at each end of the table filled with fruit, corn and vegetables of all descriptions. The refreshments served here were baked beans, pork, brown bread, apple sauce and pickles. the waiters here were Mrs. J.A. Penick, Mrs. Willis Larimer, Sue Wright and Vernon Householder. The writer was honored by dining at the same table with Teddy Roosevelt and wife, George Washington and Uncle Sam, represented by Mr. an Mrs. F.C. Stanley, Charles Guthrie and Peter Paton.
From "Boston" we journeyed on to "Paris" at Mrs. Anna Copeland's. (Anna Copeland's home was the Gibbon house, a half block south of Fielding's on the east side of South Grand Street.) Scalloped oysters, salad and wafers were served here by the Misses Dora Householder and Theo Bentley and Mrs. Dora Custer. The table was beautifully decorated with cut glass candelabra and chrysanthemums.
After this course, the carriage met us and conveyed us to the home of L.F. Maple, where we were to view "Pekin." The house was artistically decorated with Japanese lanterns and umbrellas, and the walls were draped with bamboo. Mrs. Maple and George Press, in costume, received us at the door and as we moved into the dining room we passed a china booth, presided over by Mrs. Foster, Mrs. Ida Hickman an Chas. Goldsberry. At this place rice and cream, cakes and fruit were served (with chop sticks with which to eat them) by Mrs. George Ramsey, Mrs. Bentley, Grace Yengel, Maude Bentley, Florence Maple and Sue Copeland, all wearing the Japanese costume. (The Maple home, at the intersection of East Court Avenue and Highway 14, was purchased by the Henry Biesemeyer family in 1920).
From here we went to "Washington" which was located at G.J. Stewart's residence. Here ice cream and cake were served by Mrs. Jennie Anderson, Misses Margaret Maple and Ola Goldsmith. The house was elaborately draped with flags. (The Stewart home, torn down a couple of years ago, was the three-story Second Empire just north of the dollar store on North Grand Street.)
We arrived at the station on our return at ten o'clock. All in all this affair was one of the most charming entertainments Chariton has ever known.
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"All of the homes looked beautiful," The Herald reported, "the Maple home reaching a climax in the way of appropriate Chinese and Japanese decorations. Even the air was laden with incense from joss sticks and the costumes of all in charge of the home were completely oriental."
The Guild realized $75 in profit from its world tour, an amount that would have gone much farther in 1901 that during 2021.
Although beautiful, the 1903 St. Andrew's was structurally unsound and was taken down during 1955. It was replaced by the current church along Highway 14 North.
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