Stephen P. Hill (1806–1884) was a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

clergyman who served as

Chaplain of the Senate The chaplain of the United States Senate opens each session of the United States Senate with a prayer, and provides and coordinates religious programs and pastoral care support for senators, their staffs, and their families. The chaplain is appoi ...

Early life

Stephen Prescott Hill was born in

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

, on April 17, 1806. He was educated at

Waterville College Colby College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. It was founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, then renamed Waterville College after the ...

, Brown University (Class of 1829) and Newton Theological Seminary (1832). He was ordained on April 2, 1832.

Ministry

On October 2, 1832, Hill was called to be pastor of the First Baptist Church in Haverhill, Massachusetts. While serving there the church completed its second meeting house which was dedicated on November 7, 1833. Hill was advised to move to a milder climate due to ill health, and so he left the church in May 1834. For a year thereafter, he supplied the pulpit of the Georgetown, D.C. church. Then, he was called to be the pastor of First Baptist Church,

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

; he would serve there seventeen years. Other Baltimore Baptist congregations formed out of the growing membership of the church during his pastorate, including Seventh Baptist Church. Hill then was called to be the pastor of First Baptist in Washington, D.C., where he served from 1850 to 1861. While serving in Washington, Hill was elected to serve as Chaplain of the Senate on December 8, 1856. Hill was also a prolific hymn writer, compiling a book published in 1836 called "Christian Hymns" with 655 hymns. Many appeared in Baptist hymnals anonymously during Hill's lifetime. They seem not to have lasted in popularity; none are in current hymnbooks. Hill died in Washington, DC on September 15, 1884.

Personal life

Stephen Prescott Hill married Martha Ellen Corcoran . Her brother

William Wilson Corcoran William Wilson Corcoran (December 27, 1798 – February 24, 1888) was an American banker, philanthropist, and art collector. He founded the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Early life Corcoran was born on December 27, 1798, in Georgetown in the Di ...

was the founder of the

Corcoran Gallery of Art The Corcoran Gallery of Art was an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University. Overview The Corcoran School of the Arts & Design ...

. Their children were: William Corcoran Hill and Mary Wilson Hill Reynolds.New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial, edited by

William Richard Cutter William Richard Cutter (August 17, 1847 – June 6, 1918) was an American historian, genealogist, and writer. Life Born in Woburn, Massachusetts on August 17, 1847, he was the son of Dr. Benjamin Cutter and Mary Whittemore Cutter. He attended ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Stephen P. 1806 births 1884 deaths Baptist ministers from the United States Chaplains of the United States Senate Brown University alumni American Christian hymnwriters People from Salem, Massachusetts 19th-century American writers 19th-century American musicians Songwriters from Massachusetts 19th-century American clergy