The Thomas Hoge Memorial Tablet The diamond anniversary of the Claysville Presbyterian Church awakened the deep interest of the venerable Mrs. Esther Holmes Hoge Patterson, 1728 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, Penn., a daughter of the Rev. Thomas Hoge. The result of that interest appears in a bronze tablet, which is described as follows by the Claysville Recorder: The members of and visitors at the Presbyterian Church will take great delight in what is perhaps one of the finest tablets in Western Pennsylvania outside of the larger cities. It is to the memory of the father of the Claysville and other Presbyterian churches, that grand old man-Rev. Thomas Hoge. It is placed on the wall back of the pulpit, about six feet above the rostrum, and facing the audience. The tablet is of solid bronze, four feet ten inches wide by two feet four inches high, with round corners. Its weight is 375 pounds. Around the outer edge is a beaded border; within is scrollwork about four inches deep. Next the inscription is more beaded work, turning off at the upper and lower central points and forming an oval frame for the excellent bust portrait of Rev. Hoge. It is the work of the artist-sculptor, Joseph Lauber, whose fame is not merely national, and whose portrait of General Washington adorns the national Capitol. To the left of the portrait is the inscription: IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE To the right are these words: FOR OTHER FOUNDATION CAN The formal unveiling of the tablet took place on Thursday, October 8, 1896, and is the subject of an article in The Presbyterian Banner, October 14, 1896, from which is taken the following extract: HONOR TO A FIRST PASTOR The town of Claysville, Washington County, Penn., is located in the midst of a fertile agricultural region, |