USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > North Adams > History of the North Adams Baptist Church from October 30, 1808 to October 30, 1878 > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8
5
-
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/historyofnorthad00osbo
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01067 4270
GENEALOGY 974.402 N7720
REV. A. C. OSBORN.
HISTORY
of the
North Adams Baptist Church
POR
FROM OCTOBER 30, 1808 TO OCTOBER 30, 1878
By A. C. OSBORN, D. D., LL. D. Pastor, 1877-1884
The R. L. Bryan Company, Printers Columbia, South Carolina 1908
1415173
CONTENTS
-
Introduction
5
PAGE Early History.
The First Meeting House 8
Baptist Preaching Previous to Organization of the Church. 12
Constitution of the Church. 14
The Second House of Worship. 20
The Third House of Worship 37
Doctrines of the Church 44
Associational Connection 62
Discipline 64
Revivals
75
Pastors
88
George Witherell 89
Elijah F. Willey 92
Hosea Wheeler 93
George Robinson
94
Samuel Savory
96
Charles B. Keyes
97
Thomas S. Rogers
100
Miles Sanford
102
Deacons
105
The Sunday School.
112
INTRODUCTION
This history was written thirty years ago. It was designed to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the church. The facts of history are unchanged by the passing of the years.
The following is the Introduction as written in October, 1878 :
The North Adams Baptist Church, on the 30th day of the current month will be 70 years old. As it has reached what, in a human life would be deemed a full ripened maturity, it has been deemed worthy of something more than a hasty array of mere names and dates, or a brief sketch of a page or two. The purpose in the following paper has been to write a real history of the church; giving the facts with sufficient fulness of detail to show not only what the fathers did, but how they did it; to exhibit the inner life and genius of the body, rather than its external form.
It now sees the light on the
ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY.
When this history as it now appears was written, in 1878, it was found it would not be convenient then to publish it. It was laid aside unfinished. It is published as then written, incomplete and without revision. In the sketches of the pastors none is given for Asa H. Palmer, pastor one year, 1835; for Lemuel Covel, pastor two years, 1836-'37; for John Alden, pastor five years, 1840-'45; for Horace T. Love, pastor six years, 1846-'51; for Miles Sanford, D. D., pastor eighteen years, 1853-'71, except his letter of acceptance; for Courtland W. Anable, D. D., pastor five years, 1872-77. The official figures for the last two dates are not at hand at this writing and they may not be exact.
6
HISTORY OF THE NORTH ADAMS BAPTIST CHURCH.
There is no treatment here with regard to the devoted line of remarkably gifted and judicious church clerks, as was intended. Neither is there anything here upon the parsonages that the church so liberally provided for its pastors. Nor is there any mention of the six outstations at all of which, for many years the church, by the voluntary service of its members, maintained Sunday schools and more or less stated preaching, namely : Blackinton, the Union, the Beaver, the White School- house on the East Mountain, the Walden School on the East road to Adams, and Houghtonville. From the spirit of self- denying work thus kept alive, and the fields thus faithfully and prayerfully cultivated, very much of the large ingatherings came.
With its omissions and its limitations this bit of church his- tory is sent forth on this centennial anniversary to tell what the fathers did and how they did it, by one who loves the old church and who gave to its service some of the best years of his life.
"If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy."
A. C. OSBORN.
Benedict College, Columbia, S. C., October 30, 1908.
HISTORY OF NORTH ADAMS BAPTIST CHURCH
Early History
The first settlers of what is now the town of North Adams, came from Connecticut. The colonists made two settlements : one where North Adams now is, and another where Adams is. Between the two a few families were located. The company to which the lands belonged set apart a tract for the mainte- nance of worship, of the standing, or Congregational order.
To accommodate both settlements as well as the families intermediate, a log meeting house was built midway between the two, on the cross road which forms the southern side of what is known as the four mile square, near where it intersects with the west road, about where the railroad track now crosses that road. A Congregational church was organized there 1766, with Samuel Todd as pastor. Ten years after, the colonists sold their lands to parties from Rhode Island, who were mostly Quakers. The removals consequent upon this change of pro- prietors so weakened the Congregational influence that the church ceased to exist ; Mr. Todd, however, retained possession of the church lands.
After this there was no religious society or church in what was then the town of Adams, until one was organized by the Quakers in 1781. These Quaker colonists built in that year a frame meeting house near the village of Adams that still stands, well preserved, on the hill above the cemetery.
8
HISTORY OF THE NORTH ADAMS BAPTIST CHURCH.
The First Meeting House
In 1782 the frame of a meeting house was put up in North Adams, on the land of Jeremiah Colgrove, on the east side of what is now Church street, near where the William Blackinton mansion, now the City Library, stands. The frame was cov- ered, but the house stood otherwise unfinished, and but little used for twelve years, until 1794. This house was held by the proprietors for religious meetings without preference to any particular denomination. There was at that time no church of any denomination in North Adams. Of the churches now existing, the Baptist church was constituted October 30, 1808, the first stated Methodist preaching in the village of North Adams was in 1824; but the church organization was not till some years afterward. The Congregational church was con- stituted April 19, 1827, the Universalist, the Episcopal and the Catholic churches not until still later.
The oldest official records bearing upon religious work in North Adams,* are a volume of the records of the "North So- ciety of Adams," which includes the transactions of the Society from July 14, 1794, to May 15, 1848. In this book, however, there are no entries from March 22, 1800, to April 13, 1827. The first entry in this volume is with reference to removing and repairing the meeting house, and is as follows :
"At a meeting of a number of the inhabitants of the North "Society of Adams held at the Meeting House on the 14th of "July, 1794, Voted ; Mr. John Veazie, Moderator.
"Voted ; Charles Parsons, Clerk of said Society.
"After conversing with the old Proprietors of the Meeting "House, viz: Israel Jones, Esqr., Mr. John Kilburn, Jeremiah "Colgrove, Stephen Ives, Oliver Parker, Elias Jones, Amasa
*The town of Adams at this time included North Adams. The word Adams, used in the early papers cited, refers always to what is now North Adams.
9
HISTORY OF THE NORTH ADAMS BAPTIST CHURCH.
"Ives, and Reuben Hinman, who all agree to give up their claim "as holding any prior right, and to become proprietors in com- "mon with those who shall assist in removing and repairing it "so as to make it comfortable and convenient to meet in for "public worship ;
"Voted; That a Committee of three be chosen for the pur- "pose of getting a subscription filled up for raising a sum of "money, or its value, for the purpose of removing and repairing "said house, and to consist of the following persons, viz., "Benajah Tubbs, Samuel Kimball, and David Darling, Jr."
The records do not show how the parties named as pro- prietors of the first meeting house became such ; probably, how- ever, as in the case of subsequent proprietors, from the fact that they owned the pews. After the old proprietors had re- linquished their claims, the house was removed to the site on which the Baptist Church now stands, repaired, and the pews sold at auction to the highest bidder. At the first sale twenty- two pews were sold. This sale was on November 8, 1795 The price for which the pews sold is entered in the records in pounds and shillings. The highest price paid was £10.3 and the lowest £2.8. The entire sum realized for the twenty-two pews was £108.3. Within the next two years thirty-six addi- tional pews were sold. These subsequent sales are entered in the record in dollars and cents, indicating the change in currency then in progress. These sales amounted to $670. The total sum received from the sale of pews, was, therefore, about $1,210. The intention evidently was to make the sale of pews pay the charges for removal and repairs. This inten- tion was not realized. On June 25, 1796, it was by the pro- prietors,
"Voted; That if the money raised by the sale of the "pews is not sufficient to finish the lower part of the Meeting "House, lay the gallery floor, &c., the wantage shall be assessed "on the pews at the discretion of a committee to be chosen for that purpose."
10
HISTORY OF THE NORTH ADAMS BAPTIST CHURCH.
Subsequently the assessment made by this committee was laid before the proprietors and approved. The amount assessed is not given. But more money still was needed, and as there was a demand for pews more pews were added and sold ; all available space, both on the main floor and in the galleries, being used for this purpose. At first it was the intention to reserve certain space in the front and rear of the body of the house for seats; a distinction being made between pews and seats. The pews in the old house were square in form, closed by a door, with sittings on three sides. These were private property. The seats were open benches, and were for the use of the public. August 26, 1796, the proprie- tors passed the following resolutions :
"Voted; To reconsider the vote for having seats before and "behind the pews in the square of the house, and make pews in "their room and sell them towards defraying the expense of "finishing the Meeting House.
"Voted; To build two corner pews in the house on the ground "allotted for stairs, and sell them, the money to help defray the "expenses of finishing the Meeting House."
The only sittings finally reserved "for the public use" were in the gallery, and the "three pews joining the singers' seats in front, south side of the house."
Several purchasers of pews bought more than one. Jeremiah Colgrove bought seven. The total number of those who bid off pews was 39. These purchasers and their successors were henceforth designated the proprietors. The pews were bought and sold, and transferred by deed, or devised by will, precisely as real estate. The property was deemed to be vested exclu- sively in the owners of the pews. They controlled it absolutely. Even the Baptist church, after it was organized, and until 1830, occupied the house by sufferance only.
11
HISTORY OF THE NORTH ADAMS BAPTIST CHURCH.
These proprietors, however, appear to have had no legal title to the land on which the house on Church street originally stood. After the house was moved, on September 15, 1794, it was
"Voted; By the old proprietors present that they quit and "relinquish their title to the land where the Meeting House "formerly stood unto Jeremiah Colgrove for him to occupy and "improve the same, until such time as it shall appear to be some "individual's property."
-
12
HISTORY OF THE NORTH ADAMS BAPTIST CHURCH.
Baptist Preaching Previous to Organization of the Church
The first mention in the records of preaching in this house is under date of April 28, 1797.
"Voted; That the society agree to provide' preaching through "the summer at the Meeting House.
"Voted ; That a committee of three be appointed to treat with "Elder Thompson, of Swanzy, to see if they can procure him "to preach in this house ; if not, to provide some other person to "preach through the summer season."
The committee appointed, provided preaching ; but by whom, the records do not show. They appear, however, not to have done their work satisfactorily. For at a meeting held the next year, May 12, 1798, the following votes were passed :
"Voted; That it is the minds of those present to have preach- "ing in the Meeting House the ensuing season.
"Voted ; To discharge the committee appointed the last season "to supply the Meeting House with preaching.
"Voted ; To choose a committee of three to provide preaching "in the Meeting House the ensuing season, and to settle for the "last season's preaching upon the former subscription."
The next entry with reference to preaching is on January 18,' 1800 :
"Voted; To hire Elder Dyer Stark three-quarters of the "time, or Sabbaths, in our Meeting House, and the other quar- "ter in Stamford, by their paying their proportion."
The proposed arrangement was not effected. For on the 17th of March, 1801, this notice was given :
"These are to notify the people of the North Society in "Adams and Clarksburg to meet at Roger Wings, Innholder, in "Adams on Saturday, 22d day of this month at 2 o'clock in the
13
HISTORY OF THE NORTH ADAMS BAPTIST CHURCH.
"afternoon, to see if they can agree with Elder Dyer Stark to "preach another year. Also the people are requested to bring "an accompt of what they have paid toward what they sub- "scribed last year."
On the day named it was,
"Voted; That Elder Dyer Stark preach here half of the time "and dock one-third of the subscription which is subscribed."
These are all the official records now extant, with reference to preaching in North Adams, previous to the organization of the Baptist church.
Elder Dyer Stark was a Baptist minister. The next year, 1802, and for two years following, he was pastor of the Baptist church in South Williamstown, which church had been organ- ized in 1794. Subsequently he was pastor several years at Pownal. While preaching at Stamford, where a Baptist church had been organized in 1798, he spent part of his time as indi- cated by the votes given, in North Adams, where a large propor- tion of the members of the Stamford church were residing. Upon becoming pastor at Williamstown he continued to preach more or less in North Adams. After this Elder Calvin Keyes, a highly esteemed Baptist minister of Vermont, and others, maintained preaching the greater part of the time, until the organization of the church in 1808.
14
HISTORY OF THE NORTH ADAMS BAPTIST CHURCH.
Constitution of the Church
The Church records of the First Baptist Church of North Adams, as distinguished from the Society records, extend back to October 30, 1808. The following is the first entry in the first volume of the records of the church:
"CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH IN ADAMS.
"At a council held at the village school house in Adams by "request of a number of brethren, to establish a church, met on "the 30th of October, 1808, members from the following "churches, viz. :
"From Pownal. "From Stamford. 1 John Williams Ephraim Bushnell Isaac Clark Abiathar Buck. Jacob Sampson George Sampson Mathew Baker.
"From Berlin.
Elder Baker Jonathan Hakes Paul Himes.
Aaron Bowen -
"From Cheshire.
"From Conway.
Daniel Bowen Allen Brown. Elder Keyes Amaziah Toby Simeon Porter Ebenezer Redfield.
"Elder Hanes and Bennett, with other brethren present, were "invited to take a seat with us. Chose Paul Himes, Clerk, and "Elder Keyes, Moderator. The Moderator read a hymn and "sung, and prayed to Almighty God for wisdom to direct. "Called upon the brethren to know the number that wished to be "constituted into a church and found them to be about thirty, 'viz. :
15
HISTORY OF THE NORTH ADAMS BAPTIST CHURCH.
"David Darling,
"Samuel Stafford,
"David Darling, Jr.,
"Caleb Whitman,
"Dudley Loveland, "Joseph Dennis,
"Samuel Veazie,
"Reuben Amedon,
"Mary Salisbury,
"Oliver Whitman,
"Abigail Darling, "Elizabeth Wells,
"with a number of other brethren from other churches, which "will be inserted as they receive their letters.
"The Moderator called upon the brethren to know their doc- "trinal points of faith and practice in the religion of Jesus "Christ ; and after consulting the brethren and asking a number "of questions, we think that we found them sound in the faith. "And after the council retired alone, and took up the matter, "and after deliberating in the sight of God conversing upon the "subject, we do give it as our opinion that God has erected a "Candlestick in this place, and therefore we do fellowship them "as a church.
"CALVIN KEYES, Moderator, "PAUL HIMES, Clerk.
"P. S .- After reading the above result to the brethren, the "Moderator gave them the Right-hand of Fellowship as a Gos- "pel Baptist Church of Christ."
The next entry in the records is as follows :
"ADAMS, Saturday, January 7, 1809.
"Under the fellowship of the afore-mentioned council the "brethren met and brought forward their letters, viz. :
"From Stamford Church-Otis Blackinton, Gideon Mixer, George Whitman, Jonathan Hunt,t
16
HISTORY OF THE NORTH ADAMS BAPTIST CHURCH.
"N. B .- This mark, t, were those that were fel- lowshiped by this church and had no letter.
"From Cheshire-
John Willey,+
Amasa Sheldon,t Milley Darling,
Rebecca Veazie,
Susannah Willey,t
Ruth Blackinton,
Susannah Whitman,
Amy Mixer,
Hannah Hunt,t
Abigail Sheldon, by letter.
Williby Smith,
Abigail Waterman,
Huldah Thomas,
Huldah S. Thomas,
Duty S. Carpenter,
Thankful Wilbur,
Candace Harrington, t
Lois Head,f
Elizabeth Horton,
"and entered into Covenant to maintain the visibility of a "Church of Christ.
"1st. Chose Otis Blackinton, Moderator.
"2d. Gideon Mixer, Church Clerk.
"3d. Otis Blackinton and Caleb Whitman, Deacons."
From this record it will be seen that the number actually named by the Council and fellowshiped as a church, was twelve -eight brethren and four sisters. These were really the con- stituent members. This was the church as "constituted" by the council.
At the same time the council expressly recognized the fact that there were others who would have been associated with the twelve, had they at that time had their Letters from the churches of which they were members. When, therefore, these obtained their Letters, they were not received as members in the ordinary manner by vote of the church, but simply "brought forward their Letters" and were considered and counted as
17
HISTORY OF THE NORTH ADAMS BAPTIST CHURCH.
constituent members. Thus fifteen were added to the original twelve, making the assumed number of the constituent mem- bers twenty-seven.
There were also eight others, who had evidently been mem- bers of Baptist Churches, but who were unable to present Let- ters. It appears that "this church" expressed towards them its fellowship. "This Church," then, expressing thus its fellow- ship, did not primarily include them. They cannot, therefore, with any propriety be deemed a part of the constituent member- ship, although their names occur in the list with the other names.
Under date of January 10, 1829, there is in the records an historical memorandum in which it is said "This church was organized October 30, 1809, of twenty-three members." Again, under date of May 8, 1831, is an Annual Letter to the Associa- tion in which it is said, "The Church was constituted October 30 (1808), of twenty-three members." It is impossible to reconcile these statements with the records. The list of names given under date of January 7, 1809, those who brought in their letters two months after the organization of the church, num- bers just twenty-three. It is evident that the writers took this list as representing the constituent members. But this list does not contain the names of the twelve actually recognized as the church by the Council, and it does contain the names of eight who were fellowshiped by the church, and who, therefore, could not have been considered members of the church when that act of fellowship was expressed. It appears that of the fifteen who presented Letters, on January 7, 1809, fourteen brought Letters from the church at Stamford, Vt., and one a Letter from the church at Cheshire. The records do not show whence came the Letters of the twelve recognized by the Coun- cil. But it is known that a part, if not all of them, were from the church at Stamford. The early records of the Stamford
18
HISTORY OF THE NORTH ADAMS BAPTIST CHURCH.
church are lost. The records given above are sufficient, how- ever, to show that the North Adams church was so largely con- stituted of members from the Stamford church as to make it really a daughter of that church.
June 7, 1809, the church was admitted to the Shaftsbury Association, which met that year with the church at Schodac, N. Y. At that date, seven months after its organization, the church reported to the Association forty-one members, with Elder George Witherell as pastor.
Much confusion has arisen in regard to the early history of the churches in Western Massachusetts, from the changes which from time to time have been made in the geographical divisions of the county. Several of the churches have changed their names to correspond with the changes in the towns. As, for example, the Shaftsbury Association, in 1794, received into its fellowship the Great Barrington Baptist Church, and gave the statistics of that church regularly until 1811, while in fact there never was a Baptist church in Great Barrington. In 1811 the Great Barrington Church disappears from the minutes and the Egremont church appears. The explanation is that the town of Great Barrington originally included what is now Egremont. The church was located in that part subsequently included in Egremont, and the name of the church was changed to corre- spond.
The same is true of the "Adams Church." The earliest copy extant of the minutes of the Shaftsbury Association has the following title page: "Minutes of the Shaftsbury Associa- tion, at their Annual Convention held at Elder Warden's Meet- ing House in Adams, 1786."
The statistical table for that year reports the Adams church as having 117 members, with Peter Warden as pastor. We have already seen that the first Baptist Church organized in the town of Adams was constituted in 1808, twenty-two years after
19
HISTORY OF THE NORTH ADAMS BAPTIST CHURCH.
the Association, according to its minutes, held its annual session with the Adams church.
Also, in the history of the Cheshire Church, printed in the minutes of the Berkshire Association for the year 1856, in re- lating the circumstances of the constitution of the Lanesboro church in 1789, subsequently known as the Second Church of Cheshire, among the delegates present at the council, Peter Warden and others are named "from the church in Adams." Backus, in his history, enumerates the Baptist Churches in Berkshire Co., in 1784, and heads the list with the Adams church. It would appear impossible to reconcile these state- ments with the statement that there was no Baptist church in Adams until 1808.
The explanation is found in the fact that what was known as Adams originally included, or was supposed to include, a part of what is now Cheshire. Cheshire was incorporated as a town in 1793. Elder Warden's church on Stafford Hill which dated back to 1769, and which had been known, as the Adams church, was within the limits of the new town, and was there- after known as the First Church of Cheshire. When the Asso- ciation met with that church in 1786 the town of Cheshire was not yet incorporated. But the settlement was already known as Cheshire. Hence, while the title page of the minutes says the meeting was "at Elder Warden's Meeting House in Adams," the statistical table names the church "Adams or First Cheshire."
20
HISTORY OF THE NORTH ADAMS BAPTIST CHURCH.
The Second House of Worship
After the organization of the Baptist church in North Adams, that church appears to have occupied the Meeting House the greater part of the time, though services were held in the house more or less by other denominations.
There was no change in the house or in its management until 1827. In that year a question arose, as was inevitable, in re- gard to rights of the different denominations in the house. There had been no official meeting of the proprietors since 1800. A meeting was held under the following call. The original of this paper, with the return on the back, and the report of the committee, are on file among the church papers ; as also the originals of most of the papers here cited :
"Berkshire. S. S.
"[L. s.] To Edward Richmond, one of the Proprietors of "the North meeting house in the town of Adams.
"You are required to notify and warn the proprietors "of said meeting house according to law to meet at said Meet- "ing House on Saturday, the 28th inst., at 4 o'clock, p. m., to "act on the following articles, viz. :
"1st. To choose a Moderator,
"2d. To choose a Clerk,
"3d. To see what measures said proprietors will take with "regard to the Meeting House.
"Given under my hand and seal, this 13th day of April, 1827. "NATHAN PUTNAM, Justice of the Peace.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.