USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > A History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, vol 1 > Part 17
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"In a final effort towards this end, our resident bishop of New. Eng- land, Bishop Edwin H. Hughes, came to Taunton and held two meetings where he presented every argument in favor of a union in the clearest and most forceful manner. He was not able, however, to influence the other two churches to agree to a union. The first necessity for Central Church was a new church building. Our edifice was old-fashioned, out of repair and unattractive to a degree. The plan for building a new church met with en- thusiastic response from our people. Sunday, May 7, 1922, was set apart as a special day for beginning the drive for a new church. Dr. John Krantz of New York preached the sermon and began the solicitation for funds. On that day over $15,000 was pledged by our church people towards a new building. We acquired property at the junction of Winthrop and Cohannet
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streets, belonging to the Husband estate, as a site for the building, and a .
few weeks later, the rest of the estate being offered for sale, it seemed ad- visable to the building committee to purchase this property also, to be used as a parish or community house. Through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Strang, supplemented by a gift from the Board of Home Missions, the amount necessary to purchase this property became available. Work on the Community House, as it is to be called, began at once, several rooms being fitted up by various organizations of the church as meeting places where their work may be carried on. Thus rooms have been set aside for the Ladies' Aid, the King's Daughters and the Philathea Societies. We also hope that the Community House may serve a far broader purpose. We are hoping that the young people of the community who perhaps lack a social meeting place, may find it a place to gather for a good time. We have fitted up a library, a game room, a room with a pool table and carom boards, and we are planning in the near future to add bowling alleys to our equipment."
The pastors of Central M. E. Church: 1853, Rev. W. H. Stetson; 1854, Charles H. Titus; 1855, C. H. Atwater; 1856, S. F. Upham; 1858, J. A. Chapman; 1859, James Mather; 1860, John Howson; 1862, E. H. Hatfield; 1863, Frederic Upham; 1866, J. W. Willett; 1867, H. D. Robinson; 1868, A. Anderson; 1872, A. P. Palmer; 1875, O. H. Fernald; 1878, J. E. Hawkins; 1881, Edward Edson; 1884, G. W. Hunt; 1887, W. J. Smith; 1890, A. W. Kingsley; 1893, C. A. Stenhouse; 1898, Walter A. Buck; 1902, Warren A. Luce; 1907, M. B. Wilson; 1909, G. E. Mossman; 1918, L. M. Flocken; 1921, J. L. Wheeler.
Grace M. E. Church is one of the three large Methodist Episcopal societies. The brick structure at the corner of Somerset avenue and Weir street was owned by the Free-Will Baptists, when that denomination had a following here, and Rev. S. W. Mckeown was the pastor. Later, the church building and parsonage were purchased by Captain W. H. Phillips, who generously gave the parish the opportunity to redeem the property, which they were unable to do. Thereupon, the Free Will Baptists, includ- ing their pastor, expressed their willingness to become Methodists. Accord- ingly, with the approval of Captain Phillips and the presiding elder, Rev. W. D. Morrison, D.D., a Methodist Episcopal church was organized, and named Grace Church, at the wish of the presiding elder; and the dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. L. B. Bates, December 3, 1874, Dr. Eben Tourjee, of Boston, conducting the music. The chapel adjoining the church was dedicated January 11, 1892, it being a memorial to Fannie Montgomery, a granddaughter of Captain Phillips. As a result of meetings held chiefly by members of this church, Parker chapel also was built in 1895.
The pastors of Grace M. E. Church: 1875, S. Mckeown; 1876, W. T. Worth; 1878, S. J. Carroll; 1880, E. D. Hall; 1883, E. F. Jones; 1885, W. J. Yates; 1887, E. L. Hyde; 1889, H. B. Cady; 1892, E. F. Clark; 1897, B. F. Simon; 1901, J. L. Rich; 1910, Frank J. Brooks; 1911, Ira W. Le- Baron; 1918, Walter S. MacIntire; 1921, S. A. Livingstone.
Certain persons appointed by the official board of the Central M. E. Church met April 22, 1885, to organize the Worcester Street Church, with the then presiding elder, Rev. C. W. Gallagher, present. That was the be- ginning of the present Tremont Street M. E. Church. Meetings had been
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held four years previously in the Worcester street chapel, a building erected by stockholders for union services, the first gatherings being addressed by a local preacher, I. N. Allen. Revival services were held here in 1886 by Rev. G. W. Hunt, then pastor of the Central M. E. Church. A building lot was purchased on Tremont street in the fall of 1888; and in 1889 the pres- ent building was dedicated by Bishop Willard F. Mallalieu. The following named have been the pastors: 1886, Charles Hammond; 1887, James A. Wood; 1888, Jordan E. Wells; 1891, John S. Bell; 1892, Joseph Simpson; 1893, Harry Critchlow; 1894, S. J. Patterson; 1896, N. D .Bigelow; 1898, L. E. Squires; 1900, E. J. Haggerty; 1902, Louis O. Hartman; 1903, C. E. Smith; 1904, R. Flegal; 1905, J. E. Hawkins; 1910, C. R. Reed; 1911, J. D. Adams; 1912, J. E. Priestly; 1912, Clark Perry; 1913, Ira W. LeBaron; 1918, G. H. Young; 1919, W. S. MacIntire; 1919, Louis M. Flocken; 1921, J. L. Wheeler.
The Taunton Methodist Social Union, whose membership is composed of parishioners of all the local and neighboring Methodist Episcopal churches for three decades past, has in many ways promoted the social interest of the Methodist community, both as they have met for business and entertain- ment, and as they have provided at stated times some of the leading lec- turers and entertainers for instruction or diversion in the denomination. In the latter part of the year 1891, Ezra Hamlen, Andre S. Rounds and Willis H. Waitt began plans for the formation of a social union, and on March 19, 1892, representatives from all Methodist Episcopal churches and all the league chapters met at Mr. Hamlen's home on Somerset avenue. A committee as follows was appointed to draw up a constitution: Ezra Ham- len, of Central Church; Marcus Dary, of First Church; J. E. Blake, of Grace Church; Rev. J. S. Bell, of Tremont Street Church. The constitution was adopted May 2, 1892, at a meeting at the First M. E. Church. The first officers were the following-named: President, Marcus A. Dary, of First Church; vice-president, Amasa S. Blake, of Grace Church; second vice- president, Eli H. Eldridge, of Central Church; secretary, Elizabeth J. Whit- ing, of Grace Church; corresponding secretary, George W. Barrows, First Church; treasurer, Walter H. Dunbar, Central Church; directors: Luther B. West, Mrs. Cora L. Brownell, Ezra Hamlen, Walter L. Park, Mrs. J. F. Montgomery.
The presidents of the Union from the beginning have been: Ezra Hamlen, H. B. Buffinton, Dr. A. E. Mann, J. F. Cushing, L. L. Mitchell, Warren H. Sanford, Oscar G. Thomas, Marcus A. Dary, Rev. I. W. Le- Baron, W. E. Dunbar, J. F. Montgomery, C. H. Lincoln, Mrs. W. P. Buck, George W. Barrows, Mrs. E. M. Hamlen, Miss Alice A. Seekell, Rev. Robert L. Roberts, Ph.D., Rev. Samuel A. Livingstone, Mrs. Alice Gam- mons. The secretaries: Elizabeth J. Whiting, Walter L. Park, Augusta M. West. The executive committee consists of all the officers, and five direc- tors of the churches.
Universalist Church-Rev. William Murray, pioneer of Universalism in this country, preached in Taunton on several occasions during the early part of the last century, and in turn Taunton was visited by such early Universalists as Revs. Carrique, Pickering, Ballou, and Whittemore, who preached from time to time in the town hall. But in February, 1825, the following-named persons obtained an act for the incorporation of a religious
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society : Dr. Alfred Baylies, Miles Stoddard, William W. Crossman, Charles Foster, John Smith, Isaac Babbitt, Samuel Caswell, Jr., Leonard Crossman, William N. Spinney, James Thurber, John Baylies, Alexander Black, Caleb B. Porter, Walter H. Atwood, Daniel H. Traft, Abijah L. Eddy, Caleb Churchill, Joseph Hood, William Presbrey (3rd), Luther Chase, Nathan King, Jr., Martin Churchill. Their first minister was Rev. John B. Dods, 1831- 1835, who organized a church of thirty members in 1832. In 1839, there was a reorganization of the church, Rev. William Fishbough being the sec- ond minister, 1840-1844. He preached in the old meeting-house on Spring street, afterwards known as the Spring street church, which building was sold to the "Spring Street Congregational Society," in later years the Wins- low Congregational Church.
For a while the Universalist people held their meetings in halls; but in 1842, they completed a commodious church building at the corner of High and Spring streets, that they occupied for the space of nearly forty years. Rev. W. R. S. Mellen entered upon a brief pastorate in 1844, and pastors that succeeded him were: Rev. George W. Quinby, 1846-51; Revs. J. S. Brown, James E. Bruce, U. M. Fiske, Charles Mellen, Everett L. Conger, Russell P. Ambler. It was during the ministry of Rev. Mr. Ambler that the former church edifice was taken down, and the present building was erected in 1875. Rev. Alpheus B. Hervey was the next pastor, who came here in September, 1879, and left to accept the call to the presidency of St. Lawrence University, at Canton, N. Y. Rev. Washington W. Hooper began his pastoral work here November 1, 1899.
The following have been the pastors, to date: Rev. Andrew J. Torsleff, November 18, 1893, to March 1, 1897; Rev. A. Arnold Ross, July 19, 1898, to November 1, 1900; Rev. H. B. Potterton, D.D., March 3, 1901 to March 15, 1903; Rev. H. W. Illman, September 6, 1903 to January 1, 1908; Rev. L. L. Lewis, May 1, 1908 to Jan. 1, 1912; Rev. Albert W. Whitney, March 1, 1912 -.
Miscellaneous-The Advent Christian Church of Taunton was organized December 23, 1878, by Elder Hiram Munger, with a membership of twenty, the first meetings then being held at the Cedar Street chapel, now Histori- cal Hall. Rev. A. W. Sibley commenced a pastorate with the church Janu- ary 29, 1880, and continued here for two years. The pastors in succession have been: Rev. W. O. Hale, October 30, 1890, remaining one year; Rev. Miles G. Nelson beginning October, 1892, and remaining more than two years; Rev. Arthur G. Lyons beginning July, 1898, and remaining about four years; Rev. Michael McFadgen, starting in January, 1904, and resign- ing in October, 1906; Dr. H. E. Thompson, now editor of the "World's Crisis," came to this church in May, 1907, and remained five and one-half years, leaving here to assume the principalship of the Advent Theological School in Boston. Rev. F. E. Petty accepted a call as pastor January 4, 1914, and remained nearly two years, and since that time there has been no regular pastor. The church on Pine street was built and dedicated in De- cember, 1899.
The Arlington Sunday School Union was the outgrowth of a series of prayer meetings held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis D. Eames, School and Winter streets. The school was organized November 14, 1875, at the freestone works of W. W. Harnden on School street, a new building at the
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time. The school then numbered 125 members, the following-named be- ing the original officers: Superintendent, Edwin M. Hills; assistant superin- tendent, George H. Fairbanks; treasurer, William E. Fuller; librarian, Arthur Hicks; executive committee: J. B. Dennett, Thomas Sherman, Mrs. Isaac Brabant, Mrs. Zenas Timberlake, Mrs. Mary A. Newhall, Mrs. Delia Eames, Mrs. Benjamin Eddy. In its early years, the school met also at the Rogers grocery store on Wilbur street, and from that time to the present, the Arlington chapel has been its home. The final session of the school was held December 31, 1922, with seven members present. The money for the land and building was raised by subscription among the citizens at large. Organizations that were the outgrowth of the school were the Ladies' Sewing Society, the Monthly Temperance Band, the Busy Bees, and other juvenile societies.
On Decoration Day, the third Sunday in June, appropriate exercises were held at Mayflower hill for decorating graves of former members. In 1896, the school gave its original entertainment, "The Country School Ex- amination," in which fifty-two members took part, and considerable sums were raised for worthy institutions in the city, the play being given nine times. An executive committee of five members now have the property in charge. The superintendents have been: Edwin M. Hills, Albert King, Arthur H. Wood, Allston Estes Williams, Niles Bassett, Mrs. William Law- rence. Executive committee : Albert King, Andrew Copeland, Mrs. William Lawrence, Margaret Ratter, Mrs. William Congdon; trustees: Charles M. Rhodes, Charles Sunderland, Wallace T. Wordell, Mrs. Anne Skiff, Mary E. Wilbur.
The County Street Union Society was first called the Pleasantville Sunday School when it occupied the Macomber Hall, corner of County and Hart streets, in 1885. The society removed in January, 1886, to a part of the old County Street school building, and held sessions there most of the year. They were obliged to discontinue about November, 1886, but the movement was kept alive for years by cottage meetings in the neighbor- hood. In 1889 the property of the Pleasantville Sunday School was turned over to the Pleasantville Union Society, who furnished and occupied Union Hall, at the corner of County and William streets. The next year, 1890, the name was changed to County Street Union Society. In 1895, it was incor- porated, and moved into its new chapel on County street, where meetings are held every Friday evening, and Sunday school every Sunday afternoon at 3.30 o'clock. Meetings are led by the different pastors of the city. The presidents of the corporation have been: Hon. F. E. Austin, 1895-1900; W. D. Richardson, 1900-03; F. E. Austin, 1903-07; W. D. Richardson, 1907 ----. The following have been the Sunday school superintendents: Elijah E. Rich- ards, Walter A. Merrill, Perley E. Davis, Albert L. Johnson, Hon. F. E. Austin, J. E. Morse, W. D. Richardson.
The first public meeting of Christian Scientists in Taunton was held February 17, 1895, in rooms used by Miss Carrie Cutler as a studio in the Gazette building ;- this service being a Bible class. Beginning October 1, 1895, services were held with two readers, as in other Christian Science churches; the first hymnals were bought, and the regular form of worship was established. From March, 1897, to September, 1899, services were held at 61 Main street. On June 3, 1899, the charter dated May 29, 1899,
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was received, and the church was legally organized. From September, 1899, to January, 1901, services were held in Columbian Hall, now Legion Hall, when the removal was made to the present church building, 38 Winthrop street. A reading room was opened in January, 1900, at 61 Main street; and this is now located at the church. A Sunday school was opened in January, 1912. The church holds in grateful memory Mrs. Maria B. C. Newcomb, who gave all her time, energy and means for the establishment of the Christian Science movement and the founding of the church in Taunton.
The readers have served as follows: First Reader: Mrs. M. B. C. Newcomb, 1899-1906; Mrs. Alice L Putnam, 1906-09; Mrs. Amelia Cross- man, 1909-14; Charles H. Merrill, 1914-20; Mrs. Esther L. Sampson, 1920-23; John C. Owers, 1923. Second Readers: Mrs. Harriet Bird, 1899-1902; Gus- tavus Dunbar, 1902-06; Howard S. Putnam, 1906-09; Howard L. Hathaway, 1909-14; Mrs. Susan K. Jones, 1914-17; Mrs. Alma R. McKenney, 1917-20; George Purchase, 1920-21; John C. Owers, 1921-23; Mrs. Mary L. At- wood, 1923.
The First Presbyterian Church was for some years a flourishing institu- tion. It was organized by the Presbytery of Boston, October 29, 1885, with Rev. Donald MacDougall as the first pastor. The church on Washington street was dedicated October 26, 1888, Dr. John Hall, of New York, preaching the sermon. In recent years, Presbyterian interest dwindled, and the church passed into the hands of William H. Bartlett Post, No. 3, G. A. R.
CHAPTER X.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN TAUNTON
From the present summit of remarkable attainment, the pastors and communicants of the Catholic church in Taunton take a retrospective view of the triumphant line of march of the church along and upwards, from the humble starting-point that none now living may personally recall; while the prospect that is spread just before and into the future is alluring with further promise of such achievement that the pioneer priest, Rev. Father Robert Woodley, could not foresee.
The story of the church within the limits of this one city, which includes first of all, at this hour, the spiritual and religious provision made for nearly seventy per cent. of the population; and second, the possession of many de- sirably located church properties, parochial schools and charitable institu- tions-this is a story of the new Taunton that is of vital interest to thou- sands, and that now for the first time is narrated in its entirety. It is an hour of great pride and gratitude for Taunton Catholicism that leaders of undaunted calibre have secured these foundations for the Mother Church.
It is to be regretted that the names of the first Catholic arrivals here are not anywhere indicated; but there exists no doubt whatever that when they did arrive, they were from the first an active and industrious group of people. Corroborative of this statement is the surety that the Taunton Print Works, established in 1823, were employing a number of people of
THE GREEN AT PRESENT DAY-TAUNTON
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the Catholic faith; and that five years after the works were established, or in 1828, there was a Catholic neighborhood here of size sufficient to ask for the Mass, the altar, and a priest in Taunton. Thus religion and industry have proceeded hand in hand from that hour to the present day. It was the aus- picious time, then, for St. Mary's to gather the first of her flock, and pre- sently the Church answered the call of the faithful. Rev. Father Woodley, the first priest of the church in Taunton, had neither chapel nor chancel, yet he was the priest of the time and the hour; he was the apostle to Taun- ton, to see to it that Taunton Catholics should have their church home. And thus it came about that the grandsires of many who now worship at St. Mary's were accorded that which they had prayed for, first of all-the Place of Prayer.
In those first days, Taunton was in the section that was directed by the Right Rev. Bishop of the Boston Diocese, but with the increase of population Taunton was transferred to the Providence Diocese; and it was only three days after Rev. Father Woodley had been stationed in Provi- dence, after having been attached to the Boston Diocese, that he came to Taunton. Father Woodley not only brought with him the faith and the standard of his church, but as a native of Maryland and as a descendant of the loyal men and women who founded Maryland as a Catholic colony, he came here imbued with the traditions of that branch of American ancestry. So it came about that he placed the same ensign on the banks of Taunton river that the bearers of the Cross had set up in the early South, and on those lands where dwelt Lord Baltimore, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Bishop Carroll of the same fam- ily-first bishop in the United States, a personal friend of Benjamin Frank- lin, and his traveling companion to France on the trip that won the assist- ance of that country in our War for Independence. No better equipped apostle for the church here could have been chosen; and as he came here in February, 1828, it was with a knowledge that his welcome would be a heartfelt one from the pioneer churchmen. His investigations discovered fifty Catholic men in Taunton, and altogether they and their families amounted to eighty in this section. The first place of public Catholic wor- ship in Taunton was a schoolhouse that was hired through the efforts of Rev. Father Woodley, in order that the nucleus of the large parish that was to be might gather together for public worship on Sunday, and where mass might be said once a month. Such were the beginnings.
Then came the increase in the Catholic congregations, and the building interest; for it was only two years after the first masses were said here, or in June, 1830, that Taunton Catholics forwarded a letter to the Right Rev. Bishop Fenwick, in which they sought his approval of their plans to build a church. In answer to their request, in November, 1830, the Bishop sent Rev. Father John Corry to Taunton. Rev. Father Corry was one of those vigorous pioneer priests who would allow no seeming hindrances to pre- vent the progress of the church. He had received his ordination at the Cathedral in Boston, and Taunton was a field of labor that at once rejoiced his heart. It was he who established the first church home here for Cath- olics, with his purchase of land and construction of the building. And it was Rev. Father Corry who had the distinction of making the first bap- tismal record in the Providence Diocese at Taunton, in 1830; and later, in
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September, 1837, he recorded the first baptism in the Cathedral at Provi- dence.
What a distinguished event it was for the young parish when, July 19, 1831, the Right Rev. Bishop Fenwick arrived in Taunton on his first visit. The town hall, that stood about where the Robert Treat Paine statue is, was placed at his disposal; and there he said mass-so far as known, the first mass by a bishop in Taunton. The first priests had proven faithful laborers in the new vineyard, for the bishop had the joy of confirming thirty-one in the town hall at Taunton. That afternoon, Bishop Fenwick, accompanied by a committee of the parishioners, made that observation tour of the town that is spoken of today with gratitude because of the fact that its results secured for Taunton Catholics their house of worship. Then, at the intersection of Broadway and Washington street, was advised the purchase of the lot that at that time could be procured for $300. The parishioners, none of them people of means so far as we know, accepted the bishop's advice, and eventually, on October 28, 1832, the first St. Mary's Church was dedicated, a building of the Gothic style, 52 feet long, 38 feet wide. There gathered, on the date named, one hundred and fifty Catholics of Taunton, and many others from Canton, Fall River, Newport and Provi- dence, the bishop confirming twenty-six, some of the latter coming from Canton. It is no wonder the bishop praised his flock for their loyalty, for the church had been built at a cost of $2,000, and by an industrious people of most moderate circumstances. This was the first service in the church home; it was the first home-gathering of the people of the Catholic faith. Their vocalists for that memorable day were leaders in the Cathedral choir in Boston,-Miss Catherine Hogan and Thomas Mooney. The dedica- tion was an incentive to the growth of the parish, and, as a further re- sult, the church building was increased twenty feet in length in 1838. It is stated that there were fully five hundred Catholics here then; and the church with its new addition was blessed in December. Meantime, the paschal communions in Taunton and Newport in 1837 were 402, and the baptisms in both places were ninety. In August of that year, Rev. Father Corry was transferred to Providence, and Rev. Father William Wiley suc- ceeded him here.
During the last years of that decade, St. Mary's probably experienced the lowest ebb of its prosperity; and such, too, was the case at Newport -- while there was a gain at the Providence parish. Yet Rev. Father Wiley, praising the efforts of his parishioners, in his report stated that the average of the pew rents annually was $966. The average cost of the maintenance of the church was $344, which left $622 for the support of the priest and the upkeep of the house. And the Sunday collections, which averaged two dollars a Sunday, were given to the altar and the poor.
Rev. Father Wiley was appointed pastor of St. Patrick's Church at Providence in January, 1842; and his successor in Taunton was Rev. Father Dennis Ryan, who had been the pastor at Whitfield, Maine; and he in turn was succeeded by Rev. Father O'Beirne. Rev. Father Richard A. Wil- son, D.D., came here in the summer of 1846, and he remained until 1851. In February, 1848, Rev. Dr. Wilson bought a lot opposite the church, where a new structure was built that, owing to some fault in construction, it is stated, was blown down, December 9, 1849. It was during this year that
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