USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Newton > Beautiful Newton the garden city of Massachusetts > Part 10
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For thirty years he preached in the old building, with its glaring and shut-
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terless windows, its bare walls, its un- carpeted floor and its unpainted seats; and it was unchanged, except that a stove was secured after eighteen years, and the rough benches gradually gave place to square pews with hinged seats on each side, which those who could afford to pay five pounds for a "pew spot" bought and built upon. And such "pew spots" were not all disposed of till 1804,
Mr. Greenough died in 1831, at the age of seventy-five, four days after preaching his fiftieth anniversary ser- mon in Squire Davis' schoolhouse on Waltham Street, as the meeting-house was being repaired, and his body was buried in the old River Street cemetery. He was succeeded immediately by Rev. Lyman Gilbert, who for three years had been his colleague, and was sole pastor for twenty-five subsequent years. In a paper contributed by Dr. Gilbert for the one hundredth anniversary of this church, he describes the parish as he found it in 1831, when there were but sixty houses and four hundred and eighty people between Lower Falls and Watertown, and only forty families connected with the church, which had but fifty members. "In the community were counted twenty drunkards, and twenty more occupying a doubtful po- sition." There was a private English school and two one-story district schools of one room each, "I found no doctor, and the people were healthy ; no lawyer, for the people were peaceable; no ex- minister, for all the ministers were needed in those days; no liberally edu- cated man, for his proper work was elsewhere. The people were farmers, mechanics and other laborers. Only one piano was in the place. The church was lighted by fifty windows. A bell for the first time had been put up to ring in the coming of the new pastor. My salary was $600, and raised by tax- ation. In the limits of the parish were
two corporations, which have no souls, and could not 'sign off.' The two paid about one-third of my salary, but when the law was repealed three years after, having no souls to care for, they ceased paying."
But they were "a united and loving people, working together to the extent of their ability, and beyond, to maintain the gospel at home, and contribute to the various benevolent objects pre- sented." While Dr. Gilbert was pas- tor, the new church was erected and nearly paid for by the sale of pews, and the railroad was finished to West Newton.
Dr. Gilbert was succeeded by two young men, who had been classmates at Bowdoin College, first, Rev. Joseph P. Drummond, and second, Rev. George B. Little. Both were brilliant men ; but both came to West Newton with incip- ient tuberculosis upon them; both died shortly after coming, the former in the first year of his service, at the age of thirty-three, the latter in the second year of his service, at the age of thirty-six. The council that dismissed Mr. Drum- mond installed Mr. Little.
After three months, Rev. Henry Johnson Patriek was installed as fifth pastor of the church. He remained in that position for nearly thirty-four years, and was pastor-emeritus until the time of his death in 1909, His con- nection with the church thus lasted for nearly half a century.
The council which dismissed Dr. Pat- rick installed his successor, Rev. Theo- dore P. Prudden, D.D., who for thir- teen years was pastor of the church, and was succeeded in 1907 by Rev. John Edgar Park.
For thirty-one years this was the only church of any kind in this half of New- ton; and for sixty-eight years it was the only church save St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Lower Falls, and that it has contributed of its members to form St.
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Mary's church, in 1812; the church in it was furnished with more modern Waltham, in 1820; the Unitarian pews, and the next year its first small vestry was made in the basement. Church in West Newton in 1848; the church in Auburndale, in 1850; the Methodist Church, at Newtonville, in 1863, and at Auburndale, in 1864; the Baptist Church, West Newton, in 1866; the Central Church, at Newtonville, which grew out of a prayer meeting ap- pointed and regularly attended by Dr. Patrick, in 1868; and finally to the Church of the Messiah at Auburndale, and St. John's Church, Newtonville, in 1898. In territory which was once its
In 1848, when it was sixty-seven years old, the new church, of which the pres- ent auditorium is the remnant, with graceful spire and basement vestry was built, and the old church, some of the timbers of which are in the present city hall, became a town house.
In 1885-1886 the church was again moved back, its graceful spire removed, and present transepts added and the commodious parish house built in front.
HULL MANSION, FORMERLY ON WALNUT AND AUSTIN STREETS, NEWTONVILLE.
sole parish, there are now at least twenty churches.
Since that first building, reared one hundred and forty-six years ago, (in 1764), it has had but one new meeting- house, but it has made frequent enlarge- ments and improvements. In 1812 the primitive structure was moved back, lengthened fourteen feet, and adorned with porches, a belfry, larger galleries and a richer pulpit. Nineteen years later (1831) it was turned around fac- ing the street, its galleries removed, and
Again, in 1894, the auditorium was ex- tended from the pillars outward and fitted with new pews and furniture; in 1898, the large assembly-room became our present complete chapel and Sun- day School room.
In December, 1908, a meeting of the congregation was held upon the recom- mendation of the church committee, at which the question of rebuilding the church was mentioned. It was felt that for reasons both of economy and dig- nity the time had come to prepare for a
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new church. The scheme was well re- ceived, and the congregation pledged itself by a rising vote to support the movement heartily. The sum of $37,500 was raised at Easter, 1909, for this pur- posc. In 1913 a new site on the side of the hill above the railroad station was purchased, and a sum of $112,000 was in hand on Easter, 1913. The founda- tion stone of the new church was laid on the 150th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the first building.
In 1863 a parsonage costing $10,000, of which Miss Sarah Baxter gave half, was erected.
The church has always been progres- sive. It was a pioneer in the custom of reading the Bible without comment as a part of worship, it having been voted at the first business meeting of the church "that a portion of Scripture be read in public on each part of the Lord's Day." It was a pioneer in church mu- sic, being among the first to adopt sing- ing by note, which many other churches opposed because their fathers had sung in another way, and before it was eight years old it voted fifty dollars for the improvement of psalm singing. It was a pioneer in having a choir, in using a bass viol and other new musical instru- ments and in adopting congregational singing, in which for years it greatly
excelled. It has progressively used as musical instruments, a pitch-pipe, a bass viol, a violin, a flute, a melodeon, a small reed organ, a pipe and reed organ, a small pipe organ, and the present organ, which was purchased of the First Con- gregational Church, Manchester, N. H., after twenty years of use, and was set up here in 1876.
It was among the earliest to establish a Sunday School (in 1819) which met in a little schoolhouse on Waltham Street, opposite the Davis school. It is doubtful if any school in any church can show such a record of long and al- ways successful labor as that of Miss S. Maria Clarke, who, with the exception of one year, conducted the large pri- mary department for forty-six years.
The church brought the village herc; for the meeting-house was not placed where it is because the village was here, but the village grew where the church was. For all these years it has main- tained a sanctuary amid the tempta- tions and sorrows of life, and the ser- vices which have tended to make duty more clear and imperative, life more beautiful, trials more endurable, cour- age more strong, and mercy, patience, hope and faith more abundant.
(The above historical sketch is founded upon the one hundred and twenty-fifth anniversary sermon, preached by Dr. Prudden.)
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THE REBECCA POMROY NEWTON HOME FOR ORPHAN GIRLS
The Pomroy Home for Orphan Girls was opened in November, 1872, the day after the destructive Boston fire.
When the Boston Children's Aid So- ciety decided to give up its girls' home in Newton Centre, Miss Mary C. Shan- non, Miss Mary Shannon, and Mrs. Daniel Furber, benevolent, strong, generous women, felt it necessary and wise to start in Newton a charity of the same kind. They asked Mr. Nathaniel T. Allen of West Newton to act as their president, which he did till his death, a period of over thirty years; and these, together with Mrs. Rebecca Pomroy, as superintendent, started the Orphans Home, the first real charitable institution in Newton.
Having voluntary promises of aid from ladies and gentlemen throughout Newton, a home was secured, at first on Church Street, and afterwards on Hovey Street, which residence they still occupy and own.
The Orphans' Home has always shel- tered from four to twenty of Newton's destitute girls, between the ages of two and eighteen, and the strong influence of the first beautiful superintendent, "Auntie Pomroy", has never ceased to be felt. It has always been a real home, for its children are taught to aid in every department of household work, thus preparing them for future useful- ness in the world, as house maids or mother's homes, too, are secured for
them after they leave, where they can, if possible, be members of the family rather than mere servants. Then, too, the children enter the excellent public schools of the city, like other children of Newton, and so are not exclusively by themselves. Through the incessant and untiring efforts of the founders, the Pomroy Home has received the sym- pathy and attention of the whole com- munity. The clothing is mostly pro- vided by friends, also milk, vegetables, fruit and groceries, while recently many kind friends have improved the appear- ance of the house by painting, paper- ing, and having hard wood floors laid. Not the least among its benefits is the influence it has had in developing and sustaining the loving, bountiful charity which has enabled the Home to wel- come, provide, and care for the large number who sought its protection. The Home is now in the hands of an able Board of Directors as follows: Charles A. Haskell, President, Mr. Hiram E. Barker, Mr. Oliver M. Fisher, Treas- urer, Miss Lucy Allen, Mrs. Andrew B. Cobb, Mrs. George S. Harwood, Mrs. S. E. Howard, Miss Mabel L. Ri- ley, Mrs. H. M. Taylor, Mrs. Arthur. Walworth, and Miss Anna Whiting, chosen from each denomination in New- ton, who co-operate with the superin- tendent, Miss Hayes, a woman emi- nently well fitted for the position.
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THE ASSOCIATED CHARITIES OF NEWTON
The Associated Charities of Newton was privately organized at the house of Dr. Mary L. Bates of Newton Centre on the 15th of March, 1889, with the object of "aiding and elevating the poor and unfortunate among the inhab- itants of Newton."
Dr. Bates was chosen president, Mrs. Richard Rowe, and Mrs. R. D. Morehouse, vice-presidents, Mrs. John W. Brigham secretary, and Mrs. Henry W. Downs treasurer.
On the 9th of April a public meeting was held in Masonic Hall, then in Cen- tral Block, Newtonville, at which a large and representative audience was addressed by the Hon. Robert Treat Paine, Rev. Edward Everett Hale, and citizens of our own city prominent in public life, who urged support for the new organization.
The pioneers visited the offices of the Boston Associated Charities, and made a careful study of its methods and its literature.
Naturally, in the beginning, too much stress was laid upon immediate finan- cial relief, but the society had already enlisted a large corps of friendly visi- tors, and all cases were more or less thoroughly investigated.
In October, 1890, Dr. Bates having resigned, a new organization was effected, and a constitution adopted. The Rev. R. A. White, then pastor of the Universalist Church in Newton- ville, was elected president. Among the men on the Board were Nathaniel T. Allen, Rev. J. C. Jaynes, Rev. F. B. Hornbrooke, Dr. D. E. Baker, Rev.
Wm. A. Lamb and Seward W. Jones.
Mr. White was a very ardent worker in philanthropic fields, and by October, 1891, he had added to the regular work of the Associated Charities-the inves- tigating, registering and friendly vis- iting, a Labor Bureau, which tried to find employment for the handicapped ; a Provident Branch, which received and distributed clothing, and kept in hand an Emergency Fund for immediate re- lief when necessary; a Penny Savings System for the promotion of habits of thrift; and engaged as paid secretary and agent, Mrs. Mary R. Martin, who has ever since been the working officer of the society. Very soon after effect- ing these changes Mr. White was called to a pastorate in Chicago, and the Rev. Wm. A. Lamb was chosen president, Mr. S. R. Urbino taking his place as treasurer.
The presidents since then have been Rev. Dr. A. S. Twombley, Rev. I. A. Priest, Herbert S. Chase, David E. Baker, M. D., and Charles S. Ensign.
The treasurers have been Warren P. Tyler, Edward L. Pickard, Bruce R. Ware, and John F. Lothrop.
Other men who have served as direc- tors are Albert Metcalf, Rev. D. L. Furbee, Gorham D. Gilman, Capt. S. E. Howard, Wm. Z. Ripley, Otis Pettee, Geo. F. Richardson, Rev. E. Y. Mullins, Rev. Wm. E. Hunting- ton, Rev. E. D. Burr, Rev. John H. Pillsbury, Rev. F. B. Matthews, Rev. J. T. Stocking, Rev. H. E. Ox- nard, and Rev. John Matteson.
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The women directors serving gener- ally as long as they lived, or until they removed from the city, have not changed so often, but among those who have left us are Miss Margaret C. Worcester, Mrs. Henry C. Hardon, Mrs. James C. Braman, Mrs. Luke Davis, Mrs. Kate Mead, Mrs. Horace Dutton, and Mrs. Allen Jordan.
In 1893, a bequest of $500 from Charles E. Billings of Newton, made it necessary that the society be incor- porated, and a charter was secured with the assistance of Lawrence Bond, Esq. This has been the only bequest to the
mate work, hard to report, but requir- ing limitless energy, patience, ingenu- ity, and perseverance, it could name family after family in this city or else- where, living comfortable lives now, whom it found suffering under great stress.
In 1896 or 7 a committee appointed from the Board of Directors memorial- ized the City Government upon the sub- ject of the bequest of Mr. Joseph Stone of West Newton, which action resulted in the establishment of the present Stone Institute and Home for Aged People at Newton Upper Falls. The
BRIDGE, FARLOW PARK, NEWTON.
society, with the exception of $3,000 from Miss Mary Shannon, which has not yet been paid. During the twenty- five years of its existence, the society has through its side departments given clothing to the needy, much of it new; found work for about one in five of those applying for it, besides often be- ing of use to those seeking workers; and has taught generations of children that pennies accumulate into dollars.
At one period, for a year or two, it maintained a Garden Department in Nonantum. As a result of its legiti-
site was suggested to the trustees of the Stone Fund by this society.
It has maintained correspondence with similar societies all over the United States, England, Canada, and Aus- tralia. Any one of these agencies, having a former resident of Newton stranded upon its hands, can call upon this society to investigate his antece- dents, and find out if there is any one in the city able and willing to help him.
Of course, it is sometimes the duty of the society to expose an impostor, and it is partly owing to its work in this di-
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rection that there are fewer fradulent beggars at our doors than there were twenty years ago.
A much more difficult task is to con- vince the benevolently inclined that there are families in our city to whom material relief is not a help but an in- jury.
It cannot be claimed that the Asso- ciated Charities has ever been as prom- inent as some organizations in Newton, although it has a body of very loyal supporters, but the co-operation with other agencies which should entitle it to
presidents since they left our Board.
The present organization is as fol- lows :- President, E. S. Ensign; Vice- Presidents, Mrs. J. P. Tolman, Charles Matlack; Treasurer, J. F. Lothrop; Secretary, Mrs. M. R. Martin; Audi- tor, Reuben Forknall. The other di- rectors are Mrs. G. G. Phipps, Miss E. Spear, Miss A. D. Hills, Kenelm Winslow, E. E. Wakefield, Jr., Rev. R. T. Loring, Miss H. F. Randall, Dr. D. E. Baker, Miss A. P. Wise, Rev. L. MacLure, Miss E. C. Williams,
LA
NONANTUM SQUARE, 1902.
its name has never been what it ought to be. Nevertheless, it has ample evi- dence that it has had its part in the edu- cation of the community along modern lines of scientific charity, and it is espe- cially interesting to note the number of workers who have gone from it to broader fields. Among our past direc- tors there are several now prominent in philanthropic work. in the West, one college professor prominent in research work, and three who have been college
C. S. Thomas, J. F. Capron, Dr. F. W. Putnam.
The resignation of the Secretary making several changes necessary, efforts are being made to bring about a re-organization which shall make the society a true Associated Charities, more than ever worthy of the cordial and generous support of the commu- nity .*
*The Associated Charities has recently been merged with the Newton Welfare Bureau.
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NEWTON FREE LIBRARY By MISS ELIZABETH P. THURSTON, Librarian.
Newton's Public Library had its ori- gin in the Newton Book Club, an asso- ciation formed at Newton Corner in January, 1848, with twenty-six sub- scribers. A year later the members of the Book Club, "desirous of promoting the cause of Intelligence and Litera- ture," formed themselves into a corpor- ation under the title of the Newton Li- brary Association, and one hundred and seventeen volumes were given by the Book Club to the new organization. The Library was opened Wednesday afternoon and Friday evening of every week.
The public-spirited eitizens of New- ton had for a long time wished to estab- lish a free library open to all, and in June, 1866, a subscription paper was circulated to buy the lot of land 20,550 square feet upon which to build the present library building. The names of the subscribers were D. R. Emerson, J. C. Chaffin, Albert Brackett, Joel H. Hills, Joseph N. Bacon, Fred Davis, George H. Jones, William O. Ed- mands, H. D. Bassett, J. W. Wellman, I. T. Burr, F. Skinner, G. D. Gilman, Louisa S. Brown, A. B. Underwood, Aaron F. Gay, James French.
Later J. Wiley Edmands contrib- uted $15,000 on condition that a like sum be raised by the citizens, for the erection of such a library building as should meet his approval. The subscrip- tion was raised, and in August, 1868, the corner stone of the building was laid.
The Newton Free Library was or- ganized Sept. 29, 1869, with a board of
eleven managers, but the amount which had been raised was insufficient to meet the cost of the building and other necessary expenses, and at this critical moment John C. Chaffin promised $5,000 provided the remainder of the required sum be contributed. The amount was secured and the building was dedicated June 17, 1870. The li- brary was opened with a collection of seven thousand volumes, obtained partly from purchase and partly from gifts. George W. Bacon was elected superintendent, and Hannah P. James and Cornelia W. Jackson librarians. In 1871 the Newton Free Library was in- corporated by the Legislature of Mass- achusetts.
The Newton Centre Library Asso- ciation in 1873 presented its collection of between fourteen and fifteen hun- dred books to the Newton Free Li- brary. In November, 1875, a tender of the library was made to the city of Newton. The gift was accepted, and the transfer was formally made March 16, 1876, the Newton Free Library passing into the control of the city gov- ernment for the free use of the citi- zens forever. The government of the library was placed in the hands of seven trustees elected by the city council, and the city has annually made appropriations for the support of the library since that time. In 1886 a special appropriation for an cn- largement of the building was made, which gave the much needed room for the stacking of books and for the va- rious departments of library work.
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These accommodations were made to suffice until 1912, when the city again appropriated an amount for enlarging, repairing and refurnishing the main li- brary building. The results were most satisfactory, and in April, 1913, the renovated library was formally opened to the public, although it had not been found necessary to close the library at all during the changes, the regular work of the library having been continued through the ten months that the work- men were making the additions and al- terations. The extension, two stories and a basement, at the rear of the for- mer building, covers a space fifty-six feet by forty-nine, and is equipped with steel stacks. This leaves the front part of the library for the magazine reading room, reference and circulation departments, giving readers opportu- nity to read, with free access to the books. The rooms are all well lighted and are very attractive in appearance. The children's room and an audience room are on the lower floor.
On Dec. 4, 1913, two bronze tablets, containing over four hundred names of
Newton men who served in the Revolu- tion, were dedicated. These memorial tablets are the gift of the Sarah Hull Chapter of the D. R. to the city, and are placed in a prominent position near the delivery desk in the centre of the library.
The library has steadily grown in size and usefulness in the community. In 1894 the West Newton Athenaeum, with its fifty-five hundred volumes, was given over into the hands of the New- ton Free Library. A reading room and branch library has since that time been maintained at West Newton. At the beginning of 1900 the Auburndale reading room was also put under the same management, and during the year the Newton Centre reading room fol- lowed the same course. In January, 1901, the reading room at Newton Up- per Falls became a fourth branch. Since that time five more branches have been established, and opened at the fol- lowing dates: at Nonantum, Jan. 1, 1907; at Newtonville, Jan. 1, 1907; at Newton Highlands, Jan. 4, 1908; at Thompsonville, Jan. 14, 1910; at Wa-
NEWTON FREE LIBRARY, NEWTON.
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NEWTON CEMETERY.
ban, Jan. 1, 1912. The reading room at the main library is furnished with upwards of one hundred and fifty mag- azines and newspapers, the branches with a lesser number each. There were in 1914, about 87,000 volumes in the library. Each branch has a deposit of books from the main library, number- ing from 500 to 1600, a certain portion of which are exchanged at frequent in- tervals.
The library has several funds which have been given or bequeathed by New- ton citizens, the incomes from which are used for the purchase of books: the Al- den Speare Fund, $1,000 given by the Hon. Alden Speare, especially in- tended for works upon manufactures and the mechanic arts; a Reference Fund of $5,000 for reference books, given by John S. Farlow; the Jewett Art Fund, $10,000, for art books, pho- tographs, etc .; the Chaffin Fund, $5,000, given by John C. Chaffin, for books of an instructive and elevating character; and the Read Fund for books of a general nature, given by Charles A. Read, which furnishes about $600 a year.
The present management, 1914, is in the hands of five trustees appointed by the mayor and approved by the board of aldermen. Mr. Frank H. Howes is the president, Mr. William M. Bullivant the treasurer of the fund accounts, and the other members are Mr. Charles E. Kelsey, Mr. Thomas W. Proctor, and Hon. John C. Ken- nedy. Meetings are held monthly ex- cept during the summer. The trustees annually appoint a librarian and assist- ants. The librarian serves also as sec- retary to the board of trustees.
The library is open every day except Sundays and legal holidays from 8 a. m. till 9 p. m. Six of the branches are open seven hours a day; two open for five hours, and Thompsonville is open only two days in the week. The library and branches open Sunday from 2 to 6 p. m. from Nov. 1 to May 1. Three of the branches have rooms in the public school buildings, the others have rented quarters in the different villages. An agency is maintained at Lower Falls.
The library has for many years kept in close connection with the schools, fur- nishing the teachers with books and
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pictures, lantern slides, etc. for help in their work. The library's collection of photographs and other pictures runs into the thousands, and is in general circulation and much used. These pic- tures comprise an excellent representa- tive selection of the paintings of the old masters, a good collection on sculp- ture, a beginning on architectural ma- terial, a large number of geographical and a smaller number of historical sub- jects. Recently several thousand lan-
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