USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Newton > Beautiful Newton the garden city of Massachusetts > Part 6
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ish (Unitarian) of Harvard, was in- vited to become "pastor and teacher" of the new society, and entered on his du- ties Sunday, October 6. He served most acceptably until his death, Febru- ary 10, 1865.
For some time afterwards no serviees were held, but on Sunday, May 13, 1866, the Chapel was opened again under the charge of the Rev. Artemas Bowers Muzzey, who, in 1865, had re- signed from the pastorate of the First Religious Society of Newburyport. Mr. Muzzey continued as minister for ten years, driving over from his home in Cambridge for the Sunday services and other pastoral duties, but in September, 1876, he resigned. He was immedi- ately sueceeded by the Rev. John Al- bert Buckingham, on October 8, 1876, but upon his resignation, June 26, 1881, the services in the Chapel were again discontinued. Some of the families
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which had made up the congregation had removed from Chestnut Hill, and *the others thought it wise under all the circumstances to worship with the mem- bers of the First Parish, Brookline. In 1895, however, the need of local services was again felt, and during the next two years an afternoon service, intended more especially for children, was held under the care, for a part of the time, of the Rev. Robert Sprague Loring, then a student in the Harvard Divinity School.
In 1897 Sunday morning services were resumed in charge of the present minister, the Rev. Edward Hale, who preached in the Chapel for the first time October 3, 1897. A Sunday school was organized later, and a branch of the Na- tional Alliance of Unitarian and other liberal Christian women. With the growth of the community the needs of the congregation outgrew the accommo- dation provided by the Chapel and by such use of the ad joining schoolhouse as had been possible, and after much de- liberation it was decided in the fall of 1909 to purchase land and erect a new meeting-house on Suffolk Road, near Hammond Street. Plans were drawn by Mr. J. Lovell Little, Jr., and the corner stone was laid on Sunday, April 10, 1910, immediately after the morning
service in the Chapel, by Mr. Charles H. Burrage, treasurer emeritus of the church and its oldest member. Services were held for the first time in the new building on Sunday, Christmas Day, 1910, and it was dedicated on the after- noon of New Year's Day, 1911. The Rev. James DeNormandie, D.D., offered the prayer of dedication, and there were addresses by the Rev. Sam- uel A. Eliot, D. D., the Rev. William H. Lyon, D.D., and the Rev. Howard N. Brown, D.D. Mr. Sewall H. Fes- senden presented the report of the building committee, and Mr. Richard M. Saltonstall, as chairman of the standing committee, responded in an address in which he reviewed the history of the parish. Three of the original members of the church were present at this service, and all but one of the origi- nal families were represented, and the opening and closing organ voluntaries were played by Mr. Hiram G. Tucker, a son of one of these families.
After the decision to purchase land and build, the society took steps for its incorporation, and was given its charter December 22, 1909. The society now includes some seventy-five families, numbering about two hundred and fifty persons.
CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, NEWTON CENTRE.
The Sacred Heart Church of New- ton Centre is a noble testimony to the faith and generosity of a small flock of genuine Catholics of the passing genera- tion, in response to the zeal of their first pastor in his task of erecting a house of God.
Hitherto, the Catholics of this district had been attending divine worship in St. Mary's Church, Newton Upper Falls, or in the Church of Our Lady, New-
ton, but near the close of 1890 the Most Reverend John J. Williams, late Arch- bishop of Boston, set apart Chestnut Hill, Newton Centre and the adjoining portions of Newton Highlands to form a new parish, consisting of about 1300 souls. As resident pastor over this little flock, he appointed the late Rev. Denis J. Wholey, who had been serving as first assistant under Vicar General Byrne, rector of St. Joseph's Parish in the
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CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, NEWTON CENTRE
West End, Boston. The personality and executive power, which had dis- tinguished Father Wholey as a young priest, won him the love and loyalty of his people in the difficult undertaking of planning and paying for the impos- ing ehureh which now is theirs.
Some property had already been se- eured by Rev. Martin O'Brien, the re- eently deceased pastor of St. Mary's, and a partial payment made on the pur- chase. It was not long before the bal- ance was paid, and in August, 1891 ground was broken for the building of the new church. A house on the prop- erty was used as a reetory and served also as a place of meeting for the differ- ent societies and committees. In it, too, were administered many of the sacred rites of the church-baptisms, mar- riages and confessions-while the holy
sacrifiee of the Mass and other publie serviees took place in Association Hall, which had formerly been the Baptist Meeting House.
In October, 1891, the corner stone of the House of God was laid, and on Christmas morning the lower ehureh was ready for oceupaney and opened for the worship of God. In October, 1899 the beautiful ehureh, completed and fully appointed, was dedieated with solemn ceremony and thanksgiving.
In the spring of 1908 the parishion- ers heard with regret of the appoint- ment of their beloved Father Wholey to the permanent rectorship of St. Jo- seph's Parish, Roxbury; yet they real- ized that it was a promotion which he well deserved and felt honored in hav- ing as his successor Rev. Daniel C. Rior- dan, who had been pastor of the Sacred
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Heart Parish, Marlboro, for nearly eight years. It is doubtful if ever a pastor inspired in his flock a deeper and more fervent devotion and loyalty. Ac- cording to his official statement, con- siderably more than 2000 souls, with 450 children attending Sunday School, constituted the parish at the time; the church was free from debt and the funds in bank to the credit of the parish quite considerable. For a long time, how- ever, the people had realized that the old rectory in no way afforded the com- fort and convenience which they wished their priests to enjoy. Accordingly, in 1911, Father Riordan made arrange- ments for the building of a new rectory, and in the following spring it was com- pleted and paid for. This beautiful house is in harmony with the church, and satisfies every desire of the parish- ioners as a worthy abode for their priests.
At present the parish is in excellent condition. The regular societies and sodalities, organized in her early days for the furthering of devotion, with meetings every week and frequent re- ception of the Sacraments, are all well attended and successfully maintained. There are the Men's Holy Name So- ciety, the Holy Family Sodality for married women, the Sodality for un- married women, the Boys' Holy Name Society, and the Children of Mary for the girls. At the very start a well con- ducted Sunday School was established, providing a thorough course of instruc- tion in Christian Doctrine and Bible History for pupils ranging from four to twenty years of age. Father Wholey was supervisor of the Sunday School until Rev. George McDermott came as his assistant and took charge of this part of the work. On his removal to his home diocese of Springfield, he was succeeded by Rev. Thomas Lee, who in spite of severe illness, heroically toiled on till death called him to eternal rest.
Since 1905 Rev. James F. Haney has been serving as curate in this parish. Too much cannot be said of his work and influence among all the parishion- ers, but particularly among the young; never werc the Junior Societies and the Sunday School in better order or more earnestly at work than under him. At present he is assisted in the advanced classes by sisters from the Saint Jo- seph's Academy of Brighton.
Of many of her boys and girls the parish of the Sacred Heart may well be proud. Rev. Dr. Patrick Waters, af- ter completing his college and seminary courses with honors, was sent by His Eminence, Cardinal O'Connell, to do special work in the University of Wash- ington and is at present Professor of Philosophy at St. John's Seminary, Brighton. Rev. Bernard O'Kane, now curate in Chelsea, was the second grad- uate of the Sunday School to become a priest, while David Waters, brother of Dr. Patrick Waters, and Robert Barry, are students at St. John's Seminary, preparing for the priesthood. Other young men have gone into different pro- fessions and have proved themselves effi- cient lawyers, dentists and physicians. The building of the new Boston Col- lege within the boundaries of the parish has been no small incentive to learning, and an ever increasing number of youths are attending that and other col- leges and universities throughout the state.
The same spirit is evident among the girls. Two graduates from the Sunday School have consecrated their lives to God, Mary MacLellan, taking the veil as Sister Mary Hubert of St. Joseph's Order, and Helen Horgan joining the Dominicans.
Many others have done creditable work in colleges and other institutions of higher learning, and have become teachers in schools and academies in and around Boston
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ST. MARY'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, NEWTON LOWER FALLS
ST. MARY'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, NEWTON LOWER FALLS.
St. Mary's Episcopal Church, lo- cated on Concord Street, Newton Lower Falls, with its church yard bury- ing ground adjacent, is not only the oldest Episcopal church in the city, but it is occupying the oldest church edifice in the entire community, the corner stone of the present structure having been laid in 1813, and the centennial of that event on Sept. 28-29, 1913 was a notable occasion.
The church itself was formed in 1812 with Solomon Curtis and Thomas Du- rant as wardens, Isaac Hagar, treas- urer, and Rev. Asa Eaton, rector of Christ Church, Boston, was in charge. The first settled rector was Rev. Alfred Baury, who served from 1822 to 1851 and who numbered Gov. Alexander
Hamilton Rice as one of his parishion- ers. The more recent rectors include Rev. H. Usher Monroe, 1892-1901; Rev. Thomas L. Cole, 1901-1909; and the present rector Rev. Francis Bing- ham White, being instituted in 1910.
The church has memorial funds and endowments given by Rev. W. W. Sea- ver, Mr. Francis Blake and the Benja- min-Neale Memorial rectory.
The present officers are C. H. Spring, Edward Jennings, wardens; J. S. Jenkins, clerk; C. C. Spring, treas- urer; F. C. Leslie, W. C. Norcross, B. S. Blake, B. L. Young, W. H. White, N. B. K. Brooks, H. F. Leslie, W. F. Seale, and G. M. Heathcote, vestry- men.
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ST. BERNARD'S CHURCH, WEST NEWTON
ST. BERNARD'S CHURCH, WEST NEWTON.
Rev. Bernard Flood, pastor of the Roman Catholic Church at Waltham gathered the Catholics of West New- ton to public worship in 1865, the first meeting being held in a tent, with ser- vices later in the then Town Hall. Sub- sequently, Father Flood was enabled to purchase the land at the corner of Washington and Prospect streets, where he began the erection of the sec- ond Catholic church in Newton, the corner stone being laid November 12, 1871, by the Very Reverend P. F. Lyn- don, Vicar-General of the Diocese of
Boston. The church was completed in 1874, and was dedicated early that year by Bishop Williams. The congregation grew so rapidly that in 1876 West Newton was made a parish and Rev. M. T. McManus appointed as its first pastor. Father McManus labored here until his transfer to Lawrence, in 1884, and was succeeded by Rev. Christopher McGrath, whose death took place on June 13, 1886. Rev. Laurence J. O'Toole was the third pastor, and under his direction the parish steadily grew in strength and importance. On June
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23, 1889 the church was destroyed by fire, but it was immediately rebuilt and dedicated by Archbishop John J. Wil- liams on April 27, 1890. This building is a handsome Gothic structure of brick with brown sandstone trimmings and has a seating capacity of 1000. Besides rebuilding the church Father O'Toole
purchased the present rectory and land adjoining and later secured the prop- erty east of the church for school pur- poses. Father O'Toole died on April 4, 1911 and was mourned by the entire community. The present pastor, Rev. John F. Keleher, was appointed in May, 1911.
CHANNING CHURCH, NEWTON.
The beginnings of Channing Church were had when the Unitarians of New- ton village held services of worship in Union Hall at Newton Corner, with Dr. Convers Francis, then Professor in Harvard Divinity School, as Minister. At a special meeting on September 2, 1851, the Unitarian Society was organ- ized. For designation of the newly es- tablished church the name of Channing was chosen, for the reason that he was the recognized leader of the Unitarian
movement and best represented the re- ligious faith and spirit of free thought for which its members stood. Hence the corporate name of The Channing Religious Society. The first Standing Committee consisted of Henry Bige- low, George C. Lord, Langdon Coffin, Oliver N. Shannon, Henry Claflin, Darwin E. Jewett, Frederick W. Ca- pen; Andrew Cole, Treasurer, and Charles T. Hubbard, Clerk.
CHANNING CHURCH, NEWTON
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The first regular minister of the or- low, Warren P. Tyler, Henry B. ganized church was Rev. Joseph C. Wells, David B. Flint, Henry Claflin, Channing Lily, and W. Russell Brack- ctt, the building was completed and ready for occupancy the following year. Smith, who served from 1853 to 1857. The first meeting house was erected in 1856 on Washington Street near the Corner. It was enlarged in 1867. In 1857 Rev. Edward James Young, D.D., became the minister of the church and served until 1869. Rev. Eli Fay, D.D., was the minister from 1870 to 1873. Rev. George W. Hosmer, D.D., who had just retired from the presidency of Antioeh College in Ohio at the age of seventy years, was en- gaged as temporary supply for the pul- pit; which lengthened into a pastorate of six years. In 1879 he was succeeded by Rev. Francis B. Hornbrooke, D. D., whose pastorate extended over twenty- one years.
The movement of the population to the east side of the railroad, the old meeting house beginning to need reno- vation, and the disturbance to the quiet- ude of worship oceasioned by the in- creasing railroad traffic on Sunday, were circumstances that turned atten- tion to a new site and the erection of a better building. The old building was sold to the City of Newton and has been known in recent years as The Armory. April 7, 1881, on the one-hundred-and- first anniversary of the birth of William Ellery Channing, the cor- ner stone was laid of the present beautiful and commodious edifice on Park, Vernon, and Eldredge Streets. Mr. George T. Meachem, a member of the church, was the architect. Under the direction of a Committee eonsist- ing of George C. Lord, John S. Far-
September 15, 1901 a service was held in commemoration of the fiftieth anni- versary of the founding of Channing Church, at which time historic addresses were given by Rev. Edward James Young, D. D. the second minister of the church, Rev. Francis B. Horn- brooke, D. D., the last minister of the church, and Rev. Adelbert L. Hudson, the then newly beginning minister of the church. The proceedings and ad- dresses of this commemoration are pub- lished in volume form. The occasion marked the close of Dr. Hornbrooke's pastorate and the inauguration of his successor, Rev. Adelbert L. Hudson, who was the minister until 1910. On April 17, 1910 the present minister, Rev. Harry Lutz, was installed.
Channing Church, though it bears a sectarian name that expresses a partic- ular manner of religious thought, stands for the prime object of all churches: the higher spiritual and cul- tural life; and it welcomes to its fellow- ship, without regard to particular per- sonal theological opinion, all who are actuated by such purpose and spirit. The many strong and public-spirited characters that have been associated with it and the able scholarly men that have been its ministers through the six decades of its career have made it a powerful factor in the life and develop- ment of the city.
CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD, WABAN.
The Church of the Good Shepherd was the first church in Waban, and is the youngest of the Episcopal churches
in the City of Newton. The church building was erected by the Waban Church Corporation in 1896, and the
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Rev. William Hall Williams, a presby- ter of the Diocese of Massachusetts, was called as the first minister. On Decem- ber 26, 1896, the Parish of the Church of the Good Shepherd was organized, "for the purpose of maintaining the public worship of Almighty God, ac- cording to the faith and discipline of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America." And fur- ther it was declared in the by-laws then adopted, "no person shall be eligible to
and of the earnest desire to include all the families in Waban, the parish as then established was considered the best arrangement under the circumstances. It was looked upon as a Union Church. The first officers of the Church of the Good Shepherd were as follows :- Minister, the Rev. William Hall Wil- liams. Senior Warden, Charles E. Fish. Junior Warden, Robert W. Pratt. Clerk, Winslow A. Parsons. Treasurer, Alexander Davidson. Ves-
CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD, WABAN
the office of rector, unless he is a quali- fied minister of the Protestant Episco- pal Church in good standing." The parish, however, did not enter into union with the Diocese as a regularly constituted Episcopal Church, although it was required that he who ministered to it should be a qualified minister of the Episcopal Church. This was an unusual position for an Episcopal min- ister, but on account of the different de- nominations represented in the parish,
trymen, Charles H. Clark, Charles J. Buffum, John E. Heymer, John H. Robinson, William Saville.
During eight years, the Rev. Mr. Williams ministered to the families of Waban. After his resignation in 1904, the parish was without a minister for six months. During this time some families identified with the Church of the Good Shepherd withdrew, and with others established public worship in Waban Hall. In 1912 this society
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built a church, and became allied with the Congregational Church, and is now known as a Congregational Union Church.
In 1905, the present incumbent of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Rev. James Clement Sharp, began his min- istry as the successor of the Rev. Mr. Williams. In 1908, the Parish of the Church of the Good Shepherd be- came a regularly constituted Episcopal Church. The parish voted to give to the Waban Church Corporation, which held the church property, and to which the parish had been paying an annual rental of $300. for the use of the build- ing, the sum of one thousand dollars. This amount was raised by the minister by subscription. It was stipulated that the thousand dollars should be passed over by the corporation to the new Union Society for their building fund for a Union Church. The Waban Church Corporation accepted the mon- ey and surrendered the title and deed of the church property held by them to the Parish of the Church of the Good
Shepherd. By an act of the legislature, the Waban Church Corporation was then dissolved. Meanwhile the Church of the Good Shepherd was reorganized, and a constitution and by-laws adopted in accordance with the doctrines, disci- pline and canons of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
The parish was then received into union with the diocese of Massachusetts, as a regularly established Episcopal Church. Since 1908, the parish has sent its delegates to the annual diocesan conventions.
The present officers of the Church of the Good Shepherd are as follows :-
Rector, Rev. James Clement Sharp. Wardens, William H. Oakes, Edmund Winchester. Vestrymen, David A. Ambrose, Robert E. Hall, Lewis H. Bacon, Herbert R. Lane, Archic C. Burnett, Nelson H. Marvin, Lester B. Cardell, Herbert O. Stetson, Everett W. Conant, Lucius B. Folsom, Albert H. Willis. Treasurer, Herbert O. Stet- son. Clerk, David A. Ambrose.
IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH, NEWTON.
Churches multiply in two ways,- like monads, by division, or like plants, from seed; "first the blade, then the ear," etc. This church originated in the latter way.
More than half a century ago a little group of Baptists in Wards one and seven, having no nearer church of their own faith than Watertown and Newton Centre, felt that better church and Sun- day School facilities were needed, and on April 10, 1859, held their first meet- ing for public worship in Middlesex Hall.
The first morning sermon was preached by Rev. W. L. Brown of Watertown, and the afternoon sermon
by Rev. J. W. Horton, who was after- wards (in 1866) killed in New Orleans while trying to pacify a mob.
On April 29th a Sunday School was organized with thirty members, which, during the year, increased to one hun- dred and twelve. J. W. Bailey was the first superintendent and George H. Quincy librarian.
On June 7, 1860, it was voted to form a distinct church organization, to be known as the Newton Corner Baptist Church. The recognition services were held on the 12th of July, 1860, the ser- mon being preached by Prof. O. S. Stearns, D.D., of Newton Theological Institution. Services were held in
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IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH, NEWTON
Union Hall, Cole's Block, until March 29, 1864, when, at the corner of Wash- ยท ington and Hovey Streets, a new church building was dedicated, the corner stone having been laid Oct. 1, 1863.
We little realize the sacrifice made by these pioneers in the infaney of the church and Sunday School. Before the church was built they could only afford to hire the hall for Sundays, and as it was often used for secular purposes late Saturday night, the labor of put- ting the place in order for the worship of God sometimes extended into the small hours of Sunday morning.
In the new church after four years of patient struggle, conditions were much improved, and accessions of new fami- lies of spiritual and social strength helped to put the church upon a stronger basis.
The first pastor was Rev. Gilbert Robbins, who served the church about a year and a half, and was succeeded by Rev. Jeremiah Chaplin, whose pasto- rate extended from April, 1862, to Oc- tober, 1865, when Rev. John Tucker was pastor for about a year. The pul- pit was then supplied by Rev. Galusha Anderson, D.D., for three years. In
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1873 Rev. Thomas S. Sampson was called to the pastorate, which he held for seven years, when he was succeeded by Rev. H. F. Titus. Up to this time 235 had joined by letter, and 167 by baptism.
It was during the pastorate of Mr. Titus that the present church building was erected on Church Street, at a cost of about $70,000., H. H. Richardson being the architect. (This was the seventh and last church he designed, and the sixty-second of the structures he planned before he went to dwell in the house not made with hands.)
The corner stone was laid May 1, 1885, by Mrs. Caroline Sweetser, the oldest constituent member, and the se- nior deacon, Horatio N. Hyde, and wife. It was dedicated December 22, 1886, Rev. A. J. Gordon preaching the sermon.
During the more than a score of the succeeding years the church has had a steady growth. No peres have ever been sold or rented, but all seats arc free, and attendants are given the best
seats available without regard to their contributions,
The debt of over $20,000, incurred in building the church, has been paid, and not only have running expenses been promptly met, but large sums have been contributed annually for mission- ary and benevolent objects.
The pastors succeeding Rev. Mr. Ti- tus, who resigned in 1888, have been as follows,-Rev. J. W. Mccullough, 1889, Rev. George E. Merrill, D. D., 1890 to 1898, Rev. Frank B. Matthews, 1899 to 1909. Rev. Harrie R. Cham- berlin, the present pastor, was installed December, 1909.
The present membership is about 353. The amount raised annually for all pur- poses is about $10,000.
Connected with the church are the Young People's and Junior Christian Endeavor Societies, the Immanuel Women's Association, and in the Sun- day School the Young Men's League, Immanuel Associates, Harwood Class, Matthews and Philathea organized classes, all working to carry out the principles on which the church was founded.
NEWTON CENTRE M. E. CHURCH.
Mr. C. C. Chatfield, a Local Preach- er, who had retired from an active busi- ness in New Haven, Conn., and settled in Newton Centre for a quiet home, first gathered a small company of Methodists for a prayer-meeting. The first Sunday service was held June 10, 1875, and there were thirty-four per- sons present. The old fire-engine house, located where the rear of the church now stands, was the "place of prayer." Marshall S. Rice, "Father Rice" of blessed memory, had pre- viously held occasional class-meetings in his own house. But Mr. Chatfield gave the initial impulse for the organi-
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