USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Dorchester > Fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of St. Mary's parish, Dorchester, 1847-1897 > Part 7
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 (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11
BURNING OF THE OLD CHURCH.
The church on Bowdoin street, as has elsewhere been told, was burnt June 15, 1887.
V. R. 1887. June 16. Vestry Meeting. A letter was read from Mr. H. G. Allbright, offering Winthrop Hall for the use of the Church for Sunday Services. On motion of Mr. Bird, it was Voted, that Mr. Allbright's offer of Winthrop Hall be accepted, and that the thanks of the Vestry be extended to him for his prompt and courteous action at this time of the Church's need.
On motion of Mr. Bradford, it was Voted, that the thanks of the Vestry be extended to the committee of the First Parish in Dor- chester for their offer of the use of their church ; and on recom- mendation of the Rector, it was voted to accept the use of the vestry-room for choir rehearsals at such times as would be con- venient to the First Parish congregation.
Voted, that the Rector reply to the courteous letter received from the Clerk of St. Ann's Parish, and also extend the thanks of the Vestry for the kind offer made.
Voted, that the thanks of the Vestry be extended to the Standing Committee of the Stoughton-street Baptist Church for their thought- ful offer of their church for the afternoon services of St. Mary's.
A NEW LOCATION CONSIDERED.
P. R. 1887. July 18. A Parish Meeting was held to consider : First-What action shall be taken in regard to buying a new lot of land for a new church. Second- To consider the subject of consolidation with St. Ann's. Church. Third-To consider the subject of amending the Constitution. Fourth -To take action on the subject of buying from C. S. Dodge, of Lowell, all his
}
83
St. Mary's Parish, Dorchester
claims to land owned by St. Mary's Church. Fifth - To consider what disposal shall be made of the old lot of land in case a new one is purchased.
P. R. July 25. A meeting of pew-owners and a special Parish meeting was held, and amended the Constitution and By-Laws, taking control of the property from pew-owners only, and giving it to " a two-thirds vote of the members present at a regular Parish Meeting called for that purpose and constituting a majority of all members of the Parish."
The letter from St. Ann's Parish was then read, which conveyed the vote of that Parish, that consolidation with St. Mary's was inex- pedient.
" Resolved, That whereas the Parish of St. Ann's Church have voted not to accept the proposals made to them by this Vestry, it now becomes necessary that the Parish of St. Mary's should decide upon a location for a new church at the earliest date. That in the opinion of the Vestry, it would be best for the future welfare of the Church to abandon the old location and choose a new site more easily accessible by means of the various lines of street cars.
"That having learned that the interests of the two Parishes would not be likely to conflict if St. Mary's Church is not located west of Upham's Corner, it would be well to consider a location in the direction of said Corner."
P. R. Sept. 30. Parish Meeting. The committee on selecting a site for a new church for St. Mary's recommend that the Parish purchase four lots of land, two on Stoughton Street and two on Cushing Avenue, which can be bought for fifty cents per foot, and the owners will donate a sum equal to five cents per foot to the Parish towards building the new church. These four lots contain about 20,200 square feet.
For the committee, W. B. BIRD.
Voted, That the Parish purchase the four lots of land on Stoughton Street and. Cushing Avenue, selected by the committee on site, at an expense of not over fifty cents per foot, and appro- priate the necessary money from the funds belonging to the Parish and now in charge of the Finance Committee.
84
Fiftieth Anniversary
Voted, That the Parish sell the lands of the Parish on Bowdoin Street, and that the Finance Committee be empowered to contract for such sale, and to execute, in the name and on behalf of the Parish of St. Mary's Church in Dorchester, any deed or deeds necessary to effectuate such sale, and to hold the proceeds as a fund for the erection of a new church edifice, to be paid out as and when directed by vote of the Vestry.
V. R. 1887. Oct. 24. Vestry Meeting. Mr. Bird, for the committee to settle with Mr. Dodge, reported that Mr. Dodge's claim, as heir to Mrs. Catherine Dodge, upon the land given by her to the church, had been purchased for $500.
GROVE HALL MISSION.
The question of starting a Sunday School on the Upper Road was discussed at length in a Vestry meeting held in the Autumn of 1887. It was voted to be the sense of the Vestry that the Rector encourage as far as it is in his power the interest shown in a Sunday School on the Upper Road.
GIFT FOR AN ORGAN.
V. R. 1887. Nov. 13. A vote of thanks was unanimously extended to Mrs. George W. Harding, on behalf of the Vestry and Parish, for her gift of $1,000 for an organ.
. . . After explaining his plan, Mr. Saltonstall retired, and a letter from him was then read, stating that his physicians had advised him of the absolute necessity of his leaving this climate for five or six months.
It was Voted, unanimously, to grant the Rector leave of absence as asked for.
DECISION TO BUILD.
V. R. 1888. Jan. 29. A letter of protest [against St. Mary's Parish plan of building at Upham's Corner] from St. Ann's Parish was read, also a copy of the protest which St. Ann's Parish had sent to the Bishop of the Diocese.
On motion of Mr. Edwards, seconded by Mr. Bufford, it was unanimously Voted, to lay this letter on the table.
85
St. Mary's Parish, Dorchester
Feb. 17. Voted, that the Building Committee be authorized to contract with Messrs. Woodbury & Leighton for the construction of the church building, according to the plans and specifications presented by Mr. Henry Vaughan, architect, accepted on this date, at an expense not exceeding $16,827 ; the church to be finished in a thorough manner, including furnaces, plumbing, gas-piping and grading, and to be delivered tight, and warranted to continue so, for twelve months. That the committee be further authorized to expend the sum of $250 for a hardwood finish, and the further sum of $500, to be used at their discretion, for interior finish and decoration.
LAYING OF THE CORNER-STONE OF NEW CHURCH.
P. R. 1888. July 2. There were present, by special invitation of the Rector, the Rev. C. F. Whittemore, the Rev. J. R. Pierce, and the Rev. A. H. Wright. The first two took part in the Services, being surpliced. Of the Laity, about fifty were present, among whom were Messrs. Emery, M. L. Bradford, Beale, senr., Beale, junr., and Warner.
Just after 3 P. M. the Rector began the Service by reading the first verse of Psalm 127 : "Except the Lord build the house," etc. Hymn 202, "The Church's one Foundation," was then sung.
The Rev .. Mr. Pierce read Psalm 122, after which the Rector read the Creed, and the Collects "Stir up, O Lord," " Direct us, O Lord," the Lord's Prayer and a special prayer.
Hymn 275 was then sung, after which the Rector read the inscription on the box recently discovered in the corner-stone of the old church, viz. :
A. D. MDCCCXLIX.
To which had been added by this Vestry (engraved):
OLD CHURCH BURNED 1887. THIS BOX REMOVED TO CORNER-STONE OF NEW CHURCH 1888.
Then the list of the contents of the new box (8 x 8 x 6) was read as follows:
I. Sketch of the History of the Parish from Organization to date: in part a printed account, first published in " The Beadle," the journal of our
86
Fiftieth Anniversary
Fair in 1884, and in part MS. notes from the Records, prepared by the Rector and Mr. Beale, Junr., the Clerk.
2. Two copies of the Constitution and By-Laws - one of 1855 and one of 1877.
3. Printed Circular dated Bowdoin St., Dorchester, Sept. 21, 1849, ex- pressing the thanks of the Rector and Vestry for various donations of money, for land and buildings, for chancel, books, furniture, and for the silver Communion Service.
4. List of Donors (without the Parish) to the Building Fund and to the Organ Fund, with the total amount on each account.
5. List of special contributions for the interior of the church, e. g., organ, pews, pulpit, lectern, etc., which amounts are the proceeds of lectures, exhibitions, fairs, sales, etc.
6. List of the Members of the Altar Guild, and the sum total for the purchase of an altar.
7. List of the Members of the Young Ladies' Missionary Society.
8. Statement of St. Mary's Sunday School, giving names of officers, teachers and scholars.
9. Memorandum relating the history of our branch Sunday School at Mt. Bowdoin.
After this reading was ended, Mr. Warner first placed the old box and then the new box in the cavity in the Corner-Stone, where they were wedged in position by Mr. Lester, the foreman. Then the stone was turned over and put in its final resting place. The Rector, with three strokes of a trowel, then "laid " it, using the formula found in the " Vade Mecum."
The Rev. Mr. Whittemore of All Saints' Church next delivered a short and appropriate address, the Rector following with words congratulatory and grateful.
After singing Hymn 276, and the utterance of the minor. Benediction, the audience dispersed.
An amended Constitution and By-Laws were adopted October 30, 1888.
V. R. 1888. Nov. 11. A Meeting of the Vestry of St. Mary's Church, duly called by the notice sent in writing to each member, was held in the Vestry-room of the new church building on Sunday,
.
87
St. Mary's Parish, Dorchester
November 11, 1888, at 12 o'clock; being the first time the new church was used for any purpose of the Parish.
On motion of Mr. Edwards,
Voted, that the Parish move into the new church on Christmas Day, or sooner, if the organ is finished.
DISTRIBUTION OF PEWS.
V. R. Dec. 16. By order of the Vestry : -
"I. A Plan of the Pews will be posted in the new church, on and after Christmas Day, showing the location and the assessed rental of each pew.
"2. The choice of pews for rental will be offered at auction, in the church, at Upham's Corner, on Monday, December 31st, at eight o'clock, P. M."
1888. Dec. 25. Christmas Day. The first Service was held in the new church.
V. R. Dec. 31. Voted, that the following quotation from the sermon delivered by the Rector at the opening of the church on Christmas Day clearly voices the sentiment of the Vestry in the matter : -
" Where all have labored so earnestly and so well, there can be no honor list, no roll of conspicuous merit ; and hence it is not incumbent on me here and now to thank many whose interested efforts have been absolutely essential in accomplishing the results which to-day are so apparent.
" Yet I cannot leave this place without mentioning the name of one whose praises are in all mouths ; who has sacrificed time, money and labor ; who has watched the rise of this building from its very beginning, inspected all material, supervised every detail, corrected every error, and ordered all things to our great advan- tage. And I know that, in behalf of all the Parish, I may unhesi- tatingly tender to Mr. F. H. Warner the sincere thanks of those whose work he has so zealously cared for, and in whose interests he has sacrificed so much. His unfailing courtesy, his faithful labor, his conscientiousness in every particular, call forth our ad- miration and demand what we so freely give, - this simple expres- sion of our heartfelt gratitude."
88
Fiftieth Anniversary
After the adjournment of the Vestry, the choice of pews in the church was sold by auction, the premiums amounting to $302.
P. R. 1889. Feb. 16. Special Parish Meeting. Mr. Bird, on behalf of the members of the Parish, presented Mr. Warner, Chair- man of the Building Committee, with a testimonial as a token of their gratitude and regard.
Mr. Lamson submitted the Report of the Finance Committee, showing the total cost of the new church, including furnishing, $32,870.29, of which $9,143.75 was for land, and $1,900 for organ. This amount was obtained as follows: - From the insurance on church burnt ($11,000); from sale of old site on Bowdoin street, $5,000, less incumbrance paid, $2,169.62 -$2,830.38; subscrip- tions outside the Parish, $8,820.41 ; subscriptions within the Parish, $5,457.98 ; interest on deposits, $261.52 ; mortgage loan, $4,500.
V. R. 1891. Jan. 25. The Special Committee for Free Seats for Evening Service reported that all but five of those renting sittings in the church had signified their assent to the plan of the committee, to make all pews free at Evening Service, and that they expected to hear favorably from those five. The committee recom- mended that notice be given out that seats were free for Evening Service.
ENLARGEMENT.
V. R. 1891. Sept. 25. Voted, that the Vestry recommend to the Parish that the church building be completed of stone and rough cast, according to the style of the present structure, to seat at least 200 in addition to the present sittings, and at a cost not exceeding $12,000, - $5,000 of which shall be raised by the Parish and $6,000 of which shall be raised by mortgage.
RESIGNATION OF RECTOR.
P. R. 1891. Oct. 30. A communication from the Rector, stating that he had received a call to the Parish of Christ Church, Hartford, Conn., and tendering his resignation, was read by the Clerk.
7
ST. MARY'S IN 1897.
89
St. Mary's Parish, Dorchester
The Senior Warden stated that, in the judgment of the Vestry, it had seemed expedient to accept the Rector's resignation, in com- pliance with his request. It was therefore
Voted, that the resignation of the Rector be accepted, to take effect on Monday, Nov. 23, 1891.
The Clerk read the following letter from the Vestry to Mr. Saltonstall. .
Voted, that the Clerk be, and hereby is, authorized to sign the said letter in behalf of the Parish.
'The motion was unanimously carried by a rising vote.
LETTER TO RETIRING RECTOR.
To the Rev. L. W. Saltonstall : -
REV. AND DEAR SIR, - We cannot allow the pastoral relation that has existed between us for so many years to come to an end without a few words to attest our esteem for your character and our wishes for your future prosperity.
We shall not forget your untiring zeal in the cause of the Church, nor the enthusiasm and the ability you brought to its service.
We all deeply regret your loss from our chancel and pulpit, and most of us feel personal sorrow at the severance of ties of friendship.
Onr earnest good wishes go with you into your new sphere of activity and usefulness. We hope that you will find there enlarged opportunities and results more and more satisfactory ; and we are sure that if energy and ability, high aims and high intellectual endowment can win success, you will attain to it in no small measure.
With renewed assurance of our esteem, and of our desire to testify our good will towards you in every possible way, we remain,
Most sincerely and respectfully yours,
MARTIN L. BRADFORD, ALBERT A. CHITTENDEN, -Wardens.
GEO. H. L. SHARP, H. W. EDWARDS,
Jos. H. BEALE, Jr., WM. H. TURNER,
HENRY G. ALLBRIGHT, GEO. A. WILLIS,
ISAAC JACKSON, CHAS. A. RUGGLES,
Vestry of St. Mary's Church, Dorchester.
GEO. G. BRADFORD, Parish Clerk, in behalf of the Parish.
:
90
Fiftieth Anniversary
ELECTION OF RECTOR.
P. R. The Clerk read the following vote passed at the Vestry meeting held January 10, 1892 : -
Voted, that the Wardens and Vestry unanimously recommend to the Parish the election of the Rev. Walter E. C. Smith as the Rector of this Parish on a salary of $2,000 a year, with a vacation of four weeks each year, to be taken at such time as the Rector shall determine.
Voted, unanimously, that the report of the committee be accepted, and that the Parish adopt the recommendation of the Vestry.
DORCHESTER, January 26, 1892.
Rev. and Dear Sir : - It is our pleasant duty to inform you that, at a Parish meeting held on Monday, January 25th, 1892, upon the unanimous recommendation of the Vestry, you were elected unani- mously Rector of the Parish of St. Mary's Church in Dorchester.
Permit us to express our personal gratification at this choice so harmoniously reached, and the hope that you will see your path clear to accept the election.
The salary offered is two thousand dollars per annum, with four weeks' vacation each year, to be taken at such time as may suit the Rector's convenience, the pulpit being supplied during this vacation at the cost of the Parish treasury.
It is desirable that you should assume charge of the Parish at the earliest date that your convenience will allow.
We are, Rev. and Dear Sir, sincerely and respectfully, yours,
MARTIN L. BRADFORD, ALBERT A. CHITTENDEN.
The Rev. WALTER E. C. SMITH.
ROXBURY, Jan. 30th, 1892. Mr. Martin L. Bradford, Mr. Albert A. Chittenden, Wardens of St. Mary's Parish, Dorchester : -
DEAR SIRS :- Your letter of the 26th, telling me of the action taken by the Parish of St. Mary's, Dorchester, on Monday evening last, is at hand. An invitation such as that which your letter
-
St. Mary's Parish, Dorchester
describes, and your own personal assurance, which you were so very kind as to express to me, is certainly an honor that one may well feel proud of, and a mark of confidence which I sincerely trust I appreciate, and which I hope no future day may prove to have been misplaced.
It seems to me, as I consider the very fortunate present position of the Episcopal Church in our Diocese, and the rich and inspiring influence which must come from the life and labors of our Bishop, that we ought to hope for and expect great things from the work which unitedly we can do at St. Mary's.
It is with such hope and expectation that I accept, gladly, the call to the Rectorship of St. Mary's Parish, Dorchester, and my desire and prayer is that I may be of some real service in the. work which is calling upon us for fulfillment.
I am unable to state at this moment precisely the day when I can enter upon the new work which is before me, but I think I can promise with safety to be at St. Mary's on Sunday, February 28th, the Sunday before Lent, and it is more than probable, as matters are now shaping themselves, that I can come to St. Mary's as early as Sunday, February 14th.
Thanking you for your letter and the kindness and confidence which it reveals, I am,
Very faithfully yours,
WALTER E. C. SMITH.
COMPLETION OF CHURCH.
P. R. 1892. Feb. 16. Parish Meeting. Under Article Il of warrant the following vote of the Vestry was read : -
Voted, that the Parish be, and hereby is, recommended to pass the following resolve : -
"Resolved, that the Parish of St. Mary's Church, in Dorchester, will complete the present church according to the plans prepared by Messrs. Hartwell and Richardson."
On motion it was unanimously
Voted, that the recommendation of the Vestry expressed in this vote be, and hereby is, adopted.
92
Fiftieth, Anniversary
Voted, that the Parish raise the sum of thirteen thousand dollars to pay for the completion and furnishing of the church.
Voted, unanimously, that the recommendation of the Vestry, as expressed in their vote of February 9, 1892, that the Treasurer of the Parish borrow, in the name of and on behalf of the Parish, an additional sum of $8,500, and upon discharge of the present note and mortgage of $4,500 . . . ... execute a new note and mortgage of $13,000, be and the same is hereby adopted.
V. R. Voted, that the Building Committee be authorized to con- tract with Messrs. W. L. & J. A. Dodge for the completion of the church building according to the plans and specifications of Messrs. Hartwell & Richardson, accepted by the Parish February 16, 1892, at an expense not exceeding $11,525. The church to be finished in a thorough manner, including pews, plumbing, gas-piping and rough grading ; the building to be delivered tight, and warranted to continue so for twelve months.
Bishop Brooks died suddenly on the morning of the 23d of January, 1893. On January the 8th, he visited St. Mary's Church. The following Resolutions were read by the Rector on the morning of Sunday, January 29th, 1893 : -
RESOLUTIONS.
In profound reverence and grateful love for him who, in this church; as it were but yesterday, spoke out of his own great soul the message of God as it was given him; whose words still seem to linger within these sacred walls, and the glory and inspiration of whose life we shall never cease to know and feel ;
Resolved, That in the death of Rt. Rev. Phillips Brooks, D.D., the beloved Bishop of this Diocese, we have lost one whom we have grown to love devotedly as our Bishop, our pastor, and our friend; the Common- wealth and the Nation has lost one of her noblest and most patriotic citizens; the Christian Church and humanity, a prophet and preacher unsurpassed in the age in which he lived ; a spiritual leader of men whose sympathies knew no bounds, and whose love could find no creature of God unworthy of its approach ; a man whose noble and generous nature, whose broad and kindly spirit, whose innocency of life, everywhere and always commanded admiration and enlisted love, while his thought and affections
----
-
93
St. Mary's Parish, Dorchester
never failed to touch and invest with divine splendor every duty and every possibility of life.
In the midst of our almost overwhelming sorrow, we can from our hearts thank God for the sublime and beneficent life that has been lived among us, and for the privilege, which we can never estimate or regard too highly, of cherishing and perpetuating for others so precious a memory.
It will ever be a matter of interest to St. Mary's Parish that our Bishop was confirmed, July 27, 1857, in the old St. Mary's Church, and that it was there that he first publicly conducted the Services of our Church. In recognition of this fact, and more especially that we may record for those who come after us how profound has been our love for our Bishop, - a love which we shall only understand as we appreciate more fully the loss we have sustained, - be it further
Resolved, That the Clerk of this Parish be instructed to enter these Resolutions upon the Parish Records.
COST OF FINISHING CHURCH.
1893. March 31. The Report of the Finance and Build- ing Committees gives the total disbursements as $14,800, of which $5, 100 was from subscriptions and special offerings, $8,500 from mortgage loan, and $1,200 from Parish funds.
CHANCEL WINDOW.
V. R. Communication from Mrs. Martin L. Bradford on the presentation of a stained glass window for the chancel : -
To the Vestry of St. Mary's Church :
GENTLEMEN, - It gives me great pleasure to present to the Parish of St. Mary's Church, Dorchester, the stained window placed in the central three sashes in the chancel of the church, and made by the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company of New York.
It would be my wish that the Vestry, in accepting this gift, would make it a matter of record that, should the stained window be destroyed or injured, it shall be replaced at the cost of the Parish ; and the better to secure its replacement, that there shall always be kept upon it an insurance against fire to the amount of not less than one thousand dollars.
£
94
Fiftieth Anniversary
With the sincere wish that this, which has been my much-loved church for many years, may enlarge and prosper more and more in the future,
I am, respectfully yours, ABBY C. BRADFORD.
July Ist, 1893.
SEMI-CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY.
V. R. 1897. April 19. Voted, that a committee, consisting of the Rector, Wardens, and two members of the Parish to be chosen by the Rector, be appointed, to take such measures as may be deemed expedient to appropriately observe the Semi-Centennial Anniversary of the organization of the Parish, which occurs in September, 1897.
It only remains now to add in closing this record of past events in St. Mary's Church, that the history has been but briefly sketched. One is impressed more and more in a work like this present one, that when all selections from written records have been made, the best yet remains to be told. Those who shared in the past life and thought of St. Mary's will understand this, and where the bare statement of facts and figures are all that confront the later generation, to those who lived in these times, which have now become for most of us a matter of record, the past fifty years will be rich in life, and glorious in power. If it were accessible, the best source from which one could expect the real story of a Church's life and work. would be found in the community of men and women who have grown up under the influence of the Church ; who have lived for years within her shelter, and in the lives of those who have felt her inspiration for nobler living in a multitude of ways which are now far beyond our discovery. It is this influence for good, upon the lives of men and women, which is, after all, the best record of a Church's history. True to the instinct of hope- fulness, which is the mark of our humanity, those who are
-
---
95
St. Mary's Parish, Dorchester
to-day full of loyalty and love for St. Mary's, find it impos- sible not to believe that there is most assuredly a glorious future before the Episcopal Church in America, and for St. Mary's as a part of this great Christian family. The con- ditions of life in America under Democracy seem to afford. special promise for our Church, an opportunity for greater influence and for larger usefulness than ever before. It is for us to discern the signs of the times. St. Mary's has seen some dark days, but the brighter days have been more in number. It has had its time of prosperity, when, as the record truly states, "it was the strongest Parish in the Diocese beyond the limits of Boston," as well as its time of tribulation ; but, personally, we believe the Christian Church at large, and our Church as a family in this great Church of God, may look forward to better days than any which have gone before ; to possibilities for good which we cannot easily conceive of, but which are being more and more clearly revealed in the increasing interest which men are showing for such a reasonable faith as Christ came to inspire, and in the unmistakable evidence, which no wise or thoughtful man can overlook, that these opportunities are to find their occasion and fulfillment in the social evolution which is already upon us.
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.