USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Peabody > History Of Peabody Massachusetts > Part 12
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Rev. A. B. Hervey became pastor in April, 1866. In September, 1867, the society voted to remodel the church, which was done in a thorough manner, at an expense of about nine thousand dollars. A bell was presented to the society by a friend who desired that his name should be withheld. The church was re- dedicated March 4, 1868. Mr. Hervey's ministry closed in November, 1872, leaving the society united and in good condition, and the Sunday-school larger than at any other period of its history.
The Rev. S. P. Smith became pastor on the first Sunday in October, 1873, and continued until the 12th of March, 1876, when he resigned his charge. During his ministry additions and improvements were made
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to the vestry at a cost of about twelve hundred dol- lars.
On April 30, 1876, Rev. E. W. Whitney began his pastorate. He was installed November 8, 1876. The church, which had been greatly reduced in number and inactive, was reorganized by Mr. Whitney on the 6th of May, 1877, with forty-one members. At the annual meeting in January, 1879, the society voted to raise the church in order to give more height to the vestry and improve the entrance, which was done at a cost of about two thousand five hundred dollars. Mr. Whitney resigned his pastorate in December, 1879.
On January 26, 1880, Rev. G. W. Harmon was in- vited to the pastorate, and began his labors in March, 1880. During the summer of 1881 further improve- ments were made on the church. Mr. Harmon closed his work with the society in July, 1882.
Rev. F. W. Sprague, the present pastor, began his ministry on the last Sunday in September, 1882.
SECOND BAPTIST SOCIETY .- The Baptist Church was organized February 16, 1843, having sixteen members. The church was recognized February 22, 1843, with twenty-seven members. The sermon was by Rev. Joseph Banvard. The first deacon, O. E. Pope, was elected February 24, 1843. Various per- sons supplied the pulpit till September 15, 1843, when Rev. Phineas Stowe accepted a call to the pas- torate. He was ordained pastor December 5, 1843; the services were in the Unitarian Church, and the sermon was by Rev. R. H. Neal, D.D.
In the spring of 1843, a chapel was erected, sixty- five by thirty-two feet, and publicly dedicated June 15,1843, Rev. Messrs. Banvard, Anderson and Carlton assisting in the services. In August, 1844, the so- ciety was incorporated, consisting at that time of thir- ty-one members.
The pastorate of Mr. Stowe ended May 9, 1845, after which the pulpit was supplied by Rev. J. G. Richardson, who was installed as pastor January 28, 1846, Rev. Joseph Banvard preaching the sermon. This pastorate ended in October, 1847. From April 23, 1848, to March 4, 1849, Rev. I. E. Forbush sup- plied the pulpit, after which Rev. B. C. Thomas supplied it.
December 3, 1848, P. D. Perkins became deacon of the church. November 11, 1849, Rev. F. A. Willard became pastor, and he resigned that office February 3, 1854. T. W. Carr became deacon May 12, 1851. Rev. N. Medbury regularly supplied the pulpit after the expiration of a year from Mr. Willard's resigna- tion, and did much toward obtaining the present house of worship. October 4, 1857, Rev. T. E. Keely became pastor.
The present house of worship was dedicated No- vember 19, 1857, Rev. T. D. Anderson preaching the sermon. R. R. Emerson was chosen deacon Febru- ary 9, 1860. Mr. Keely resigned his pastoral relation August 29, 1861.
Rev. C. E. Barrows was ordained pastor December 25, 1861, Rev. Heman Lincoln preaching the sermon. He resigned January 12, 1865, and was succeeded by Rev. N. M. Williams July 9, 1865. During Mr. Williams' pastorate the house was repaired at an expense of one thousand one hundred dollars.
Mr. Williams was succeeded by the Rev. C. V. Hanson, who was ordained over the church October 6, 1868. The sermon was by Rev. W. H. Shailer, of Portland, Maine. February 4th. of the following year. Thomas N. Barnaby was chosen Deacon.
Mr. Hanson was a most active and efficient Chris- tian worker, and the church, under his pastorate, was greatly prospered. During the first three years of his ministry, fifty members were added to the church. He was also greatly interested in the affairs of the town, and was widely respected by all denominations for his progressive and intelligent co-operation in matters of education, temperance reform and charities of every kind. He was twice sent as representative to the Legislature by the town in 1871 and 1872, and was during both those terms chairman of the com- mittee on the Liquor Law.
In 1877, Edward H. Wilson, a member of the church, died, and gave in his will the sum of one thousand dollars to the society, and also gave a piece of land on Andover Street and the sum of two thou- sand dollars to build a chapel, to be used by the several evangelical societies of the town. A chapel was erected in accordance with the terms of the be- quest, and meetings are held there weekly by mem- bers of the societies interested. There being no other place of worship in the vicinity, the gift has been the means of doing much good.
In the summer of 1879 Mr. Hanson resigned the pastorate. November 24, 1879, the church and society voted to give the Rev. L. L. Wood a call. Mr. Wood accepted, and began his labors according- ly. In August, 1882, he tendered his resignation, which was accepted.
April 16, 1883, the church and society voted to give Rev. W. P. Chipman, of Davisville, R. I., a call, which was accepted. In January, 1885, Mr. Chip- man was compelled to resign owing to illness in his family, which made his removal from the town necessary.
March 9, 1885, the church and society voted to call Rev. J. N. Shipman, of Moosup, Conn, to the pastorate. The call was accepted, and Mr. Shipman is now acting in that office.
In the fall of 1887, repairs and improvements were begun in the building, which will greatly improve the beauty and convenience of the house.
ROCKVILLE CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY AND WEST CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY .- For many years the people of the South Church carried on Sunday-school and prayer-meeting services in Rockville or South Peabody. Some of the meetings were held as early as 1832.
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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.
Mr. Caleb Frost was superintendent of this early Sunday-school, which was held in a chapel built by Mr. Elijah Upton, standing on Needham's corner, opposite Samuel Brown's estate. In 1854 Sabbath- school was again held by members of the South Church in an old house owned by Mr. John Marsh. A prayer-meeting was sustained for many years at pri vate bouses by Deacon Richard Smith, Mr. John Stevens and Mr. Isaac Hardy. Deacon Jacob Perley was also interested in these early meeting4.
The South Street Methodist Episcopal Church of Lynn had conducted such services in Rockville as early as 1830, but they were not regularly carried on after 1840, when a regular preacher was sent by the Methodist Conference to the central part of the town, and the Methodists worshipped there.
In 1855 a substantial chapel was built by friends of the movement, on Lynnfield Street. Services were held here in which members of the South Church as- sisted, acting as teachers in the Sunday-school, and assuming the financial responsibility of the enter- prise. The ministers of the various Congregational Societies of the vicinity conducted preaching services from time to time, and by degrees the people of the vicinity were interested in the movement, and lent their support to the extent of their ability.
A mission Sunday-school and prayer-meeting had been carried on for some years in West Peabody, where there was a small manufacturing settlement. It was decided to unite the new two enterprises, and in 1873 Rev. W. A. Lamb, a recent graduate of Andover Seminary, was engaged as pastor of both the South and West Peabody Churches. At this time there was neither Society nor Church organization-simply Sunday-school, prayer-meetings and preaching ser. vices. The two congregations agreed each to give a definite part of the pastor's salary.
The ministry of Mr. Lamb extended from July 1873 to July, 1875. On April 14, 1874, the Rockville Church was organized. A very powerful revival had attended the efforts of Mr. Lamb, and great interest was felt in the new church. A number of members of the South Church, some of them residents of South Peabody, and some from the central part of the town, were so greatly interested that they joined the new organization to aid in its support and management. In all thirty-nine members were received into the new church. At the time the church was recognized, Mr. Lamb was ordained as evangelist. Prof. John L. Taylor was the moderator of the council and Rev. Joshua Coit seribe.
Rev. C. C. Carpenter, of Andover, succeeded Mr. Lamb. His ministry extended from July 1, 1875, to July 1, 1880-five years. His was a quiet, earnest, suc- cessful ministry. The church in South Peabody grew and became stronger ; and during the last year of his ministry a new site was acquired for a larger and more commodious church building. The old chapel was removed to the new site, and remained
there until the present church edifice was erected in its place.
For several months the church was without a pas- tor ; on February 1, 1881, Rev. John W. Colwell be- gan his ministry.
July 6, 1881, the Rockville Congregational Society in Peabody, was duly organized. The site for the new church was in the hands of trustees, who were authorized to convey the property to the Society on certain terms, which was done, and the Society, with the assistance of many outside friends, built the present church edifice.
In February, 1882, a building committee was ap- pointed, whose efforts in obtaining funds were so far successful that the old chapel was removed and build- ing operations begun in the fall. In the spring of 1883 the edifice was completed with the exception of the auditorium, and the Society which had been worshipping in the school-house opposite, began ser- vices in the new vestry. By continued effort, funds were secured to finish the auditorium, and the church was dedicated May 22, 1884; Rev. W. G. Sperry, then of the South Church, preached the dedicatory ser- mon, and Rev. C. C. Carpenter took part in the ser- vices.
The church edifice is 40 x 50 feet, with a pulpit recess 4x13 feet. The tower is 15 feet square and rises 75 feet above the underpinning.
The cost of the building, finishing and furnishing of the house was about $7,100. Great interest was taken, both by the church in South Peabody and the parent church, in securing the amount; subscriptions were received from above three hundred persons. One thousand dollars were contributed in sums of ten dollars and less. About two thousand seven hundred dollars were secured in South Peabody, and the South Church people gave about two thousand seven hun- dred and fifty dollars ; of the remainder, five hundred dollars came from the American Congregational Union, and the rest from outside friends. The So- ciety is nearly or quite self-supporting, and is the cen- tre of active Christian work.
At West Peabody the West Congregational Church was duly organized as a branch of the Rockville Church, September 6, 1883, with fifteen members. Rev. C. B. Rice, of Danvers, was moderator of the council, and Rev. H. L. Brickett, of Lynnfield, scribe. The church has the same articles of faith and coven- ant as the Rockville Church, and the same pastor, but it chooses its own standing committee and makes its own by-laws and controls its own membership.
The West Congregational Society in Peabody was incorporated October 26, 1885, and on December 11 the new chapel was dedicated free of debt at a cost of one thousand four hundred and sixty dollars. The large and beautiful lot of half an acre was given to Mr. Joseph Henderson, of Salem, formerly a resident of West Peabody. The churches in the Essex South Conference (Congregational), and the American Con-
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gregational Union assisted the people in building the chapel, and outside friends contributed generously. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. C. B. Rice, of Danvers.
The two societies act in conjunction; they meet yearly and decide upon the proportionate part which each shall pay toward the pastor's salary. In matters of common interest, such as the calling or dismissal of a pastor, a joint vote is taken.
June 5, 1887, Rev. Mr. Colwell terminated his pas- torate, going to Barrington, R. I. Great progress was made during his active and efficient labors in South and West Peabody, and his enterprise and energy did much to encourage the people of his double flock to the efforts which have been so successful in building up these churches upon a secure foundation. The membership of the Rockville Church is sixty-eight, and that of the West Church twenty-four.
On November 9, 1887, Rev. Israel Ainsworth was installed as pastor of the Rockville Congregational Church, and the West Congregational Church, the relation between the two societies remaining as has been explained before.
Many devoted men and women of the South Church labored earnestly in the early days of these churches, whose names will long be remembered by the people whom they strove to assist, but of whom the limits of this sketch do not give room for adequate mention.
In 1860 Mr. Elijah W. Upton placed in the hands of the officers of the South Society four hundred dol- lars, which he had been requested by his father, Eli- jah Upton, to contribute to the Rockville mission ; and that sum is still held in trust for the benefit of the society in Rockville.
ST. JOHN'S CHURCH (ROMAN CATHOLIC) .- Before 1850 there were very few Catholics in the town, and until 1871 the Catholics of South Danvers and Pea- body worshipped at St. James' Church, on Federal Street, Salem.
In 1868 Rev. John J. Gray, the pastor of St. James' Church, formed the idea of establishing a new parish in Peabody. In May, 1870, a fair was held in Me- chanic Hall, Salem, to aid in establishing the new parish, which continued for two weeks, and was very successful, over seven thousand dollars being realized. Sufficient money having thus been obtained to begin the work, a lot of land, formerly used for manufac- turing purposes, was purchased of Thomas E. Procter for ten thousand dollars, and in May, 1871, a con- tract was made for building the new church, which is of brick, with granite trimmings, and is about sev- enty-two feet wide by one hundred and forty-six long, with a tower. It is the largest and most expensive church edifice in the town.
The laying of the corner-stone took place on Sun- day afternoon, August 20, 1871, and an immense crowd assembled to witness the ceremonies. All the Catholic societies of Salem were present, and marched
in procession with their distinctive badges. Bishop Williams, of Boston, officiated, and Rev. I. T. Hecker, of New York, preached an able sermon in relation to the progress of the Catholic Church in America.
On Christmas day, December 25, 1871, services were first held in the basement of the church, although the building was in a rough and unfinished condition. Rev. Father Gray celebrated mass, and preached an interesting sermon, in which he con- gratulated the congregation and the Catholics of Pea- body on being able to worship for the first time in this town in an edifice worthy of their efforts, and one on which was raised the emblem of their religion. A large congregation attended, although there were no pews for their accommodation, and the weather being very cold, it was impossible to warm the place.
The church was not opened again for public wor- ship until September, 1872, when the basement was entirely finished and over two hundred pews put in. After that time services were regularly held every Sunday by one of the St. James' clergymen, until 1874, when Rev. M. J. Masterson became the pastor.
The building was finished and dedicated with im- pressive ceremonies November 30, 1879. The large auditorium presents a fine interior, with its lofty ceil- ing, beautifully frescoed walls and fifteen mullioned windows of stained glass, most of them being me- morial windows contributed by individuals or so- cieties. There are fourteen large paintings between the windows, representing the stations of the cross. The altars, of white marble, are richly furnished. The large auditorium seats twelve hundred persons.
The whole cost of the edifice was about one hun- dred thousand dollars. The architect was James Murphy, of Providence. The assistants at present are Rev. Patrick Masterson and Rev. Vincent Borgialli.
ST. PAUL'S MISSION (EPISCOPAL) .- The first ser- vice of this mission was on Sunday, April 2, 1874, the first Sunday after Easter. At this service morning prayer was read by Mr. Edgar W. Upton, and the chants and hymns were sung by a choir of boys, who had been trained by Mrs. Edgar W. Upton. There has been no interruption in the Sunday services since that time.
At first the Rev. John W. Leek, rector of St. Michael's, Marblehead, Rev. E. M. Gushee, of St. Pe- ter's, Salem, and Rev. Mr. Magill, of Calvary, Dan- vers, had joint charge of the mission, and took turns in preaching on Sunday evenings. The mission was brought to the attention of the diocesan convention in May, 1874, and considerable cold water was thrown upon it. It was ably defended by its three reverend sponsors, and was adopted by the Mission- ary Board, who granted it some money for a mis- sionary.
In the summer of 1874 Allen's Hall was hired by the mission, and fitted up by the help of friends in neighboring parishes. Rev. Mr. Magill was put in charge of the work, which charge he kept till August,
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1875, when the present missionary, the Rev. George Walker, took the cure of Peabody, in addition to that of a new mission in Wakefield.
Ground was broken for the church on Lowell Street on January 1, 1876. It is worthy of note that there was no frost in the ground then. The first ser- vice in the new church was held on Quinquagesima Sunday, the 27th of February following. The church building has been added to from time to time as the needs of the mission grew. In 1880 a vestry was built. Inadvertently the east wall of this addition was built several inches over the line of the next estate. In 1885 this mistake was mended by putting the wall where it belonged, after trying in vain to hire or buy the land so unfortunately covered. In 1886 the roof of the north end of the church was re- placed with a gable end, and the door moved from the west side to the end of the church, thus adding about thirty seats to the church, which now will seat about one hundred and fifty persons. The seats were rebuilt at the same time.
The congregation from a beginning of twenty has grown to a membership of over two hundred souls, and an average attendance of over one hundred every Sunday. The Sunday-school has grown from ten to seventy, with an average attendance of more than fifty. A boy choir has been maintained almost with- out any break, from the first service. In 1878 the boys were vested in Cassock and Surplice.
Services are held every Sunday. The Holy Com- munion is celebrated every other Sunday, alternating between an early celebration and one after morning prayer. As the mission is now joined with Danvers in the cure of Rev. Mr. Walker, it has to share his time with the Danvers Church, so that every alter- nate Sunday there has to be a lay service in the morning. This duty has fallen chiefly upon Mr. Up- ton, though not infrequently Mr. George R. Curwen, of Salem, has performed it.
In 1879, the Rev. Amos Ross, a deacon of the church and a full blooded Santee Indian, was in the family of the missionary several months. The ac- quaintance thus begun has been kept up, and every year since, a missionary box has been sent to Mr. Ross and his people.
INSTITUTIONS AND SOCIETIES.
THE PEABODY INSTITUTE. - Mention has been made in another part of this sketch of the circum- stances under which Mr. Peabody's original gift of twenty thousand dollars was announced, and the communication which accompanied the gift, on the 16th of June, 1852. On June 28, 1852, a town-meet- ing was held at which resolves prepared and sub- mitted by Dr. Andrew Nichols were unanimously adopted, accepting the gift and pledging the town to the conditions imposed by the donor. It was voted "That the institution established by this donation be called and known as the PEABODY INSTITUTE, and
that this name be inscribed, in legible characters, upon the front of the building to be erected, that, in future years, our children may be reminded of their father's benefactor, and that strangers may read the name of him whom Danvers will always be proud to claim as her son."
" It was also determined that two of the "Committee of Trustees " should be elected each successive year for a term of six years, and "That the aforesaid Com- mittee of Trustees appoint annually, from the citizens of the town at large, another Committee, who shall select books for the library, designate the subjects for lectures, procure lecturers, enact rules and regula- tions, both in regard to the lectures and the library, and perform all such other duties as the Committee shall assign to them."
The proceedings of the town relative to the gift were transmitted to Mr. Peabody, and received his approval. The scheme thus determined became, therefore, what may be called the charter of the In- stitute, and constituted as the officers of the institute, a board of trustees chosen by the town in whom are vested the funds and other property, for the purpose of maintaining a lyceum and library ; and another board, chosen annually by the trustees, called the lyceum and library committee, whose duties are to superintend and direct all its active operations.
Soon after the first, Mr. Peabody gave to the trus- tees a further donation of ten thousand dollars, stipu- lating that seventeen thousand dollars should be used for land and building, ten thousand dollars as a per- manent fund, and three thousand dollars for the library.
The westerly part of the Wallis estate was pur- chased for the Institute, and afterward considerable additions were made to the land, Mr. Peabody giving fifteen thousand dollars additional to purchase and improve the land. He also during his visit to this country in 1856, paid one thousand five hundred dol- lars for other improvements to the land, and one thousand one hundred dollars for liquidating all liabilities against the Institute on account of the building.
The original building was about eighty-two by fifty feet, of brick and freestone, with a library room and committee rooms on the lower floor, and a lecture hall above. It cost fifteen thousand three hundred dollars. The corner-stone was laid, with appropriate ceremonies, August 20, 1853; as Capt. Sylvester Proctor had deceased, Hon. Abbott Lawrence per- formed the part assigned to him. The building was finished in the course of the following year, and dedicated to its future uses September 29, 1854. Rufus Choate, who always maintained a warm inter- est in the place where the early years of his profes- sional life had been spent, delivered the address at the dedication, one of the most eloquent and thought- ful of his occasional addresses, containing many brilliant and impressive passages on the value of
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reading and the function of a public library and lyce- um.
The library was opened on October 18, 1854, for the delivery of books on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons and evenings. There were then about one thousand five hundred volumes on the shelves.
In December, 1854, a donation of books was re- ceived from Mr. Peabody, containing about two thousand five hundred volumes, selected by Mr. Henry Stevens, agent of the Smithsonian Institution.
Subsequent additions to the library by purchase and gift brought the number of volumes in 1856, at the time of Mr. Peabody's visit to the town, to above five thousand three hundred, including two hundred and fifty volumes received from the Danvers Me- chanic Institute, an association that had existed in the town since 1841. The town also contributed one hundred 'and ten volumes to the library, and many of the citizens gave books from their own li- braries.
The first course of lectures began November 29, 1854. Among the lecturers for the first season were George S. Hillard, Theodore Parker, E. P. Whipple, Prof. R. D. Hitchcock, Ralph Waldo Emerson, A. A. Miner, T. Starr King, Josiah Quincy and Richard H. Dana. Truly a brilliant group of names! Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes lectured during the second season.
The one to whom the managers of the Institute naturally turned in seeking a librarian was Fitch Poole, whose literary abilities were highly esteemed by his townsmen. He was elected to the position January 3, 1854, but being then engaged in business, found it necessary to resign the position, which he did September 27 of the same year. His successor was Mr. Eugene B. Hinckley, then principal of the Peabody High School, who gave much time to his duties, and rendered valuable service during the early days of the library, when its valuable collections were just begun. Upon the resignation of Mr. Hinckley Mr. Poole was again elected, May 17, 1856, and continued to hold the office until his death, in 1873. He was a most courteous and efficient officer, and his kindness to students, and readiness to assist all in the selection of books, with his genial personal qualities, made him the friend of every borrower of books.
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