USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Athol > History of Athol, Massachusetts > Part 13
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The real estate of nearly one thousand acres was purchased by one, D. Ambrose Leonard of Boston, who after a few years of occupancy sold to Mr. James W. Brooks of Petersham who in turn deeded it to Harvard University. There Harvard estab- lished its School of Forestry. The old community building has been greatly changed and is not used extensively at the present time but new buildings have been erected which are adequate for the needs of the school. Much land has been added to the original acreage and a satisfactory adjustment has been made regarding taxation so that the Town of Petersham does not suffer too severely.
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HISTORY OF ATHOL
Second Advent Christian Church 1863-1943
Some twenty years before this church was organized its leaders had accepted the doctrines preached by William Miller, particularly concerning the interpretations of prophecy fore- telling the second coming of Christ to this earth. By camp and cottage meetings they had held together a considerable
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ADVENT CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 1871-1943, NOW GRANGE HALL
number of believers from the Unitarians, the Evangelical Church. and the Baptists. Now this group on May 17, 1863 resolved itself into one of the regular church organizations of the town.
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DENOMINATIONS EVOLVE
The first church roll call contains the names of: Addison Cutting, Daniel Ellinwood, J. F. Sawtell, George A. Streeter, Ensign A. Marsh, LaRoy Ellinwood, J. F. Crawford, Daniel W. Ellinwood, Henry W. Stratton, Persis F. Cutting, Jane Sawtell, Caroline Stratton, Mary E. Streeter, Hannah Stratton, Lydia W. Kendall, Hannah Whitman, Lutherea Weaver, Fannie M. Strat- ton, Sarah T. Ellinwood, Hannah Ellinwood, Sarah R. Stratton, Martha J. Crawford, Anna E. Kendall, Sarah Hager, Lydia Cook, Diantha Stockwell, Wealthy J. Stockwell, and Laura M. Strat- ton.
Meetings were held at first in the school house near the Drury Farm on the Petersham Road. In 1870 the hall of the Engine House at the Upper Village was engaged and services were held there until 1872, when a tract of land was purchased on Main Street nearly opposite the Town Hall. During the following year the present church building was erected at an expense of some $3,000.
Soon after the new church was opened Rev. Roland D. Grant became pastor, serving from 1874 to 1876. Rev. Grant after- wards became one of the most eminent Baptist preachers of that denomination, serving churches at Beverly, Boston, Phil- adelphia, and Portland, Oregon.
A dentist in town, Dr. James Hemenway, acted as Elder of the church after Rev. Grant left. Then came a Rev. M. A. Potter who was a decided factor here building up the church considerably.
Although the tenure of Rev. J. S. Purdy in the pastorate was not a lengthy one yet he continued for some years to reside in town, being much beloved by our people and rendering a useful service as supply pastor over a number of churches in our area.
Some few years ago church services were discontinued and the church building at 1278 Main Street, Athol Center, was sold to the Grange in 1943.
MINISTERS
Rev. Roland Grant
Dr. James Hemenway Dr. M. A. Potter Rev. A. C. Johnson Rev. Frank Shattuck
Rev. D. H. Woodward
Rev. Charles Shurtliff Rev. A. E. Phelps Rev. John S. Purdy
Rev. George Armstrong
Rev. James Gardner Rev. Harold Beede
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HISTORY OF ATHOL
St. John's Episcopal Church 1864
Rev. P. Voorhees Finch of Greenfield conducted the first Episcopal service in Athol on June 19, 1864. There was no missionary work then by the denomination, except such as was done by the clergy scattered about the State, and he was glad to respond to the invitation to come to Athol. On that occasion the service was held in the Town Hall.
There is no record of an Episcopal service being held prior to the Civil War years but according to Whitney, the historian,
1
SAINT JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
there was one family of Episcopalians in Athol in 1793. After the first service in 1864 there were only occasional services held by Rev. Dr. Wm. R. Huntington of Grace Church, New York, then of Worcester, and by the clergy of various places, among them being Rev. Dr. Randall, Rev. E. P. Wells of Boston, and Rev. Mr. James, then at Fitchburg.
On September 3, 1866 St. John's Parish was organized and on the third of December following was incorporated. Rev. James D. Reid was at once chosen as rector of the new parish, but after laboring for about a year he removed from town and for several years thereafter few services were held.
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DENOMINATIONS EVOLVE
Through the efforts of Rev. J. S. Beers, diocesan missionary, interest in an Episcopal Church grew to a point where on April 15, 1889 the Parish bought the Hollon Farr home and adjacent lot bordering School Street, Park Avenue and Allen Street, preparatory to building its church edifice. At this time the sixty communicants were then holding services in Temple of Honor Hall, Exchange Street, and had just called Rev. C. J. Shrimpton of Ridgeway, Pennsylvania to the pastorate. In a short space the Athol Society realized the worth of their new pastor. An able and cultivated preacher, clear headed, a prac- tical man of affairs, he was admirably qualified to lead his people from a religious standpoint as well as social.
Born in Montreal in 1835, Rev. Shrimpton was educated in Woodstock Institute, Woodstock, Canada and was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1861, serving churches at Stratford, Canada, and at Stillwater and Ithaca, New York. He was or- dained a priest of the Protestant Episcopal Church at Fayette- ville, New York in 1878 and was in charge of parishes in Galesburg, Illinois and Ridgeway, Pennsylvania before coming to Athol.
Within a year work commenced on the church building. The laying of the corner stone in June of 1890 was an event of unusual interest. Many ministers came to assist including Rev. J. B. Wicks of the Massachusetts Diocesan Board and Rev. A. H. Vinton of All Saints Church, Worcester. The corner stone, which was inscribed by Mr. C. P. Stowe, the builder of the church, has upon one face a maltese cross cut in relief and on the other face the date, 1890.
In the sealed box placed under the stone were carefully stored: The Holy Bible dated 1872; the Prayer Book dated 1886; Athol Transcript of June 24, 1890; Worcester West Chronicle of June 26, 1890; Treasurer's Report, Sketch and Ground Plan of the Church; Home Almanac published in Athol in 1877; Freedom's Sentinel first paper published in Athol on May 13. 1828; White Flag published in Athol on May 31, 1851; Boston Herald of June 25, 1890; Boston Globe of June 25, 1890; piece of current coin dated 1864; a silver three cent piece, very scarce; cards of several of the business men; and a brief history of the church from 1864. The corner stone was given by Mr. Holton Farr and the tin box by A. V. Fletcher.
On October 5. 1890 St. John's Church held its first service in the new building and a year later the church was consecrated by the Rt. Reverend Phillips Brooks, Bishop of Massachusetts.
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HISTORY OF ATHOL
It was one of his first official acts after assuming the duties of Bishop of the Massachusetts Diocese.
At the close of World War I excavations were made under the back of the church building for a parish house. Today they have a comfortable vestry there.
The following are the ministers who have served over this church:
Rev. James D. Reid
1866 - - 1867
Rev. J. S. Beers
1881-1899
(Diocesan missionary)
Rev. Charles James Shrimpton
1889 - 1900
Rev. Frederick Washburne Sandford
1900-1905
Rev. Joseph Almon Ticknor
1906-1911
No Rector
1912
Rev. Henry Herbert Morrill
1913
Rev. Hervey Coke Parke, Jr.
1913 - 1915
Rev. Thomas Burgess
1915 - 1919
Rev. Bayard Heylin Goodwin
1919 -
1926
(Priest-in-charge)
Rev. H. Goring Allder
1927
1929
Rev. Clarke Richard Trumbore
1930 -
1934
Rev. Percival Matson Wood
1934 - - 1943
Rev. Alfred DeForest Snively
1943-1948
Rev. Percival Matson Wood, Ret.
1949 - . 10-15-1949
Rev. Archer Torrey
10-15-1949 - To preesnt
Second Unitarian 1876 (First Church Unitarian-1922)
A meeting of the people in the Lower Village of a liberal faith was held at Pequoig Engine House on November 17, 1876 to devise some means whereby they could have church services more accessible to them. Most of them were then attending the Baptist and Methodist meetings, going uptown only occa- sionally. At this meeting it was agreed to attempt to induce the old First Church to move part way downtown but the leaders of that church refused to make them any concessions so the Second Unitarian Church was eventually organized on June 11, 1877. A third of a century later it was to absorb the Old Church.
The actual underlying cause of this movement was more or less antipathy toward the new pastor of the Baptist Church, Rev. E. M. Bartlett. They had enjoyed the dramatic Rev. J. C. Emery who resigned in April, but the quiet Bartlett who came in July was not to their liking.
Several of the leaders of this Second Unitarian Church while it existed as an independent body were prominent in the town.
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DENOMINATIONS EVOLVE
Ethan Lord, Athol's old time miller, great-grandson of the first settler, long a pew holder in the Baptist Church, and a constituent member of this church. He developed much prop- erty in this village and amassed a considerable fortune. He was always a Democrat in politics even when that party was practically without a champion here.
Lucien Lord, son of Ethan, was for years a leader in this church as well as the Town, a member of the first Executive Committee, long Superintendent of the Sunday School, and historian at the twenty-fifth anniversary of the church. He built the Academy of Music, the Pequoig Hotel and developed Lake Park, South Park, Pleasant Valley, and Intervale. Finan- cial reverses overtook him in later years but he never lost his interest in his church nor his town.
John C. Hill, Judge Charles Field, Hon, Alpheus Harding, Elisha F. Brown, D. A. Newton, Nathaniel Richardson, Dr. and Mrs. Horace C. Smith, William W. Fish, Albert L. Newman, Harding R. Barber, George T. Johnson, George D. Bates, Frank E. Wing, and Edgar Vinton Wilson are a few of the good peo- ple who worked so hard in support of this church during its early years.
Until a church building could be planned and erected serv- ices were held for some three years in Starr Hall, then the principal assembly hall of the town, beginning February 11, 1877. In June of that year Rev. James C. Parsons of Glouces- ter was installed as the first pastor. By his counsel coupled with the able assistance of his estimable wife, he did much to make the church the strong power that it was in the com- munity through all the years of its independent existence. After four years of service here he was called to the Prospect Hill School in Greenfield where he spent the remainder of his active life.
In the fall of 1877 the Women's Alliance was organized. For over seventy-five years this auxiliary had had a prominent part in the activities of the downtown Unitarian Society.
Ground was broken for the new edifice on June 27, 1880 on land acquired of Emily Knowlton and Frank G. Lord. Easter Sunday, 1881, the first service was held in the new church building, though it was not formally dedicated until September seventh.
Rev. Charles P. Lombard succeeded Rev. Parsons on April 11, 1882, coming from Ellsworth, Maine. It was during his six years of ministry here that Unity Hall was erected. In
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HISTORY OF ATHOL
1888 Rev. Lombard resigned his office and removed to Ply- mouth, Massachusetts where for several years he was pastor of the Church of the Puritans, the pioneer of Congregational churches on this continent.
In the spring of 1888 Rev. Charles E. Perkins, a Baptist pas- tor at Oswego, New York, was called to this pastorate, and duly installed on June 29. A fine gentleman and a literary genius he certainly supplied the intellectual requirements to,
SECOND UNITARIAN CHURCH 1881 - 1912
the satisfaction of all. I believe it was during his pastorate that the property on Concord Street was acquired, which for some years was the parsonage. After a stay of four years Mr. Perkins relinquished the pastorate and removed to Davenport, lowa. Shortly he returned to the Evangelical teachings and occupied the remainder of his useful life in educational and
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DENOMINATIONS EVOLVE
literary work. He died at Geneva, New York on October 22, 1922, aged 69.
A recent gradute of Harvard, Rev. Walter E. Lane became the pastor on November 17, 1892. This young man for a time promised much as a preacher and a pastor but this was his first pastorate and he was new to the work. Before he fairly found himself as a minister his health failed and he gave up his position. I understand that he never after accepted a pastorate but removed to Brookfield, Massachusetts, occupy- ing his time in other pursuits.
Rev. Carl G. Horst accepted a call to this pastorate on July 11, 1895 and for five years served in a most acceptable man- ner. This was practically the beginning of his life's work for aside from a short engagement in Pittsfield, Massachusetts he had no previous experience as a minister. Mr. Horst was a native of Germany, a classmate of the then Kaiser, but in later years when the war came no one had any doubt about the sterling Americanism of Carl Horst. It has been my privilege to feel personally acquainted with all the pastors of the Second Church but of all of them Rev. Mr. Horst has been the one who appealed to me very much. It was hard for me to be a Baptist while Mr. Horst was preaching here. In 1900 he re- signed and accepted a pastorate in Upton, Massachusetts, whence he went to Wollaston and from there to Littleton.
Rev. John W. Barker was the sixth pastor of this church. A native of England he had served in the ministry but a short period at Marshfield, Massachusetts before coming here in February 1901. While serving in that community he had in some way come to the attention of Mr. Wilson H. Lee of New Haven, Connecticut, who throughout his long life of well over ninety years was a consistent friend of Athol, and who recom- mended him to our church. An accomplished public speaker, coupled with much ability, John Barker at once found a prom- inent place in our community. Coming to what was probably the strongest church in Athol he found an enthusiastic follow- ing here and for a time he seemed to be a great success, but eventually his peole began to fall away from their church and sensing the change in the attitude of his people he sought and secured another field as pastor of the church of his faith in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
After some years he resigned and returned to Athol, the home of his estimable wife Minnie (Brookhouse).
For several months he preached in his former church here and was received enthusiastically by our townspeople. He
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HISTORY OF ATHOL
served a few years as President of Athol Chamber of Com- merce and was for several years a member of our Board of Selectmen. In the "Preparedness" period previous to World War II he conducted a registration of resident aliens, and after Pearl Harbor in 1942 he became Athol's War Transportation Administrator. Ac Chairman of the Selectmen he was Chair- man of the town's War Relief Fund drive.
In later years he has returned to the other scene of his- achievement and is now residing at White River Junction, Vermont.
In the autumn of 1907 Rev. Clarence L. Ball came to the pastorate and served practically two years.
The church edifice erected in 1880-81 and Unity Hall were burned on January 28, 1912. When the church became homeless the doors of every Protestant Church in Athol were thrown open to it, but it wisely chose to go back-to the old First Church, by then so depleted in constituency that it had all but ceased to function. Through this eventually came about the reunion in which all rejoiced and the First Church with all its history again became an active living factor in Athol.
Rev. William D. Wilkie of Whitman was pastor during these changes, from 1910 to 1919 when he accepted a call to South Natick. During his pastorate, on October 31, 1915, the new church edifice was dedicated. Mr. Wilkie with true Christian zeal during the war period entered one of our industries and for a long time did a week's work in the factory in addition to at- tending to his church duties.
When the Second Church returned to its original location in 1915 most of the remaining members of the First Church came with them but actual merger was not accomplished un- til March 28, 1922 when the Second Church was disbanded. This consolidated the old First Church of Christ in Athol and the Second Unitarian Church, in the church building of the latter, and reunited the liberal Christians of the town who di- vided forty-three years before when the old church refused to move at least part way downtown.
Pastor at the time of the official merger, Rev. Edwin Booth Young came in March, 1920 from the Episcopal faith. Intel- lectual, gentlemanly, kindly, he was much beloved.
Thus the Church of Christ in Athol organized by the pio- neers in 1750, although much changed in theology and wor-
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DENOMINATIONS EVOLVE
shipping in its fifth church building, (if we count the one burned before formal organization) is still an integral part of the religious activities of this town, under the name of First Church Unitarian.
Althought Rev. Mr. Young felt for a time that the Unitarian faith more nearly expressed his religious views yet as time went along he seems to have reverted to something of his earlier Trinitarian convictions. This reversion led him to re- sign his pastorate here in the summer of 1925. Ere long word reached us from Northampton whence he had removed that he had embraced the Roman Catholic faith.
I find little to mention and less to criticize in the succeed- ing pastorates of Reverends Homer L. Sheffer, Arthur S. Schoenfeldt and Frank B. Crandall, except that the last named was and still is particularly active in many branches of Ma- sonry.
The pastorate of Rev. Leon S. Simonetti was the second long- est in the history of the Second Church. He was much beloved in Ware whence he came here and no voice was ever raised against him while he remained in Athol but he was irked by the lack of attendance at his services and in 1944 sought a church in Waltham, a much larger community.
Likewise Rev. Truman L. Hayes felt he was sowing seed on sterile ground and when an opportunity presented itself he withdrew being succeeded by Rev. Charles Donelson, Jr., who after two years sought and obtained a church recently estab- lished in Phoenix, Arizona.
Before Rev. Donelson left town, the church had heard and accepted Robert James O'Brien just fresh from Divinity School who was ordained and installed by impressive services October 19, 1952, the sermon for the occasion being preached by Rev. Jack A. Kent of Grafton.
PASTORS
Rev. James C. Parsons
6-12-1877 1881
Rev. Charles P. Lombard
4-11-1882 1888
Rev. Charles E. Perkins
6-29-1888 - 1892
Rev. Walter E. Lane
11-17-1892 1894
Rev. Carl G. Horst
7-11-1895 1900
Rev. John W. Barker
2-12-1901 1907
1909
Rev. William D. Wilkie
1910
1919
Rev. Edwin Booth Young
3-1920
8-1925
Rev. Homer Lewis Sheffer
2-1926 3-1928
Rev. Arthur S. Schoenfeldt
11-1928
4-1931
1907
Rev. Clarence L. Ball
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HISTORY OF ATHOL
Rev. Frank B. Crandall
8-1931 1935
Rev. John W. Barker (Acting pastor)
1-1936 1-1937
Rev. Leon S. Simonetti
4-1937 - 10-1944
Rev. Truman L. Hayes
1-1945 - - 2-1950
Rev. Charles Donelson, Jr.
4-1950-8-1-1952
Rev. Robert J. O'Brien
10-19-1952 - To present
First Church of Christ, Scientist 1898
In 1898 those who were interested in the teachings of Chris- tian Science met together each Sunday afternoon to read the Christian Science Lesson Sermons together at the home of Mr. Roswell L. Whipple, who ten years previously had been healed under Christian Science treatment of a so-called incurable dis- ease. Later the group met at the home of Mr. Frank E. Smith, 212 Crescent Street. During the last four months of 1899 there was an average attendance of fifteen.
A Christian Science Society was organized on September 15, 1899 with Mr. James F. Gilman as First Reader and Pres- ident; Mrs. Mary J. Smith, Second Reader; Mr. Frank E. Smith, clerk; and Mr. Roswell L. Whipple, treasurer. Services were begun on February 11, 1900 in the parlors of First Unitarian Church (now the quarters of The Athol Woman's Club). Here Mrs. Eva L. Albee was organist, and later Mrs. Burnham was organist and soloist.
During the next twenty-five years various changes occurred in this church until 1926 when the present church building was opened for regular services. In retrospect some of the activities are here recorded.
May, 1901 -- Mrs. Mary J. Smith resigned as Reader and Mrs. Sarah C. Barney, C.S.B. was chosen to fill the place. June, 1901- the services were in the G. A. R. Hall. July, 1901- the hour of Sunday services was changed from 3 p. m. to 10:45 a. m.
The Wednesday evening meetings were held in the rooms of Mr. and Mrs. Frank S. Parmenter, 419 Main Street. The average Sunday attendance during 1902 was twenty. On Wednesday evening, October 1, 1902, building fund to be sent to The Mother Church in Boston was started. December 3, 1902-services were held for the first time in Pythian Hall and Sunday and Wednesday services were held there. During the years 1903-04-05 money was sent to The Mother Church in Boston in the amount of $242.50, $35.41 of this amount being contributed by the Sunday School children. Sunday af- ternoon, June 25, 1905, Judge Septimus J. Hanna, delivered
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DENOMINATIONS EVOLVE
the first lecture on Christian Science in Athol to an audience of about 500 in the Academy of Music.
The Society voted to organize as a Church in 1905. For this purpose a meeting was held on December 31, 1906 at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Frank S. Parmenter, with Mr. Hiram L. Parmenter as Chairman and Mrs. Gertrude A. S. Derby as Clerk of this meeting. Chosen as directors were: Mrs. Ger- trude A. S. Derby, clerk; Mr. Frank S. Parmenter, treasurer; Mr. Andrew J. Hamilton, Miss Lillian A. Amsden, and Mrs. Abbie S. Whipple.
Then followed the reading of the names of the Charter Members who had written their names under The Tenets of The Mother Church: Mrs. Eva L. Albee, Mr. Andrew J. Thompson, Mrs. Clarissa Brooks Peckham, Miss Nettie O. Newell, Mrs. Gertrude A. S. Derby, Mrs. Emma L. Shepardson, Mr. Laurence I. Parmenter, Mrs. Etta M. Gorton (later Mrs. Etta G. Vaughan), Mrs. Minnie Gourley Dole, Miss Lillian A. Amsden (later Mrs. Lillian A. Waite), Mr. Frank S. Parmenter, Mrs. Adele C. Parmenter, Mrs. Emma R. Thayer, Mr. Hiram L. Parmenter, Mrs. Sarah C. Barney, Mrs. Abbie S. Whipple, Mrs. May Stebbins Hackett, Mr. Andrew J. Hamilton, Mrs. Rose E. Phelps, Mrs. Lizie Duran, Miss Blanche Parmenter (later Mrs. Blanche Noyes), Mr. Franklin E. Smith, Mrs. Mary J. Smith, Miss Miriam F. Smith, Mr. Charles E. Orcutt, Mrs. Hattie E. Orcutt.
January 16. 1907 a meeting for the purpose of organizing a corporation was held in Pythian Hall. August 21, 1907 the following incorporators met in Pythian Hall: Mrs. Sarah C. Barney, Mrs. Eva L. Albee, Mrs. Gertrude A. S. Derby, Miss Lillian A. Amsden, Miss Nettie O. Newell, Mrs. Minnie Gour- lay Dole, Mrs. Etta Thayer Gorton, Mrs. Frank S. Parmenter, Mr. Hiram L. Parmenter, Mr. J. Andrew Conant, Mr. Andrew J. Thompson, and Mr. Andrew J. Hamilton. At this meeting the Board of Directors of the new corporate body was elected as follows: Mrs. Abbie S. Whipple, Miss Lillian A. Amsden, Miss Nettie O. Newell, Mr. Hiram L. Parmenter, Mr. Frank S. Parmenter, Mrs. Gertrude A. S. Derby-treasurer, and Andrew J. Hamilton-clerk (and sworn).
The charter of the corporation having been granted under Chapter 125 of The Revised Laws of Massachusetts, a special meeting was held in Pythian Hall, 456 Main Street, on Septem- ber 18, 1907 for the purpose of merging the unincorporated church with the new corporate body. The first Annual meet- ing was held on January 6, 1908.
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HISTORY OF ATHOL
First attempts to purchase a church building site were made in 1916, and later the same year a lot was purchased from Miss Myrtie Drury at Beacon and Taylor Streets. However, on April 6, 1922 this lot was sold to Mr. J. P. McClumpha. In 1925 further efforts toward obtaining a suitable site resulted in the purchase from Mr. Frank Fuller of a lot on Ridge Av- enue near Exchange Street on January 14, 1926. Ground was broken in May, 1926 and building operations were under the direction of Mr. Philip R. Thayer, Architect and Chairman of the Building Committee, with Mr. Frank Herbeck as contrac- tor. Occupied on October 3, 1926, the church building was dedicated free from debt on Sunday, January 30, 1938.
I am appreciative of the time and effort which Mr. Henry F. Houghton (a member of the Board of Directors 1940-50) gave me in writing the history of this active church in our com- munity.
Seventh Day Adventist Church 1903
My first recollection of this faith was in my youth when Joel Crandall, an operative in Merrit L. Lee's boot shop on South Street, absolutely refrained from all labor after sundown Fri- day night through Saturday. But all day Sunday he could be heard vigorously plying his trade, and I believe that he was probably the pioneer here of the Seventh Day Christian faith. In later years as others of this belief came to Athol his widow and at least one of his sons were active members of their group. A Civil War veteran, Joel Crandall, then of Shutes- bury, had enlisted in August, 1862 in Co. F. 27th Massachu- setts Volunteers Infantry, serving until June, 1865.
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