USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Bolton > History of Bolton, 1738-1938 > Part 7
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There were years which were apparently hard for both pastor and parishioners, as evidenced by such records as these : "Rev. - left after less than a year, not proving pleasant to himself or profitable to his hearers," or again, "his ministry was short, unprofitable, filled with sore trials and division of feelings." We learn that once an Ecclesi- astical Council was necessary and once the Baptist State Convention came to the rescue. Despite the "trials and heart burnings," faith triumphed.
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HISTORY OF BOLTON
Under the leadership of Reverend Kilburn Holt, inter- est in a new meetinghouse was aroused in the 1860's. The present building was erected at a cost of $5000, "beside much labor." Of this amount only $150 came "from abroad." The Clinton Baptist Church was the largest donor, contributing the sum of $100. The rest was sub- scribed locally, and the church, free of debt, was dedicated May 31, 1866.
In 1868, two of the brethren, Deacon Aaron Powers and Joel Proctor, purchased the property east of the Post Office (now owned by Mr. John Smith) for use as a parsonage. The description reads : "A good parsonage, near the church, together with a stable and about four acres of good land, affording a good garden, a mowing field, pasture and fruit so that there may be for the pastor a good house provided with bread for the eater, and seed for the sower." Other houses served at various times as the home of the minister. In 1904, the present parsonage was purchased from the Parker estate. Reverend and Mrs. Frank A. Pride were the first to live there.
Although there are many records of appropriation of money for the upkeep of the church building, by 1920 it was evident that extensive repairs or alterations were necessary. The edifice was too large and was extremely difficult to heat in the winter. The advice of an architect was sought and his suggestions carried out.
The remodeled building was rededicated to the worship of God on July 28, 1921. Many people attended the "Old Home Day" of the church, and a social time, with a picnic dinner, was held on the lawn of the parsonage. The formal church service of dedication followed, with this inter- esting program : -
THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
THE OLDEST PICTURE OF BOLTON
THE HILLSIDE CHURCH
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THE BAPTIST CHURCH
Prelude - Miss Elizabeth Hurlbut of Framingham
Doxology
Invocation
Scripture - Rev. W. G. W. Wolfe of the First Parish Church
Solo - Mrs. Marguerite Franklin
Prayer - Rev. J. H. Barrows of Marblehead
Greetings - Mrs. Alice Dow of the Friends Society
Church History - Written by Mrs. Martha T. Randall, read by Miss Helen R. Rowe
Song - The Little White Church, by quartette : Rev. E. B. Dolan,
Mr. E. E. Hurlbut, Miss E. M. Campbell, Miss E. P. Hurlbut Sermon - Rev. Edwin B. Dolan of Boston
Benediction - Rev. George E. Crouse of East Dedham
The church history read at this time was written by Mrs. Martha T. Randall, the full title being "A Brief History of the Baptist Church of Bolton, a report read at the Wachu- sett Baptist Association in South Gardner, September 8 and 9, 1869."
The expense for the repairs was nearly as great as the original cost of building, and at the time of rededication there was a debt of $2000. With great effort, this was re- duced, year by year, until the debt was cleared. The mort- gage was burned at a special meeting in November, 1926.
In going over the records, one name which stands out for many years is that of Deacon Aaron Powers. The history of the Baptist Church would not be complete without men- tioning his long faithful devotion to it. The son of one of the charter members, he joined at an early age, serving in many ways until 1875, when, upon the death of his father, he succeeded him as deacon. He, too, held this office until his death in 1905. Five generations of this family have been connected with the church.
The church is proud of the fact that the Reverend Edwin B. Dolan, now Field Secretary of the Massachusetts Baptist
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HISTORY OF BOLTON
Convention, was once one of its members. It was this church which granted him, at his request, a license to preach. His work has spread from a local parish to a field of wider scope ; he is one of the denominational leaders, and is also connected with the State Federation of Churches.
The Church School, or Sunday School, was organized by Deacon John Powers in 1843, and has ever played an im- portant part in the life of the church. In the early 1900's the Beginners' Department was made happy with a low table and small chairs. Blackboards, chalk, and other inexpensive materials made handwork possible. Perry pictures added interest to the Bible stories. The small members of this group were cognizant of the meaning of the words which they recited, "' I was glad when they said unto me, 'let us go into the House of the Lord.'"'
The Ladies' Aid, known until 1909 as the "Sewing Circle," was an important factor in the life of the church. Not only did the organization assist the church in many ways, both spiritually and materially, but through its missionary endeavors it responded to the needs of those nearby and those in the foreign field. Church suppers, lawn parties, auctions, quilting bees, fairs, and food sales were some of the many activities which helped to swell the treasury of this group, and in turn the treasury of the church.
Another organization of great value was the Young People's Christian Endeavor Society. The Sunday Evening Service, conducted by the young people, gave many their first opportunity to conduct a meeting, while the socials helped stimulate the spirit of friendliness. Through its affiliation with the Washburn Union and the State Society, the Christian Endeavor Society made many interesting and helpful contacts. There was a feeling of satisfaction and
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THE HILLSIDE CHURCH
obligation in the knowledge that this group, though small, was a part of a large organization whose influence is nation- wide.
The First Baptist Church of Bolton now approaches its one hundred and fifth birthday. Twenty-seven ministers and eight deacons have served this church. Two meeting- houses have been built and remodeled. At the present time there are forty-five members, twenty-seven of whom are resident.
MINISTERS WHO HAVE SERVED THE BAPTIST CHURCH
Elder Luther Goddard .
1833 Rev. Andrew Read . 1883
Rev. Levi M. Powers 1836 Rev. Charles P. Martin 1890
Rev. Isaac Carpenter . 1843 Rev. W. A. Atchley I891
Rev. John Walker 1844
Rev. L. E. Scharf I891
Rev. P. S. Whitman 1846
(ordained Jan. 4, 1847)
Rev. F. A. Pride I904
Rev. Asaph Merriam .
1848
Rev. W. K. Davey . 1856
(ordained Oct., 1856)
Rev. Roy B. Bowers I9II
Rev. J. H. Barrows 1913
Rev. Paul E. Alden 1919
Rev. J. H. Learned 1860
Rev. K. Holt . .
I863
Rev. Elisha Newell . 1925
Rev. J. Barber I868
Rev. Benjamin Edwards . 1872
Rev. George B. Fitz 1880
(ordained July, 1908)
Rev. J. H. Giles . . 1858 .
(ordained Jan., 1858)
Rev. Elizabeth Campbell I92I
Rev. Samuel Merriman I926
Rev. George E. Jaques . 1928
THE HILLSIDE CHURCH
The Hillside Church was an outgrowth of S. V. S. Wilder's determination to keep the evangelical faith alive, even in the midst of strong Unitarian communities. Having found a few others who were interested in the same project, he inserted the following notice in the first issue of the Lan- caster Gazette, March 4, 1828 :
Rev. W. L. Stone 1903
Rev. George E. Crouse 1908
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HISTORY OF BOLTON
NOTICE
Those persons residing in the towns of Sterling, Lancaster, Bolton, and Stow who are desirous of co-operating in erecting a House which is to be built in a central place in this region for the worship and service of the One Living and True God Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are respectfully invited to meet at the residence of S. V. S. Wilder in Bolton on Wednesday 5th inst. (tomorrow) at 2 o'clock P.M. for the purpose of adopting such measures as will, with the blessing of God, accomplish this object.
(Signed) S. V. S. Wilder William Stedman Henry Ballard
In the meantime, a Baptist gentleman had headed the list of subscribers with $300, and Wilder quickly added $3300. He also offered "4 or 6 acres" from his farm for a building site, the land to be taken anywhere except in front of his house.
The cornerstone was laid, with appropriate ceremony, on Wednesday, July 9, 1828, and the Lancaster Gazette for July 15, 1828, gives an account of the service. About seven hundred persons were present, and Reverend Mr. Vaill of Brimfield preached the sermon. Among other things placed within the cornerstone, were several religious tracts, a list of names of the builders and workmen engaged in "raising" the structure, and "100 incontrovertible arguments for believing in the divinity of Jesus." On the stone were the words, "Erected for the worship of Jehovah; Father - Son and Holy Ghost. Anno Domini 1828."
The work progressed rapidly, and on August 12, 1828, the Lancaster Gazette tells of the "raising." Reverend Mr. Green of Boston preached the first sermon "within the frame." The paper comments, "We understand no ardent spirit was used by the workmen during the raising." Before
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THE HILLSIDE CHURCH
the next issue on August 19th, a paper called The Galaxy had copied the above item with several caustic comments, "Mr. Wilder, patron and chief owner . . gave each man employed 25 cents a day as compensation for abstinence from ardent spirit. What virtue there is in temperance bought at such a price we have not sagacity enough to dis- cover." It went on to say that those not interested in the extra twenty-five cents daily found no difficulty in ob- taining their "ardent spirits," as a "tent was put up in a nearby field where all liquors were sold as usual."
The Gazette, the next week, devoted nearly a column to putting the Galaxy in its place. It admitted that the laborers had exhibited no special virtue, since they abstained for the sake of the money. Still, it pointed out, the experi- ment was valuable, for it had proved that such work could be done more satisfactorily without stimulants than with them. Not a single person had been hurt during the erec- tion of the building, an unusual record for those days. Also, the Gazette stated that, though there were five hundred people present at the time of the raising "scarcely $2 worth of liquor was sold." Finally, said the Gazette, the attitude expressed by the Galaxy might do great harm to the cause of temperance, except that its "uncharitable, unchristian spirit" would be enough to condemn it in the eyes of most people.
The building had every luxury and convenience known to that day. It was large enough, at least, so that on occasion of a revival meeting "some three hundred persons rose as an expression of their desire for prayer." An interesting feature was the "Nicodemus" seats, named for the Pharisee who came to see Jesus by night, which were within hearing of the services, but out of sight of the audience. There were
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HISTORY OF BOLTON
three rooms in the basement, two of which were fitted up as reading rooms and supplied with religious publications. During the preparations for the new church, a singing school was conducted at Mr. Wilder's expense, and books provided, so that when the church opened, there was a trained choir to assist with the services.
The church was "constituted" with eighteen men and eighteen women on March 17, 1830. The last issue of the short-lived Lancaster Gazette, April 13, 1830, carried the notice of the ordination, which took place next day, of Reverend Doctor John W. Chickering, as first pastor.
In 1831, a series of revival meetings was held which more than doubled the membership; and its effects were felt in all the four towns represented. The meetings took place in August, and were evidently "the last straw" to the Unitarians of the region, since it was in the same month that the letter from the angry men in South Lancaster, which is quoted in Chapter XXIV, was sent to Mr. Wilder. In this connection it may be noted that Doctor Chickering says in his book, Hillside Church, that this group was the "parent stock" from which sprang all other Evangelical churches in the region ; that "this church at first stood alone as the representative of the faith of the fathers."
The church was active for a few years, through the four pastorates of Doctor Chickering, Reverend John S. Daven- port, Reverend Mr. Peabody, and Reverend Henry Adams. But though it occupied a central position, it was a long dis- tance from all the villages it served. Groups of people in the different regions, in time, organized to have meetings for worship nearer home, and gradually, after Mr. Wilder's departure from Bolton, Hillside Church was abandoned. The final gathering was "about the going down of the sun
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THE FEDERATED CHURCH
on Sabbath afternoon July 10, 1859." A large crowd assem- bled for the last time in the building, and the final service was conducted, appropriately enough, by Reverend Doctor Chickering, who had been the first pastor.
THE METHODIST SOCIETY
The members of the Methodist Society commenced their meetings, assembling at the Town House, in 1859. They had a full attendance, but their paying members were few. Warren C. Brown, a young man of promise, was their minister, and the spirit prevailing was excellent. Mr. Brown, however, sickened and died of pulmonary consump- tion, after a residence here of about two years, and the society disbanded and scattered into other societies of this and other towns.
THE FEDERATED CHURCH
On February 28, 1931, the three churches of Bolton, the First Parish Church, the Baptist Church, and the Society of Friends, united to form a Federated Church. By this arrangement, each society retains its own identity in denominational affairs. The Federation is a voluntary association for the purposes of local work and worship. A general committee, composed of three members from each society, plans the activities of the Federation.
Services are held in the new church building of the First Parish, this being best suited for efficient parish work. Reverend George E. Jaques, formerly pastor of the Baptist church, is the minister of the Federated Church. The Federation has proven successful because of the willingness of the members of three distinct denominations to work together for a common cause.
XI BURYING GROUNDS
I like that ancient Saxon phrase, which calls The burial ground God's Acre !
HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
EARLY SETTLERS' TOMB
ON the farm of John Hopkins, near West Pond, is an ancient tomb. This tomb has been viewed by students from several universities and by antiquarians, who place the date of its building as prior to the incorporation of Bolton. It is the so-called Corn Hill type of tomb, which dates around 1700. The tomb has been open for many years, and is now nearly empty.
However, fifty or sixty years ago on its shelves were several coffins which had crumbled almost to dust. The bones inside the coffins were white and bleached. It has been supposed that this tomb was constructed by the Saw- yer family, and that John Sawyer, aged twenty-one, is buried therein; but that theory will hardly hold in face of the fact that Benjamin Sawyer first bought the place in I79I. Benjamin's son, John, lived to a ripe old age, and John's son, John F., died in 1898, aged seventy-three.
It is now thought that this may have been a community tomb in the days before the incorporation of Bolton. A number of families lived along the Bay Path, the County Road (Long Hill) and in what is now the east part of the
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BURYING GROUNDS
town. The nearest burying ground was on the Old Com- mon in Lancaster, and in winter that must have been a "Sabbath Day's journey " over icy paths and through deep drifts. Doubtless the old tomb was used when circum- stances forbade the long trip to Lancaster.
THE OLD BURYING GROUND
Burials previous to 1740 were probably made in Lancaster or in private family burial grounds, as there is no record of a town cemetery before this time. At a town meeting on the 17th day of March, 1739, "It was put to Vote whether the Town would Chose a Comtee To provide a Burying place in Bolton, it pass't in the Affirmative and John Moor, Junr, William Pollard, and Benjamin Atherton were chosen to be said Committee."
It was probably not thought necessary to record the action of the committee, as no appropriation of money was re- quired. A suitable spot was given by William Sawyer from his 300-acre farm, in what is now the south part of Bolton, but which was, in 1740, nearly the center. By a singular coincidence, William Sawyer was the first to be buried there. His gravestone bears the earliest date in the burying ground.
The very oldest stones in the South Cemetery are slabs of ordinary rock, crudely cut out and lettered by hand. It was not until about 1750 that slate stones were common. Although every bit of available space in the oldest part of this burying ground has been used, there are many graves that are not marked. All the stones were set facing the west "looking toward the sunset."
An addition to this cemetery was made in 1871. This was surveyed by Roswell Barrett and contained 207 new lots, a large number of which have been taken.
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HISTORY OF BOLTON
Below are copies of a few epitaphs from the oldest stones :
Here lies buried ye body of Mr William Sawyer who departed this life February ye 3d
A.D. 1740-41 in ye 62d year of his age
Here lies buried ye body of Mr John Moor
who departed this life July ye 27th A.D. 1740 & was about 79 years old
When this you see, remember me
Here lies buried Body of Mr Jonathan Whitcomb who departed this life Octobr ye 7th A.D. 1743
Here lies buried ye Body Of Mrs Sarah Gates Ye wife of Mr Paul Gates who departed this Life Febry Ye 6th
5 A.D. 1744 age 16 years 1 m 16 ds
Age 41 years 5 m & 15 ds
Here lies buried ye body of Thomas Whitcomb, son of Quartermaster Josiah and Mrs Ruhamah Whitcomb who decd July ye 20th A.D. 1747 Age 1 yr II m and 20 ds
4
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BURYING GROUNDS
These verses are copied from some of the old stones :
Behold me now as you pass by As you are now so once was I As I am now so you must be Prepare for death and follow me
Death is a debt that I have paid And you with me must soon be laid
Past middle age behold I die Dear friends prepare, for death is nigh This grave my home, here I must rest Till Christ shall call me from the dust.
My partner dear do not complain Yours is the loss but mine the gain He lent me you but for a time And now he takes me in my prime.
Dry up your tears nor for me grieve 'Tis well you've reason to believe Indeed our God doth all things well And so my loving friends farewell.
Mrs. Elizabeth Whitcomb Age 24 Her life was goodness, heavenly was her mind In blooming youth, to heav'n she felt resigned Here now she dwells in never ending joy Where Time or Eternity will not destroy. Her flight is mourned by friendships lovliest ties, Yet trusts she dwells in bliss above the skies.
Reverend Thomas Goss was buried here, and a large stone in the shape of a table, with a lengthy inscription in Latin, marks his grave. General John Whitcomb, the out- standing military man of this vicinity during the French
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HISTORY OF BOLTON
and Indian Wars and the Revolution, lies buried beneath an unpretentious slate stone. No mention is made on the stone of his military title; he is called John Whitcomb, Esquire. Age and dates are given and beneath is the in- scription, "Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called the Children of God."
THE OLD FRY BURYING GROUND
The Fry Burying Ground is the second oldest cemetery in Bolton. This is the plot where the Friends or Quakers buried their dead from the time of their first settlement in Bolton until about 1840. It is a secluded spot, at least fifty yards from the Berlin road, to be reached only by crossing a field now belonging to Merwin P. Hall.
Upon reaching the enclosed quarter-acre on the top of a little knoll, the visitor may be somewhat surprised at the absence of gravestones or markers, there being only six or eight, all of recent origin. This peculiarity is explained by the belief of the Friends, for their faith led them to believe that when a person died his spirit passed on, leaving the old worn-out body, like a butterfly bursting its chrysalis. So they took no pains to mark the spot where the soul's erstwhile dwelling had been laid.
In this belief the Quakers differed from their Calvinistic neighbors, whose epitaphs frequently refer to the body's occupancy of the grave "'till Gabriel's trumpet wakes the dead."
No family lots were laid out in the burying ground, but all were buried side by side, according to the order of their death.
In 1926, the Fry graveyard was taken over by the town
And Winter robing with pure snow and crowns Of starry ice the gray grass and bare boughs. .. . PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY
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BURYING GROUNDS
as a family lot, to receive perpetual care. One hundred dollars had been given to the Society of Friends for this pur- pose by Thomas Fry, grandson of John Fry from whose farm the cemetery was originally given to the Friends Society.
PAN CEMETERY
The land for the Pan cemetery was purchased from Oliver Barrett on May 6, 1822, for one hundred dollars. It con- tained one acre, 208 rods. One of the oldest stones in the cemetery reads as follows :
In Memory of Thomas Osborn son of Mr. Ephraim Osborn who died Aug 23 1823 Æt 19 Firmly confined in death's embrace The sprightly youth here ends his race His lovely form must here be laid Till Gabriel's Trumpet wakes the dead
Among the many other old stones may be found the fol- lowing two, of a more recent date, but nevertheless of in- terest :
Nathan Corey son of Mr. George & Mrs Sarah Sawyer died Aug 29 1829 Æt 6 months "Sleep on sweet babe and take thy rest God called thee home when he thought best"
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HISTORY OF BOLTON
Quincy A son of Elias & Mary Ann Warner died April 14, 1834 aged 7 yrs 5 mos & 9 ds "Let worms devour my wasting flesh And crumble all my bones to dust My God will raise my frame anew At the revival of the just"
At the eastern end of the Pan Cemetery are six tombs, all dated 1839. In the first one are the mortal remains of Reverend Isaac Allen, pastor of the First Parish for forty years. Above the tomb stands a small white monument which was erected by the church.
A small piece of land was added at the western end sixty or seventy years ago. It is the width of one double lot and as deep as the rest of the cemetery. With the exception of one lot, the piece of land was taken up by the Houghton family and their descendants.
THE WEST CEMETERY
The land for the West Cemetery, one acre, eighty rods, was bought from Thomas and Silas Welsh in 1822, the same date as the purchase of the Pan Cemetery. There are five tombs dated 1835.
The oldest stone in the burying ground reads as follows :
In Memory of Jonas Houghton Son of Major Jonas and Mrs. Eunice Houghton who died Mar 9 1804 Æt 4 years & I month
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BURYING GROUNDS
Major Jonas Houghton lived in the house now owned by Everett Rowe, and it may be possible that this plot of land was used as a private burying ground by the Houghtons, years before its purchase by the town.
The two earliest stones after the purchase of this plot by the town read as follows :
Tabitha wife of
Israel Woodbury died
Oct 30 1822 Æt 34 yrs II ds.
In Memory of Mrs Rebekah Nurse Wife of
Dea. David Nurse who died
Mar 26 1823 Æt 84
In this cemetery are buried members of the Haynes family, Silas Haynes, Francis Haynes, and many of their families, including Miss Mary Elizabeth Haynes, who was a nurse during the Civil War. Here is the monument of David Whitney and his son Captain Joseph, in whose mem- ory the Whitney Memorial Library was given to the town. The grave of Deacon Henry Houghton, one of the founders of the Baptist Church, is in this cemetery ; and there are a number of others of the Houghton name. On the stone of Frank E. Houghton, a member of the first Regiment, U. S. Artillery, who was killed in a battle in Virginia, appears the following verse :
Not here thy grave lost darling son Not o'er thy dust we weep, But evermore shall mourning hearts Thy memory fondly keep.
Three generations of Fyfes, once a prominent family in Bolton, are buried beneath a tall grey monument. Three generations of Newtons, the family of Horatio and Rebecca,
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HISTORY OF BOLTON
are buried nearby. The Howards and the Barnards, the Whitcombs and the Athertons are all represented.
Probably the most interesting monument in this cemetery is that of George Grassie, who lived in the house now owned by Dr. Lawrence F. Burke. This monument of red stone tells its own story :
George Grassie / Born at Gartley Aberdeenshire / Scotland Feb 16, 1788 / Migrated to Halifax N S in 1813 / Married Apr 30, 1822 / Elizabeth Field the Mother / Of his children from whom he was / Not parted till his death. / In 1828 on the Demise of his / Father, went back to the old home / The Mains of Kildrummey / Returned to this continent in 1848 / And took up his abode on / The Hillside in Bolton and / Here died Feb 23 1875
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