USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Dracut > History of Dracut, Massachusetts, called by the Indians Augumtoocooke and before incorporation, the wildernesse north of the Merrimac. First permanment settlement in 1669 and incorporated as a town in 1701 > Part 16
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Simeon Colburn
Thomas Hildreth
Kendall Parker
Stephen Russell Jr.
David Parker
Stephen Farmer Alexander Lindsay
Stephen Russell
Jacob Colburn Jr.
Jonathan Crosby Robert Wright
Joseph Chamberlain Jr.
Josiah Richardson Jr.
Darius Harris
David Fox
Ephraim Curtis Jr.
James Emery
Jonathan Emery John Crage Francis Nickles
Ephraim Richardson Stephen Wood Daniel Fox
William Hill
Joseph Chamberlain
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
The Legislative Committee decided that the proper place for the location was "on the height of land in the highway be- tween the barn of Col. Varnum and the orchard of said Varnum northwesterly of said barn. This decision would locate the build- ing on the west side of Beaver brook as proposed three years previous to this time. This report was adopted by the Council as the Senate was then called, but the House did not concur and thus the matter was left as before. The town clerk's record of August 22, 1748, states the action of the town "Voted to accept the meeting house that was voted to be set up at the Southwest corner of John Bowers homestead lot to stand and be finished at the Highway Southward of Capt John Colburns house where the frame is already raised." September 6, 1748, "Voted to take part or all of the old meeting house to finish the new." Not- withstanding this vote, the old house was offered for sale at auction in 1758 and purchased by Daniel Abbott, "he being the Highest Bider in sd Vandue." The exact site of the new house was unknown for many years, but following the transfer of the Capt. John Colburn homestead we can locate it very nearly. March 1, 1750 Capt. John Colburn conveyed his "homestead farm containing 60 acres lying on both sides of the road by the meeting house" to his son, Ensign Joshua Colburn. November 4, 1757, Joshua deeded the dwelling house, barn and eight acres of land to Nathaniel Mitchell, a tanner and currier, whose vats were on Tanhouse brook. The tract is described as bounded "at the Southwest corner at a great stone in the end of a wall by the Northward side of the Townway, by the westerly side of the gate by the road about three rods North Easterly from the North East corner of the meeting house in said town."
The writer remembers this gate or, what is more probable, one of the later built gates which stood at the end of the lane which led from Pleasant street northward to the Swain house and which occupied the land on which the cottages on the west side of Upland street near the line of the Clark farm, are built. The southwest corner of this property on the street is the same as the southeast corner of the George M. Clark homestead. An old deed of this last named property, dated 1765, from Daniel Abbot to Rev. Nathan Davis gives the same distance from this bound to the "North East corner of the meeting house" as
191
CHURCH HISTORY
mentioned in the Mitchel deed, that is, about three rods. Meas- urements from this bound locate the front of the building at the line of the Justus Richardson land opposite the Clark house which stands at the corner of Clark and Pleasant streets. The north side was in the highway which is four rods wide at this place. The west end of the building must have been about thirteen rods eastward from the east line of Sladen street at its junction with Pleasant street. By placing the building in the highway the town avoided the expense of buying land and this recalls a statement found in an old diary written in 1679 and confirms the fact that the buildings were sometimes placed in the highway.
Two travellers, visiting in the vicinity of New York City, write that they came "to the first village called Breuklen, which has a small and ugly little church in the middle of the road." On the south or front side there was a door midway between the ends of the building, also one at the east and west ends. When partly finished it was used as a house of worship and for town meetings, but the galleries were unfinished until 1754 as in that year it was "Voted to Let out the finishing of the Gallery in the Meeting Hous to those that would appear to Do it cheapest and workman Like." At a town meeting in 1755 there was an article in the warrant "To see if the town will dignifie the seats in the meeting house." It was voted to seat the meeting house in said town and a committee consisting of Samuel Varnum, Josiah Richardson, Robert Hildreth, Timothy Coburn and Sam- uel Coburn was appointed. Another vote declared "that the first in Dignity shall be the fore seat below and the second seat below in sd meeting house shall be the second seat in dignity and the fore seat in the front gallery shall be the third seat in Dignity in sd house and the fore seat in the side gallery shall be the fourth seat in Dignity and the third seat below shall be the fifth seat in Dignity and the second in the front gallery shall be the sixth seat in Dignity and the fourth seat below shall be the seventh seat in Dignity in sd meeting hous and also the second seat in the side gallery shall be the eighth seat in Dignity in sd hous." After dignifying the house the gallery seats were sold at "Vandue" or auction on condition "that those that Purchas Rite or Rites in sd pews shall not have liberty to sell or Dispose of
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
the same without a lisance from sd town and they that Purchas the same shall be obliged to set in them either themselves or by ther wyves or children or som friend but not to send a servant to set there or a childe under thirteen years of age or any other to Degrade sd seet or seets or to make uneasiness to their seet mats that Purchas a part or a Right in the same seet and Pews." They also voted "to purchas a cover for the Cushing for the Desk for the meeting house in sd Dracut," and by separate vote they decided to "by a valvit one and to be of the same Choler as the one on the old desk." To keep it free from dust they voted "to by som worshlather sheep skinn to cover sd cushing under sd sheep skinn." The pew owners were allowed to build their own pews but restrictions were placed on them in relation to size, height, etc.
In 1768 they voted "not to appoint any seat in the meeting house for the negroes to sit in." Apparently it was not consid- ered necessary to specify any particular seats for them as it is not reasonable to suppose that they were to be excluded. A few specimens of the minor matters acted upon by the town, where now the church or society would take action are quoted from the records. "1786 To see if the town will choose one or more persons to assist Capt. Russell in pitching the tune. Also to see if the town will vote that singing shall be performed a part or all of the time without reading the psalm. Voted that Capt. Stephen Russell be assisted by Joseph B. Varnum, Moses Nowel and Joshua Bradley in setting the psalm. Also that singing be performed in the afternoon without reading the psalm."
The singing at the church service was at first unaccom- panied by any instrument, so a pitch pipe, usually made of wood was used to give the pitch, and later when violins and bass viols were introduced opposition was made to their use because they were used at dances. These instruments with bassoons were used until melodeons and, later, church organs superseded them. "Voted to appoint Capt. William Hildreth, Capt. Josiah Hil- dreth, Lieut. Israel Hildreth, Lieut. Abraham Coburn and Lieut Micah Hildreth to be a committee to see that the Meeting House Doors be kept Shut on the day of the Ordination till the Council and Delegates and the Church are Ready to Enter the Meeting house and then open them." In 1786, "Voted that the minister
HON. ARTHUR W. COLBURN
DEACON JOSHUA COLBURN
DEACON SELDEN COLBURN
{See Pages 376-377)
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CHURCH HISTORY
shall preach in the easterly part of the town a proportion of Sabbaths equal to the proportion of money they pay. (Except those persons who are against their money going that way.)" This was rather ambiguous but doubtless the meaning was under- stood by the voters.
After the decease of Rev. Thomas Parker, in 1765, a call was extended to Rev. Nathan Davis, which he accepted and he was ordained the same year. He served as pastor sixteen years when he resigned and severed his connection with the church. During his term of service one Dr. Joseph Hunt, of Concord, removed the body of Sarah Sawyer, wife of Oliver Sawyer, from the public burial ground, and a warrant was placed in the hands of Constable Bradley Varnum for his arrest. The details of this transaction are lacking, but the removal must have been illegal and measures were taken for his arrest. Dr. Hunt after- ward applied for admission to the church at Concord, and a letter of recommendation was granted by Mr. Davis. For this he was severely criticised by the town people and in his letter of resignation, while not admitting the justness of this and other criticisms, he expresses the opinion that his usefulness as a pastor was ended in this town. He was afterward principal of the North Grammar School in Boston. In a newspaper published in Boston dated April 18, 1782, the following adver- tisement appears :
"TO BE SOLD A House and Land in Dracut near the Meeting Inquire of Nathan Davies in Boston."
This property was the farm later owned by George M. Clark, whose house was located on the opposite side of the street from the site of the church building. There were no newspapers pub- lished nearer than Boston in which he could advertise while the statement "near the Meeting" might exert an influence on the prospective buyer. Dracut was fast increasing in population and the reserved land in the eastern section was becoming settled. By the loss of the northern part through the change in the Prov- ince line, as already noted, the shape of the town was materially changed, and was then about seven miles in length with a width
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
of about three miles. Previous to this time the meeting house was centrally located, but now the families in the eastern section desired better accommodation by having the site of the church building nearer the east. Protests were entered by the inhabi- tants of the other sections who presented their claims for a new house in their part of the town. It was probably on account of this disagreement that a proposition was made to divide the town in 1790 as already recorded, and unite the present western half with Chelmsford.
In 1783, at a time when this controversy was in existence, an entry was made in the town records which is difficult to explain, but studying it in the light of the difficulty experienced in the settlement of the location of the meeting house it seems probable that there was a connection between the two transactions. A petition had been presented to the town, but not placed on record, and this had been referred back to the petitioners to see how many would sign it who were in favor of annexing the east part of Methuen. It was voted "that those persons who signed the petition with the Homestead farms shall be voted off in order to see if they could join with the westerly part of Methinen in order to make a town." None of these changes were made and for more than a century Dracut retained the shape in which it was left in 1741.
In 1743 the demand for a new church building was urgent, but as no agreement could be reached in regard to the selection of the site, the town petitioned the General Court for permission to divide the parish, the annual appropriation to be divided be- tween the parishes and the minister to preach at both churches. Lieut. Israel Hildreth, who at that time represented the district, was severely censured by some of the Draent citizens for his failure to get the bill passed but at a town meeting held later the voters upheld him. The town finally decided to place the new church building in the geographical center of the town. This was unsatisfactory as the most families resided in the western part, but a survey was made and the center was found to be in the low land where, later, Mr. A. P. Bryant had his wheelwright shop on Pleasant street. As this place was not considered suitable for a church building, it was decided to place it on the higher ground where it now stands. But this
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CHURCH HISTORY
action was not allowed to be taken without a protest being signed by about forty inhabitants of the west part of the town and New Boston village. The signers gave reasons for their protest as follows :
"We the subscribers, inhabitants of said town hereby enter our protest against the proceedings of said town in voting to build a meeting house on this 31st day of December 1793 near the house of Kendal Parker Jr. 1st Because we denie that being the proper center of said town. 2d Because the situation and the land is by no means suitable and does not accommodate the people so well as where the meeting house now stands. 3d Because it is making a needless and unreasonable cost to the town, when the present house with but little expense might be made to accommo- date the people and save the widows and orphans from a burden- some tax when they cannot have a voice in the business. For these and many other reasons we solemnly and firmly enter our protest against all the votes that any way relate towards the building a meeting house at the above described place & hereby show that we do not consider ourselves held to pay any cost that may arise thereby.
Lewis Ansart
Jacob Coburn
Thomas Varnum
Jonathan Varnum Nathaniel Coburn
Israel Hildreth Josiah Fox
Daniel Blood
Moses B. Coburn
Joseph Webster
Samuel Coburn
Thadeus Coburn
Parker Varnum
Saul Coburn
James Varnum
Ephraim Coburn
Peter Coburn Jr. Samuel Cummings Peter Coburn
Joseph Dean
Abraham Blood
Jonathan Morgan Simeon Williams Solomon Abbott Jr.
Coburn Blood Timothy Coburn Zachariah Goodhue Willard Coburn
Ezra Coburn
Jabesh Coburn Willard Coburn Jr.
Solomon Osgood Jr.
Jonathan Varnum Jr.
Moses Clement
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
John Hamblett
Solomon Osgood
Jeptha Coburn
Jonathan Coburn Jr.
Jonas Varnum
Hezekiah Coburn
Life Wilson
Aaron Coburn."
Mr. A. C. Varnum in his "History of Pawtucket Church," records these statements: "But at length the town voted to build the house on the 'Central line' and put up the frame and boarded it; and there being two parties about evenly divided, some time the town would vote to finish one house, and sometimes the other and of course very little progress was made." About the same time some of the people bought a plot of land of Jonathan Taylor, about a mile westerly of the "Central line" and put up the frame of a meeting house upon it and boarded it.
The Jonathan Taylor land was on the north side of Hovey Square where the Blanchard hospital now stands. The deed which conveyed the land for a meeting house at the Center was dated January 14, 1794. The grantor was Obadiah Richardson, who conveyed one acre for the sum of 15 pounds to Parker Varnum, Joseph B. Varnum, Timothy Barker Jr., Richard Hall, Amos Bradley, Thomas Hovey, Moses Nowell, William Hildreth Jr. and Bradley Varnum, the committee appointed to purchase a lot on which to build a house and provide a common. It is de- scribed in the deed as "near Kindal Parker Jr's house on the north side of a townway leading from said Parkers to Prescott Varnums. The southeast corner was "six feet westwardly of a well called Miss Masseys well a few rods north of her house by or in the townway." Thence the line ran westwardly by a wall to the bars at the northwest corner of Kendal Parker's garden, then running northerly by the wall and townway leading to Nathaniel Jones' "so many rods as to compleat one acre, allow- ing the northerly end of said acre to be nine rods and one half, viz to run from the wall at the said town way eastwardly the said nine and a half rods to stake and stones thence southerly to the first bounds."
In October of the same year Richardson sold the town an additional strip of ten square rods on the east of the acre. The well mentioned was used in recent years and known as Widow Masseys well. She was the widow of Bartholomew Massey and
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CHURCH HISTORY
her homestead was that now owned by Henry N. Peabody. The families were more numerous and the citizens more prosperous at this time than when the second building was erected and this one was more speedily finished. In the meantime the sentiment in favor of building on the Taylor site at Hovey Square was so strong that by private subscription the frame of a church build- ing was erected, as before stated, and, later, the town was re- quested to reimburse these men, but their request was refused. It was evident that the shape of the town rendered it difficult for the families of the west part of the town to attend church and the town decided to establish two parishes, one with the new building for a center and one at Pawtucket bridge as the center of the west parish. The building at the center was finally com- pleted. It had enclosed stairways at both the east and west ends which led up to the galleries, with the front door facing the south. There was neither steeple or belfry and the whole struc- ture had a barnlike appearance, which was characteristic of meeting houses at that time. The galleries were on three sides and so wide that there was only a square opening over the room below. The occupants of the rear seats of the gallery were obliged to stand to enable them to see the minister. Besides the townspeople who attended this church several of the families from East Chelmsford, as Lowell was then called, crossed the river at Bradley's ferry and were members of the congregation.
About 1812 the so-called Unitarian controversy among the Congregational churches commenced and continued for many years. It was mostly confined to Massachusetts. It has been stated that eighty-one churches in the state, with church prop- erty estimated at $600,000, by a decision of the Courts, changed denominational ownership and joined the Unitarians. About 1830 the trouble commenced in the First Church of Dracut and reached a climax in 1833. At this time an amendment to the constitution of the State permitted church property, which until this time had been owned by the town, to be held by the societies. No parish records of this time are in existence, but apparently the members of the church were outvoted and felt compelled to withdraw from the parish.
At a meeting of the church held October 23, 1833 it was voted "to choose a committee to procure a Gospel minister for the
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
church and such others as may meet with them when they are deprived of such an one in the Meeting House, as they shall consider it their duty to hear." February 6, 1834, Voted "to Hold the meetings for public Worship at Mr. Hanchetts Hall." This was in a building at Hovey Square, now the Blanchard hos- pital. February 18, 1834, the following resolutions were adopted. "Resolved, that in the opinion of the church all our hope of enjoying the ministrations of the pure gospel in connec- tion with the first Parish were entirely cut off by the proceedings of the Parish at their meeting on the 6th inst, and that we are therefore obliged to leave the meeting house and make some new provision for the support of public worship that the faith of the gospel may continue with us." Mr. A. C. Varnum writes in relation to this subject: "In 1812 the 'Unitarian Controversy' as it was called, broke out among the Congregational churches and continued for many years. It did not extend beyond New England and was almost entirely confined to Massachusetts. Eighty-one churches with the church property in Massachusetts, during this controversy, by a decision of our courts, changed denominational ownership and went to those calling themselves Unitarians. The estimated value of this property was over $600,000. Among these churches was the old 'Mayflower' of Plymouth and every Congregational Church in Boston except- ing the Old South. The Centre church in Dracut also added one to the number. The church organization, however, inde- pendently of the parish or society, retained its records and retired to Hanchett Hall nearby, where worship was continued until the 'Hillside Meeting House' near the Navy Yard was built, which was dedicated February 25, 1835, and where this church has worshipped until the present time. It still claims to be the First Church of Dracut and is called the First Evan- gelical Congregational Church."
It was further resolved to invite the Presbyterian church, at Pawtucket bridge, to unite with them and form a new society, but if they declined, that a new one be formed by themselves. As the Presbyterian church declined to accept the invitation, a new Parish was formed and the church retained the original name and organization. In 1834 a company was formed, for the purpose of building a new meeting house, which was incorporated
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CHURCH HISTORY
under the name of "The Proprietors of the Evangelical Congre- gational Meeting House." One hundred and twenty shares of stock were issued at twenty five dollars per share, to pay for the erection of the new building, at what is commonly known as the Hillside on Pleasant street below Hovey Square. At that time this was about in the center of the parish as there were no churches in Centralville. The trustees were authorized in case this amount was insufficient to issue additional shares to make up the deficiency. It was built in more modern style than the preceding ones and was, when finished, formally dedicated. At a church meeting held February 26, 1835, it was voted "That we accept of the privilege offered by the Proprietors of the Evangelical Congregational Meeting House and therefore in future will hold our worship and ordinances in said house agree- able to a vote of said Proprietors."
The pews were sold at prices ranging from $36 to $92. There was no income from investments in the stock, but occa- sional assessments and as the stockholders, in some cases, moved out of town these shares were gradually purchased by remaining members for a low price who had been greatly interested in the stockholders and the welfare of the Society. Thus the owner- ship was retained by these members and the rights of the church organization assured.
In 1869 the church received a legacy from the estate of Dea. Samuel Worcester which enabled the members of this organization to purchase from the stockholders enough shares to give the church a controlling interest and thus secure perma- nent occupancy.
The following is the fourth article in the constitution of the stockholders: "The house to be built shall be forever set apart for the preaching of the doctrines of the evangelical or orthordox faith and to the use of the present Evangelical Congregational Society in Dracut and the First Church in Dracut or the First and Presbyterian Churches if united as the case may be." It was necessary to form a society to manage the financial affairs of the church and a petition was presented to Elisha Glidden, a justice of the peace, to call a meeting. The warrant issued by him is dated February 26, 1834.
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HISTORY OF DRACUT
At this meeting a clerk, treasurer, collector and board of assessors were chosen, thus forming a legal body subject to the laws of the Commonwealth, by which the transactions of the society are governed. The annual meeting is held on the second Tuesday of March and the amount of money to defray the ex- penses for the year appropriated, officers are elected and new members admitted which can be done only under this warrant which calls the meeting which, however, may be legally ad- journed to a fixed date. All business to be transacted which has a legal status, must be called by the assessors or clerk and the warrant posted seven days at least before the time of holding the meeting. Real estate may be owned by the society by virtue of its existence as a corporate body, while the church, having no legal existence, can hold it by right only under a special law passed in recent years. The society is responsible for the pay- ment of the bills and has no part in the affairs of the church except the right to engage or dismiss the minister, which can be done only with the concurrence of the church, while the church as a body is not concerned in the financial affairs of the society. Briefly stated, the stockholders own the building, sub- ject to the rights of the original owners of the land, the pews are owned by individuals, the society conducts the legal and financial affairs and the church attends to the spiritual duties. Aside from the supplies for the communion and insurance on the build- ing and taxes on land bequeathed to the Church the church has no regular expenses, all bills being paid by the society. Few changes were made in the building for several years after its erection in 1834.
After 1860 alterations began to be made for the purpose of convenience of those who attend. The vestry was enlarged by occupying the space under the whole building, the pew doors were removed and arms substituted, a new, modern pulpit re- placed the old high one, the location of the stairway leading to the vestry was changed, gas lights were installed and, in 1906, the town water introduced. In 1866 the gallery was enlarged in width to provide room for a new pipe organ which was pur- chased and which replaced the melodeon, the musical instrument of former years. In 1902 extensive alterations were made. An addition was built on the west side to which the organ was
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