History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 238

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 238

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Another and fuller memoir may be found in the Historical Collections of the Essex Institute, Vol. VI. Nos. 1 and 2.

As the history of the White Fund is misapprehended by many, the following account is repeated here, taken from Tewksbury's " History of Lawrence," which was obtained from the original sources of information:

The first conveyance by Judge White embraced the whole of his lands without restrictions. He soon after became aware that provisions in old deeds re- tained a portion of the lands for a family burial- ground, and to preserve the graves of his ancestors from any possible future desecration, at his earnest request, the associates, in taking their absolute deed, March 28, 1845, relinquished all claim to a lot of aboutsix acres nearly in the centre of the tract they had purchased. It was provided, however, that the six

acres accepted and reserved should be restricted as to use, or reserved as a public or private burial- grounds, a reservoir or some other public work.

Immediately after the organization of the Essex Company the associates conveyed to that company all lands they had purchased; consequently their deed contained the reservations and restrictions.

Judge White seems to have had little enjoyment of this property, yet being in possession ; constantly in- creasing taxes became a burden ; there was no in- come from the property ; sanitary considerations pre- vented its use for a cemetery ; no one could purchase any part of it in the condition in which it then stood, and it became evident that the lands could only be utilized by the joint action of both Judge White and the Essex Company.

There were upon the land but three graves (now un- disturbed and surrounded by dwellings), oeenpying together a space not larger than an ordinary burial- lot. This left nearly six acres of unoccupied land in the heart of the city.

Joint action of the two parties might give this land a value of many thousand dollars to be divided be- tween them. Happily, at the suggestion of Judge White, cordially acceded to by the Essex Com- pany, both joined in devoting this property to a pur- pose which would benefit not a class or a single gener- ation, but all who might dwell here in time to eome. The indenture conveying the land to trustees, with power to sell, and invest proceeds in a fund for a pur- pose clearly defined, is a model of precise wording and clearness of detail. So far as it relates to the character of the lectures and use of the fund for that purpose, the language is that of Judge White.

The original proposition of Mr. White, as explain- ed in his letter to Mr. Storrow, June 19, 1852, which first opened the subject, proposed simply the estab- lishment of an annual course of lectures, the special subjects being specified in the deed of trust. These subjects were : 1st. "The importance of good character to success in life ;" 2d. "On the unsurpassable value of the riches of character to the young of both sexes ;" 3d. "On the virtues, habits and principles most essential to good character ;" 4th. " On the best means of intellectual and moral improvement."

Being confident that the value of the lands and the sum eventually derived from them would far exceed the expectations of Mr. White, Mr. Storrow suggested that while the original object which he had in mind should first be fully provided for, precisely as Mr. White intended, it might be well to allow the trustees to select other modes for promoting morality and ed- ucation, especially to authorize liberal appropriations from the income, in aid of a free library, and provide for the gift of a building-site for such an institution.

Judge White readily assented to this, and the in- denture of August 23, 1852, is intended to carry into effect the original and enlarged purposes of the trust. This indenture was signed by Daniel A. White, of the

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first part, the Essex Company of the second part, and Charles S. Storrow, Nathaniel G. White and Henry K. Oliver as trustees accepting the trust. Messrs. Storrow and Oliver removed from the city, and George D. Cabot and James H. Eaton, the present trustees, succeeded them.

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.

In the beginning of Lawrence the directors of the Essex Company, true to the policy of the early settlers of the country, gave their attention to the moral condition of the new town, as might be expected from their well-known character. The pres- ident, Mr. Lawrence, writing on oue oceasion to W. C. Rives, of Virginia, said : " All intellectual culture should be founded on our Holy Religion. The pure precepts of the Gospel are the only safe source from which we can freely draw our morality ; " and in the letter which accompanied his gift to the library,-"it is no less the duty than the privilege of those who .possess influence in creating towns and cities, to lay the foundations deep and strong. Let the standard be high in religious, moral and intellectual culture, and there can be no well-grounded fear for the result."

Accordingly, governed by no sectarian bias, they gave to the first churches of several denominations a lot of land on which to erect their building, and to others later they made a discount of one-quarter from regular established prices.

The first building devoted to public worship was the Episcopal Chapel; this stood on the ground now occupied by Grace Church, and was so far completed that services were held there on the second Sunday of October, 1846. By the quarter-centennial address of Rev. George Packard, who was the founder of the church and its rector till his lamented decease, No- vember 30, 1876, it appears the first building, a tempo- rary structure of wood, was completed and consecrated November 19, 1846. The cost of the building was estimated to be one thousand three hundred and fifty dollars, of which sum Mr. Samuel Lawrence contrib- uted one thousand dollars, and the balance was ob- tained from friends in Boston, the proprietors of the different manufacturing companies who were inter- ested in the moral welfare of the new town. A lot of land, one hundred feet square, was presented to the church by the Essex Company, on condition that in five years from the time it was given, a church of stone or brick should be built upon it. At the close of the first year the number of families worshipping was twenty-five, the number of communicants twen- ty-six; in 1849 the number of communicants fifty- three; in 1850, seventy-eight; and in 1857 the growth of the church had increased so much as to require better accommodations, and the substantial stone building which now occupies the ground was erected, one-half the amount of the cost being pledged by the members of the parish, and the other half by friends

in Boston, Andover, Lowell and Salem. The build- ing committee were Capt. Oliver H. Perry, Caleb Marvel and Geo. D. Lund. May 5, 1852, this build- ing was consecrated by Rev. Manton Eastburn, bishop of the diocese.

In 1864 the Sunday-school statistics were,-super- intendent, librarian and assistant; teachers-male, ten ; female, nineteen ; scholars, two hundred and seventy. The chapel, the first place of worship re- moved to Garden Street, was crowded, and in Octo- ber of that year a mission Sunday-school and service were commenced in the western part of the city, under the charge of Rev. A. V. G. Allen, then a can- didate for orders, pursuing his studies at Andover. In 1865 the parish school-teachers numbered twenty- four; scholars, one hundred and eighty; mission school-teachers, twenty-two; scholars, one hundred and seventy-five. The success of this mission work led to the establishment of a Second Parish, under the name of St. John's, which, in 1867, was admitted to union with the convention,

Dr. Packard, who was so long the rector of the church and devoted to its welfare with untiring zeal, was also during his useful life interested and active in every enterprise conducive to the general good of the town and city. Early and for twenty years a member of the school committee and superintendent of schools, his efforts did much to the establishment of our present system of schools and the promoting of their usefulness. He was, besides, an earnest worker in the City Mission for the relief of the poor and unfortunate, and his wise counsel was always valued. He, as well as three of his brothers, were graduates from Bowdoin College,-one brother, the late Rev. Charles Packard, a Congregational clergy- man at Lancaster, Mass .; and the Rev. Alphens Packard, many years professor aud later president of Bowdoin College; and Rev. Joseph Packard, for fifty years professor at the Theological School of Virginia, at Alexandria, one of the American members of the commission for the recent revision of the Bible, who survives them. During the later years of Dr. Pack- ard's residence here, owing to failing health, Rev. William Lawrence, of Boston, was appointed to assist in parochial duties, and succeeded as rector in 1876. Mr. Lawrence remained here till December, 1883, when he resigned to accept a professorship in Har- vard University, followed by the love and respect, not only of his own people, but of the entire community, and was succeeded by Rev. Augustine H. Amory, of Boston, the present rector.

THE LAWRENCE STREET CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH was formed April 9, 1847. A society called the Merrimac Congregational Society was organized August, 1846, previously, at the house of Nathaniel B. Gordon, its founders being Dr. Moses L. Atkinson (formerly of Newburyport), W. S. Annis, Nathan Wells, Hiram Merrill, Timothy Osgood, Joshua Bus- well (deputy sheriff), A. Dickey, Phineas M. Gage

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

and E. C. Bartlett. The society commenced building, October, 1846, a small chapel in the rear of the pres- ent church building. The cost of the building was one thousand dollars, Mr. Abbott Lawrence contrib- uting one hundred dollars, other friends in Boston three hundred and thirty-five dollars. This building was dedicated in January, 1847, and seated two bun- dred and seventy-five persons. After the organiza- tion of the church Rev. Lyman Whiting, who had preached to the society, was invited to become the pastor. He remained here from June 16, 1847, till January 16, 1850. During his ministry the present edifice was completed, and dedicated October 11, 1848. The church remained without a settled pastor till January, 1852, when Rev. Henry M. Storrs was ordained. He remained till March 1, 1855, and, re- signing, went to Cincinnati. The pulpit was then supplied by Rev. Alexander H. Clapp, D.D. (now treasurer of American Home Missionary Society), and Rev. Charles Beecher. The former of these declined an invitation to become their pastor, and Rev. George B. Wilcox, of Fitchburg, was installed in September, 1856. He resigned in 1859, and was succeeded by Rev. Caleb E. Fisher, a very sincere and earnest man, of warm sympathies, devoted not only to the spirit- ual welfare of his parish, but interested in all that pertained to the welfare of the city, especially in edu- cational affairs. Mr. Fisher's pastorate continued more than fourteen years, till October, 1873. Rev. Joshua Coit was installed May 13, 1874, remained till February 25, 1885, when, after repeated solicita- tions, he accepted the position of secretary of the Massachusetts Home Missionary Society, and was succeeded in February, 1885, by the present pastor, Rev. William E. Wolcott.

THE CENTRAL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH (now known as Trinity Congregational Church) was or- ganized December 25, 1849, commencing their public services in the City Hall, which they continued to occupy till August, 1854; removed to their new build- ing, a substantial brick building, at the corner of Es- sex and Appleton Streets, the second story being oc- cupied for religious service and the lower story for stores,-a union of sacred and secular matters, which, happily, does not at present exist in the city. A sim- ilar structure once existed in the neighboring city of Lowell, and it is said that some wag chalked the fol- lowing couplet upon the door:

" A spirit above and a spirit below, A spirit of weal and a spirit of woe ; The spirit above is the spirit divine, The spirit below is the spirit of wine."

On the 12th of August, 1859, the Central Church building was destroyed by fire, and the society re- turned to the City Hall, where they remained a few months, evening services being held in the chapel of Grace Church, on Garden Street. On the second Sabbath in January, 1860, the congregation met for worship in the basement of the new stone building

erected on Haverhill Street. The building was fin- ished and dedicated June 8, 1860.

From March to November, 1850, Rev. Lyman Whiting, previously of Lawrence Strect Church, sup- plied the pulpit, and Rev. E. C. Whittlesey, after- wards prominent in military affairs and the Freed- men's Bureau, from February to October, 1851. The first pastor was Rev. William C. Foster, installed January 16, 1852, a very earnest preacher, and well remembered for his fearless and bold advocacy of anti-slavery sentiments. His successor was Rev. Daniel Tenney, installed September 2, 1857. After a service of five years Mr. Tenney removed to the Springfield Street Church, Boston, and Rev. Christo- pher M. Cordley became pastor, and remained with the church till his death, June 26, 1866.

The next pastor was Rev. William E. Park; after a service of nine years,-1866 to '75,-he resigned, and removed to Gloversville, N. Y., and was suc- ceeded by George M. Ide.

ELIOT CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH was formed September 28, 1865. Services were held at first in the City Hall and in Grace Church chapel. The formation of this church resulted from a joint meet- ing of the Lawrence Street and Central Churches held in August, at which meeting it was unanimously resolved that a third church was needed ; and a com- mittee, consisting of William C. Chapin, George A. Fuller, Benjamin T. Bourne, Benjamin Coolidge and William A. Russell, was appointed to consider the matter and report. Thirty-two persons constituted the original organization of the society,-twelve from Lawrence Street, sixteen from the Central Church and four from other towns. The church and society immediately took steps for the erection of the build- ing located on Appleton Street, near Essex. This building, erected at a cost of thirty-five thousand dollars, is very conveniently arranged, and, architecturally considered, it would be an ornament to the city, but, unfortunately, it is surrounded by tall brick buildings, among which it is hidden. It was dedicated September 6, 1866.

The first pastor was Rev. William Franklin Snow, born in Boston in 1838; at the age of nine he went with his father's family to the Hawaiian Islands, was there fitted for Harvard College at the Royal School and the Oahu College, of Honolulu ; entered Harvard in 1857 and was distinguished as a classical scholar ; gradu- ated with high rank in 1861. In August, 1862, he enlisted as a private soldier in the Fifth Massachu- setts Regiment, was elected captain and served one year. After the expiration of his service in the army he made a visit to his father's family in the islands. In May, 1864, he became acting pastor of the Con- gregational Church in Grass Valley, Cal., returned to Andover in 1865 to complete his studies and was in- stalled pastor of the Eliot Church September 13, 1866. Mr. Snow was a thorough scholar, an indefati- gable student and thoroughly devoted to the work of

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the Christian ministry, and during his five years of ser- vice in the Eliot Church the number of its members increased from thirty-two to one hundred and twenty- nine. He died in the midst of his usefulness, at the age of thirty-three, January 11, 1871.

On the 14th of June, 1871, Rev. Theodore T. Mun- ger, of Haverhill, Mass., was installed pastor. He resigned his charge January 20, 1875, on account of ill health of himself and family, and removed to the western part of the State. His resignation was a source of regret to his people aud many others, who prized his companionship for his intellectual power and attainments. He has become widely known by several volumes which have issued from his scholarly pen.

March 14, 1875, Rev. John H. Barrows commenced his work at the Eliot, and was ordained April 29th ; remained with the church till September 12, 1880. Rev. Edward P. Hooker was installed January 12, 1881, and resigned, after a short residence, to become president of Rollins College, in Florida. The Eliot and Central Churches united to form Trinity Congre- gational Church in the summer of 1883. The Eliot Church building was sold to Hon. Wm. A. Russell, who afterward conveyed it to the Young Men's Christian Association. The present pastor of Trinity Church is Rev. John L. R. Trask.

THE METHODISTS .- The first preaching was in June, 1846, at Boarding-House No. 5, kept by Mr. Charles Barnes, who built on his own account, about twenty years before, the meeting-house on the corner of Lowell and Suffolk Streets, Lowell. Their house of worship, at the corner of Haverhill and Hampshire Streets, was dedicated in the spring of 1848. Their first pastor was Rev. James L. Gleason. Since the erection of the church building the pastors have been Rev. L. D. Barrows, D.D., 1847-48; Rev. James Pike, D.D., 1849; Rev. Moses Howe, 1850; Rev. Samuel Kelley, 1851-52; Rev. R. S. Rust, D.D., 1853 and '54; Rev. Jonathan Hall, 1855 and '56; Rev. W. A. McDonald, 1857; Rev. F. A. Hughes, 1858; Rev. J. H. McCarthy, D.D., 1859 and '60; Rev. S. Holman, 1861 and '62; Rev. R. S. Stubbs, 1863; Rev. George Dearborn, 1864; Rev. L. J. Hall, 1865- 66; Rev. D. C. Knowles, 1867-69; Rev. F. Pitcher, 1870 and '71; Rev. L. D. Barrows, D.D., 1872-74; Rev. D. Stevenson, D.D., 1875-77; Rev. D. C. Knowles again, 1878, who was succeeded in April, 1881, hy Rev. E. C. Bass, who served three years ; Rev. - followed from April, 1884, to April, 1886, when the present pastor, Rev. Madison A. Richards, commenced his labors. The church is in a flourish- ing condition, and the Sabbath-school contains about two hundred scholars. Rev. D. C. Knowles has been for several years principal of the New Hampshire Conference Seminary at Tilton, N. H., and Rev. Daniel Stevenson is principal of a seminary at Augusta, Kentucky.

The Garden Street Methodist Episcopal Church was

organized in 1853 by young men and women residing in the easterly part of the town. Meetings were at first held in a school-house and then in Pantheon Hall, but in 1855 the brick church at the corner of Newbury and Garden Streets was erected. The members were few, and the task they had undertaken was a difficult one to complete, and no doubt ultimate success depended largely on the efforts of George P. Wilson, then a laymau, a man of indefatigable en- ergy, who was for many years the beloved and de- voted city missionary. The first settled minister was Rev. Albert C. Mansur, 1853. Since that the church has been under the pastoral care of Rev. John Mclaughlin, 1854 and '55; Rev. Calvin Hol- man, 1856 and '57; Rev. Warren F. Evans, 1858; Rev. Henry H. Hartwell, 1859 aud '60; Rev. Cadford M. Dinsmore, 1861; Rev. Albert C. Mansur, 1862; Rev. Andrew J. Church, 1863 and '64; Rev. A. P. Hatch, 1865; Rev. Charles U. Dunning in 1866, '67 and '68 (who, after an absence of three years, returned to Lawrence and succeeded Mr. Wilson as city mis- sionary, resigning that service on his appointment as one of the presiding elders of the New Hampshire Annual Conference ); Rev. Truman Carter, 1869 and '70; Rev. Lewis P. Cushman, 1871-73; Rev. George W. Norris, 1874-75, and again 1880-82 ; Rev. William E. Bennett, 1876; Rev. A. E. Drew, 1877-79; Rev. Charles Parkhurst, 1883-85; Rev. Jesse M. Durrell, 1886-87.

FIRST BAPTIST SOCIETY .- The First Baptist So- ciety was formed in 1847. Their first temporary house of worship was a small building in the rear of the present one on Haverhill Street, and was occupied the first time in April, 1847, although meetings had been previously held at private houses and in an old school building near the present First Methodist Church. In November following the building was enlarged to accommodate the increasing number of members. The increase of numbers was so great that it was soon found necessary to build a larger and more permanent building. Consequently, in 1849, the construction of the present edifice on Haverhill Street was commenced, and so far completed that ser- vices were held in the basement in January, 1850. The first pastor of this church and society was Rev. John G. Richardson, who remained with them till 1853; he was succeeded in December by Rev. Arte- mas W. Sawyer. In 1856 Rev. Frank Remington fol- lowed, resigning in 1859, and subsequently was in- stalled over the Second Baptist Church. For several months the pulpit was supplied by Rev. J. Sella Mar- tin, formerly a slave. Rev. Henry F. Lane was the next pastor, who remained but a short time, leaving in 1862 to accept the chaplaincy of the Forty-first Massachusetts Regiment. Rev. George Knox was next installed, but the same year became chaplain of the Twenty-ninth Maine Regiment. He was killed in Washington by being thrown from his horse. In September, 1865, Rev. George W. Bosworth, D.D., be-

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

came the pastor. Dr. Bosworth remained three and a half years ; removed to Haverhill.

Rev. John B. Gough Pidge was ordained in Sep- tember, 1869. After lahoring with marked ability and popularity for about ten years, he accepted an in- vitation to Philadelphia, and was succeeded by Rev. Richard Montague, now of the Central Congrega- tional Church, Providence, R. I., who was followed by the present pastor, Rev. O. C. S. Wallace.

FREE BAPTIST SOCIETY .- This was one of the early societies formed in Lawrence. A small number held a meeting in the first boarding-house erected by the Essex Company, on Broadway, in the fall of 1846, at which meeting Rev. Silas Curtis conducted relig- jous service. In January, 1847, twelve persons were duly organized as the Free-Will Baptist Church of Lawrence, with Rev. Jairus E. Davis as pastor. Their services were conducted in public halls and private houses, until a small plain building was erected at the corner of Haverhill and White Streets, on land given them by the Essex Company. Money was not abun- dant among the members of this society, and for many years they had a hard and patient struggle against adverse circumstances, sustained only by Christian faith and determined perseverance. It was not till 1857 that their new church of brick, at the corner of Common and Pemberton Streets, was dedi- cated. During the ministry of the first pastor, who remained with them three years, sixty-four members were added to the church. October 1, 1849, Rev. Jonathan Woodman, sometimes known as "Father Woodman," a prominent and influential man in that denomination, became pastor, remaining three years, during which time the church had an accession of sixty-six members. The succeeding pastors were Rev. G. P. Ramsey, two and a half years ; addition to the church during his time, sixty-seven ; Rev. A. D. Williams, remained two and a half years, from the spring of 1855, and during this time one hundred and eighty members were added to the membership. Mr. Williams resigned in consequence of failing health, and Rev. E. M. Tappan succeeded him in 1857, and died in service, December 12, 1860. In May, 1861, Rev. J. Burnham Davis became pastor, and closed his connection with the church January 1, 1866, one hun- dred and twenty-four members having been added to tbe church during his ministry. The next pastor was Rev. E. G. Chaddock.

Other pastors of this church have been Rev. John A. Lowell and Rev. Alphonso L. Houghton.

THE PARKER STREET METHODIST CHURCH is lo- lated in South Lawrence. This has grown gradually from a Sunday-school or Bible-class formed in 1869, through the instrumentality of Rev. D. C. Knowles, of the First Methodist Church. The class commenced with five members, but as the number increased a society was organized September 16, 1870, and on the 20th a small lot was purchased on Blanchard Street, and a building twenty-two by forty feet was erected-

Rev. Messrs. Tilton, of Derry ; Keyes, of Woburn ; and Sargent, of Malden, supplying the desk. The first pas- tor was Rev. W. J. Parkinson, 1873. July 9th ofthat year the corner-stone of the church on Parker Street was laid. Rev. Mark Trafton and Rev. D. C. Knowles delivered addresses on the occasion. Succeeding pastors of the church were Rev. Garrett Beekman, Rev. Allen J. Hall, Rev. Converse L. McCurdy, Rev. J. T. Abbott, Rev. W. A. Braman, Rev. -- Hamhle - ton, one year, Rev. C. M. Melden, three years, fol- lowed in 1887 by Rev. Lewis P. Cushman.

FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH .- This church was or- ganized August 30, 1847, They met at first in Odd Fellows' Hall, but soon erected a small chapel, in which services were held till May, 1860, when the present church building was dedicated. This build- ing had originally a tall and graceful spire, but in the fire of 1859 it was set on fire by sparks carried across the Common from the fire which consumed the United States Hotel and court-house, and damaged to such an extent that it was taken down and the tower fin- ished in its present form.

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 238

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1 Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1538

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538