History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 239

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 239

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The first pastor of this church was Rev. Henry F. Harrington, the present superintendent of schools in New Bedford. Mr. Harrington remained seven years devoted not only to his pastoral duties to the church but active in the early history of the schools of the city and in philanthropic service among the poor. He resigned in 1854. Rev. William L. Jenkins was pastor from 1855 to 1865; then Rev. James H. Wig- gin, who, after one year of service, was succeeded by Rev. James B. Moore, a gentleman of much forensic ability, who remained for several years until his de- cease, from disease contracted in the military service. Rev. Charles A. Hayden was settled here from 1873 to 1876. Rev. Edmund R. Sanborn was the next pastor, and after his resignation the pulpit was sup- plied from time to time until the present year, when, on its fortieth anniversary, Rev. Edwin C. Abbott was installed.

THE FIRST UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY (now known as the Church of the Good Shepherd) was formed Novem- ber 15, 1848. Some of the gentlemen active in its for- mation were George Littlefield, Sullivan Symonds, William D. Joplin, Heaton Bailey and Fairfield White. Meetings were held for public worship for four or five years in various halls, until 1853, when services were held in the vestry of the new church which was erected on Haverhill Street and dedicated June 30th of that year. The first pastor was Rev. George H. Clark, of Lockport, N. Y., who died in Lawrence, December, 1851. The succeeding pastors were Rev. J. R. Johnson, 1852-55; Rev. J. J. Brayton, 1855-58; Rev. Martin J. Steere, 1858-60; Rev. George S. Weaver, 1861-73; Rev. George W. Perry, 1873-77 ; Rev. A. E. White, 1877-86; followed by the present pastor, Rev. W. E. Gibbs. The church building was remodeled in 1866 and dedicated 1867.

THE SOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH .- This

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church originated from a Sunday-school convened in a school-house on Andover Street. by M. C. Andrews and J. B. Fairfield, in 1852. The school was con- tinued by its founders till 1857. At that time George A. Fuller became interested in it, and it was removed to the engine-house and Boston and Maine passenger station until friends, prominent among whom were Mr. Fuller, Deacon Benjamin Coolridge and others, erected a small chapel in 1859, en- larged 1861. In 1869 the present building was erected and dedicated, the ceremony occurring on Christmas day. Regular services were held in Oc- tober, 1865, and the pulpit was supplied for three years by Professor E. A. Park, of Andover. This church was organized May 18. 1868, but thus far there was no settled minister. Rev. James G. Dougherty supplied the pulpit one year, October, 1869, to March, 1870, and Rev. L. Z. Ferris two years.

January 30, 1873, the present pastor, Rev. Clark Carter, was installed. The church comprises about one hundred members, and the Sunday-school one hundred and forty-five.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH .- In June, 1854, Rev. A. Mc Williams, of the Presbytery of Boston, organized a church in Lawrence of forty-seven members. Ser- vices were held at first in a school-house, but in 1856 a church was built on Oak Street, and Mr. McWil- liams continued with the church till 1857. The general depression of business at that time and the stoppage of mills, weakened the congregation, and for a time the church was left without a pastor. In 1859 Rev. James Dinsmore was installed, and re- mained till 1862. Meetings was suspended and the building was rented to the city for a school-house. In 1867 the building was re-dedicated, and Rev. John Hogg became the pastor, remaining eight years, and during his ministry the present church building on Concord Street was built. Rev. John A. Burns suc- ceeded him, and he in turn was succeeded by the present pastor, Rev. Robert A. McAyeal, D.D., from Ohio.

ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH .- The first meet- ings of this church were held in Essex Engine-House, on Morton Street, while building a church on land adjoining. The building was first opened for service in May, 1866, and was capable of holding four hun- dred and fifty persons ; three years later it was re- moved to Bradford Street. The rectors have succes- sively been Rev. A. V. G. Allen, Rev. James H. Lee, Rev. Charles C. Harris, Rev. Belno A. Brown, Rev. William G. Wells.

THE SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH was organized iu 1860 by sixty-seven members from the First Baptist Church, a natural outgrowth from the parent stock. Their first pastor was Rev. Frank Remington, who had been previously settled over the original church. Services were held for a time in the City Hall, then in the wooden building erected by the " Christian " Society, on Common Street, west of Lawrence, which

the society purchased in 1861. This was removed and enlarged in 1865, rebuilt and further enlarged 1874, and is on the south side of Common Street, a little east of Lawrence Street. The pastors of this church have been, in succession, Rev. Cyrus F. Tol- man, Rev. Henry A. Cooke (1865, afterward settled in Boston), Rev. L. L. Wood (1870, since pastor of a Boston church), Rev. George W. Gile (who, after a pastorate of over six years, was called to the Baptist Church in Pittsfield), Rev. R. B. Moody (from Janu- ary 1, 1880, who remained nearly four years), and the present pastor, Rev. Frederick M. Gardner (settled in April, 1884). D. Frauk Robinson was superinten- dent of the Sunday-school for twenty-four years, suc- ceeded in 1887 by Deacon S. F. Snell.

THE RIVERSIDE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH was organized March 9, 1878. This church has grown from a Mission Sunday-school, established in April, 1862, with thirty-eight scholars. In June, 1875, a church was formed under the name of the Union Evangelical Church, and recognized by a council representing Congregational, Methodist and Presby- terian Churches. This church continued as a Union Evangelical body for nearly three years, the church and mission-school being independent of each other in organization and government. In February, 1878, at a meeting called for the purpose, the members voted that the church should take charge of the Sun- day-school, and that it should become Congregational, and in March, 1878, it was formally recognized as the Riverside Congregational. The acting pastors of the Union Church were Mr. F. H. Foster, J. H. Fowle and C. A. Dickenson, and of the Congregational, Mr. F. S. Adams, D. H. Colcord, William E. Wolcott.

BODWELL STREET METHODIST CHURCH .- After the dissolution of the Union Evangelical Church the Methodists, who had formed a part of that body, with others increasing their number, formed, in 1880, this new church. This was formed mainly through the instrumentality of Mr. Seth F. Dawson, who had been previously a superintendent of the mission-school and of the Union Church. Present pastor, Rev. Wil- liam C. Bartlett.

A little prior to 1872 the German population who had found their home in Lawrence had increased so much that it was thought desirable to have a church of their own, in which services could be held in their own language, and a school for teaching the children in the elementary branches; and to this end the German Catholics, as well as Protestants, had plan- ned a building for this purpose ; but, as might have been expected, the plan of union of two conflicting beliefs did not succeed. In May, 1872, a meeting of German Protestants was held in what was then the Free Evening School Room, in the City Hall, and at the meeting a resolution was adopted establishing a church and school. Mr. F. M. Vietor was chosen chairman of the society, Mr. Herman Bruckmann sec- retary, and Mr. William Wiesner treasurer. The

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Eliot Chapel was rented, and Rev. Mr. Schwartz, of Boston, preached, June 23, 1872, for the first time to a Lawrence audience in German. A preacher was engaged and held services every second Sabbath, and taught the school twice a week till the close of the year.

June 5, 1873, the society was incorporated as a German Church and School Society. The society met at first in Scott & Vietor's Hall, and services were conducted by Rev. M. Schwartz, of Boston, monthly, till May, 1874, when services were discon- tinued for want of a suitable building. In August following a lot was purchased on East Haverhill Street, a church building erected, which was dedica- ted December 12, 1875. Here regular Sunday ser- vices was conducted by Mr. Vietor till April, 1876, when the Methodist Conference designated Rev. F. F. Hoppmann as pastor, who remained till April, 1878, when a meeting was held by the society, and it was voted thereafter to dispense with the services of a min- ister sent by the Methodist Conference.

November, 1878, Rev. A. Herman Hager, of Chi- cago, was invited to become the pastor of the church, and he was installed January, 1879. The church building was enlarged in the summer of 1881, and re- opened for worship December 4th.

Mr. Hager resigned June 15th (became pastor of Nor- folk Street Church, New York City), and died in New York City, October 21, 1884, and was succeeded by Rev. Ferdinand O. Zesch, of Carlstadt, N. J., who was in- stalled October 24, 1883; the intermediate time the pulpit being supplied by a gentleman from the The- ological School of Bloomfield, N. J., and Rev. Fred. Erhardt, of Manchester. Mr. Zesch resigned in Au- gust, 1885, to take charge of a German Reformed Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was succeeded by the present pastor, Rev. Frederick C. Saure. Num- ber of Sunday-school scholars, one hundred and eighty.

GERMAN METHODISTS .- The Methodists, who up to this time had associated with the other Protestants in the Kirelienverein, formed a separate congregation, and services were held with Mr. John Lutz as preacher, the society numbering eighteen members at the end of nine months. Mr. August Wallon (student) preached two years, and the third was settled as pas- tor, and the society commenced the erection of a church on Vine Street. The building was dedicated December 11, 1881, and at this date there were sixty- eight members. Mr. Wallon was followed by Rev. G. Hauser, two years; Rev. Aldin Wolff, two years ; Rev. Philip Stahl, the present pastor, who commenced his service in April, 1886. The church has now one hundred members.

ST. THOMAS (EPISCOPAL) CHURCH is located in Methuen, though its members are mainly from Law- rence. Their first pastor was Rev. Belno A. Brown.

There are also in Lawrence several smaller socie- ties.

The United Congregational Church organized 1877, Rev. John T. Whalley.

The Primitive Methodist, the Olive Baptist, the Sec- ond Advent, a small Swedenborgian Society and a Society of " Friends."

ROMAN CATHOLICS .- In 1846 Rev. Charles D. French came to Lawrence, conducting his religious services in private houses at first, but very soon after in a small wooden church building, thought to be sufficiently large for the purpose, but which, in 1848, would hardly contain half of those who sought en- trance. From a valuable work, entitled "Catholicity in Lawrence," written by Miss Katharine A. O'Keefe, and published 1882, the information which follows is compiled. Father French was the son of a Protestant clergyman, in the county of Galway, Ireland ; shortly after his father's death he came to this country, early in the present century, and after laboring more than forty years in organizing congregations and building churches, in various places, came to Lawrence in 1846. He died in 1851, having, during his short resi- dence, established the First Church and organized a school, the church being known as the "Church of the Immaculate Conception."

Father French was succeeded in the ministry by Rev. James H. D. Taaffe, born about 1800, in the county of Mayo, Ireland. When ten years of age he went with an uncle, who was an officer of high rank in the British Army, to India, where he remained sev- eral years. Before his return to Ireland he entered upon a collegiate course of study at Mauritius, in the Isle of France. At the age of twenty-seven he again took up his studies in the Jesuit College at Carlow. Here he remained a short time, when he went to Tuam, and was ordained a Dominican friar; was superior of a monastery in that neighborhood eight years, came to America in 1849, and in October, 1850, to Lawrence.

During Father Taaffe's ministry the wooden church building gave place to the large brick church of the same name. He also built the "Protectory of Mary Immaculate," an orphan asylum and home for inva- lids, being aided in this latter work by the "Catholic Friends' Society," a society organized by him in 1856. This asylum was completed and dedicated February 9, 1868, and on its completion it was placed under the charge of the Sisters of Charity, or "The Grey Nuns."

On the 29th of March following, Father Taaffe closed his earnest life after a service here of eighteen years.

Some time before the death of Father French, and two years before the arrival of Father Taaffe, the Catholic population had so far increased that another priest was needed, and in 1848 the want was supplied by the advent of Rev. James O'Donnell. Father O'Donnell was born in Cashel, Tipperary County, Ireland, April 13, 1806, was ordained to the priest- hood in New York, 1837, was soon after stationed at

REV. JAMES T. O'REILLY, RECTOR

ST. MARY'S R. C. CHURCH, LAWRENCE, MASS.

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St. Augustine's Church, Philadelphia, which was burned by a fanatical mob in 1844, and Father O'Donnell was obliged to flee for his life. He went, for a time, to Europe, visited France and Italy, re- turned, after a short absence, to America, aud was lo- cated in Lawrence.

On the first Sunday in January, 1849, services were held in a wooden building (uufinished), which gave place later to the old St. Mary's Church, a stone structure on Haverhill Street, commenced in 1851 and fuished in 1853; this building was subsequently enlarged sufficiently to contain one thousand more persons, and was dedicated January 10, 1861.

Father O'Donnell was a very active and zealous man in the discharge of his duties to his church, es- tablishing schools for the education of the children, and encouraging associations for intellectual improve- ment. The Catholic Literary and Benevolent Society was formed in August, 1853, with the following offi- cers: President, John Ryan; Vice-President, J. T. Tancred ; Treasurer, John Kiley, Sr .; Secretary, Pat- rick Foster ; Librarian, Dan'l C. O'Sullivan.

A second society of similar nature was formed in 1858, the St. Mary's Young Meu's Society. The first year's officers of this society were John Hayes, Presi- dent ; Patrick Goodwin, Vice-President; James T. O'Sullivan, Secretary ; Michael O'Callaghan, Treas- urer ; Jamcs Kiley, Librarian. To this society Father O'Donnell made a douation of one hundred volumes, -the nucleus of what became a fiue library.

The societies continued for several years.

Father O'Donnell also introduced the Sisters of Notre Dame in August, 1859, who, in September fol- lowing, opened their school for girls (yet in existence), where, independently of religious teaching, they have, no doubt, in a quiet, unostentatious manner, exerted a favorable influence over the moral charac- ter of the girls committed to their charge and in charitable work among the needy and unfortunate.

But it was not alone in his religious works that Father O'Donnell was conspicuous ; he was a public- spirited citizen and an excellent man of business, interested in whatever pertained to the welfare and good order of the city, of a benevolent disposition and ever ready to help the deserving poor; he had no sympathy for the drunken and lazy. He was a liberal friend to the Lawrence City Mission, contrib- uting to its relief fund and aiding its investigations in behalf of the poor ; especially was this the case in the winter of 1857, when the mills were idle and thousands of people were unemployed. At this time Father O'Donnell and Father Taaffe were both earn- estly engaged in collecting funds and personally dis- bursing the necessaries of life ; and at this time also the former rendered very valuable service in stopping a senseless run upon one of the city savings banks.

Father O'Donnell died April 7, 1861, aged fifty- five, much lamented, not only by his own people, but by those of all denominations, and bearing with him

to his long home the respect and esteem of the en- tire community. The successor of Father O'Donnell was Rev. Ambrose Mullen, who remained four years, assisted, at different times, by his brother, Rev. Edward Mullen, and Fathers Gallagher and Daley. He left in 1865 to assume the presidency of Villanova Col- lege, near Philadelphia, where he remained till 1869, when failing health compelled his retirement from its active duties, and in August of the same year, on the death of Father Gallagher, he was sent to St. Augustine's Church in Andover, where he spent the remainder of his life. He died July 7, 1876.

Father Mulleu was succeeded at St. Mary's by Rev. Louis M. Edge, assisted by Fathers William Hartnett, John P. Gilmore and M. F. Gallagher.

Under his administration the corner-stone of the new St. Mary's Church was laid and the building, which is an ornament to the city, and one of the fin- est buildings iu the country, was partially completed. Father Edge was born in 1825, came to America at the age of twenty-two and, shortly after his arrival, joined the Franciscans at Loretto, Pa., and was five years professor in the Catholic College there; went thence to Philadelphia and entered the order of St. Augus- tine and spent two years at Villanova College in the study of theology and qualifying himself for the priesthood. Being particularly fond of mathematics, he was retained at Villanova as professor of mathe- matics for six years, and then went to Mechanicsville and Schaghticoke, N. Y., at which latter place he built fine church, coming to Lawrence in 1865. He was interested in the cause of general education, and at the time of his decease was a member of the school committee of Lawrence. He went to Philadelphia to make arrangements for raising the cross on St. Mary's on the following July 4th, and there was thrown from his carriage, receiving injuries which resulted in his death February 24, 1870.

Very Rev. Father Galberry, superior of the Augus- tinian Order, and later Right Rev. Bishop of Hart- ford, was the successor of Father Edge; and under him the church (St. Mary's) was completed, and dedi- cated September 3, 1871. The length of the building is two hundred and ten feet; width, eighty feet, ex- cept at the transept, where it is one hundred and two feet. The steeple is two hundred and twenty-five feet high and the top of the cross is two hundred and thirty-five feet from the ground, which makes the building fifteen feet higher than Bunker Hill Monu- ment. It is in Gothic style and built of light granite from Westford (Mass.), Salem (N. H.) and Hallowell (Me.), and is capable of seating over three thousand persons.

On the departure of Father Galberry Rev. John P. Gilmore become pastor, during whose administration a fine chime of sixteen bells (from the foundry of William Blake & Co.) was placed in the tower and consecrated with imposing ceremonies on Sun- day, December 13th. The cost of the chime was

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ten thousand dollars-three thousand of the amount having been bequeathed by the will of the late Hugh Rafferty and the remainder raised by contributions from the members of the church.

Returning to the first church, the successors of Father Taaffe in this church were Rev. M. J. L. Do- herty and C. T. McGrath, the former of whom re- moved to Millbury in 1859 and Rev. William Orr took his place. Father McGrath removed to Somer- ville in 1869 and his successor was Rev. Father McShane. During Father Orr's pastorate St. Pat- rick's Church, in South Lawrence, was built and ded- icated March 17, 1870, and St. Lawrence's Church, at the corner of Union and Essex Streets; this church was dedicated by Archbishop Williams in July, 1873.

The French Catholics began agitating the subject of gathering a church in 1871, holding meetings at first in Essex Hall and soon after in a small building purchased on Lowell Street. They commenced build- ing the present church on Haverhill Street in 1872-73, but it was delayed until 1875, when, under the pas- torate of Rev. Oliver Boucher, it was sufficiently com- pleted to be used for divine service, and received the name of St. Anne's.

The limits of this article will not admit of sketches of the many able and earnest clergymen who have been active in the different churches. A full record may be found in Miss O'Keefe's work, above referred to. The various Catholic Churches in 1875 were committed by the Most Rev. Archbishop to the spiritual care and direction of the Augustinian Order, and Rev. D. D. Regan, who had been stationed at St. Mary's since his ordination in 1874, became pastor of the Immaculate Conception Church, succeeded in 1877 by Rev. John H. Devir.

The present head of the Augustinian Order here is Rev. James T. O'Reilly.

LAWRENCE IN THE GREAT REBELLION .- From a Lawrence newspaper, published in the early days of Lawrence, 1846, is the following extract : "If the enor- mity of a man's siu is just cause for an equal enor- mity of punishment, the monster who, for the pay of a common soldier, will consent to turn 'human butcher' deserves the punishment in its fullest and broadest extent."

This sentiment did not, however, seem to be very deeply seated in the minds of the people, for no sooner had the echoes of the first guns fired upon Fort Sumter reached their ears, than Lawrence was ready to respond. The Sixth Massachusetts Regi- ment, of which two companies belonged in Lawrence, was at this time commanded by Col. Edward F. Jones, of Pepperell; the lieutenant-colonel was Walter G. Shattuck, of Groton, who resigned because of age and infirmity ; and the major was Benjamin F. Wat- son, then of Lawrence, now of New York City. Major Watson was elected lieutenant-colonel on the 17th May, 1861, and was promoted to the command

of the regiment, and held that position till the close of the campaign, Capt. Josiah A. Sawtelle, of Lowell, being elected major.

The President's first call for troops to defend Wash - ington was issued on the 15th of April, 1861, reached Boston on the 16th, and the entire regiment, scattered through the towns of Stoneham, Lawrence, Lowell, Acton, Groton, Worcester and adjoining towns, re- ported in Boston on the 17th, the larger portion of the regiment having arrived there before sunset of the 16th ; arrived in New York on the morning of the 18th, at Philadelphia in the evening of the same day; on the 19th made their memorable passage through Baltimore, having lost four killed and thirty- six wounded ; but not without inflicting a heavy loss upon the opposing force; and arrived in Washington on the afternoon of the 19th. Company I, of Law- rence, was under the command of Capt. John Picker- ing, and Company F, under Capt. Benjamin F. Chad- bourne and, subsequently, Capt. Melvin Beal.

Of the four killed in Baltimore, Sumner H. Need- ham, of Lawrence, was, according to Hanson's " His- tory of the Sixth Regiment," the first to fall mortally wounded. He was born in Bethel, Me., March 2, 1828, and had resided in Lawrence about twelve years, was corporal in Company I, having been a member of the company about five years. His body was brought to Boston on the 2d of May, and con- veyed to Lawrence May 3d, by a committee of the city government, and placed in the city hall, where funeral service was held. The hall was appropriately draped, and every inch of room occupied. On the rostrum were the clergy of the city, and an eloquent sermon was preached by the pastor of the deceased, Rev. G. S. Weaver, of the Universalist Church-as- sisted by Rev. Caleb E. Fisher, of Lawrence Street Congregational Church ; Rev. W. L. Jenkins, of the Unitarian Church ; Rev. Henry F. Lane, of the First Baptist Church; Rev. C. M. Dinsmore, of the Garden Street Methodist Church; Rev. Daniel Tenney, of the Central Congregational Church; and Rev. George Packard, of the Episcopal Church, in the devotional exercises.

The text was in Hebrews xi. 4: "He being dead, yet speaketh."

" He speaks from that sceno of conflict, with n silent yet terrible elo- quence, which is heard all over our great country, and which stirs the mornl indignation of twenty millions of freemen at home, and ten times that oumber abroad. That blow that broke in upon his braio struck upon the conscience of a nation. That wound hinsn tongue, speaking with a trumpet of thunder among the Northern hills and nlong the westorn prairies. The blood spilt from it is the seed of a mighty har- vest of patriots, who will pour upon rebels the indignation of their out- raged souls. His shattered form calls from its coffin upon an ontraged country, to arouse in ite might and ernsh out the reckless and imperious spirit of treason which has reared itself ngainst our prosperous Innd und our benignant form of Government. Yes, being dead, our brother enlls apon ns, his neighbors and friends, to stand up in our patriotism and manhood, and maintain und defend the honor of that country for which he gave his life. Ils calls upon our State to prove that her soos are worthy descendants of the blood of Plymouth Rock nnd Lexington ; upon our country to provo that her people are worthy of the institutions under which they livo."

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 239

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