History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 124

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III > Part 124

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

April 25, 1864, Rev. C. Ingles Chapin was called to the rectorship at a salary of $800. He made the fol- lowing report to the convention in the spring of 1865 :

" Grace Church, Malden : Baptisms, 17 ; communicants last reported, 19 ; died, 1 ; removed, 3 ; added, 19; present number, 34 ; confirmend, 9; marriages, 1; burials, 5. Sunday-school: Teachers, 7 ; scholars, 6. Missionary collection4, 820 ; for Sunday-school, $55; for Children's Chapel Fund, $110; Christmas and Easter festivala, $11.50 ; other pur- poses within the Parish, $225.

" By the blessing of God ont work has been prospered The present pressing need of the Parish is a suitable church or chapel. This want supplied, there is nothing to prevent a rapid growth."

As carly as May, 1862, the refusal of a lot of land known as the Heater Piece, on the Dexter estate, was obtained, but afterwards the site, for some reason, was not regarded as a suitable one for a church. But in March, 1865, under Rev. Mr. Chapin's rectorship, the subject of land and a church was again brought up, and a committee was appointed to examine a church in Chelsea, with a view to its purchase and removal, but the project was found not to be feasible.

August 1, 1865, Rev. C. Ingles Chapin resigned and soon after services ceased, and Grace Church existed only as a corporation. The records of Grace Church came to an end with a meeting held Nov. 22, 1869, at which time James Hammett was clerk.

Persons who were members of Grace Church affirm that this abrupt termination of its services, followed after a time by the extinction of the church itself, was occasioned by some lack of harmony in the brother- hood, and also of funds to meet necessary expenses.

After the cessation of religious services, quite a number of the members of Grace Church hired seats at the Methodist Episcopal Church, and on Easter Sunday, 1866, the house was given up entirely to the parish of Grace Church, Bishop Randall preaching in the morning and Rev. George Denham in the even-

ing, the choir using the Episcopal Church music throughout the day.

Steps were taken early in the year 1867 preliminary to the organization of another Episcopal Church in Malden. On January 13th of that year services of worship, conducted according to the liturgy of that church, began to be held in private houses, and on February 1st the rooms of the Young Men's Christian Association, in Waits' Block, having been engaged, the services were held in them. On March 26, 1867, a meeting was called of all persons interested in form- ing a parish or corporation in Malden, according to the rites and usages of the l'rotestant Episcopal Church, and a petition, requesting B. G. Hill, justice of the peace, to call a meeting for the purpose of or- ganizing such a parish, was signed. A warrant for this meeting was issued April 14th. The meeting thus legally called was held April 21, 1867, and a Protest- ant Episcopal Church was organized under the name of St. Paul's Church. This meeting was held in Waits' Block, and officers of the church were elected, as follows: As Wardens, Charles F. Stansbury and A. B. Converse ; as Vestrymen, C. A. Stearns, G. W. Wilson, William W. N. Cox, Alexander Henderson and O. N. Coburn; as Treasurer, G. W. Clark; as Clerk, Alexander Henderson. A constitution and by-laws were adopted and signed by the following persons :

Charles F. Stansbury, William Stearns, A. B. Converse, G. Wilson, O. N. Coburn, G. W. Clark, Alexander Henderson, Leonard Woods, M.D., J. S. Chapin, James Hamnett, J. M. Kaulback, Joseph A. Hill, J. S. F. Cnshing, I. Edward Burtt, C. L. Hanford, Charles Downer and William Linderby.

The hall over the Boston and Maine Depot was leased at $125 a year. The use of a part of the furni- ture formerly used by Grace Church was offered by its treasurer to St. Paul's Church.

April 16, 1868, Rev. George Putnam Huntington, son of Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Huntington, Bishop of Central New York, was called to take the pastoral charge of St. Paul's Church and P'arish. He accepted April 17th, for one year, at a salary of $500, and enter- ed upon his duties the following Sabbath. On May 30, 1869, he was elected rector, and accepted the othice.

At a meeting of Grace Church, held May 14, 1868, the following resolutions were offered and adopted :

" Resolved, That the organization known as Grace Church be from this date dissolved, and the property belonging to it be transferred to an organization known as St. Paul's Church, Malden."

" This action was legalized by an Act of the Legislature passed March 31, 1879."

During the period between April 2, 1867, and No- vember 28, 1870, several committees were appointed to consider and report upon the question of the loca - tion and erection of a house of worship. Numerous sites and various plans for obtaining a house of wor- ship, including the project of removing a church from Medford, were reported. But none of these reports were found on the whole to be acceptable. Finally,

525

MALDEN.

on November 28, 1870, a committee was authorized to purchase a lot on Washington Street, of Mr. Charles Heath. This land was eventually secured, and upon it was erected the present Episcopal Church.

"This church was consecrated by Bishop Eastburn, on May 23, 1872. The total cost of the buildings and grounds was $15,729.72. The parish house was built in 1883, at a cost of about $2500.

"Rev.George P. Huntington resigued the rectorship on account of ill health, August 15, 1884. Rev. John Milton Peck was called to be his successor, and preached his first sermon February 22, 1885. He re- signed June 4, 1887.

" Mr. Peck suddenly departed this life July 24, 1890, at Menahaunt, near Falmouth, Mass., where he was passing the summer with his family. In his early life Mr. Peck was a Congregationalist, but later became an Episcopalian, and entered the Episcopal ministry. He had served as rector in the Episcopal l'arishes of Rutland, Vt., Claremont, N. H., and in several other places. He came to Malden from Bridgewater, highly recommended by the bishop. He has since preached in varions places in the vicinity of Boston, and during the present sumner had supplied the Episcopal pulpit in Brookline, where he preached the Sabbath before he died. Rev. Mr. Peck was a scholarly man, and of much literary culture. He has written several pleasing poems."

The present reetor in the Episcopal Church in Malden is Rev. George Alexander Strong. Ile preached his first sermon as rector, October 15, 1887. At the present time the wardens of the church are Allan J. Chase and William Be de las Casas ; Clerk, William D. Hawley; Treasurer, Matthew C. Grier; Vestrymen, Alfred Tonks, Charles B. Shaw, Charles J. Addy, George T. Brown, Otis E. Waitt and George C. Tate.

The present number of communieants is 220, and of Sunday-school scholars, 206. The seats in this church are free. The charter requires that " no rent charge or exaetion shall ever be made or demanded for occupation or use of its seats." The expenses are met by the Sunday offertory.

ST. LUKE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, LINDEN, MAL- DEN .- The following sketch of the origin and history of this church is official :

"The services of the Episcopal Church in Linden began November 23, 1873, when but few persons took part in the worship. From 1873 to 1876 the Rev. George I'. Huntington, then reetor of St. Paul's Church at Malden Centre, held full evening prayers and preached on the fourth Sunday, in the afternoon, every month. The last of these services was held September 24, 1876. But services of worship were again commeneed by Rev. Mr. Huntington January 8, 1882. From that time different neighboring clergy- men conducted worship until December 31st, when Mr. T. L. Fisher first read the evening service, and from that time offieiated as lay-reader, the Rev. Mr.

Huntington coming once a month to celebrate the Holy Communion. Mr. Fisher was ordained to the diaconate in May, 18-3, and continued in charge until he was ordained to the priesthood in December, 1884. He entered upon the duties of his ministry on Christ- mas Day.

"Services of public worship thus far had been held in various places, but in the last part of this period in Associate Hall. The cellar for the new church was completed before December 17, 1883, and the church was consecrated by the Bishop of Massachusetts, April 29, 1884. The cost of the church was $5163. This sum, however, does not include payment for decoration of the walls of the church, the altar, leeturn, prayer- desks, chancel rail, clergy chairs, two chandeliers and memorial windows, all of which were presented.

"St. Luke's Parish was formally organized by the election of a vestry on July 1, 1885. The Rev. T. L. Fisher closed his services as rector of St. Luke's Church on the first Sunday in Lent, 1888. The Rev. L. H. Merrill entered upon his duties, as the successor of Rev. Mr. Fisher, October 18, 1888, and terminated them in February, 1890. lle was followed by the present rector, Rev. Edward Owen, who began his labors in the same month in which Rev. Mr. Merrill left. The present number of communicants is fifty, and the Sunday-school scholars number fifty-five."

THE FIRST UNITARIAN CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY of Malden was organized with ten members (six males and four females), December 21, 1875. The names of the original members were, Nathaniel W. Starbird, Asa R. Brown, Ilarrison J. Dawes, Seth C. Jones, Martha J. Noyes, Caroline M. Franch, Jose- phine Coburn, Louis D. Starbird, C. M. H. Abbott and Daniel M. Wilson. To these were added twenty- seven members the first year, and nine the second year.

All members of the society subscribed to the fol- lowing statement :

" The undersigned unite in the following faith and purpose. Our faith is in God, and in His Son Jesus the Christ. And we hereby form ourselves into a Society, that we may co-operate in the study and prac- tice of Christianity."

The first pastor was, Rev. Daniel M. Wilson, who be- gan his ministry with this people in 1876, and closed it in December, 1878. The second pastor was Rev. Henry Westcott, who was installed November 1, 1881. While taking his summer vacation, he died suddenly of heart disease, July 16, 1883. The third and present pastor is Rev. Benjamin H. Bailey, who entered upon his labors with this society April 9, 1884.

The organization of this society took place in Richardson's Hall, in Central Square, but its religious services were held mainly in Odd Fellows' HIall until the dedication of its new house of worship, which took place October 11, 1878. This house was erected at a cost, aside from the land, of $8000, and is located on Haskins Street, not far from Main Street. The members of the society number, at the present times

526

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

seventy-two, forty-five of whom are males, and twenty- seven are females. The Sabbath-school was organized with eight members in 1877. The number of its members now is over one hundred and ten.

This society at the present time is more prosperous than it ever was before. Within a year it has pur- chased a new and superior organ for its church, at a cost of $1600. Its accomplished and faithful pastor is respected and beloved by his people, and is con- stantly adding to his friends and enlarging the so- ciety.

THE FAULKNER EVANGELICAL UNION CHURCH. -This church is located at " Faulkner Station,"-a name given to that portion of the city which is ac- commodated by a railroad depot of that name, and is situated between Malden Centre and Maplewood. The evangelistic movement which led to the organi- zation of this church was commenced by Mr. Fred- erick A. Houdlette. Iu 1882 he erected the Mystic Hall, near Faulkner Station, as a place of public worship, though a part of the building was devoted to other purposes. For a time he bore the entire financial burden of maintaining religious services. His chief associate in conducting religious meetings was Capt. George W. Lane, an earnest and successful Sabbath-school missionary for a number of years on the coasts of Maine and North Carolina. A Sabbath- school was organized in Mystie Hall in October, 1882, with six teachers and sixty-eight scholars, and with Mr. Houdlette as superintendent. Earnest evangel- istic prayer-meetings were also held weekly, and ser- vices of worship, with preaching, on the Sabbath. Rev. E. S. Potter, a Congregational clergyman, who had then labored in the ministry with large success forty-eight years, was invited to serve as acting pas- tor, and he entered upon his labors June 4, 1882, and preached his last sermon September 1, 1889.

On March 22, 1883, at a meeting held in Mystic Hall, of which Mr. Houdlette was chairman, and Mr. E. A. Atwood, secretary, a society under the name of "The Faulkner Evangelical Union," was organized with Mr. A. C. Dowse as clerk ; Mr. George R. Conrad as treasurer; Messrs. J. I. Stewart and Daniel Wilder as auditors; and Mr. E. A. Atwood as superintendent of the Sabbath-school. The religious belief of the society was expressed in the following formula :

" This I'nion recognizes the Scriptures of the Old and New Testa- menta as Ita sole authority in matters of doctrine, and its infallible rule of faith and practice. It requires on the part of its members a substan- dal ussent to them. It requires that the public ministry shull accord with them. But, because not all persons agree in their Interpretation of the Scriptures, und to the end that none may be offended or excluded from Its fellowship, this Union does not require, as a condition of mem- betship, that every candidate shall perfectly understand thom, or agree with every other member in their interpretation of the same, being very confident that the Lord hath much truth yet to break forth out of llis Holy word." [Then follows the Apostles' Creed.]

In the summer of 1885 Deacon John B. Faulkner, who had been a member for many years and an officer of the First Baptist Church in Malden, a gentleman -

of wealth, and in honor of whom the railroad station had received its name, intimated his intention to present a lot of land to the Union, and to build upon it a house of worship, whereupon the Faulkner Evangelieal Union, by taking the necessary legal steps, became, on December 8, 1885, an incorporated society. On the 17th of the same month Deacon Faulkner conveyed, by deed, to the Faulkner Evan- gelical Union, a lot of land valned at $1000. In the deed the donor makes the following statement :

"I donate this property to the Society, and Church when institnted, known by the name of The Faulkner Evangelical Union, to be en . trusted to the Prudential Committee of said Society, with a Board of Trosters, who shall act in concurrence with the above-named Commit- tee.

"The object of this donation is the establishment and maintenance of the ordinances of religion io accordance with the belief and usages of the society as it now exists. And furthermore this houss of worship shall be kept free from all incumbrance whatsoever, to bave and to hold the granted preniises, with all the privileges and appartenances thereto be- longing, to the said The Faulkner Evangelical Union, totheir own use and beboof forever."

The organization of the Union Society was designed to be preliminary to the organization of a church. Accordingly "The Faulkner Evangelical Union Church " was organized on February 12, 1886, with Mr. E. A. Atwood as clerk and treasurer. The cou- fession of faith adopted was evangelical.

The house of worship was completed in June, 1886. The entire expense of the building, including the land, was about $7000, and the whole was a munifi- cent gift to the Faulkner Evangelical Union and Church from Dea. John B. Faulkner. The church was dedicated June 9, 1886. In the publie services of the afternoon, Dea. Faulkner, with fitting words, presented the keys of the church to the chairman of the Board of Trustees, closing with the remark: " I hope this will prove a blessing to the people." In the evening a sermon was preached by Rev. John L. Withrow, D.D., of the Park Street Church, Boston, and Rev. W. F. Obear, of Maplewood, offered the dedicatory prayer.

The present number of church members is forty- four, and the members of the Sabbath-sehool number about one hundred and twenty. Rev. Harry P. Ran- kin, a Methodist minister, is the present acting pastor.

There are now in Malden, ministering to the relig- ious and spiritual needs of its more than twenty-three thousand inhabitants, fourteen Christian churches. One of these churches is two hundred and forty-one years old. The other thirteen have come into exist- ence during the period of the last eighty-seven years. With all their imperfections, mistakes and partial failures, they have yet stood as bulwarks against im- morality, intemperance, all unrighteousness and crime. Without churches and the preached gospel, Malden would have been uninhabitable to respectable people. They have been the light, the joy and the glory of the town ; while in their ministries of salva- tion and consolation they have been to thousands as the open gates of Heaven.

527

MALDEN.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

MALDEN -(Continued).

SOCIETIES.

BY GEO. HOWARD FALL.

THERE are over seventy societies to be found in Malden to-day. Many of these are secret and com- paratively unimportant. Quite a number have no more members than officers. Still others are little more than mutual admiration clubs. Societies which are purely secret or self-centred have little claim upon the pen of the historian. To be of general in- terest, they must be connected with the general wel- fare, or must, at least, be typical of the community's development. An individual's history is of value just so far as it represents the spirit of the times or just so far as his life and acts present a history of the times. Of the same nature is the history of a society. If it has sought to accomplish public work, whether good or bad, the historian is bound to recognize it. But if private matters and individual interests only have been considered, a history of it would be a tax upon public forbearance.

Many of the societies are doing general work, and illustrate phases of social development. Of these there is none more important than the Malden Delib- erative Assembly. This society was organized Decem- ber 8th, 1875, by ten young men, who met at the house of Mr. Charles D. Weld. Its object and pur- pose was (first) the full and free discussion of the leading questions of the day; (second) exercise and training in parliamentary practice. Its founders were Elijah George, Otis E. Waitt, Sidney D. Shat- tuck, A. R. Turner, Jr., A. F. Crocker, Chas. D. Weld, Horace F. Gleason, J. C. Aukl, Frank F. Sar- gent, J. Q. A. Brett. The society now numbers over eighty members, comprising representatives from every class and profession. Such subjects as the fol- lowing have been discussed :

Resolved, that it will subserve the best interests of Malden to adopt a city charter ; That church proper- ty ought to be taxed ; That a property qualification should be one of the conditions of the exercise of the suffrage ; That the enactment of national laws providing for compulsory education should be en- couraged ; That the right of suffrage should be ex- tended to women; That all railroads should be owned and controlled by the State ; That the Bible should be read in the public schools; That Pomeroy onght to be hanged ; That Chinese immigration ought to be prohibited ; That prohibitory legislation is conducive to the best interests of this Commonwealth ; That England would be justified in interfering in the laws between Turkey and Servia. That Free Trade will best advance the commercial interests of the United States; That all National, State and Municipal offi-

cers should be denied the right of suffrage during their term of office; That labor organizations are detrimental to the general welfare ; That capital pun- ishment should be abolished; That the President of the United States should be elected for a term of six years, and no longer ; That Tilden was fairly elected ; That bad cooking is the cause of more misery than alcoholic liquors ; That women should vote in muni- cipal elections ; That the poll-tax should be abol- ished ; That life is not worth living.

This society has exercised a potent influence upon Malden affairs. Many officers, first of the town, and later of the city government, have been among its members, and in the assembly room learned to fairly view those questions which otherwise they might have seen only through the mist of local and politi- cal prejudice. In the town-meeting, and in the ward-room, speeches have been continually made under the stimulus of passion and self-interest. In the assembly room, one motive controlled discus- sion,-that of the pure reason. No limits except those of time have ever been allowed to interfere with the freedom of debate. Again and again have the citizens poured into the meetings as the one place where they could hear fairly discussed the living questions of the day. These were called the public meetings of the assembly, and ladies were always welcome.

The great success of this society has been due to two causes. First, any man could join provided he possessed good morals and intellectual capacity. These were the only requisites. The society has never been ruled by a "set." Secondly, freedom from burdensome rules and orders. Members are allowed to come into and go out of the room when they please. Hence an uninteresting debate will clear the hall per se ; and disputants know that in order to keep their audience they must have something to say worth hearing. Ninety per cent. of all debating societies are killed out by the strictness of their rules.

Among the many subjects of public interest which the assembly has considered was one concerning the advisability of revising the city charter. The assem- bly voluntarily took upon itself, early in 1888, the task of preparing the outlines of a new charter. A com- mittee of five was appointed, who examined all the charters of neighboring cities, and also studied for some six weeks the problem of municipal govern- ment. As a result, the modern problem of city gov- ernment became widely discussed in Maklen, and the end is not yet. This self-appointed task of the assem- bly is only an instance.

The water question, the sewerage, the electric light, streets, fire department, etc., etc., have all been over- hauled and examined from an impartial standpoint. The Sewerage Bill, for the Metropolitan Valley, which passed the Legislature recently, is due largely to the efforts of the assembly. The assembly brought the merits of the scbeme before the people of Mal-

528

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

den, at one of its public meetings. The citizens of Malden did the rest.

The following gentlemen have served as presidents of the assembly since its organization : Elijah George, Harry P. Ballard, George F. Foster, A. A. Knights, George A. Littlefield, Frank P. Bennett, A. R. Turner, Jr., George D. Ayers, Alfred II. Jones, Sid- ney D. Shattuck, Jerome H. Fiske, John S. Patton, Charles D. Weld, George L. Gould, Alfred E. Cox, Daniel L. Milliken, A. J. Freeman, R. R. Robinson, Tristram Griffin, Elnathan D. Howes, Clarence A. l'erkins, F. HI. Page, William F. Merrill, Frank E. Woodward, Charles R. Magee, F. O. Woodruff, Geo. Howard Fall, George L. Richards, John M. Corbett, George H. Woodruff, Eugene 11. Cox, Charles G. Schaedel, H. Hubbard, F. A. Lux, Harry H. Barrett, Edwin S. Blaine, H. L. Boutwell, Curtis S. Pease, F. I. Winslow and George W. Cox.

OLD AND NEW-The Woman's Club of Malden .- On Friday, October 18, 1878, thirteen Malden women met at the house of Mrs. Il. 11. Robinson, at the in- vitation of Mrs. Harriette R. Shattuck, "to consider the feasibility of forming a woman's club in Malden." From this small beginning, "Okl and New " has gradually grown into a large club, numbering, in March, 1890, 100 members. It is the only woman's club in the city, and one of three in Middlesex Coun- ty. The presidents during the twelve years of its existence have been Harriette R. Shattuck, Rosella F. Baxter, Loriette A. Eaton, Harriette II. Robinson and Cora E. P'case.

December 10, 1889, the club was duly incorporated under the charter-name of the Old and New, of Mas- sachusetts. The incorporators are Cora E. Pease, Ella F. Bean, Cynthia M. Shepherd, Harriette R. Shattuck, Adeline A. Nichols, Rosella F. Baxter, IIarriette Il. Robinson, Lena D. M. Siner, Caroline D. Waldron and Caroline A. Danforth. The purpose of the club, as stated in its charter, is literary and educational work, and establishing and maintaining a place for social meetings for the convenience of the women of Mahlen and vicinity. Mutual improve- ment is its object, and incidentally, whatever work for the outside publie it may be able to do in addi- tion. In pursuance of the first object, lectures and other entertainments are given by members of the club, and by persons invited to address it, on literary, ethical, scientific and domestic topics. Half of the twenty-four nicetings each year are in charge of three committees, who, on the afternoons respectively as signed to them, provide speakers and topics appro- priate to their respective departments. The other half of the meetings are in charge of the club itself, which provides for them in executive session. Dur- ing the last year the club listened to essays upon " Utopias; Old and New ; " " Mirabeau and the French Revolution;" "Robert Browning; " "The Schools of Russia;" "Electrical Engineering; " " Dust and Dampness; " "Some Curious Beliefs of

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 124

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co Number of Pages: 1278

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278