History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 174

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1534

USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 174

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proprietor than to quote his own words in the " Chris- tian Liturgy and Book of Prayer," viz. :

" The Christian Liturgy.

" The purpose of Christ's Church in Brookline, Longwood, a Gospel Church, the first of the Union of Churches in the Spirit of Charity-is to provide a Liturgy which shall comprehend those doctrines, and those only, which are essential to guide the mind in a right worship of God. It is obvious that men who differ as to the origin of sin, or as to the precise nature of the atonement, may nevertheless equally love God, and may be alike grateful to him for his mercy, and desire his approval, and seek his will, and adore his infinite perfections. They may differ on many theological questions, and yet may have the same senti- ments of devout trust and reverential gratitude, and may equally feel the need of Divine help. If they may thus agree in what is essential to devotion, why may they not unite in religious worship ? If they will abstain from obtruding into the act of worship those theological speculations which have no necessary connection with it, why may they not bow together before that God which they all adore ?

" The Liturgy of the Church of America professes only to give expression to those feelings which should be in man's heart when he looks up to God. It would leave the theological ques- tions on which sects divide to be settled by each individual in his own way, while it would draw all Christian people together in the sentiment and offices of devotion."

This house was modeled after a church in Col- chester, England, and is situated on Colchester Street, Longwood.

Church of our Saviour .- This church is famous for its neat and attractive appearance, situated as it is in one of the finest sections of the town, at the corner of Monmouth and Carleton Streets, but a short dis- tance from Chapel Station ; not only is it tasteful in its external appearance and surroundings, but it is also exquisite in its internal appointments. It is built of broken stone, with hammered granite trimmings, having a tower at the easterly end of the same. This parish was organized Feb. 19, 1868. Amos Adams Lawrence and Dr. William R. Lawrence erected the building as a tribute to the memory of their father, Amos Lawrence,-an exceedingly appropriate and beautiful expression of their regard for one whose memory they delight to cherish.

The marble tablet on the west wall of the church is as follows :

" This Church is built in memory of AMos LAW- RENCE, by his two Sons. Divine service first held March 22. 1868."

Robert Amory. The first service in the church was March 22, 1868. Rev. Elliott D. Thompkins was the first rector. The consecration of the church was by the late Bishop Eastburn, on the 29th of September, 1868. The second pastor was Rev. Frank L. Norton, the present dean of the cathedral at Albany, N. Y.

Present officers of the church : The rector is Rev. Reginald H. Howe; Wardens, S. L. Bush, S. H. Gregory ; Vestrymen, Amos A. Lawrence, W. L. Chase, A. P. Howard, William H. Lincoln, Francis W. Lawrence, John Wales, Thomas P. Ritchie, Charles Thorndike, Hammond Vinton, G. F. Clarke, J. L. Carter ; Clerk, Hammond Vinton ; Treasurer, J. L. Carter ; Sexton, A. B. Marston.

This society have an elegant stone chapel, used for evening meetings, and rooms for the various benevolent and charitable objects of the church. Connected with this church is a guild established in 1880, a parish aid society, and a church temperance society, beside a Sunday-school numbering about one hundred. The number of communicants of the church is about one hundred and sixty.

Washington Street Methodist Episcopal Church .- The first attempt to establish a Methodist church in Brookline was in the early part of 1873. Three persons from other places saw an opening for, and the need of, a Methodist Church where people could worship in their own way in this town. They united with two others and purchased the building formerly belonging to the Harvard Congregational society, at the corner of Washington and School Streets, for the sum of twenty-four thousand five hun- dred dollars. The church was refitted in an attractive manner, and dedicated to public worship soon after, and the Rev. E. D. Winslow, of Newton, was ap- pointed by the New England Conference as their pas- tor. Bishop Simpson preached the dedication sermon from 1 John iv. 19. A Sunday-school was connected with this church of about one hundred members. In 1876 the society sold the house, and worshiped in the town hall till May, 1879, when land was pur- chased for a church nearly opposite their first build- ing, on the corner of Washington and Cypress Streets, and a new church was built by William Wood, which was dedicated in September, 1879, costing two thou- sand six hundred and fifty-seven dollars and ninety- one cents, Mr. Wood presenting the stained-glass windows and pulpit. The following are the preachers who have supplied since the commencement : Rev. E. D. Winslow, Rev. Mark Trafton, Rev. W. S. Robin- son, Rev. Henry Witham, Rev. M. V. B. Knox, Rev. E. R. Watson, Rev. William McDonald, Rev. Joshua

The organ, built by Messrs. E. & G. Hook, was presented by Mrs. Amos A. Lawrence in memory of her mother. The baptismal font was the gift of Mrs. F. W. Lawrence. Prominent among the mem- bers of this society are the various branches of the Lawrence family, the prime movers in its organization, | S. H. Gregory, Samuel L. Bush, the late Commodore George S. Blake, William C. Hichborn, and Dr. | Gill, Rev. William G. Leonard. Enoch Doran is

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superintendent of the Sabbath-school, William Wood secretary and treasurer of the society.

Schools .- It will be seen by the vote allowing Muddy River to manage their own affairs as early as Dec. 8, 1686, provision was made for educating the young, viz. : Ordered, " That henceforth the said Hamlet be free from Town rates to Boston, they rais- ing a School-House and maintaining an able reading and writing master." The above act was accepted at a full meeting of the inhabitants on the 19th of Jan- uary, 1686-87, also the sum of twelve pounds raised for the maintenance of said school. What kind of a building was used for a " Scholl hous" we are not told, but we find that on the 28th of May, 1697, it needed repairs. Also, on the same day, it was " voated that Mr. John Searl should tech school in sd Muddyriver from the first Munday in may 1697 until the last day of February 1697" (?).

The first school-house erected by the " hamlet" of Muddy River was situated on the ground now occu- pied by the block of houses of Arthur Williams on School Street, then known as "School-house Lane." The lane was narrow, not much more than a cart road, and bordered on either side by a low stone wall over- hung by trees, and on the east side by a thick, natural hedge of barberry-bushes, which nearly concealed the wall.

A school was kept in this lane from a very early period, probably the only school in the town while it was a part of Boston. The original school-house was a very small and low, square, hipped-roof building, on the spot above mentioned. Some of the oldest inhabitants can just remember it as a mere hovel going to ruin in their early childhood.

The second school-house was the same style of build- ing, a little larger, and stood on the spot now forming the corner of School and Prospect Streets. We have been informed that this bit of ground was given to the town for a school-house lot forever by one of the early Davis families.

The arrangements in and about this ancient edifice of learning for the accommodation of teacher and pupils would hardly satisfy modern tastes and require- ments.

metic being all that were used, and not all those at once. Perhaps they feared softening of the brain. The teacher's desk was in the left hand corner farthest from the door, and the right-hand corner was occupied by an immense fireplace with a chimney to match. The clothing was hung on the wall, in the absence of a clothes-closet.

The wood, of cord length and often unseasoned, was deposited outside the school-house, and autumnal rains and winter snows fell unchecked upon it. The winter school, taught by a man, used to begin with the Monday after Thanksgiving, and the boys took turns, week by week, in sawing and splitting the wood and making the fire. Friction-matches were one of the blessings reserved for modern times, so the luck- I less wights who made the fires had to bring live coals in an iron skillet, kept for the purpose, from " Squire Sharp's," the nearest neighbor, and for some time the schoolmaster.

"Squire Sharp" was teacher of the winter school several years, as was also Dr. Aspinwall. Three teachers by the name of Allen (not brothers) also served for several winters. One of them was after- wards president of Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Me., and another became subsequently a Unitarian clergyman.

Among the female teachers of those days were two sisters, Nabby and Joanna Jordan, who lived with their parents in the little house. Many good peo- ple, now far advanced in life, learned their A, B, C in that little old building of Miss Nabby or Miss Joanna. Another of the female teachers for many successive years was Miss Lucy Aspinwall.

The school-house was built two stories high, with a place for clothing in the entry and a little room for fuel in the rear of each room. A platform ran across the end, on which was the teacher's desk, opposite to the door. The seats were arranged to face the teacher, six in a row, the desks being all under the same board for one row, but separated inside from one another. A square box-stove for wood heated each room. On each end of the platform were three more seats, and in front of the desks a narrow board was placed a few inches from the floor for a seat for the little children. Who that ever sat upon those seats will forget their hardness ? We have heard mention made of " the soft side of a plank." That there was no soft side to those planks none who sat there will deny their testimony. Poor little urchins of four years and upwards sat there from nine to twelve in the forenoon and from one till four in the afternoon, summer and winter, to read the alphabet once through

On each side of an alley through the middle of the room the seats were arranged facing the alley, like seats in a street-car, only they were long, narrow benches, with a plank supported upon legs, running the whole length of the room (except a space for ad- mission at the ends), and this plank served the pur- pose of a desk. A sort of drawer underneath served to hold the books, which were not numerous. The Bible, the Psalter, the Spelling-Book and the Arith- from A to Z each half-day, with five minutes' recess

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only in each session, and a smart application of the rattan or ruler if they turned round or whispered.

For many years the town appropriated money for two terms of school in the year, three or four months each, in summer and in winter. The people of the district then contributed somewhat more that a few weeks might be added to the terms. Thus the schools were kept nearly as many weeks in the year as at present, only the vacations occurred in the comforta- ble weather of fall and spring when the children were in good condition to study, and through the whole of the sweltering dog-days teachers and pupils were kept at their tasks.

The first school-house built by the people of the town, unaided by Boston, stood on the hill, on the triangular piece of ground where Warren and Walnut Streets diverge, near the church. It was probably a small wooden school-house, but it must have served for a hundred years or more. An ancient bill pre- sented to the selectmen for repairs on this building is a curiosity. It reads as follows :

December ye 6. 1758.

to work don at the Skul hous

to shinggeling the ruf and finding 15 shingels, and nales and Lime to pint it, 1.1.0

to Laying the harth and finding 60 ty bricks and wheling 12 whelborrers of Durt to Ras it. 2.00

Lathing and plastern Severl plases 0.1.0

Moses Scott 4.00

We do not find Mr. Scott's arithmetic or spelling to indicate that he ever spent much time in the " Skul hous," except in the exercise of his calling as car- penter. The indorsement of the selectmen on the back of the bill orders the town treasurer, Jona Win- chester, to pay him ten shillings and eight pence for his work. Another old bill, presented by a female teacher, who probably taught in School Street, affords a similar anomaly :

" The Town of Brookline Depttor to Mary Bowen for Keep- ing School fore months from the seventh of June 1760, at twenty six shillings and Eaight pence per month. 5. 68.'' on which the indorsement reads :

"allowed twenty four shillings pr. month In Consideration of her haveing a great number of Schollers & there being but one school Kept."

We have known of instances where an increase of the number of scholars did not secure a corresponding increase of salary, but hope the above is the only instance on record of an abatement being made for a similar reason. Perhaps, however, the deficiency was made up by a tax on the pupils.

ing was the Alma Mater of many, if not most, of our present middle-aged and elderly townspeople. It was a square, hip-roofed building, fronting eastward, with out-blinds, porch or shed, and here school was kept, always by a male teacher, from April to November. Then it was closed, and the winter school for many years was kept by " the master" in the School Street school-house. Another school was also kept during the same time in a small wooden school-house on Heath Street, nearly opposite the present one.

The brick school-house was not an important build- ing in town merely for its service in school uses, but it was also used for town-meetings from the time it was built as long as it remained standing. It was at the brick school-house that the people of the town met to form a procession on the occasion of the funeral services in honor of George Washington. From thence they marched to the church, then standing in what is now the garden of the parsonage, and listened to the eulogy delivered by Dr. Pierce.

After the close of the second war with England the town began to grow more rapidly. Several gentlemen came here and built fine houses, and there was a gen- eral increase of prosperity. The subject of building a town-house began to be discussed, but met with con- siderable opposition from old citizens, who thought the school-house had been good enough for them and their fathers, and ought to suffice for the coming gen- eration. However, the more enterprising carried their point at last so far as to get a vote to build a town- house. The next thing to be considered was the place and the material. The brothers John and Lewis Tappan and Mr. Joseph Sewall had built stone houses, and it was proposed to build a stone town-house. This was opposed, of course, as unnecessary extrava- gance by the men who thought the old school-house was good enough. But once more enterprise tri- umphed, and the building was decided upon, as well as the location. This was the origin of the building known as the old stone school-house, still standing next the Unitarian Church.

The contract for building it was let out to mechanics from Roxbury; but the work is said to have been badly done. The building was completed in 1824, and dedicated with appropriate ceremonies on the 1st day of January, 1825.

The lower room was fitted for a school-room, and the old brick school-house was taken down the same year. On the spot where the building stood, at the site of the door, an elm-tree was planted by Mr. Ebenezer Heath, and it still marks the spot. The that neighborhood and changing to School Street in

The next school-house of which we hear on this i old plan of keeping the school a part of the year in spot was of brick, and was built in 1793. This build-

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winter continued for a while longer, but the increase of population soon made it necessary to have a school the year round in that part of the town.

For several years the town hall, on the second floor of the building, was a popular place for singing-schools, political meetings, and lyceum lectures. About the year 1832, Mr. Isaac Thayer, who had rushed like a comet into the quiet atmosphere of Brookline and left his trail along the horizon for some time after his departure, started the idea of a series of lyceum lectures. A company was organized as the Brook- line Lyceum Society, and for several winters the hall was filled with the élite of the town on these occa- sions.

On alternate weeks a debate was held instead of a lecture. A course of lectures on phrenology the first season created much discussion and awakened great interest. An impulse was given to intellectual growth by the lyceum lectures which was felt throughout the town. Quiet farmers who scarcely read anything be- fore but the Bible and the almanac were roused into new mental life. A premium of ten dollars was of- fered by the Lyceum Society to the person who should remember and be able to repeat the most of any lec- ture heard. A daughter of Deacon Joshua C. Clark was the successful competitor.

The first public high school in Brookline was . opened in this building in May, 1843, under Mr. Benjamin H. Rhoades, a graduate of Brown Univer- sity, now librarian of Redwood Library, Newport, R. I. The second town hall was built in 1845.

His assistant teacher, James Pierce, a young man of great promise and much beloved, though a native of Dorchester, was related to Brookline families and well identified with its interests.

He was preparing to enter the Unitarian ministry when his health failed, and a trip to Europe was ad- vised. On the return voyage he died, and was buried in the sea. Many hearts sincerely mourned his loss and still tenderly cherish his memory.

Mr. Rhoades was succeeded by Hezekiah Shailer, a brother of Rev. W. H. Shailer, who was then min- ister of the Baptist Church in this town. He was called a good disciplinarian, as those who experienced the shakings which he gave in a quiet way after school were usually reduced to submission as effectu- ally as if they had been experimented upon with the " clapper" of his ancient predecessor.

Mr. Shailer was succeeded by Mr. John Emory Hoar, the present teacher of the high school. After the school was removed to its present location the old stone building continued in use for primary schools until sold by the town a few years since,

when it became private property. A select private school is now kept in this building, which has been completely fitted and enlarged, and is in a flourishing condition under the care of Miss Carrie L. Rideout, formerly a teacher in the public schools of Brookline.

The present High School building is at the corner of School and Prospect Streets, and near to the site of the first school in the town.

Classical School .- In 1823, Rev. John Pierce, Richard Sullivan, Elisha Penniman, Henry Colman, Henry A. S. Dearborn, Henry Oxnard, Charles Tap- pan, Lewis Tappan, John Tappan, William Raymond Lee, John Robinson, Oliver Whyte, Elijah Corey, Timothy Corey, Thomas Griggs, Samuel Craft, David S. Greenough, Jr., Joseph Sewall, Ebenezer Craft, James Leeds, Ebenezer Francis, Ebenezer Heath, Augustus Aspinwall, and Dr. Charles Wild were incorporated as the Brookline Classical School.

A building was erected on Boylston Street, now Dr. Shurtleff's house, where a school was kept for boys. The first teacher was David Hatch Barlow, followed by Gideon F. Thayer, the founder of the Chauncy Hall School, Boston. This school usually had from thirty to forty pupils, and was continued till about 1837. After that time it was continued for a year or two with varied success. George B. Emer- son, the well-known educator, became the next owner, residing here for two years, and during that time spent a winter in Boston, having leased his house to William Ware, author of . " Zenobia," " Last Days of | Aurelian," and other works. The first named above was written in the parlor of that house.

Lucius V. Hubbard, Nathaniel Ingersoll, David Fosdick, Jr., Thaddeus Clapp, Luther Farrar, and Samuel Rogers, who afterwards became a physician in Roxbury, taught in this school at different times.

Devotion Fund .- Two persons have made dona- tions for schools in the town at different times. Ed- ward Devotion, who by his will, dated 1743, left the following to the town of Brookline :

"Item : in case my Estate prove to be sufficient to pay my Just Debts, Funeral Charges and the aforementioned Legacies and there should be any overplus left then my will is and I hereby give the sd overplus to the Town of Brooklyn towards Building or Maintaining a School as near the Centre of the said Town as shall be agreed upon by the Town. But if the said Town cannot agree upon a Place to set the said School upon then my Will is that the said overplus be laid out in pur- chasing a Wood Lott for the use of the School and the ministry of said Town forever."

The sum of money, which at the time of its being received in 1762, amounted to " £739 4s. lawful money" for the use of schools, was borrowed by the State during the Revolutionary war, and when it was

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HISTORY OF NORFOLK COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

paid back to the town it was in depreciated Conti- nental currency. It was put at interest, however, and in 1845 had accumulated to the amount of $4531.01, which was appropriated to the building of the town hall, which was to have two school-rooms in it.

Hyslop Donation .- Jan. 4, 1793, " Voted to accept the Donation of. William Hyslop Esquire for the pur- pose of Building a School House on, or near the spot where the Old School House in the middle of the Town stands."

" Voted, that the Town Sensibly imprest with the (the) great obligations they are under to William Hyslop Esquire, for his generous Donation for the purpose of Building a School House in said Town for the Incouragement and promotion of Learning among the Youth of the Rising Generation, Sin- cerely Return him their thanks."

College Graduates .- John White, A.M., son of Joseph and Hannah White; graduate Harvard Col- lege, 1698 ; ordained pastor of church at Gloucester, Mass., April 21, 1703; died Jan. 16, 1760.

Ebenezer Devotion, A.M., son of John Devotion ; graduate Harvard College, 1707; taught school 1709 ; ordained pastor of a church at Suffield, Conn., June 28, 1710; died April 11, 1741, aged fifty- seven.

Edward White, A.M., son of Benjamin and Han-

James Allen, son of Rev. James and Mehetable nah (Wiswall) White, graduate Harvard College, | (Shepard) Allen, the first minister of Brookline, born 1712; was a farmer, justice of the peace, major in Sept. 20, 1723; Harvard College, 1741; died in December, 1749, aged twenty-six. the militia, and representative to the General Court, town clerk, selectman, moderator of the town-meet- ings, town treasurer, and other public offices ; died May 29, 1769, aged seventy-six.

Andrew Gardner, A.M. ; graduate Harvard Col- lege, 1712; ordained at Worcester, Mass., 1719, and dismissed Oct. 31, 1722; installed at Lunenburg, Mass., May 15, 1728, and dismissed Feb. 22, 1732. Soon after his dismission he retired to one of the towns on the Connecticut River, in the State of New | Hampshire, where he died at a very advanced age.

Samuel Aspinwall, A. M., son of Lieut. Samuel and Sarah (Stevens) Aspinwall, born Feb. 13, 1696 ; | April, 1775.

died Aug. 13, 1732, aged thirty-seven. We find the following in the New England Weekly Journal, No. 283 :

" BROOKLINE, Aug. 21.

" On the 13th inst died here, Mr. Samuel Aspinwall, of this Town, in the 37th year of his age, after between six and seven years illness. He commenced Master of Arts, in Cambridge, 1717, and was designed for the ministry ; but discouraged by inward weakness; which after he had been for some little time, settled here, so advanced, as to take him off from business, and, at length, proved fatal. He was a gentleman of bright parts, natural and acquired, a strong memory, quick wit, and solid

judgment, pleasant in his conversation, a steady friend, and a good christian."

A funeral sermon was also published on the occa- sion of his death by Rev. James Allen, in which he gives him an excellent character.

Rev. Ebenezer White, A.M., son of Deacon Ben- jamin and Margaret (Weld) White, was born March 29, 1713 ; graduate Harvard College, 1733; ordained minister at Norton, Mass. (now Mansfield), Feb. 23, 1737; died Feb. 18, 1761.

Jonathan Winchester, A.M., son of Henry and Frances Winchester, born April 21, 1717; ordained at Ashburnham, Mass., April 23, 1760; died Nov. 27, 1767, aged fifty years.

Ilenry Sewall, son of Samuel and Rebecca (Dud- ley) Sewall, born March 8, 1720; Harvard College, 1738 ; a farmer and justice of the peace ; died May 29, 1771, aged fifty-one.

John Druce, A.M., son of John and Elizabeth (Bishop) Druce, born July 13, 1709 ; Harvard Col- lege, 1738 ; became a physician and settled in Wren- tham, Mass., and had a family.

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History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 174

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1534

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1534