History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 124

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1706

USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 124

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" Passed June 18, 1825."

About this time land was purchased of Micah Faxon for a church. This was located on a rising spot of ground, south of the present public-house, and near " Kingman's Brick Block." A house was erected, which was dedicated Aug. 9, 1826, with ap- propriate services, as follows: Introductory prayer and reading of the Scriptures, by Rev. John Pierpont, of Boston ; dedicatory prayer, by Rev. Eliphalet Por- ter, D.D., of Roxbury, Mass. ; sermon, by Rev. Ben- jamin Huntoon, of Providence, R. I., from the text, Acts xxiv. 14: " But this I confess unto thec, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law, and in the prophets ;" concluding prayer, by Rev. James Kendall, D.D., of Plymouth ; benediction, by Rev. Richard M. Hodges, of Bridge- water.

Rev. John Goldsbury, of Warwick, Mass., received an invitation to become their pastor, and, accept- ing of the same, he was ordained Wednesday, June 6, 1827, with the following services : 1, introductory prayer and reading of the Scriptures, by Rev. J. P. B. Storer, of Walpole, Mass. ; 2, sermon, by Rev. Luther Hamilton, of Taunton, Mass .; 3, ordaining prayer, by Rev. John Reed, D.D., of West Bridgewater, Mass .; 4, charge to the pastor, by Rev. Eliphalet Porter, D.D., of Roxbury, Mass .; 5, right hand of fellowship, by Rev. Ezra S. Gannett, D.D., of Boston ; 6, address to the people, by Rev. John Pierpont, of Boston ; 7, concluding prayer, by Rev. Henry Edes, D.D., of Providence, R.I. The pleasantness of the day, and the deep interest in the occasion, caused the house to be thronged. The sermon was from text, John xviii. 37 : " To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear wit- ness unto the truth."

The sermon on that occasion was exceedingly in- teresting and very judicious, dwelling at some length on the simplicity of the truth which the Christian teacher is required to inculcate. Among the many things noticed were the difficulties of a Christian ministry,-the indifference to truth prevalent in the world, the prejudices of opinion that hinder the re- ception of truth, and the disposition among men to mystify and obscure the plaincst principles. The charge to the pastor, by Rev. Dr Porter, was listencd to with peculiar interest, from his filial allusion to one under whose ministry many of this society had for- merly sat,-Rev. John Porter, father of Rev. Elipha- Ict Porter, D.D., of Roxbury, Mass.

Rev. John Goldsbury was born in Warwick, Mass., Feb. 11, 1795 ; fitted for college at different schools and academies, and under private instruction ; gradu-

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HISTORY OF BROCKTON.

ated at Brown University in 1820; commenced the study of divinity at Harvard College in 1821, under Professors Ware, Norton, and Willard; taught in Taunton Academy several years; was ordained in North Bridgewater Wednesday, June 6, 1827, where he remained till Sept. 4, 1831 ; and resided in War- wick. Mass., where he died.

New Jerusalem Church .- The knowledge of the "New Church" doctrines was introduced into this part of the country by the Rev. Holland Weeks. of Abington, Mass., who was dismissed from his society in that town about the year 1820 for having become a believer in them, which circumstance created no little exeitement at the time, and was the means of inducing some others to look into the subject, and to become believers themselves. The first society of receivers of the doctrines in this place was formed in 1827, and consisted of ten members, namely, Sidney Perkins, Nathaniel B. Harlow, William French, Mar- tin Beal, Jabez Field, John Field, of North Bridge- water, Isaiah Noyes, Daniel Noyes, Elisha Faxon, and Austin Cobb, of Abington. In 1828 the number had inereased to twenty. During that year a hall was fitted up in the house of Jabez Field, to hold public meetings. Rev. Eleazer Smith preached for them once a month. from 1827 to 1831, and after- wards every Sabbath, till 1834. In 1831 the hall owned by Maj. Nathan Hayward was occupied by the society for meetings, and, still later, the building pre- viously used by the Second Congregational Society, or better known as the " Unitarian meeting-house." Also the hall over the hotel. then kept by Edward E. Bennett. In 1832 the society petitioned the Legis- lature for an act of incorporation as a religious society, which was granted, as may be seen by the following act, dated March 3, 1832, and styled, --

" THE FIRST SOCIETY OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH IN NORTH BRIDGEWATER.

" Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by authority of the Same,

"That Jabez Field, Lucius Field, James A. Tolman, Ruel Richmond, Robert Stoddard, Nabum Smith, Rufus Dorr, Or- ville Handy, Winslow B. Cushman, James Humphrey, William French, Ephraim Howard, Josiah Packard, Charles Howard, Nathaniel B. Harlow, Lyman Clark, Sidney Perkins, Eleazer Smith, John Field, Sanford Brett, Samuel Howard, Marcus Shaw, William Faxon, John Ide, and Arnold Hunt, together with those who have associated, or may hereafter associate with thein, or their Successors, for the purpose of public worship, he, and they hereby are, incorporated into a religious Society known by the name of the ' First Society of the New Jerusalem Church,' in the town of North Bridgewater, with all the powers and privi- leges, and subject to all the duties and liabilities of Parishes, according to the Constitution and Laws of this Commonwealth.

" Be it further enacted, That the said Society shall be capable in Law to purchase, hold, and dispose of any estate, either real

or personal, not exceeding the Sum of Twenty Thousand Dol- lars, for the Support of public Worship, and for other lawful Parochial purposes."

The first meeting held under the provisions of the above acts was held April 5, 1832, at the house of Jabez Field, at which William French was chosen moderator ; Lyman Clark, clerk and treasurer ; Jabez Field, collector ; John Field, Nathaniel B. Harlow, and Marcus Shaw, prudential committee. In August, 1834, Rev. Haskell M. Carll was invited to preach to the society, which he continued to do about three years. On the 7th of December, 1834, he organized a church in the society. Soon after, in September, 1835, the building of the first house of worship in the town of that denomination was commenced, and was dedicated on Saturday, Jan. 16, 1836. There were present at the dedication Rev. H. M. Carll, the pastor of the society ; Rev. Thomas Worcester, of Boston ; Rev. Adonis Howard, of East Bridgewater. The dedicatory service was read by Rev. Mr. Carll ; sermon, by Rev. T. Worcester ; reading of the Word, by Rev. Adonis Howard. Mr. Carll left the society in the fall of 1837, and Rev. Warren Goddard, the late pastor, commenced preaching for them Oct. 14, 1838; and January of the next year (1839), an in- vitation was extended to him to settle with them as their pastor. This call was accepted, and he was or- dained the 19th of September, 1839. The following are the doctrines of Charity and Faith :

"1. That God is one in essence and in person, that from love towards men he assumed humanity and glorified it, and that he thus hecame God with us, the Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

"2. That the word is divine Truth procceding from the Lord; that it was written by inspiration, and is adapted to all the various states of Angels and men, and that thus it is the divine Medium by which men are consociated with Angels and hy which men and Angels are conjoined with the Lord.

" 3. That the Lord alone is the Source of Genuine life, the precepts of which are the ten Commandments ; that these pre- cepts are to be obeyed by man as of himself, with the acknowl- edgment that the will and power to do them are of the Lord alone. And thus that men are regenerated and Saved by the Lord, hy means of a life according to his precepts."

The first house of worship was fifty-eight feet in length, forty feet in width, and twenty feet high ; spire, sixty-five feet high, painted white, with green blinds. The interior contained fifty-two pews, besides a neat, plain pulpit and a small choir-gallery. The building was situated on land purchased of Sidney Perkins, the building and land costing about three thousand dollars.

This society worshiped in the old house above de- scribed until the dedication of another house, which had been built to suit the wants of the growing so-

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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

ciety, and which took place Jan. 22, 1857. The ser- vices commenced about ten o'clock in the forenoon, and were conducted by the pastor, Rev. Mr. Goddard, and were of a deeply impressive character, well fitted to bring the hearer into a state receptive of his love who desires our offerings, " to the end that he may more abundantly enrich us with spiritual blessings." The weather was such on that day, so very severe, that but few, comparatively, were present, and those mostly from the people of the town. The services were read- ing of the Psalm cxxii., followed by a chanting from an appropriate selection (No. 80, Psalm lxxxiv.). After which Psalm cxxxii. and others were read respon- sively by both pastor and people, the people of the society standing, mostly in front of the desk, and re- sponding as an act on their part of offering up the house to the worship and service of the Lord. The music was not only appropriate, but well performed. After the exercises were over, a collation was partaken of in the hall below by nearly all who had been pres- ent, including many from the neighboring societies, and a very pleasant season of social interview closed the exercises of the day.

Description of the New Church Temple .- This church is situated on a spacious lot of ground, bor- dered with trees of considerable size, fronting the west. The dimensions of the main building are sev- enty-nine by fifty-six feet. It is built in the Italian style, with a plain square tower at the west (front) end, cighty-eight feet in height, and twenty-two feet square, projecting ten and a half feet forward from the main building. The entrance in front is by a wide double door into the vestibule, from which there is an ascent by eleven easy steps into side entries, or lobbies, from which one enters the body of the church. This measures sixty-one by forty-five fect, and con- tains one hundred and two pews, all on the main floor, there being no side galleries. They are arranged in semi-circular order, without doors, cushioned, and cov- ered with crimson damask. The floor is handsomely carpeted, and walls and ceiling elegantly painted in fresco. On the east side is a projection of four feet deep by thirty-two wide, a space for the tabernacle, a reposi- tory for the Word in the centre, and for a small private room each side of it. The tabernacle consists of an ark of fine cabinet-work, overhung with crimson curtains. Over it is the inscription in large letters, " Behold the tabernacle of God is with man." To the right of it, but standing out in front, on the edge of the plat- form, is the pulpit, which is of octagonal form and, like the tabernacle, of black walnut. The commu- nion-table stands at the left side. The organ-loft is within the body of the tower, opposite the pulpit,

having in front a small gallery for the singers, clc- vated about eight feet above the pew-floor. There is a basement of brick, affording space for a hall under the whole main building, to which there is an en- trance from the vestibule within, and also by doors from without, at the northwest and southwest cor- ners. The superstructure is of wood, colored in imi- tation of freestone. The house is provided with a good-toned organ, of suitable size and capacity, manu- factured by George Stevens, Esq.

Martin Wales, Esq., of Stoughton, presented the society with two thousand dollars towards paying the expense of building the new house. Chandler Sprague, Lyman Clark, and George W. Bryant were building committee ; Jason Perkins, contractor.

Rev. Warren Goddard was the son of the late Dr. John Goddard, of Portsmouth, N. H., where he was born Sept. 12, 1800. He fitted for college at the Portsmouth Academy, and entered Harvard Univer- sity September, 1815, one year in advance; grad- uated at that institution August, 1818. In the spring of 1819 he became fully satisfied of the truths of the doctrines contained in the writings of Eman- uel Swedenborg, and entered as a student of theology in the family of Rev. Thaddeus M. Harris, D.D., of Dorchester, Mass. At the completion of his studies, there being only one society of the New Church in all New England,-namely, that in Boston, consisting of less than a score of members, and already provided with a pastor-elect, -- and the few societies in the United States being also provided with ministers, he was obliged to postpone his former purpose of enter- ing the ministry until there should be some society needing ministerial services. At this time an open- ing presented itself in the academy at Sandwich, Mass. He therefore accepted the office of princi- pal, and was very successful, commencing with twelve pupils, all belonging in that town. Soon after this, applications for admission continued to increase, first from the adjoining towns, then from more distant places, even as far as South Carolina. At the end of two years he commenced and pursued the study of law in the office of the late Lieutenant-Governor John Reed, of Yarmouth, Mass., and was admitted to the bar of Barnstable County ; practiced law two years in Barnstable, and nearly a year in Boston, in connection with Professor Parsons, when, becoming dissatisfied with the practice, so far as it related to the manage- ment before juries, he relinquished the practice of law, and accepted an appointment as principal of the English and classical school at Princeton, Mass., where he labored two or three years with signal suc- cess. Several societies having during this time been

HISTORY OF BROCKTON.

593

formed, and needing ministerial services, Mr. Goddard returned to the profession of his first choice, and after preaching and receiving several calls to settle in Abing- ton. Portland, and North Bridgewater (now Brockton), he at length settled at the latter place, where he was installed Sept. 19, 1839, and where he has continued to labor in the ministry until 1865, when he resigned. He was one of the most acceptable and useful New Church ministers to be found in the country.

Mr. Goddard married, first, Mary Crowell Tobey, of Sandwich, Mass., by whom he had six children. He married, second, Sarah Eldridge. of Yarmouth, Mass .. by whom he had four children,-Warren, a New Jerusalem preacher, who was for a time settled in Brookline, Mass., now in Providence, R. I .; Henry Edward, a preacher in Brockton; also an- other son, John, a New Jerusalem preacher, settled in Cincinnati, Ohio; and Asa Eldridge, a teacher in Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. Although the father has retired from active duty as a preacher, he is still a resident of Brockton, enjoying a ripe old age, surrounded by pleasant associations.

Rev. Henry Edward Goddard, the present pastor, is the son of Rev. Warren and Sarah (Eldridge) Goddard; was born in Brockton, May 20, 1852; graduated at the high school in his native town in 1871; Brown University, Providence, R. I., 1875. After a three years' course of study in the New Jeru- salem Theological School, at Waltham, Mass., and one year at Cornell University, he became assistant pastor of the New Jerusalem Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was ordained pastor of the church in Brockton, Sept. 24, 1876, Rev. Joseph Pettee, of Abington, Mass., preaching the sermon on that occasion. Mr. Goddard has served the town on the school committee three years.

In 1884 the society have added to the church a room on the south side of their church for a ladies' parlor, and other purposes.

The following is the organization for 1884 :

Rev. Henry E. Goddard, pastor ; Thomas H. West, J. Willard Packard, B. Ellis Eaton, Rufus C. Kim- ball, B. F. Battles, church committee; Rufus C. Kim- ball, treasurer ; Rev. Henry E. Goddard, superintend- ent of Sabbath-school ; Flushing Cornwall, sexton.

Quakers or Friends .- There was an association or society of Friends, in North Bridgewater, formed April 26, 1838, and consisted of twenty-five mem- bers, as appears by record, which is as follows :

"We, the undersigned, hereby become members of a Society forming of this sect, called Quakers, and do hereby agree to subject ourselves to the rules and regulations which shall be adopted by said Society, in the town of North Bridgewater.

Michael O. Neil.

Josiah Fuller.

Nahum J. Smith.

John L. Skinner.

Cyrus Packard.

Apollos O. Howard.

Jacob W. Crosby.

Reuben S. Webster.

Edward Southworth, Jr.

William Ripley.

Daniel Guild.

Charles S. Johnson.

Charles L. Hathaway.

Jarvis D. Smith.

Roswell Richardson.

Thomas Batchelder.

John Leonard.

Edwin W. Bosworth.

John R. Morrill.

Noah Blodgett.

M. B. Peirce.

Nathan Packard.

Jabez D. Lamson.

Jeremiah Stetson, Jr."

Ambrose Packard.

At the request of Nahum J. Smith and twenty- four other members a meeting was called by Hon. Jesse Perkins, Esq., a justice of the peace, which met at the hall of Col. Edward Southworth, April 30, 1838, at seven o'clock P.M., for the purpose of organization, at which time Edward Southworth, Jr., was chosen clerk, who took the oath of affirmation in the usual form ; Jacob W. Crosby, Nahum J. Smith, John L. Skinner were chosen overseers; Cyrus Packard, treasurer and collector, besides a committee to prepare a constitution and by-laws ; meeting then adjourned to May 8, 1838. The "meeting met according to adjournment, and, after discussing vari- ous matters connected with the society, adjourned to June 7th," when they again came together for friendly conversation and again adjourned sine die.

The above is the latest record to be found concern- ing this society ; and it is presumed that the society did not flourish for any length of time.

St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church .- Previ- ous to the year 1856 the members of this church were attendant on church worship in private houses and in the various halls in the village, and were supplied by transient clergymen. During that year Rev. Thomas B. McNulty came to the town as a stated pastor, in connection with some others in the immediate vicinity, the care of which devolved upon him.

Rev. Thomas B. McNulty was born in London- derry, Ireland; fitted for college at Londonderry Academy ; graduated at Foyle College ; studied phi- losophy and theology at Irish College, Paris; was ordained June 6, 1846, at the parish church of Sul- pice, by Monsieur Affrè, Archbishop of Paris; came to America in 1853, and after preaching at Lowell, Salem, and other places, was appointed to take charge of the Catholic Church in Brockton and vicinity.

Here he soon succeeded in gathering a large number of regular church worshipers, and during the same year purchased a parcel of land for the sum of five thousand two hundred and twenty-five dollars, situated on the west side of Main Street, near Wales' Corner, in the south part of the village, and containing about

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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTHI COUNTY.

three-fourths of an acre, upon which he has caused a large and splendid church edifice to be erected, one hundred and ten feet long, fifty feet wide, built in the Romanesque style of architecture. The basement is built of Quincy granite. The principal story is of briek, trimmed with freestone. The tower and steeple is one hundred and eighty feet in height. The audi- tory is furnished with one hundred and forty-six slips, capable of holding seven hundred persons. The altar is at the west end of the building, and at the east or front end is the choir-gallery. The chancel-window is made of stained glass, with emblematic panes rep- resenting the four evangelists,-Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The house is furnished with a magnificent organ, from the manufactory of E. & G. G. Hook, of Boston. Upon the side walls are displayed fourteen pietures, representing different scenes in the Lord's Passion, painted at great expense in Italy. The cost of the church was twenty-five thousand dollars, which, together with the land, cost about thirty thousand dollars. The architeets were Messrs. Fuller & Ryder, of Boston. Mr. Andrews, of Nashua, N. H., was the contractor. The preacher's pulpit, also the railing around the altar, was manufactured by Messrs. How- ard, Clark & Co. In the southwest corner of the house is the sacristy, and in the northeast corner is a private room, out of which is the entrance to the base- ment story. In point of durability and style of architecture, when built, this house was not sur- passed by any in the town. Its position is prominent, and makes a bold appearance upon the principal thor- oughfare in town.

This church was dedicated Sunday, May 22, 1859, and, although the weather was quite rainy, there was a large assembly present. The services were as follows :

Bishop Fitzpatrick, of Boston, delivered the sermon; high mass was celebrated by Rev. Mr. Roach, of Ran- dolph ; Rev. Mr. Shahen, of Saleni, officiated as deacon ; Rev. Mr. Tallon, of New Bedford, as sub-deacon; Rev. Mr. Haley, of Boston, was master of eercmonics, a number of other priests assisting; Rev. Mr. MeElroy, of Boston, preached at vespers; singing was performed by a choir from Salem.

The number of attendants on church worship at this place is about two thousand.

The following is the organization of this chureh for 1884 :

Rev. Thomas B. McNulty, pastor ; Rev. Franeis J. Glynn and Rev. Michael Doherty, assistant priests ; Patrick Gilmore, superintendent of the Sabbath-school ; Arthur Dimond, organist.

Bethesda Swedish Lutheran Church, Campello. -About the year 1854 there were a few Swedes who

eame to the town, finding employment in the various shoc manufactories. Sinec that time, and up to the present, they have increased in numbers, till at length it was deemed advisable among the new-eomers to have religious services in their native language. After preaching in a hall for a time, a new house of worship was erected on the east side of Main Street, in Cam- pello, in 1867. The building is about thirty by sixty feet, with a steeple seventy-five feet high. The audi- ence-room contains sittings for about three hundred persons. It has a neat pulpit, painted white, with gilt trimmings, with a railing around the same. The main building has stained-glass windows, rendering the whole very pleasing. This ehureh has been quite flourishing, and now numbers one hundred and fifty. Communi- cants, 150 members.

The pastors have been as follows :

Rev. Henry O. Lindeblad, July, 1869-72; Rev. John G. Prineell, 1872-73; Rev. A. Hult, 1873-80 ; Rev. Michael U. Norberg, 1880, the present pastor.

Madame Christine Nilsson, the famous songstress, when visiting this country, sang at a concert held in this church, November, 1870, the proceeds of which she kindly donated to this society to free them from debt. The amount received as the benefit of that concert was about two thousand dollars. A street has since been named by the town in honor of her benefi- cent gift to this people.

This is said to have been the first Swedish Church built in New England, and is now fully established under the New York Conference of Swedish Churches. The society have recently raised their church edifiee, and placed a brick basement, for religious meetings, under the same, thus furnishing them with a large vestry for evening serviees, Sabbath-schools, etc. The entire eost of the building is about ten thousand dollars.

List of officers in this church in 1884 :

Rev. Michall U. Norberg, pastor ; C. A. Nilson, Gustavus Lundberg, Andrew Swanson, Gustave Carl- son, Martin Moberg, trustees ; Swan T. Johnson, Charles Anderson, John A. Staf, Paul N. Cook, dea- eons ; Andrew Swanson, elerk.

Swedish Evangelical Independent Church, Campello .- The church was the outgrowth of the Bethesda Swedish Church in Campello, and origin- ated with a few members who withdrew from the above-named ehureh and organized themselves into an independent body, and commeneed services in Drake's Hall, where they worshiped about one year, when they erected a church of their own, on Nilsson Street, but a short distance from the original Swedish Church. It has about one hundred communieants.

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HISTORY OF BROCKTON.

A lot of land was purchased of Jonas R. Perkins, Esq .. in 1880, on which they erected a building fifty by thirty, which was completed and dedicated in 1881. on the same day of the assassination of Presi- dent Garfield. The building is a neat, plain building. without any tower, with a choice lot of land around the same. neatly kept. with a grass lawn.

The interior aspect is pleasant, and contains sittings for about two hundred persons. The seats are of ash, in keeping with the entire building. They have a neat pulpit, a divan presented by Lyman Carlson, and a "Smith cabinet organ." The cost of the church is abont twenty-five hundred dollars.

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History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 124

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 1706

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1706