USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Dedham > History of Saint Paul's Episcopal Church in Dedham ; with addenda covering the last fifty years, 1758-1958 > Part 3
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Samuel Colburn, in his will, very particularly set apart. a portion of his land to be designated as the "Church Acre, " on which the church was to be built. For some inexplicable reason this earnestly expressed wish in his will was ignored. The loca- tion of the church acre apparently offered no chance for objec- tion at the time when there was a single street in the centre of the town, although now it would be impossible. Rev. William Clark worked hard to have this church acre laid out, but in vain. Singu- larly, within the past two years the parish has voluntarily re- leased its title absolutely to a portion of the church acre. Its site is now occupied by the Greenleaf and Danforth buildings and Memorial Hall Square.
The new location of the church seemed better on account of the opening up of Church Street. For many years this street had a deep valley crossing it from which the climb was very steep. There is a tradition that to one standing near the Phoenix House, on the corner of Washington and High Streets, a stage coach would disappear from view in this hollow.
On Christmas Day, 1797, Rev. Thomas Thatcher, A. M., of the Third Parish, Dedham, preached in the new church, "in compliance with the wishes of a number of respectable characters, and also the request of the Rev. William Montague, who was engaged to preach on the same day in another town." On that day, according to Dr. Nathaniel Ames, who was himself a churchman, "Dedham Church was thronged." Mr. Thatcher was a very able man. In 1788, with Hon. Fisher Ames, he represented Dedham in the convention called to ratify the Federal Constitution, and made a speech in favor of ratification. A street in the Third Parish ( Westwood) bears his name .
Affairs religious in this town during the first two decades of the nineteenth century partook of the general instability of that period throughout this country. The solution of problems in France, which was at the time the most populous and powerful State in Europe, made a great impression. France, whose timely aid had made the success of the American Revolution possible, had in turn been through a great upheaval, and new ideas, born there, had many
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sympathizers in America. The conflicting currents of public op- inion fairly seethed. Then ensued the formation of political par- ties. Thomas Jefferson stamped his character on the one faction, and it became a unit, expressed by his brilliant, virile and con- sistent personality. As nearly compact in its formation was the party of opposition, although soon decidedly in the minority. Fisher Ames was an able, hard working and extreme partisan of the latter party. The religious views of Jefferson, which were consid- ered atheistic by his foes, became an issue, and the discussions entered upon, combined with the bitterness of partisan rancor, soon bore fruit in the divisions of religious societies, so notable hereabouts.
Doubtless the unrest of the time made ministers suspicious and aggressively vigilant, as may be inferred from a letter of Mr. Montague's, bearing the date of Aug. 1, 1802, reviewing the past history of the church lands; we read that the trustees and their heirs, by their ignorance, obstinacy and troublesome ways got the estate involved in law suits, which alienated some of it. At the time at which he writes he predicts that when he gets the property leased, it should be worth one thousand dollars a year. He says his parishioners, with few exceptions, have not the church's in- terst at heart, leaving their former meetings to escape taxes and striving to get control of the church. He continues : "I have been hard pushed by them to let Murry and his disciples hold their lec- tures in the church, and once even that one-eyed Billings, the singer, should preach in it, and some of the proprietors gave up the church to some unknown vagabond, buffoon preacher, who held a number of evening lectures in it, all unknown to me. For such reasons and for some I shall forbear mentioning, I shut up the church, and was determined not to go into the church any more un- til things were put on a better footing, which was done. These things must account for the appointment of persons personally friendly to assist me in carrying on the temporal business of the church, Perhaps if the founders and donors of the chapel in Boston had taken some such precautions, it would now be as it formerly was, the seat of Episcopacy in this State."
In 1806 Madam Esther Sprague gave five hundred dollars to the church. In 1807 Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Swett furnished the altar. A few years later, Elizabeth Sumner devised two hundred and fifty dollars to the church to procure communion plate or a library for the rector.
Mr. Montague was absent much from his church, for in his capa- city of Agent of Trustees of Donations, he labored to recover glebe lands in Cheshire County, New Hampshire. He resided at Cornish five years.
After 1811 his connection with the Dedham Church was no long- er as a spiritual teacher, but as an overseer of her temporal in- terests. In 1813 his parishioners here voted to allow him to re- side in any part of the Eastern Diocese. This comprised Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
In order to show the lamentable state of our church during
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the period above referred to, I present the following letter sent by Mr. Montague to the church wardens, Messrs. James Richardson and Samuel Swett, under date of February 12, 1813:
"Gentlemen : In my agreement with the church in 1792, I was not obliged to preach myself, hire or procure preaching more than the estate, the devise of the late Samuel Colburn, should be found annually able to support. From the misfortune of losing the old church, the expense of building a new one, the hardness of the present times, which has occasioned the resignation of a number of lots and prevented leasing many others, it is found the income of the estate is not at present sufficient to support preaching the whole of the time. Of course I am not obliged to see that there is, nor is the church holden in future to allow me pay when I do not. . I am obliged to be absent for a time, and when absent shall expect no salary. by which method the fin- ances of the church may become such as to be able to discharge some of her debts, at least, and eventually to support preaching the whole time. Therefore on those Sundays when no provision is made by me for divine worship, I hope the wardens will see that some suitable and acceptable person of the congregation reads the service in the Book of Common Prayer proper for him to read, and a sermon from some Episcopal divine, such as Dr. Sherlock, late Bishop of London, or any other approved writer of the church. Gentlemen, believe me when I tell you that my heart is bound up in the Episcopal Church in Dedham and that I shall do everything in my power for its interest, and that I am, with sentiments of esteem and friendship,
Your most obedient and humble servant,
William Montague."
To the sufferers of the great fire in Newburyport, in 1811 this church gave three hundred dollars. A letter of June 7, 1813, from the Secretary of the Convention to one of the wardens here speaks of this church as St. Paul's Church. It was also official- ly known in the annual reports as Christ Church at that time and even later. The change from the old to the new name was therefore a gradual process.
Before considering the closing years of Mr. Montague 's connec- tion with this church, let us turn our attention to some of his methods and characteristics. An earnest churchman, contemporary to Mr. Montague, and treasurer of the church in 1818, has written in the records over the date, Dec. 1, 1821, a careful analysis of that minister's acts. From this source I get my facts.
Mr. Montague was as a pastor and preacher very unsatisfactory, laboring as he did in a very wide field. He discouraged new ac- cessions to the church. This may be accounted for by the fear that this church might be alienated, as was King's Chapel, to which he refers in one of his letters. It is certain that in 1809 a large defection from the Third Parish (now Westwood) sought to be joined to this church, but were not encouraged to take this step by this church. This faction then joined itself to the Baptist Society in Medfield, but later formed a church of that denomination in West Dedham ( Westwood).
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Mr. Montague was a man of great energy in regard to the tem- poral affairs of our church, and from the first of his ministry sought for absolute control. His methods were regarded as arbi- trary by the townspeople, with whom he was necessarily brought much in contact, and by many of his parishioners, also, and he made many enemies. A vote in those days went with every pew deed, and Mr. Montague controlled many of these, and held many himself, besides, for which he could find proxies. He was moderator of the meetings and also kept the records. It is a fact that the rents fixed by his agency were high, and it is doubtful if any other man could have settled the property as advantageously for the church as he did.
After July, 1803, the rector chose the senior warden, who was known as the rector's warden. He also appointed the minor of - ficers; the junior warden and vestrymen only were elected by the parish.
Mr. Montague was his own surveyor and conveyancer, and the layout of the streets traversing the church estate and the shape of the lots were his work. He was interested in town improve- ments, and seconded Fisher Ames in his efforts in that direction. Some of the elms that grace our streets Mr. Ames set out with that end in view a hundred years ago. Mr. Montague fitted up the base- ment of the church as an academy, and it was used as a school for a time.
Mr. Montague divided the church land, which extended from High Street to Court Street in an oblique direction, by several streets. This lot contained ten acres, and the first street lo- cated in it was Church Street, built in 1792. This street cut the lot lengthwise at about the middle and ran parallel to its long sides. Norfolk Street, called for many years Cross Street, was cut through to Church Street from Court Street; the north line of the lot crossing it transversely near the middle, the southeaster- ly half being within the church land. Another street not now in existence was cut through from Church to High Street, leaving the former at a point one hundred and thirty feet east of the easter- ly corner of Norfolk and Church Streets, and making nearly a right angle with High Street. This formed a triangular lot, at one cor- ner of which is the Dedham Historical Building. This section was called "Jere Square" by Mr. Montague because Jeremiah Shuttleworth was the tenant. All these streets were opened before 1802. The last street made in this lot was School Street, but at the time called Back Street. It followed the southerly side of the lot from Court Street to a point east of the present location of Wash- ington Street, then turning north to High Street along the easter- ly end of the lot. The Danforth and Greenleaf Buildings would come on this lot, the street passing in the rear of them.
In 1814 the condition of the church was such that a petition was sent to the Diocesan Convention, which resulted in the appoint- ment of a committee to investigate. The committee preferred charges against Mr. Montague, but there the matter rested. Not till Bishop Griswold came here personally in July, 1818, to adjust matters, was Mr. Montague's connection with this church terminated.
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He was rector twenty-six years. He continued to reside in Dedham. The alienation of land before and during the adjustment of the Colburn estate was considerable. Rev. Mr. Clark protested against the laxity of one of the executors of the will. He was called to account, but escaped punishment, although some of the estate was lost. During Mr. Montague's control much more was lost. Of the Mill Creek Lot, consisting of twenty-two acres, twenty-one of these were sold for nineteen hundred dollars.
The Church Lot, of over ten acres, lost two pieces, one at the notherly corner of Church and Court Streets, containing three thousand feet, and the other on the north side of Norfolk and Church Streets, containing twenty-seven thousand feet.
The whole of the Stone Wall Lot was sold to James Richardson and Samuel Swett for thirteen hundred and thirty-three dollars, thirty-three cents. This lot contained twenty-eight acres, one quarter and thirty-two rods.
The Old Orchard, in Sandy Valley, contained thirty-six acres, two quarters, twelve rods. All but thirteen acres of this were sold to Fisher Ames.
At the end of Mr. Montague's ministry the church land con- sisted of sixty-four acres, three quarters, thirty rods, as fol- lows :
The Old House Lot (north of High Street) fourteen acres, two quarters, forty-four rods.
Church Lot, ten acres, twenty-six rods.
Wood Lot (near Sandy Valley) eighteen acres.
Cedar Swamp, eight acres.
Sandy Valley, thirteen acres.
Mill Creek Lot, one acre.
There were 39 leases in all; each for a term of 999 years. The church was called upon to defend many suits brought by Mr. Montague concerning the land. In 1822 valuable land was lost on an execution to meet one of Mr. Montague's notes given in 1799. The land was located on what is now Maple Place, and was about one acre.
Having despaired of settling their difficulties with Mr. Montague, and owing to the distrust felt for him by the tenants of church lands, it became evident to the great majority of the members of this church that a complete reorganization was neces - sary. In 1817, consequently, the first steps were taken. The following year the Legislature was presented with a petition from twenty-nine members of this church, and, in spite of the active opposition of Mr. Montague, passed, June 12, 1818, without dis- senting vote, an Act of Incorporation, of which this is the open- ing paragraph :
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, that the following persons, Abel D. Alleyne, John W. Ames, John W. Baker, Silas Bacon, Pitts Butterfield, John P. Cain, Seth Chapin, John Cox, John B. Derby, Abner Ellis, Stephen Farrington, Mary Gay, Timothy Gay, Timothy Gay, Jr., Cyril Gillet, Ezekiel King- bury, Joshua Kingsbury, Moses Kingsbury, Noah Kingsbury, Samuel
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Lowder, William H. Mann, Eliphalet F. Mason, Nathaniel Polley, Jr., Timothy Richards, Jesse Richards, Willard Richards, James Richard- son, Jeremiah Shuttleworth. Erastus Worthington, together with all the present proprietors of pews of said church, with their families and estates, and such others as may hereafter associate with them and their successors, be and they are hereby incorporated as a Protestant Episcopal Society by the name of the Episcopal Church in Dedham.
July 6, 1818, the first officers under the new act were chosen as follows :- Senior warden, Timothy Gay, Jr .; junior warden, Ezekiel Kingsbury; vestry, Samuel Lowder, Erastus Worthington, Jeremiah Shuttleworth, Samuel Richards, John W. Ames; treasurer, Erastus Worthington; clerk, Willard Richards.
The new organization started with vigor. The church build- ing was repaired at once. A survey of the church lands was or- dered and completed in August, 1818. William Ellis was the sur- veyor. We are told than in 1813 there were but twenty families and thirteen communicants, but the number of families connected with the church at the time under consideration (1818) was about twice that number, although there was no rector. The church build- ing is thus described :- "The entrance to the church was by means of a double flight of steps, rising parallel with the front on Church Street. It had a recessed chancel, with pulpit and reading desk in front of the chancel rail, and a gallery at the opposite
end, in which was an organ. It was painted in fresco, with Greci- an columns and cornices. It was surmounted with a belfry. and in 1818 a bell was placed in it by Subscription." The bell weighed 664 pounds, and cost over $300. It first rang Dec. 9, 1818.
During the three years following the reorganization of the parish, owing to the unsettled state of the church funds and in- ability to unite on a candidate, there was no rector, though ser- vices were constantly maintained. The following persons offici- ated during the three years :- Rev. George Taft, Rev. George Otis, Rev. Cheever Felch. Rev. Herbert Marshall, Rev. G. T. Chapman, Rev. Addison Searle and Richard G. Parker.
Mr. Felch was here a year and a half.
"Aug. 16, 1821. Voted unanimously that Mr. Samuel Lowder and Erastus Worthington, Esq., go to Bristol and consult Bishop Gris- wold, of the Eastern Diocese, requesting his settlement in this place, and offer him seven or eight hundred dollars per year to come and settle over this society."
This is an interesting record, but nothing followed it. In September, 1821, the Society unanimously chose Rev. Isaac Boyle to be the rector of this church. He was instituted by Bishop Griswold, assisted by the Boston clergy, November 22 of that year. The Rev. Isaac Boyle graduated from Harvard in 1813. He was ordained by Bishop Griswold in 1820. The Sunday School was formed and opened June 16, 1822, with sixteen pupils. Mr. Boyle was a scholarly man. There were a few accessions during his min- istry. Some of these were because of the low rate of taxation to support the church worship, and the law required property holders
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to be taxed to support public worship, but they had the right to choose their place of worship. During his ministry the parish consisted of fifty families and forty communicants, on the average. In 1831 an organ was bought of the Second Parish in Dorchester. Edward Whiting, the senior warden, contributing largely to the or- gan fund.
Mr. Boyle resigned April 21, 1832. After leaving Dedham he received the dgree of Doctor of Divinity from both Trinity and Columbia Colleges in 1838. He died in Boston, Dec. 2, 1850. His sermons are now in the possession of the Dedham Historical Society. The parish invited S. B. Babcock, a lay reader, at that time pursuing his theological studies, to officiate here, which invita- tion was accepted August 18, 1832.
Samuel Brazer Babcock was born in Boston, Sept. 7, 1807. He was graduated from Harvard College in the class of 1830. His or- dination as deacon took place in 1832, and as priest in 1833, in both instances by Bishop Griswold. He married Emmeline Foxcroft
of Boston, Oct. 9, 1932. His wife shared his zeal and interest in parish duties from the first. When Mr. Babcock became connect- ed with this parish, the church building was out of repair and the parish in debt. He wrote that "the congregation was few in number, but constant in attendance, and manifest a desire to receive the gospel as delivered in our Saviour's day." He stated that the church funds were embarrassed. In 1824 he was elected rector. Rev. William Montague died in Dedham, July 22, 1833. He had been a paralytic for the three years previous. He was 76 years old.
Mr. Babcock thus sums up Mr. Montague's work :- "There were but few who understood the nature of the property, while many were personally interested to suppress all inquiry into the rights of the Church. To recover these glebes and gifts needed alike skill, industry and courage. And to this work the Rev. Mr. Montague brought all his energies, and he was the means of recovering and preserving much that elsewhere had, in all probability, been lost. He rescued much . from virtual confiscation, and perhaps a- dopted the most judicious plan possible to place the prop- erty in such position that it could never be alienated."
Mr. Babcock labored to fulfil two important objects, namely : - The erection of a new church building and the enlisting of the in- terest of his people in missions and church charities. The diffi- culties he encountered in a debt burdened parish can well be im- agined, especially since the debt increased an'd threatened to fur- ther diminish the church estate.
The parish meeting of 1838 served to mark an event of very great importance. At this meeting was elected as member a young lawyer of the county, who had recently married a church woman. Also, the junior warden having resigned at this meeting, this new member was elected warden in his place, as well as delegate to the Diocesan Convention. Thus entered actively into the story of this church its greatest benefactor since Samuel Colburn - Ira Cleveland.
Ira Cleveland was born in Hopkinton, Mass., February 1, 1802. He was graduated from Brown University in in 1825, and was valedic-
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torian of his class. He came to Dedham in 1828, and entered the law office of Horace Mann. He was admitted to the bar in Decem- ber, 1829. He was a successful lawyer, but was elected secretary of the Norfolk Mutual Fire Insurance Company in 1840, and gradual - ly relinquished his law practice and made insurance his life work. April 13, 1837, he married Frances Maria Whitney of Wrentham. She died in child-bed, Sept. 21, 1838, and her infant daughter sur- vived but twenty-two days. Staggering under this weight of grief, he found a friend in Mr. Babcock, who took him into his family, where he lived forty-five years.
At Easter, 1841, the church was freed from debt - as Mr. Babcock expressed it, "a drag chain" of debt, and "we never breathed freely until that was unshackled."
In February, 1843, the church bell was tolled during the fun- of Bishop Griswold, and the church was draped until Easter. eral
In October, 1844, Edward Whiting died at the age of 76 years. He was warden during the rectorship of Mr. Boyle, and was a gener- ous contributor to the support of the church. He left one thous- and dollars toward a new church building.
November, 1844, the parish voted unanimously to build a new church, and December 14 it was voted to relinquish the old church lot. January 29, 1845, a vote was passed that the old lot should be reserved for a vacant square. Why this was named Franklin Square is not known. Dr. D. P. Wight suggested at the time that it should have been called Colburn Square in honor of Samuel Colburn, and certainly that must appeal to most of us. February 17th it was voted to pay Martin Gay one thousand dollars for his lot adjoining the burying ground, and allow him three months to re- move his building and shrubbery therefrom.
November 30, 1845, Mr. Babcock preached a historical discourse in the old church. This interesting sermon is one of the suthori- ties used in the preparation of this history. But it was from a later article of Mr. Babcock's, called "The Rector's Offering, " that we learn how unsafe the church building had become. "How airy it was, above, below, north and south, east and west! How rickety it was, from the door-steps to the robing room! How porous it was when the windows of heaven were opened on its roof! How disconso- lately we looked at each other from Sunday to Sunday, from year to year! How we shrank with mortification when strangers looked in upon our property ! How we had to prop the floor on Christmas, lest peradventure the good citizens of Dedham should make an extempora- neous movement to the ground! It was a day of small things, very small."
December 1, 1845, the old building was sold at auction to Samuel Swett, and the stone foundation to Daniel Marsh. In less than two weeks demolition was complete. Meanwhile a beautiful wooden church had been erected on the new site, but not being ready at this time, the church people met every Sunday in the Court Room of the Court House. Christmas Day, Dr. Lamson invited them into the First Parish Meeting House, where they found the walls, columns and pulpit hung with evergreen.
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"On Thursday, January 15, 1846, the new church was conse- crated by the Rt. Rev. Manton Eastburn, D. D., Bishop of the Dio- cese. Twenty-one clergymen were present. The instrument of do- nation being presented to the Bishop by Ira Cleveland, Esq., one of the wardens, was read by the rector of the church. Prayers were read by Rev. Mr. Baury of Newton Lower Falls, assisted by Rev. Isaac Boyle, D. D., reading the Lessons and Te Deum. The Bishop read the Ante-Communion Service, Rev. Mr. Ten Broek reading the Epistle. and the letter of consecration was read by Rev. Mr.
Hoppin of Cambridge. The ladies of Trinity Church, Boston, pre- sented the Bible and Prayer Book, and the ladies of our own parish furnished the church with carpets, lamps, altar-cloth and window- shades; and Mr. C. D. Davenport gave a Prayer Book for the commun- ion table." The old bell was placed in the tower. The cost of construction was $6894.21. The building committee was Ira Cleve- land, John Drayton, John Bent, George Dixon, Joseph W. Clark.
Let us take this opportunity to mention briefly some facts concerning the last named gentleman, whom we shall see was one of the church's most generous supporters during many years. Joseph W. Clark was born in Easthampton, Mass. , Sept. 16, 1810. He was elected a member of this church at the Easter meeting in 1844, and was at the same time chosen vestryman, which office he held, ex- cept for a three years' absence, up to 1856, when he was elected junior warden, which office he held continuously until 1876.
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