History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 80

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1576

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 80

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

and the town was divided into three societies. March 2, 1801, the town chose a committee consisting of the assessors to proportion the number of Sundays each society should use the meeting-house, according to the amount of taxes paid by the members of each. On the 13th of April following, the report of this committee was accepted, giving the use of the house as follows : Society in the east part of the town (Uni- versal Christian Society), twenty-four Sundays; Rev. Mr. Worcester's society, seventeen Sundays; the society in the west, eight Sundays; and the remaining three Sundays in the year were apportioned to the Baptists and Methodists.

One week previous to this, April 6, 1801, the town had voted that it would be "for their peace and happiness to dissolve the contract with the Rev. Samuel Worcester as their minister, agreeable to the contract made with him at the time of his settlement." A committee was appointed to wait on Mr. Worcester and inform him of this vote and get his answer in regard to dissolving the contract. Mr. Worcester, after conferring with the church, returned an answer to the effect that he desired to dissolve the contract, but claiming the right, solely for his church and himself, of appointing a council of five churches to dismiss him in regular ecclesiastical form, the town to defray the expenses of such a council. The town accepted this proposal: The council, composed of Rev. Messrs. Cushing, o Ashburnham, Lee, of Royalston, Payson, of Rindge, N. H., Austin, of Worcester, and Hill, of Mason, N. H., and eight delegates from their churches, convened June 22, 1801, and decided that it would be best for Mr. Worcester to continue in his pastorate. This decision was formally accepted by both the church and the town. This truce, however, did not last long. Committees of conference were appointed, ex parte councils held, etc., and the upshot of the matter was that on December 7, 1801, the town declared the con- tract with Mr. Worcester null and void, raised one hundred and thirty dollars and appointed a committee to hire preaching, and voted "that the sexton be di- rected not to open the meeting-house doors upon any occasion unless by direction of the Selectmen or the committee to hire preaching."

During the following six months numerous councils were convened, and on one occa-ion there were two councils in session here at the same time. Finally, a mutual council was agreed to, and the pastor was regularly dismissed, September 8th.

Thus, notwithstanding the votes of the town, dividing the house of worship between different societies, with the reiterated threats of the " Universal Christiau Society " to take possession of his pulpit for the number of Sabbatbs allowed them ; and notwithstanding the vote ex- plicitly declaring "tho contract for his support dissolved," with other measures of a corresponding character, be retained his pulpit to the last, and received his salary, according to the terms of his settlement, until, in due order and forni, and agreeably to his own wishes, he ceased to be the pastor of the church and the minister of the town of Fitchburg !1

Rev. Mr. Worcester preached his "Farewell Ser- mon " on August 29, 1802, on which occasion a very large congregation gathered to hear him.

The most important result of this protracted con- troversy was the dissolution, soon after Mr. Worcester's dismissal, of the parochial powers of the town. Two societies were formed. The First Parish held the church property, and in 1804 Rev. William Bascom became its pastor. In the same year the other society settled Rev. Titus T. Barton, and in 1805 built a small house of worship on the corner of what are now known as Main and Rollstone Streets. Mr. Barton was dismissed in February, 1813, whereupon the First Parish made overtures for a re-union of the two socie- ties which were accepted the latter part of that year. About that time Mr. Bascom requested to be dismissed, which request was granted.

For over a year the church had no settled pastor, but in August, 1815, Rev. William Eaton accepted a call, and preached until June 30, 1823, when he was dismissed at his own request. A considerable minority did not agree with him in religious opinions, and October 31, 1823, a final separation of the two societies occurred. The majority retained the church prop- erty, and its organization has since been known as

THE FIRST PARISH (Unitarian) .- Rev. Calvin Lin- coln, Jr., the first Unitarian pastor in Fitchburg, was ordained June 30, 1824, and continued as pastor until 1855, a period of thirty-one years. From 1851 to 1854 he had as his colleague Rev. Horatio Stebbins. Rev. William I'. Tilden was pastor from 1855 to 1862; and since then the church has had five ministers, the last and present pastor being Rev. William H. Pier- son, who was installed in 1881.

This society used the house dedicated in 1797 as their place of worship for about forty years. In the autumn of 1836 this house was removed, and the present brick church, completed in 1837, was erected on nearly the same site. It stands in a very picturesque situation at the head of the Upper Common. Its inte- rior has been materially changed several times since the church was built. About 1871 an addition was built in the rear, and a very large and fine organ put in; and ten years later new pews were put in, the side galleries taken away, stained-glass windows sub- stituted for the old-fashioned kind, and the whole interior generally renewed at a cost of several thousand dollars. The auditorium is now one of the brightest and finest in the city. During the summer of 1888 a brick chapel, named Phillips Chapel and costing some twelve thousand dollars, was erected in the rear of the church.

THE CALVINISTIC CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY .- The early history of this society is, of course, iden- tical with that of the First Parish, with the excep- tion of the few years of separation prior to the latter part of 1813. In October, 1823, those individuals who could not sympathize with the religious opin- ions of the First Parish formed a new society, and

1 " The Life and Labors of Rer. Samuel Worcester, D.D.," by S. M. Worcester, D.D. : Boston, 1852.

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on the 31st of that month it was voted by them "that this church remove its connection from the First Parish and unite with the Calvinistic Congre- gational Society, formed this day in the town of Fitchburg." The church, numbering one hundred and two persons, immediately removed to the house built in 1805. In 1828 the building was enlarged. In 1848 the present brick church was built, and some twenty years later the high flight of stone steps on Rollstone Street was removed, the entrance and vestibule of the church materially changed and im- proved, and a commodious and handsome brick chapel built on Rollstone Street, next to, and con- nected with, the church.

Rev. Rufus A. Putnam was the first pastor of this society. He was ordained in February, 1824, and dismissed, at his own request, in March, 1831. Since then the society has had nine ministers, the longest and most important pastorates being those of Rev. Ebenezer W. Bullard, 1838 to 1852; Rev. Alfred Emerson, 1858 to 1870; Rev. Henry M. Tyler, 1872 to 1876; and Rev. Dr. S. Leroy Blake, 1880 to 1887.

The present pastor is Rev. Clarence R. Gale, who began his ministry over this society January 1, 1888.

As time went on the building occupied by this society became inadequate to accommodate the in- creased congregation, and the need of another so- ciety, in the easterly part of the town, became very evident; and in 1868 a portion of its members or- ganized

THE ROLLSTONE CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY .- The first public services of this new society were held in the hall of the American House, beginning March 8, 1868. The church was organized on April 16th following, and Rev. Leverett W. Spring was engaged as pastor for one year. A site for a new church was soon purchased, at the corner of Main and Snow Streets, and the corner-stone of the edifice was laid October 5, 1868. The church, which is a large and handsome brick structure, was dedicated February 24, 1870. In connection with it is a fine chapel, also built of brick, and named in honor of the donor, Dea. David Boutelle, Boutelle Chapel. Dea. Boutelle contributed liberally to the needs of this society, his gifts towards the building fuud ag- gregating upwards of twenty-eight thousand dollars.

The pastors of the Rollstone Church have been Rev. L. W. Spring, 1868 to 1875, and Rev. George R. W. Scott, D.D. Dr. Scott hegan his ministry here in the autumn of 1875, and remained in active service till December, 1885, when he was obliged to give up work and seek needed rest. He immediately went to Europe, and Rev. Dr. W. S. Alexander was engaged to supply his pulpit during his absence. Dr. Scott, finding that continued poor health forbade his return to the charge, sent in his resignation, which his peo- ple very reluctantly accepted. The present pastor, Rev. Charles S. Brooks, was installed on May 11, 1887.

Some twenty-five years before the Rollstone Church separated from the parent stem, there was a division of the Calvinistic Congregational Society of a far different character. In 1843 the intense feeling on the slavery question gave rise to this division and re- sulted in the formation and organization of

THE TRINITARIAN CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY .- This society erected a church building at the corner of what are now known as Main and Church Streets, soon after the secession of its members. Rev. George Clark was the first pastor, and the succeeding pastors were: Revs. Foster Pettibone, Charles Bristol, George Trask and Elnathan Davis.

The members of this church performed active and earnest work in the interests of the slaves, and through their efforts Fitchburg became known as one of the stations on the "Underground Railroad to Canada," in the flight of the slave to freedom. The slavery question was the only strong bond of union among these people, and when the slaves were eman- cipated, the object of its organization was gone. Its last sermon was preached on the day when the equal- ity of the negro, before the law, was guaranteed. No- vember 15, 1871, the church building was sold to Mr. John M. Carpenter for fourteen thousand three hun- dred dollars. Chiefly through the efforts of Rev. George Trask, the proceeds of the sale were given to the Freedmen's Aid Society, with the exception of the sum of two thousand dollars, which was presented to Rev. Elnathan Davis, a former pastor, as a token of appreciation. Since November 18, 1872, the building has been occupied, in part, by the Fitchburg post-offive.

THE FIRST BAPTIST SOCIETY .- Undoubtedly there have been Baptists in Fitchburg ever since the incorporation of the town, but no mention is made of the denomination until 1783. In December of that year, "thirteen profest Baptists" sent in a peti- tion to the town, asking that their "minister tax " be abated. The names of the petitioners were Charles Willard, David McIntire, Samuel Gibson, David Whittemore, Ephraim Nile, Ephriam Howard, Elijah Willard, Elijah McIntire, Solomon Gibson, William Haskell, Daniel Willard, Abraham Willard, Lemuel Haskell, Thomas Gibson, Joseph Polley, Jonathan Page and Simeon Shattuck.

No special attention seems to have been paid to this petition until May 16, 1787, when there was an article in the town warrant, " To see if the town will abate any of the profest Baptist Minister Rate." Deacon Kendall Boutelle, Daniel Farwell and Wil- liam Brown were chosen to investigate the matter, and reported to the town two days later, when, " after some deliberation on sª matter," the town voted "that the people in sd town that are profest Baptists, that petitioned to the town in the year 1784, he discharged from paying the Minister Rate after sª year."

In the northerly part of the town were other Bap- tists, but they were of the " Free-Will " order, and

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

had no connection with the beginnings of the present Baptist Church in Fitchburg. These people built a shabby, barn-like meeting-house near the Ashby line, and in June, 1810, "The First Baptist Society of Fitchburg and Ashby" was incorporated, and con- tinued in existence for some years.

Let us now return to our "seventeen profest Bap- tists " who were exempted from paying a minister-tax. They dwelt in the westerly part of the town, in the vicinity of Dean Hill, and, in conjunction with the Methodists in that locality, utilized the building heretofore spoken of as "The Lord's Barn " as a place of worship. But this society in the west gradually dwindled away and became merged in the other societies in town.

In 1801, as we have seen, there were, however, a sufficient number of Baptists and Methodists in the town to entitle them to the use of the meeting-house for three Sundays in the year.

The beginnings of the Baptist Church and Society in Fitchburg were identified with two residents of Leominster,-Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Crocker,-who, about 1828, removed to Fitchburg. March 2, 1831, Mr. Crocker and nine other gentlemen formed the "Fitchburg Village Baptist Society." The society thus antedated the church, which was organized as a branch of the Princeton Church June 8, 1831, on petition of Mr. and Mrs. Crocker, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Bemis and Mr. Augustus H. Searle.

For over two years services were held in the old (then new) Academy building hall. New members were rapidly added. The place of baptism, in those early days, was the pond on Punch Brook, just north of Academy Street. For some years this pond has not been in existence.

In 1833 the society bought a lot and erected a new and commodious church on what is now Main Street, a little west of the Common. The building, now used as a carriage repository, still stands in the same location. November 14, 1833, the building was ded- icated and the branch church was, on the same date, severed from the parent stock. The independent church then had sixty-two members.

The rapid growth of the society during the next twenty years made it necessary to either enlarge the old church or build a new one. The latter course was wisely decided upon, and March 1, 1854, the present handsome edifice, costing twenty-five thou. sand dollars, was dedicated.

June 8, 1881, this church observed its semi-centen- nial anniversary, which was largely attended, and proved to be an occasion of great rejoicing. An im- portant feature of this celebration was the reading by the pastor, Rev. I. R. Wheelock, of a valuable historical address, to which the writer of this present history is indebted for much of the foregoing.

In 1887 the interior of the church was thoroughly renewed, a fine organ put in and a handsome brick chapel erected, largely through the manificence of

Samuel E. Crocker, Esq., for whom the chapel has been appropriately named. It was dedicated Febru- ary 14, 1888. The total cost of the chapel and im- provements was twenty thousand dollars.

The First Baptist Society has had fourteen different pastors settled over it since its organization, the long- est pastorates being those of Rev. Kendall Brooks, 1855 to 1865; Rev. Stillman B. Grant, 1867 to 1874; and Rev. Isaac R. Wheelock, 1875 to 1885. The present pastor is Rev. Frank Rector, who was installed over this church in November, 1886.

THE FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL SOCIETY .- Fitchburg seems to have been first visited by a Method- ist preacher ahout 1794, when Rev. John Hill, of the Needham Circuit, came here for a brief season. A small Methodist society was then organized and meetings were held from time to time for a few years in the "Lord's Barn," built by Jacob Upton and others in 1786.

About 1803 several Methodists moved into town, among them Mr. and Mrs. William Walton, who, during their stay of seven or eight years in town, did good work in sowing the seed of Methodism. Services were held from time to time by itinerant preachers.

No Class was organized in town until March, 1831, at which time Rev. Warren Emerson organized a Class of only three members. It was formed at the house of Mrs. Jane Mack, widow of Thomas Mack, who came to Fitchburg from Ireland in 1824. The leader of this Class was Mr. Samuel Marsh, of Lunen- burg, and the two other members of it were Mrs. Jane Mack and Mrs. Jane McCormick.

In April, 1831, Mr. Elijah Brigham moved into town from Worcester and was immediately appointed leader of the Class.

In 1834 Rev. Joel Knight began to labor in Fitch- burg, and in March of that year the Methodist society was organized. Twenty-two members were added during Mr. Knight's first year here. He re- mained another year, during the course of which Mr. Elijah Brigham was licensed as a local preacher.

In 1836 Fitchburg became a Methodist Station, and Rev. Joseph S. Ellis was appointed pastor of the so- ciety during that year; but the people were not able to support a minister, and no one was appointed to preach in Fitchburg during 1837-8-9.

In the spring of 1840 the Class was revived, two hundred dollars appropriated by the district, and in the following July Rev. John Tate was appointed to preach here. The hall in the Academy building, where meetings had previously been held during Mr. Knight's ministry, was again hired, and before long was found insufficient to accommodate the rapidly in- creasing attendance. The need of a church edifice was evident, but the people did not feel able to incur the necessary expense. Accordingly, on February 15, 1841, the people here had a conference with brethren in Ashburnham and Lunenburg. The re- sult of their deliberation was a resolve "to build a

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meeting house, 60 feet by 42 feet, provided that fifteen persons could be found to be responsible for building and paying for the house."

The names of the fifteen persons who became thus responsible are : Major Ephraim Jones, William S. Jones, James Gilchrist and Samuel Marsh, of Lunen- burg; Eben Frost and Walter Russell, of Ashburn- ham ; James Puffer, of Westminster; and Elijah Brigham, Daniel Emory, Nahum Wetherby, Nathan Caswell, Roswell Graham, Ebenezer C. Hayden, Ed- ward Aldrich and James Hartwell, of Fitchburg.

March 1, 1841, Major Jones and Messrs. Puffer, Brigham, Emory and Graham were appointed a building committee. A site was purchased near the foot of the present Upper Common, and the building erected during the following sumner. It was dedi- cated September 14, 1841, Rev. Miner Raymond preaching the sermon. On the next day the first board of trustees was elected, consisting of the fol- lowing : Roswell Graham, William Wilder, Elijah Brigham, Samuel D. Phelps and Daniel Emory.

Since 1841 this society has prospered, and the orig- inal church edifice, which still stands in its old loca- tion on Main Street, was twice enlarged-once during the pastorate of Rev. Samuel Tupper, in 1853-54, when an addition of fifteen feet was made to its length, and a second time in 1868, when upwards of four thou- sand dollars were spent in repairs and enlargement.

In October, 1885, this society purchased of Dr. Thomas S. Blood a lot on the corner of Fox and Elm Streets, and in the course of the next three years erected a large and handsome brick structure on this land. The cost of the edifice was thirty thousand five hundred and eighty dollars, of which amount twenty-five thousand two hundred dollars had been pledged previous to the dedication of the church, which occurred February 29, 1888. The exercises were held on the afternoon and evening of that day, and there was a large and notable gathering each time. Bishop Andrews, of Washington, D. C., preached the sermon, and it is worthy of record that before 10 P.M. that day the entire deficit of five thou- sand three hundred and eighty dollars was pledged. After the money had been all pledged, the trustees formally surrendered the church into the hands of Bishop Andrews, who then dedicated it, according to the Methodist Episcopal Church ritual, to the wor- ship of Almighty God.

The first pastor of this church was Rev. Joel Knight, and since then it has had twenty-seven different pastors settled over it. The present pastor is Rev. Jesse Wagner, who began his work here in April, 1888.

WEST FITCHBURG METHODIST EPISCOPAL SO- CIETY .- In November, 1874, a Methodist Sunday- school was organized in West Fitchburg, and a chapel was soon after built. November 17, 1881, the West Fitchburg Methodist Episcopal Society was organized. The chapel being found too small, their

present church was built in 1882, and dedicated May 11, 1883. Rev. F. T. Pomeroy was pastor the year preceding the organization, and remained, at the earnest request of the people, till April, 1884. Since then there have been three pastors, the present pas- tor being Rev. W. W. Baldwin, who began his work here in April, 1887.

THE FIRST UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY .- One of the chief difficulties with which the Rev. Dr. Worcester had to contend during his pastorate here was a religious sentiment within his flock, denominated "Universalism ; " and it is recorded that the Rev. John Payson, Fitchburg's first pastor, was also troubled in spirit from this same cause. All this goes to show that the principles of the Universalist faith were early developed in this town.

These sentiments gradually gained adherents, and Universalist meetings were occasionally held. Soon after the old meeting-house was fitted up for a town- house, in 1837, the Universalists began to have meetings in it occasionally, with preaching by min- isters of their faith in neighboring towns; and as a result, the First Universalist Society of Fitchburg was organized October 9, 1844, after which date services were regularly held in the town-hall each Sunday.

August 4, 1846, the society appointed a committee to see about building a church edifice, and on Feb- ruary 11, 1847, it was voted " that there is a sufficient amount of funds raised on the subscription paper to take measures to commence building a meeting- house." At the same time Hiram Davis, Everett Sprague, Charles Upton, Albert C. Upton, Abel Derby, Harrington Sibley and E. S. Bowditch were chosen a building committee, with full authority to purchase land and build a church.

This committee purchased a site at the corner of Main and Rollstone Streets, prepared plans and re- ported their doings to the society a week later. The report was accepted, and work begun at once. The church was of brick and stone, and was completed during 1847, and was at that time considered one of the finest buildings in town.

For nearly forty years the society continued to oc- cupy this church, but in the summer of 1834 a lot was purchased on the corner of Day and Union Streets, at a cost of three thousand eight hundred dollars; and March 30, 1885, it was unanimously voted to proceed at once to erect on this site a church edifice in accordance with plans previously prepared by a committee chosen for the purpose. Rev. F. O. Hall and Messrs. J. S. Wilson, H. L. Rice, F. S. Lovell and J. D. Littlehale were chosen as a building committee. The corner stone was laid June 18, 1885, and during the succeeding eight months their present fine and attractive house of worship was erected at a cost of thirty thousand six hundred and twelve dol- lars. Its doors were first opened to the public ou the evening of February 23, 1886.

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Rev. Mather E. Hawes was the first pastor of this society, and continued his ministry until the spring of 1849, Since then the society has had ten pastors, the longest pastorate being that of Rev. Frank Ma- guire,-1870-79.

The present pastor, Rev. Frank O. Hall, is a grad- nate of Tufts College Divinity School, and began his ministry here on June 1, 1884.

THE FIRST EPISCOPAL SOCIETY ( Christ Church). -Episcopal services appear to have been first held in Fitchburg during the latter part of 1862, in the lower town-hall, and were conducted by Rev. W. G. Hawkins.

October 7, 1863, the Episcopal Society was organ- ized here, and one week later the church was duly or- ganized under the statutes of the Commonwealth by the name of Christ Church.

Rev. Mr. Hawkins preached until April, 1863, when he was succeeded by Rev. Henry L. Jones, of New York City, and on October 14, 1863, Mr. Jones was unanimously chosen the first rector of Christ Church. At the same time the following officers were chosen : Wardens, Alvah Crocker and Augustus Whitman ; Vestrymen, C. H. B. Snow, G. F. Fay, L. B, Jaquith, C. L. S. Hammond and Thomas Trees.

For about five years after Mr. Jones first came to Fitchburg, the society held services regularly in the lower town-hall, but the need of a church home soon became very evident, and about 1866 the society pur- chased of Dr. George D. Colony his estate, situated on Main Street, between Hartwell and Fox Streets, for eight thousand dollars. During 1867 their present fine, stone church edifice was built at an expense of over fifty-three thousand dollars. The corner-stone was laid April 22, 1867, and just one year later, April 22, 1868, the handsome and attractive church was consecrated by the Rev. Manton Eastburn, D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Massachusetts,

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 80

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1576

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1576