History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 139

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1464

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II > Part 139

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METHODISTS .- Methodism made its first approaches for the capture of Worcester after a somewhat strag- gling fashion. In 1790, the Rev. Freeborn Garrettson, " that princely class-leader," as Dr. Dorchester styles him, came to Worcester, looked about town, fell in with Dr. Bancroft, by him was invited to tea, " drew back " because the Unitarian doctor did not think it worth while to say grace over the evening cup, and went on his way. Mr. Garrettson tells the story in

his private diary. The urbane Unitarian doctor was, perhaps, no less devout than his demonstrative Meth- odist brother, but in the seclusion of his own home he chose to order his devotions in his own way. Next after Mr. Garrettson came Bishop Asbury, in 1798, in 1805, 1807, 1812 and 1815. But neither he nor any other itinerant found any foothold in Worcester until 1823. Then the Rev. John E. Risley came and preached the first Methodist sermon heard in the town. Mr. Risley was travelling the Milford Circuit, embracing eighteen towns. In these he preached two hundred and thirty-five times in one year, but only five of them were in Worcester. These preach- ings were in a school-house at New Worcester, where were the only Methodists in town, and of these only a family or two. Other preachers came in subsequent years, but not until 1831 was any permanent society organized, forty-one years after Garrettson's advent. In Juue, 1830, the Rev. Dexter S. King had been appointed to this vacant field "to break up new ground." He began at New Worcester where he organized a class. This class was " kept alive" with preaching in the school-house once in two weeks. In 1833, Solomon Parsons joined the class and then began a movement for a society in the centre of the town. The way had been prepared by a young lad named Jonathan L. Estey, who came to town early in 1832 full of zeal to hunt up and consort with Meth- odists. He at last found and became a member of the class at New Worcester, and by his zeal so in- fected his associates that in the end Methodist preach- ing was established in the Centre. Early in 1833, a room was hired at the corner of Mechanic and Union streets for the use of a Class. There the Rev. William Routledge preached at times; at other times he preached in the Central Churchi vestry and in the Baptist Church. In the autumn what was considered a bold step was taken. Eighteen persons, at the head of whom was Solomon Parsons, presented to the town authorities a petition for leave to use the Town Hall for Methodist meetings. Leave was formally granted, and the first Methodist sermon was preached there by the Rev. Ira M. Bidwell. Then the work went on "in the old Methodist style." "The hall was crowded, and," says Bidwell, "we had a time of power. After this we did not want for a congrega- tion in Worcester." Early in 1834 the Rev. Joseph A. Merrill was appointed by the bishop to this, the Worcester Mission. On the Sth of February thirteen persons were duly organized as the " Methodist Epis- copal Religious Society in the town of Worcester." This was a parish organization, and Dr. Dorchester says the step was taken to obtain relief from taxation in other parishes. But this is a mistake. Prior to 1834 the law which would have made this step neces- sary had been changed. The further history of this organization is now to be pursued as that of the

First Methodist or Trinity Church .- In June, 1834, the Rev. George Pickering was appointed preacher to

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this church, but was also charged with duties that carried him into several of the surrounding towns. Meantime, a board of trustees was appointed and a lot of laud purchased for a church site. In the first year the membership had grown to one hundred and nine. In 1835 the Rev. John T. Burrill was sent to this charge. At this time the anti-slavery fever was at its height, and an incident occurred which imper- illed the infant church. On the 10th of August Rev. Orange Scott, then the presiding elder, under- took to deliver an anti-slavery lecture in the Meth- odist place of worship at the Town Hall. In the midst of his discourse Levi Lincoln, Jr., eldest son of the Governor, entered the hall with an Irish accom- plice, advanced to the desk, seized the speaker's man- uscript and tore it in pieces. At the same time the Irishman laid violent hands on the speaker himself. This was done in the presence of an audience " em- bracing many persons who held the highest offices in the county and the state." The contemporary account of the affair in the Worcester Spy styled it a "Breach of the Peace." But the notice taken of it by the authori- ties seemed to indicate that the assailed and not the assailants were regarded as the peace-breakers; for directly after, the selectmen, at the head of whom was the late Judge Merrick, notified the Methodist society that if the Town Hall were ever opened again for an anti-slavery meeting their use of it for preach- ing would be forfeited. The society, in its weakness, was intimidated and did not again offend. But it marks the temper of the time that, later on, the courageous Scott was, by his own brethren, deposcd from, or not re-appointed to, the presiding eldership because he would not promise to refrain from anti- slavery lecturing.

In the autumn of 1836 the erection of a church was begun on the southeast corner of Exchange and Union Streets, completed in March, 1837, and then dedicated. This was the first Methodist meeting- house in Worcester. The building was in the centre of population, but also in the centre of a mudhole. It stood on piles, and was approached by, hopping from tuft to tuft of grass across puddles and ooze. The Spy of that day took pay for advertising the dedication of this lowly church, but took no notice whatever of the dedication itself, although it said in every issue that "its office was to noise abroad." The church survived all neglect, and, waxing stronger and stronger, in the end erected one of the finest church edifices in the city, compelling the homage of the public and the press.

In 1837 the Rev. James Porter came, and remained one year. Although a year of general bankruptcy, it was one of great enlargement for the church. About one hundred and seventy-five probationers were added to the membership during his year. Mr. Porter was succeeded by the Rev. Jotham Horton, whose term of service was equally brief. In May, 1839, the church property was legally transferred to a board

of trustees, in accordance with the Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Rev. Moses L. Scudder succeeded to the pastorate in this year, to be followed by the Rev. Miner Raymond in 1841. Mr. Raymond remained two years, showed himself eminent as a preacher, and "made many friends beyond the limits of his own society." This year was made memorable for Worcester Methodism by the meeting of the New England Annual Conference in the town for the first time. In 1843 the Rev. Charles K. True, D.D. was assigned to the charge of this church. He was a graduate of Harvard and a Methodist minister of mark. Under him the pro- ject for removing the church to a site near the Com- mon was "renewed." But while they still delayed, it was burned to the ground. Then a site was speedily purchased and the Park Street Church erected. The Rev. Amos Binney had become the pastor in 1844, and under him the new church was dedicated on the 16th of August, 1845. It was noted that Mr. Bin- ney's term of service was very "profitable " finau- cially, since he had carried his people through many embarrassments growing out of the church-building. After him came in succession the Rev. Jonathan D. Bridge, Rev. Loranus Crowell, Rev. Nelson E. Cob- leigh, Rev. Z. A. Mudge, Rev. Daniel E. Chapin (a favorite, sent a second time), Rev. Fales H. Newhall, Rev. Chester Field, Rev. John H. Twombly, Rev. John W. Dadmun, Rev. John H. Mansfield (whose ministry of three years was very prosperous), and Rev. Charles N. Smith in 1868.

By this time the Park Street church had become too strait for the congregation. The society, there- fore, now grown strong in numbers in courage and in resources, determined upon building a new church adequate to its new demands. Accordingly, a site was procured on the corner of Main and Chandler Streets, in the close neighborhood of the new United States Post-Office building, and there they erected Trinity Church at a cost, including the land, of one hundred thousand dollars. This crowning church of Methodism in Worcester was dedicated on the 25th of April, 1871. The Rev. F. W. Mallalieu, D.D. (afterwards bishop), was the first preacher appointed for Trinity after the occupation of the new house. He came in April, 1871, and remained one year. Rev. Ira G. Bidwell, appointed in 1872, remained three years. He was followed by Rev. V. A. Cooper, who was appointed to help the church financially as well as spiritually. In that respect there was no disappointment, as through his agency the debt was reduced by thirty-five thousand dollars in one year. The Rev. A. P. Kendig followed him in 1877, after whom came in succession Rev. J. A. Cass, in 1879; Rev. C. S. Rogers, D.D., in 1882; Rev. W. T. Perrin, in 1885, and Rev. W. H. Thomas, D.D., in 1888.

Laurel Street Church .- The selection of Park street for the new site of the First Church had not been satisfactory to all the members. Some thought it

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carried the church too far from the centre of popnla- tion ; it was too far south. Out of this dissatisfaction grew the Laurel Street Church. This was as far to the north. For a time, however, the new colony had its place of worship on Thomas Street, which was more central. The church was duly organized on the 20th of July, 1845; but it was not until the 27th of February, 1849, that the new house on Laurel Street was dedi- cated. The first pastor was the Rev. Richard S. Rust. He was soon elected principal of the New Hampshire Conference Seminary, and after a pastorate of seven months was released from his engagement. The Rev. J. W. Mowry followed, after whom came the Rev. George Dunbar. This pastor was indefatiga- ble in his efforts to secure the erection of the new house of worship. In April, 1849, he was succeeded by the Rev. Francis A. Griswold, after whom came in succession the Rev. Cyrus S. Eastman, Rev. William M. Mann in 1850, Rev. David H. Higgins, Rev. Jo- seph W. Lewis in 1853, Mr. Mowry again in 1854, Rev. Henry W. Warren in 1855 (afterwards bishop), Rev. Ichabod Marcy in 1857, Rev. Samuel Kelly in 1858, and Rev. Jefferson Hascall, who had long been favor- ably known as a presiding elder and was with the Laurel Street Church in the latter part of 1861 to fill out the term of Rev. Joseph C. Cromack, who had been appointed in 1860, but had left in August, 1861, to become chaplain of the Nineteenth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers. In 1862, Rev. T. W. Lewis was appointed to the charge but left in 1863 to become Superintendent of Methodist Missions in South Carolina, Rev. James Dean completing his term. After him came Rev. M. M. Parkhurst in 1864, Rev. Samuel Kelly again in 1865, under whom the church reached its highest prosperity ; Rev. An- gelo Carroll in 1867, under whom the sum of two thon- sand dollars was expended in church improvements ; Rev. William Pentecost in 1869, Rev. II. D. Weston in 1872, Rev. William Pentecost again in 1875, Rev. Fayette Nichols in 1878, Rev. Garrett Beekman in 1880, under whose ministry "the congregation dou- bled ; " Rev. G. M. Smiley in 1883, continuing three years, in the last of which the fortieth anniversary of the church was celebrated; Rev. Ira G. Ross in 1886, and the Rev. Alonzo Sanderson in 1887. Besides his spiritual work, Mr. Sanderson devoted himself energetically to the improvement of the financial condition of the society, and among other measures established a monthly .paper called the Worcester Methodist, from which about fifty dollars a month come into the parish treasury. The value of the church property, aside from the parsonage, is set at twelve thousand dollars. The membership in 1888 was about one hundred and thirty-two.

Third M. E. ( Webster Square) Church .- This church was organized in 1860. Two thirds of its first mem- bers came from Park Street Church. Its first pastor was the Rev. Daniel Dorchester who had also been the chief agent in its organization. In 1855 he had

become a member of the Connecticut Senate where he acted a prominent part in various directions. But in later years Dr. Dorchester became greatly more distinguished as the learned historian and statistician of the Methodist Connection. The first religious ser- vices of this church were held in Union Hall. The membership, at first small, increased more than ten- fold during the first year. Members of other denom- inations in the vicinity took a lively interest in the enterprise and contributed to its maintenance. In 1863 the Rev. William Gordon became the pastor. To him succeeded, in due order, Rev. William A. Braman in 1864, Rev. William Pentecost in 1866, Rev. Edward W. Virgin in 1867, and Rev. Benjamin F. Chase in 1869. This last pastor was in the midst of a work of great spiritual power, when he was sud- denly prostrated by a hemorrhage which, after pro- longed illness, terminated his life. His memory long remained fragrant in the church. After him came the Rev. Charles H. Hanaford, in 1870. Under him the long-agitated subject of church-building assumed definite shape ; contributions came in from members and from others outside, notably from Albert Curtis and the Messrs. Coes, and the house was erected on a fine site purchased long before, and on the 27th of April was duly dedicated. The cost was about 820,000. In 1872 the Rev. Pliny Wood was appointed to the charge. After him came the Rev. Mr. Parsons in 1873, Rev. E. A. Titus in 1875, Rev. V. M. Sim- mons in 1878, Rev. Daniel Richardson in 1879, Rev. J. W. Finn in 1880, Rev. N. Fellows in 1882, Rev. J. O. Knowles in 1883, and Rev. L. W. Staples in 1886, completing his term of three years in 1889.

Grace ('hurch .- The growth of the city and the in- flux of Methodist families led up to this enterprise. To save these families from wandering into other folds, as well as to help on the religious life of the city, was the burden laid on pious and sagacious Methodists. The decisive push, however, was given by the presiding elder, Dr. Dorchester, in a sermon on the moral condition of our cities preached in Feb- ruary, 1867. This was reinforced by the approval of the Annual Conference in April following. By this body the Rev. J. Oramel Peck, a graduate of Amherst in 1862, was appointed to the pastoral charge of the society, which had already been organized under the name of the "Main Street Methodist Episcopal Church." Washburn Hall was secured for Sunday services and Lincoln House Hall for other meetings. Pluck and push ruled from the first. Said Dr. Dor- chester : " A more spirited and liberal company of Christians have seldom been united in church fellow- ship." The hall was filled to overflowing; the Sun- day school quickly became one of the largest in the city; in the first two years the society raised about twenty thousand dollars. Dr. Peck, afterwards dis- tinguished in a wider sphere, was a man of great power, physical endurance, untiring activity and worthy ambition. To him was ascribed in a large de-

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gree the instant success of this church enterprise. The edifice was not completed till 1872, under the ministry of his successor, the Rev. Andrew Mckeown. The site finally chosen was on Walnut Street instead of Main Street, and the name of Grace Church was substituted for the one first adopted. The cost of the land was ten thousand dollars. In July, 1871, the vestry was completed and occupied for religious ser- vices. The church was dedicated in January, 1872, with a sermon by the Rev. Dr. Eddy, of Baltimore. The successor of Mr. Mckeown was the Rev. J. O. Knowles. He came in 1872 and remained one year, and was then succeeded by the Rev. C. D. Hills, who remained three years. In 1876 the Rev. George S. Chadbourne, afterward presiding elder of the Boston District, was appointed to Grace Church. He occu- pied his term of three years largely in pushing the church through a period of financial embarrassment. That serious business, however, was relieved by the observance, in May, 1877, of the tenth anniversary of the church, when an eloquent sermon was preached by Bishop Foster. In 1880 the Rev. J. W. Johnson, an Englishman, was appointed to the charge. His pastor- ate of two years resulted in securing the warm attach- ment of his people. The Rev. D. H. Ela, D.D., fol- lowed him, and continued in charge till 1885. He was eminent alike in preaching and in providing for the payment of the church debt. His successor, the Rev. George Whittaker, will long be remembered with gratitude for his powerful and successful advo- cacy of the no-license cause in the city. In Septem- her, 1887, he was called to the presidency of Wiley University, a Southeru college, and the church was left to the strange experience of hearing till the next Conference a succession of preachers not appointed by that authority. But in April, 1888, Grace Church resumed its normal condition under the Rev. John Galbraith, who was then appointed the minister in charge.

Coral Street Church .- In olden time a gentle emi- nence to the southeast of the "little village of Wor- cester " bore the Indian name of Sagatabscot. There, in 1679, the first white man, Digory Serjent, built his house, and there, in spite of warnings against the red savages, he persisted in living until 1702, when a rescuing party arrived only to find him lying slain in his dwelling and his family carried into captivity. Sagatabscot remained bare and open till 1869, when the city began to creep over its slopes and it was christened Union Hill. The houses soon mul- tiplied to such an extent as to attract the attention of the Methodists to the locality. The Rev. Mr. Mc- Keown, of Grace Church, was the first to move, and by him well-known laymen of that and other Method- ist churches were enlisted for work there. On the 15th of September, 1871, a church lot was purchased on the corner of Coral and Waverly Streets for the sum of seventy-two hundred dollars. In the same month open-air Sunday services were held on the lot

at five o'clock in the afternoon by the Methodist min- isters of the city. Subscriptions toward the enter- prise of about nine hundred dollars were there ob- tained; through the personal solicitations of Mr. Mc- Keown the amount was increased to about eighteen hundred dollars. In January, 1872, a Sunday school with one hundred and fifty members was organized in Scofield's block at the foot of Coral Street. Teach- ers from other denominations were enlisted, and among the scholars were twenty boys of Roman Cath- olic parentage. Presently, the presiding elder ap- peared on the field, conferred with the committee in charge and decided that the mission should be erected into a regular appointment at the next meet- ing of the Conference. This body assembled in Wor- cester on the 27th of March, when the Rev. S. E. Chase was appointed the first pastor in charge. From that time a regular preaching service was held in the third story of Scofield's block. The first con- gregation consisted of twenty persons. On the 23d ot April various plans and estimates for a church edifice were presented to the committee, and the result was that a contract was closed for a partial completion of the building at a cost of eighty-eight hundred dol- lars. On the 8th of May following the church was organized with eighteen members by Rev. L. Crowell, the presiding elder. Hard work and dark hours be- cause of limited means followed this beginning. But through the zeal and labors, notably of Alpheus Walker and N. H. Clark, the building was completed at a cost of thirteen thousand dollars, and on the 16th of April, 1873, was dedicated. In March, 1872, the mis- sion had been named Christ Chapel, but in January, 1883, it received the name of Union Hill M. E. Church. Still another change was made on the 24th of April, 1876, when it assumed the name of Coral Street M. E. Church. Mr. Chase remained in charge for three years and was then succeeded by the Rev. H. D. Weston. In 1875 a vestry was built at a cost of three thousand dollars and dedicated in December of the same year. In the spring of 1878 the Rev. Jesse Wagner was appointed to the charge. His term of service closed in April, 1881, when he was succeeded by the Rev. Anstin F. Herrick. About this time serious financial complications threatened the existence of the society. A compromise was at last happily effected, whereby claims to the amount of fifteen thousand dollars were canceled and a solid financial basis secured. In April, 1883, the Rev. Charles Young came in charge and remained till April, 1886, when the Rev. William P. Ray became his successor.

ROMAN CATHOLICS .- The canal and the railroad were the means of bringing Roman Catholicism into Worcester. First came the digging of the Blackstone Canal from Worcester to Providence; this brought many Irish laborers to Worcester and vicinity. The construction of the Boston and Worcester Railroad followed, bringing many more. These people and

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their families naturally desired the 'kind of spiritual guidance to which they had been accustomed. As they found nothing of the kind then in Worcester, they asked Bishop Fenwick, of Boston, to send them a priest. In answer to this application, the bishop sent them the Rev. James Fitton, a recent student of his, then just settled in Hartford, Conn. This led to the inclusion of Worcester in the "missionary cir- cuit " to which Mr. Fitton had also been appointed. He came to Worcester in 1834, and in the spring of that year held the first religious service of the Roman Catholic Church. It was held in the old stone build- ing, still standing, on Front Street near the line of the old Blackstone Canal, the front wall, however, being now of hrick. At that time only six or seven families, embracing about twenty-five persons, were enlisted. In the next year the first Roman Catholic church in Worcester was erected on the site now occupied by

St. John's Church .- It was named Christ Church, and was a wooden structure thirty-two by sixty-four feet. This sufficed until 1845, when it was removed to make way for St. John's. Christ Church, after its removal, received additions and became the "Catholic Institute." The corner-stone of St. John's Church was laid on the 27th of May, 1845, with imposing ceremonies, under the episcopal supervision of Bishop Fitzpatrick ; and on the 24th of June, 1846, the church was dedicated with still more imposing cere- monies. The dimensions of the building were sixty- five by one hundred and thirty-six feet, and for a long time it was the largest church in the region. The cost was forty thousand dollars. It was ample for the whole Roman Catholic population, which at that time embraced only about thirteen hundred souls. Father Fitton, who may well be styled the father of Roman- ism in Worcester, left the town in 1843, and returned to Boston, where he was born, and where later on be died. He was a man of some literary parts and the author of several volumes. The Rev. A. Williamson succeeded Mr. Fitton in October, 1843, and remained till April, 1845, when he resigned because of ill health. His successor was the Rev. Mathew W. Gibson, who was characterized as "a man of great energy and power." He remained in the pastorate till April, 1756, and was largely instrumental in building not only St. John's, but also St. Anne's, spoken of further on. After Father Gibson came the Rev. John Boyce, who had been his predecessor's assistant. He died in 1864, while in charge, greatly regretted. He, too, was a writer of merit, " an able writer of fiction," and the author, among other things, of "Paul Peppergrass." His birthplace was Donegal, Ireland, and Maynooth was his alma mater. The Rev. Patrick T. O'Reilly, D.D., afterwards bishop of the diocese, was the suc- cessor of Father Boyce as pastor of St. John's. From 1857 to 1862 he had been the assistant pastor. In the latter year he removed to Boston, whence he returned to become the pastor of the Worcester church. Upon his elevation to the bishopric, in 1870, his assistant,

the Rev. Thomas Griffin, was appointed to the pastor- ate of St. John's.

St. Anne's Church .- This church was an offshoot of St. John's. Commenced in 1855, it was completed in 1856, under the direction of the Rev. John J. Power, who became its first pastor. He remained such until 1872, when the Rev. Dennis Scannell was appointed to the place, which he still held in 1888. In 1884-85 came a great enlargement and aggrandize- ment by the erection of "new St. Anne's." The old church was of wood, and the new one of brick and stone. The old one stood on the low level of the un- sightly "meadow," hard by; the new one, placed on a sharp elevation, was made a conspicuous object oť admiration for all beholders. The dimensions of the edifice were seventy by one hundred and fifty-seven feet. The auditorium has a capacity for seating one thousand one hundred persons. Twin towers, rising to a lofty hight, form a distinguishing feature of this imposing edifice. It is one of the costliest churches in the city.

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 139

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1464

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1464