USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Berlin > History of the town of Berlin, Worcester County, Mass. from 1784 to 1959 > Part 3
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17
THE CHURCH AND RELIGION
Having erected a "Meetinghouse," the next consideration was to "have preaching among us." After hearing several candidates, they voted in Parish meeting assembled, "to invite the Rev. Reuben Puffer to become their Pastor." The ordination took place on November 26, 1781, under a white oak tree on the knoll east of the Unitarian Church building.
For his services as a "settled" Pastor of the South Parish of Bolton he was to receive 160 pounds in silver money or in paper money at the common exchange, for settlement, and sixty-six pounds, thirteen shillings, and four pence as a yearly salary in silver money or paper money at the common exchange. They also voted him twenty cords of wood at his dwelling house, so long as he remained Minister of the Parish.
For the next half century the Church in Berlin prospered under the effective leadership of its pastor-minister. The Rev. Puffer administered to the Parish throughout its political changes from South Parish of Bolton to the District of Berlin, and to the Town of Berlin. When the territory became the District of Berlin in 1784, the Church organization became the First Parish Church of Berlin. It was during his ministry that the new Church Build- ing was dedicated on November 15, 1826. This new building is a true Colonial type of structure, with a copied Bulfinch style of architecture. Its gilded dome has been (and is) used as one of the geographical positions of triangulation stations. The other two points are Tyler's Cupola (of Harper's red barn) and the peak of Mt. Pisgah.
Changing views in theology were taking place in New Eng- land. While Rev. Puffer, an advocate of the orthodox school of theology, was administering to the spiritual needs of his parish, the clouds of controversy between the orthodox and liberalist views were gathering over the settlements of Lancaster, so that when Rev. Reuben Puffer was laid to rest on April 9, 1829, and the Church began to look for another minister, they discovered the infiltration of this controversy.
As a result of this situation, when the Town chose the Rev. Robert F. Walcott (liberalist) as pastor of the First Parish Church of Berlin in January of 1830, a large number of the ortho- dox faith withdrew and formed the Evangelical Congregational Society of Berlin. Those of the liberalist (or Unitarian) view
18
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BERLIN
continued to worship in the First Parish Church building. They had the following ministers:
Robert F. Walcott 1830-1833
David R. Lampson 1833-1840
The Evangelical Congregational Society of Berlin built for themselves a church building on Linden Street (under Powder House Hill) in 1830. This was later used by the Berlin Academy. They continued to worship here under the ministry of:
Rev. Abraham C. Baldwin 1830-1832
Michael Burdett 1833-1834
Eber S. Clarke 1835-1837
Robert Carver
1838-1842
During this venture of the two societies, the Commonwealth had been revising its statutes so that an Amendment (Art. XI) to the Constitution of Massachusetts had made the several religious societies of the Commonwealth responsible for the financing of their own organizations. This article was adopted by the General Court and approved and ratified by the people as of November 11, 1833. At the Town Meeting of April 18, 1836, it was voted "that the town relinquish all right, title and interest in and to the meetinghouse and all right to the bell and other appurtenances connected with said house." (Records, Town of Berlin, Bk. II, p. 88.) But they voted to "pass over" the article relating to the disposition of the Meetinghouse Common. The contention over the ownership of the Common, between the Town and Parish, continued until the year 1868, when a decision was handed down by Judge Mellen substantially in favor of the Parish.
Therefore, it is evident why the two societies decided to con- sider overtures for a union of the two factions and return to wor- ship together in the First Parish Church building. This was con- summated on October 25, 1843 by the settlement of Rev. Henry Adams (orthodox) a former pastor of the Hillside Church of Bolton.
This arrangement continued until November 27, 1871, when the Unitarian Society of Berlin was organized and they withdrew from the First Parish and Congregational Society. During this period, two pastors served the united church:
19
THE CHURCH AND RELIGION
Rev. Henry Adams, Oct. 1843-1853
Rev. William A. Houghton, Oct. 1853 to Dec. 1878 (a ministry of 25 years in one parish)
Alfred S. Durston supplied the pulpit during 1877-1878
The Church on the Common has been designated by several names, such as Orthodox, "Congo" and, after receiving a fresh coat of paint (1895), "The White Church," and finally, "The Church." In March, 1901, the church was incorporated under the name of "The First Congregational Church of Berlin." Many changes have been made on the structure of the building since its dedication of November 15, 1826. The bell was purchased in 1827 and placed in the belfry. The following inscription was placed on the new bell in 1899:
First Congregational Church, Berlin, Mass. First Bell, 1827 Recast, 1836 Present Bell, 1899 "Ring out the old, ring in the new. Ring out the false, ring in the true."
The clock, the gift of Mrs. Lydia Peters to the Town, was placed in the Church tower in the spring of 1882. In 1952 the Town voted $800.00 to modernize-the Town Clock; that is, to install electric control instead of weight operation.
The horse sheds in the rear of the Church were torn down in the fall of 1899 and replaced by a commodious barn, accessible to the public. This barn was removed to Carter Street in 1930 and became the Town Barn. In its place a three-story addition was built onto the Church building, housing the modern heat- ing plant in the basement, modern toilets, and rear staircase on the first floor, and on the second floor, Felton Hall, which is used as a choir room.
The First Congregational Parish and Society had the following pastors between the years 1878 and 1901:
Albert B. Cristy
1879-1881
Henry Hyde
1881-1885
Charles H. Washburn 1885-1888
William A. Houghton
1888-1890
(pastor emeritus)
H. H. Osgood 1890-1892
Judson G. Spencer 1892-1893
H. F. Markham 1894-1897
Arthur Peabody Pratt
1898-1903
20
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BERLIN
The First Congregational Church (since incorporation-1901) has had the following pastors:
Charles E. White 1903-1905
Charles O. Parker 1905-1910 Frederick T. Mayer-Oakes 1910-1913
John P. Marvin 1913-1914
Charles A. S. Dwight 1915-1918
Alfred S. Durston 1918-1921
Louis G. Hudson 1922-1947
Rev. C. H. Washburn was the founder and first president of the Washburn Christian Endeavor Union formed in Berlin in October, 1887.
The First Congregational Church continues to function under the First Parish Church of Berlin, a Federation of the Congrega- tional and Unitarian Societies, since September of 1947.
First Unitarian Society
The First Unitarian Society of Berlin was organized on No- vember 27, 1871, and their church building, located on the south- east corner of Carter and Central Streets, was dedicated on March 1, 1882. During the interim services were conducted in the Town Hall.
Herewith we submit the history of the Society as contributed by Rev. Frederick L. Weis, Th.D. (Minister of the First Church in Lancaster ) in his The History of the First Church of Christ in Lancaster, Mass. (1653-1940), p. 126:
The First Congregational Church of Berlin (Formerly Unitarian; now Orthodox Congregational) Founded: April 9, 1779. Rev. Reuben Puffer, D.D. (H.C., 1778); Ordained Nov. 26, 1781.
"Soon after the First Church in Berlin (or South Parish of Bolton) was organized, Mr. Puffer was ordained over it. He was a man of liberal mind, and received from Harvard College the degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1810. At the time of his death, the Unitarians were in the majority and the Rev. Mr. Wallcut, an avowed Unitarian, was called in 1830. The orthodox minority seceded at that time to form a Trinitarian Congregational Church. Mr. Wallcut was succeeded as minister of the First Church by Rev. Mr. Lamson, also a Unitarian, who remained until 1840. Later, the members of the First Church (Unitarian), with more generosity than wisdom, invited the orthodox
21
THE CHURCH AND RELIGION
element, which had seceded, to re-unite with them. This they did, and soon after a meeting was called, at which, by dubious means an unrepresentative group within the parish called an orthodox minister. The Unitarians were then in the position of the parents of an adopted child, who, having gotten technical, though unjust, possession, puts his parents out of their own home. As a consequence, the Unitarians, being uncomfortable in their own church, left.
"Eventually the Unitarians joined forces again and built a new church, over which, in 1872, the Rev. George W. Green was ordained."
Their Ministers have been:
William S. Hayward of Hudson
} June 25, 1871-October 10, 1872 I. F. Waterhouse of Clinton
George W. Green
Grandville Pierce
Francis S. Thatcher
Sheldon C. Clark
Cyrus A. Roys, for a few months
William C. Litchfield
1880-1882
E. P. Gibbs
H. H. Lincoln
F -
Supplies June 1882-Apr. 1884
Obed Eldridge
William C. Litchfield
1884-1886
I. F. Porter
1887-1888
Herbert Whitney
Supplies
Walter Pierce
Jan. 1889-Apr. 1889
Mary Whitney
George F. Pratt
1890-1898
Arthur E. Wilson
1898-1902
Frank R. Gale
1903-1912
Herman F. Lion
1914-1916
Daniel M. Welch
1917-1921
Charles F. Roberts
1922-1924
Ivan A. Klein
1925-1940
Silas Bacon
1940-1943
Glen O. Canfield
-Aug. 1946
Daniel M. Welch of Clinton Frank S. Gredler .
Sept. 1946-June 1947
Nov. 1872-July 1873 Nov. 1873-Oct. 1876 Dec. 1876-1878 Apr .- Sept. 1879
Some three unique personalities figured in the life and dignity of the Unitarian Society and the community. On Sunday of No- vember 13, 1842, Mr. Edward Everett Hale, the noted American clergyman and author, while yet a youth of twenty years came to Berlin and here preached his first sermon since his ordination, so he regarded it as an important date in his calendar.
22
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BERLIN
Fifty years later, on November 10, 1892, Dr. Hale came here again to preach in commemoration of the anniversary. He took for his text: Eccles. 7:10 "Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these?" and in his usual optimis- tic manner he marshaled the signs of moral and spiritual, as well as material progress, preparing the way for the coming of the Son of Man.
The Unitarian Church building was dedicated on March 1, 1882, and on this occasion Dr. Minot Savage delivered the dedi- cation sermon. Fifty years later, on April 10, 1932, the Society observed their Fiftieth Anniversary and, at this time, Dr. Max- well Savage of Worcester (a son of the former), preached the anniversary sermon.
The Unitarian Society maintained a Sunday School, Young Peoples' Fellowship and the Women's Alliance. The Laymen's League (Men's Club) was organized under the pastorate of Rev. Herman F. Lion in 1915, with M. Reed Tyler as its President.
The members of this society were always noted for their in- terest in social and civic affairs; so that it was natural for them to submit their Men's Club to the Town and, in 1916, it was or- ganized into the Berlin Board of Trade, with Mr. M. R. Tyler as its first President. They were deeply interested in the Village Im- provement Society which offered some social life as well as doing much to brighten the Center Village. They held their first meeting in September of 1900 and were disbanded in April of 1917.
The horse-sheds were built in 1896 and the floors cemented in 1905. When the need of a Community Recreation Room was urged, they converted their barn into a beautiful, commodious Parish Hall, which was dedeicated on May 14, 1926.
The Unitarian Society of Berlin federated with the First Con- gregational Church of Berlin to form the First Parish Church of Berlin on September 5, 1947; but the Unitarian Society con- tinues to function under its original organization.
The Methodist Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Berlin was first organized . in April of 1856. This was accomplished under the direction of Rev. Gardner Rice, then principal of the Berlin Academy. Prayer
23
THE CHURCH AND RELIGION
and Class Meetings, as well as preaching services, were held in the Academy Building. Services were continued under the fol- lowing pastorates:
Gardner Rice 1855-1856
John Goodwin
1856-1858
W. W. Colburn
1858-1860
Nathaniel Stevens
1860-1862
B. F. Whittemore
1862-(6 months)
The Rev. Mr. Whittemore was appointed Chaplain in the Army and almost all of the male members of the society went into serv- ice of the Civil War. Thus the Methodist Church was dormant for a period of eight years. The organization was resumed under the administration of the Presiding Elder, Rev. Chas. S. Rogers, on September 15, 1880; and Rev. Charles H. Hanaford was appointed Pastor in charge. Rev. William W. Colburn of Clinton had conducted preaching services in the Town Hall since April 18, 1880 until the re-organization. Then the following ministers served the Church:
William W. Colburn
Apr. 18, 1880
Charles H. Hanaford
Sept. 15, 1880-1882
Charles W. Wilder 1882-1883
Erastus Burlingham
1883-1885
Luther Freeman
1885-1886
Paul Desjardins
1886-1888
During the pastorate of Rev. Desjardins the new church build- ing was erected and dedicated on December 20, 1887. The next pastor, Rev. James W. Barter, devoted much of his time traveling over the Worcester District, soliciting funds, with which he cleared the mortgage on the church building, and herewith we continue the Directory of Pastors:
James W. Barter
1888-1890
A. J. Hall
1890-1891
F. E. Heighway
1891-1892
Sydney K. Smith
1892-1897
J. Adams Puffer
1898-1900
William R. Ashley 1900-1901
Penny H. Murdick Apr .- Sept. 1901
Benjamin H. Rust
Oct. 1901-1903
24
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BERLIN
William A. Wood
Apr. 1903-1904
John E. Beard
Apr .- Sept. 1904
C. B. Croxall
1904-1905
Mark E. Penney
1905-1907
William E. Speaker
1907-1909
Philip A. Goold
1909-1911
Frederick A. Krackhardt
1911-1913
Harry A. Rothrock
1913-1914
C. W. Campbell
1914-1915
J. D. Van Horn
1915-1916
Homer E. Moore
1916-1917
Arthur O. Dewey
1917-1918
Once again the Church was obliged to recess, this time on account of a World War. Twelve of the young men, the flower of the congregation, were in the service. For three years the local members worshiped in neighboring churches. Early in the year of 1921 some of the "faithful" members expressed a desire to resume services at the Church. So at an official Quarterly Conference of January 7, 1921, it was voted "to resume services in this church" and Rev. Charles E. Spaulding, the District Superintendent, was instructed to engage Rev. Olin J. Gary as pastor for an indefinite time. Whereupon the church resumed the roll of ministers:
Olin J. Gary
1921-1922
Edson G. Waterhouse
1922-1925
Frederick Isackson
1925-1927
Arthur S. Wright
1927-1929
Malcolm W. Garland
1929-1930
Thurman Robinson
Apr .- Sept. 1930
Pulpit supplied by Barter,
Sept. 1930-Apr. 1931
Gary and Krackhardt
Chester R. Duncan
1931-1933
Supplied from Clinton:
Leroy A. Lyon
1933-1935
Benjamin Rust
1935-1939
Under the leadership of Rev. Edson G. Waterhouse, new life came into the Church and the community. A great remodeling program was conducted, both among their constituency and in their church building. It was during this transformation that the Woodward Memorial Window was installed. The same was dedi- cated on April 13, 1924; which bears the following inscription:
25
THE CHURCH AND RELIGION
The above Window was given in loving memory of H. Wallace Woodward
and C. Sumner Woodward
Who made the supreme sacrifice in the World War
This Memorial Window has been installed in the face of the Echo Organ at the rear of the auditorium of the First Parish Church.
Since wars seem to have throttled the workings of the M. E. Church of Berlin in the past, they must have anticipated another war, for their congregation dwindled to an attendance of ten (seven on the average) after 1935. So that at an official meeting of the Church on May 4, 1940 it was voted "To discontinue the services in the Church" and "That the sale of the Church prop- erty be left in the hands of the Trustees."
The building was sold to E. Guy Sawyer on April 7, 1941. The pews and altar furnishings were donated to the Methodist Church of Clinton, and the invested funds (amounting to $2,481.69) were given to The Preacher's Aid Society of the New England Conference as a memorial in the name of the men and women who served in the ministry of the Berlin Methodist Church.
On May 10, 1939, the Methodist Episcopal Church, The Meth- odist Episcopal Church, South, and The Methodist Protestant Church were united and adopted the name "The Methodist Church," so that hereafter the entire body is designated by this name.
Most of the former members of the Methodist Church of Berlin have united with the First Parish Church of Berlin, and are ac- tively engaged in sponsoring its operation.
The Society of Friends
Although the Friends' Meetinghouse is located in the Town of Bolton, it stands in the Fry settlement (Fryville) which is near the Berlin boundary, and a large number of the Friends reside in Berlin. The house was located off the east side of the Berlin- Bolton Road about one-half mile from the town line.
Prior to 1779 the Friends of this territory were required to
26
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BERLIN
attend meetings of their faith in Salem; but in 1779 they acquired the privilege of holding Preparative Meetings in Bolton; and in 1795 the Bolton Preparative Meeting requested to have a new Meetinghouse.
The land for the Meetinghouse was given by John Fry from his farm, and in January of 1797 the house was reported "finished."
The custom of holding separate men's and women's meetings brought about a change in the construction of the Meetinghouse. In 1818, a twenty-foot addition was built onto it and provision was made by a partition to accommodate both departments of the Quarterly Meeting. Shutters, forming this movable partition, were lowered after the meeting of worship, dividing the house into two rooms of nearly equal size. The men occupied the east side of the building and the women the west side, for the busi- ness session.
In 1857, by the will of Martha Aldrich, $50.00 was contributed to provide cushions for the meetinghouse. The inconvenience ex- perienced in holding the Annual Public Dinner at the house of Arthur V. Wheeler-while the nearest house, yet it was too far for the comfortable moving of the group from the "Meeting"- aroused the interest of Francis T. Holder. In March of 1900, he presented a sum of money to the meeting for the building of a barn for the accommodation of the horses at the meetinghouse. Then, again, in May of the same year, he made a gift to the meet- ing for the purpose of building a social hall, which we know as the Holder Hall.
In August of 1930 the meetings were merged with the Feder- ated Church of Bolton, but the Society continued to function and hold its Annual Meetings. For the past thirty years services in the Berlin Church were suspended, to allow those who wished to attend the Annual Meeting of the Friends in their Meeting- house in Bolton, held on a Sunday in August. This opportunity will not be granted again, for, in the summer of 1953, the Friends' Meetinghouse of Bolton was dismantled and moved to Old Stur- bridge Village where it stands among the many other preserved historical structures.
The religious life of the Friends is guided by "The Inner Light." The injunction of their founder, George Fox, was:
27
THE CHURCH AND RELIGION
"Spread among your brothers, everywhere, the religion of life .. . . There is but a single temple, the heart of man. God dwells in the human heart."
Many of the original customs of the Friends were abolished in a changing world. The Bible was never read in Friends meetings -although the "frequent reading of the Holy Scriptures" in the families was enjoined. Nor was singing or instrumental music practised in meeting-it was even disapproved of in the family.
Funerals were always held in the Meetinghouse. Coffins were made of white pine without handles. There were no lots in the burying ground, the dead were buried side by side. No markers or inscription on later stones.
Weddings, too, were required to be held in the Meetinghouse, and the bride and groom were required to sit on the "facing seats" and "marry themselves" by speaking the prescribed formula which, ofttimes, consumed an hour. Then, "marrying out of society" was forbidden and punishable by being "read out of the meeting."
All this has changed. Flowers adorn the Meetinghouse and the austere simplicity has given place to the more cheerful and home- like aspect. Mixed marriages freely mingle in our churches and society.
Members of the local meeting, whose gifts in the ministry were recognized and approved by their fellow members, were:
Thomas Watson, May 5, 1801
Lydia B. Dow
Sarah Holder
Alice M. Dow
Lydia Fry
Albert Syze
Abel Houghton
Alfred T. Ware, 1913
Thomas Holder
Walter J. Homan, 1922
Lucy F. Collins, 1852
The Clerks of the Bolton Monthly Meeting of Friends were:
Abraham Wheeler
May 29, 1799
Abel Houghton
3 years
Daniel Wheeler
4
John Fry
3
David Smith
7
Thomas Fry
20
David Babcock
6
Daniel Osgood
3
John E. Fry
15 "
28
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BERLIN
Nathan Babcock
52
Bertha M. Cole
26
d. 1938
Marjorie J. Babcock
-1949
Flora E. Smith
-1950
Marjorie J. Babcock
1950-
The First Parish Church
Rev. Glenn O. Canfield's resignation, effective in August 1946, started the members of the First Unitarian Society of Berlin thinking about a Federated Church. The first meeting was held June 23, 1946, at which time a committee of five was appointed to confer with a similar committee of five from the Congrega- tional Church of Berlin on the proposition of forming a Feder- ated Church in the Town of Berlin.
At a special meeting of February 23, 1947, both churches voted favorably upon a set of Articles of Agreement. Thereby, the First Congregational Church and the First Unitarian Society, Churches of Berlin, Mass., agreed to form and act as one con- gregation for religious work and worship under the name of the First Parish Church of Berlin, which was established on Septem- ber 1, 1947.
The membership of the First Parish Church is open to all, re- gardless of denomination, who accept as a bond of union the religion of Jesus Christ, in accordance with His teachings that religion is love to God and love to man. But, membership in the First Parish Church does not deprive the individual from re- taining his own denominational affiliations.
The First Parish Church of Berlin held their first service of worship on Sunday, September 7, 1947.
The remodeling and re-decorating program of the First Parish Church building has given it a unique standing among the churches of the Central Worcester Area. The gilt pineapple which was above the pulpit in the first meetinghouse has been reclaimed and mounted above the altar in the auditorium. The building of the Unitarian Society has been remodeled into a Church for Youth. Dedicated June 3, 1956 as "Children's Church."
The Pastors who have served The First Parish Church since its institution are:
29
THE CHURCH AND RELIGION
Guy E. Mossman
1948-1951
Robert W. MacNeill
1951-1954
John W. Linzee
1954-1957
Leonard B. Gray
1957-date
The (Little) Union Church
This little Union Church of all faiths is not incorporated and is the personal property of Rev. Louis W. West, on which an annual tax is paid to the Town of Berlin. It was the former wait- ing station, at Stone's Corner, of the Clinton-Hudson branch of the Worcester Consolidated Street Railway Company.
While young Mr. West was a divinity student, between the years of 1907 and 1909, he worked during the summer vaca- tions for Mr. Henry Stone in the Stone Carriage Factory, then located at Stone's Corner on the west side of Central Street. He conceived the idea of holding religious services in the commu- nity and preached his first sermon in the little waiting station. The neighbors and friends "fell in" with the idea and Homer L. Stone built a pulpit, on which his father's (Henry Stone) family Bible was placed. An organ was supplied by a neighbor and an orchestra was formed, and many remember the faithful times they had with Mrs. Clara E. Stone, Mrs. Hattie F. Stone, Forrest E. Day, William E. Jacobs. The room was fittingly furnished and Sunday preaching services and Sunday School classes were held, with Friday evening services.
After Mr. West graduated from school, and became ordained in the ministry, The Little Church was abandoned. It being the property of Homer Stone, he turned it into a dwelling. Rev. West served Baptist churches in Vermont and Maine, and, in 1925, be- came pastor of the South Boston Baptist Church which he served for twenty-five years, retiring in 1950. Having married a Hudson girl, whose home is on Central Street (Hudson), he spent many of his summer vacations in this vicinity. It was in the summer of 1943 that Rev. West learned that the "Little Church" dwelling was for sale, so he purchased it, placed a steeple on the building, and resumed holding services here on Sunday afternoons during his vacation period.
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