USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Lee > Lee : the centennial celebration and centennial history of the town of Lee, Mass. > Part 19
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27
W.HUWLAND SC
SECOND CHURCH .- BUILT IN 1800.
231
THE HISTORY OF LEE.
ten feet above the frame. Many tried to climb to the top but could not succeed. Rowland Thatcher went up, stood on the scanty space, and after swinging a junk bottle, gave it a toss, which threw it unbroken, into the the meadow now De Witt Smith's garden. There was a rush for it; it was picked up, and long treasured as a sacred relic. It was carried to Genoa, N. Y., by Corne- lius Fessenden. It was used for many years as an ink bottle. At length one very cold night, the ink froze, and the bottle was broken. John Hulett was the master car- penter, or architect and builder, as we should say. He built the meeting-houses in Richmond and in Lenox. The Lee meeting-house was like that in Richmond, ex- cept that it was one foot shorter. Richmond, at this time, was considered an aristocratic place, compared with Lee, where people lived and dressed more plainly. Capt. Alvan Foote, one of the hundred, who helped at the rais- ing, remembers that Mr. Hulett always asked a blessing at the table. The house was to be built by the people " among themselves," and the work of finishing it went on slowly. The carpenters were dismissed in haying and harvest. Available funds were not abundant, and there was no agreement as to the best method of paying for it. The people furnished, materials and labor, and the workmen were paid in country produce contributed, so little money was there in circulation. Skilled mechanics' wages were $1, common laborers 67 cents per day. Butter was reckoned at. 13} cents a pound, corn 50 cents a bushel. Among those who were engaged in the construction of the building, the committee's account book gives the names of John Hulett, wages $82 : Samuel Por- ter, $258 : Benoni and Henry Lewis received for paint- ing, $108 : Abijah Merrill $20 for hooks and hinges, and window-springs : Nathaniel Basset for blacksmithing and making scrapers, $9 : Samuel Couch $20 for the vane,
232
THE HISTORY OF LEE.
spire, and letters : Squire Stone $12 for turning the urns and ball : Nathan Bassett $3 for "Sampson's mallet." Squire Yale was active and generous in his desire to se- cure for the worship of God a sanctuary that would be commodious, convenient, and creditable to the peo- ple. It is told to his honor, that when iron was needed for the bell, the common bog ore making brittle iron, he offered his iron bar, saying that he knew that to be good The house was one of the first class. It was 64 by 50 feet. The porch or entrance hall took off 8 feet in front, leaving the audience room 56 feet by 50. Over the porch was the end gallery. The side galleries were of generous proportions, and each had five wall pews 11 feet long. The broad alley in the center was six feet wide. The 48 body pews were 7} feet long, and 3} feet wide : the four on either side of the pulpit were 7 feet long. The tower projected 8 feet in front: the three pews in this, back of the choir, were 9 feet long and 6 feet wide. The dedication took place, it is said, on Tuesday of Thanks- giving week, 1801. Dr. Hyde, preached from II Chron. 6 : 18. All that the town, as a town, had paid for the new meeting-house, was £50, in May, 1800, for the land on which it stood. The question of ownership was not set- tled for several years, and occupied the attention of the people at every town meeting, jointly with the perpetual buying of plank for bridges. Difficulties in connection with seating the meeting-house, dignifying the seats, and
assigning them to individuals, were perpetually arising. In 1802 a committee of ten was chosen to grade the ground and remove the stone. In 1805, when the qustion of own- ership was brought up in town meeting, 42 voted that the house is in the hands of individuals, and 24 that it is in the hands of the town. The building committee's ac- counts were not settled for many years, and it is said that Squire Yale, and Major Nye, sold their cattle to satisfy a
233
THE HISTORY OF LEE.
demand of some $300. The accounts were kept with scrupulous exactness. Interest was charged for subscrip- tions not paid, claims were sold and transferred, even as assets of estates. At last it was voted to vendue the pews, and the sale March 27, 1810, brought $5,905. The highest price paid for one of the long pews, was $140, the lowest $31. The "show-boxes," as the pews each side of the pulpit were called, were at this time considered the most desirable. In the course of time they came to be considered the least valuable, for fashion rules in the high places of the church, as strongly as in the courts of kings.
The final report of the building committee was made March 3, 1817, and from that date church affairs ceased to have much prominence in the town records. In 1830, the parish was formed, and the town affairs as such, have since then been kept entirely distinct from the parish. In 1836 the parish notified the town that they were un- willing any longer to have the town meetings held in the audience room of the church. The town then agreed to fit up the basement, if the parish would allow the use of it for town meetings. This was agreed upon; the expense of fitting was $500. It was used for town meet- ings till the building was destroyed by fire : but it never was pleasant, the room being low between joints, and one half of it below the surface of the ground. In 1833 with the view of affording a suitable building spot for a tem perance hotel, then projected, a subscription of $1,500 was raised and the meeting-house moved back from its orig- inal location about 200 feet to the North.
A committee of the parish was chosen in 1836 to obtain the consent of the proprietors to proposed alterations. Nothing was done until 1841, when a committee was appointed to report. During the next year sixteen parish meetings were held to determine the extent and pay the
30
234
THE HISTORY OF LEE.
cost of the alterations, $2,400. The society had previously bought the house of the pew holders at $3,102. When the repairs were finished, the pews were appraised for enough to cover both these sums. The choice money was $628; the whole amount $6,130. The remodeled house contained 110 pews on the lower floor, where pre- viously there were only 66.
But the audience room would not accommodate all desirous of seats, and in 1848 an addition was made of 20 feet, in the rear, giving 44 pews, while at the same time the galleries, which had been lowered too much, were raised. These repairs cost $2,300. To secure it, most of the pews had been relinquished at the price paid in 1841. At the sale Dec. 14 and Dec. 25, the choice money was $2,233.50; the whole amount $8,503.50. This not only paid all expenses, but left some hundreds of dollars in the treasury. The length of the church without the tower was 84 feet. The audience room was 68 feet long and 48 feet wide. It would seat 700 below, 300 above. The seats were comfortable and the church every way pleasant.
Until 1852 the choir was accompanied by a variety of musical instruments. In that year an organ, made by Mr. Johnson, of Westfield, was placed in the church.
The bell, bought in 1848, was the fifth that had been hung in the church. Its weight was 1,732 lbs .; cost $519.60 : makers Meneely and Sons, of West Troy. The four previous bells were disabled successively after longer and shorter services. The first bell, bought in New Haven, lasted 25 years, the second only two years : the third, of most musical tone, from 1828 to 1847, broken by the boys on the "Fourth." The fourth bell lasted less than a year. All were bought by subscription. The bell that perished with the church, gave the alarm of fire on the eventful morning of Jan. 23, 1857, about 1.30, and fell soon after striking 3 o'clock. Part of it
t f 2
0
n
m
m fo
235
THE HISTORY OF LEE.
melted in the heat, and was found in the ashes in the form of shot. 570 lbs were recovered by washing the ashes after the fashion of the California gold hunters.
The fire which destroyed this building so hallowed by many sacred associations with past precious privileges, originated in Church and Sedgwick's block 100 yards north-west of the church. The night, Jan. 23, 1857, was intensely cold, and the water froze as it fell from the fire engine. A high wind carried up a blazing shingle and lodged it on the roof of the cupola above the bell. It was impossible with the means at hand to stop the progress of the flames. So thoroughly was the building burned that not a shingle or a square foot of timber could be found, which was not charred over, two or three cords in all : the rest was in ashes. Very little furniture was saved from the burning building, and at 5 a. m. " the holy and beautiful house where our Fathers praised," was a mass of smoking ruins.
Among the losses in the burning of this church was that of the town clock which had three years previously been placed upon its tower by the liberality of Mr. Joel Bradley. Shortly after the clock struck three, tolling its own age, the bell and clock fell from the tower.
A chapel, that stood by the church, was also a prey to the devouring flames. It was built by subscription in 1854, and given to the parish to be used solely for parish purposes. The building was 50 by 32; posts 16 feet high. The audience room was about 37 by 30 : 12 feet off the north end being taken for business rooms. It was built at a cost of about $2,000.
THE PARSONAGE.
The parsonage was saved only by the most strenuous exertions. It was built in 1851 at an expense of about $3,000, Previous to this time the clergymen had lived
236
THE HISTORY OF LEE.
in their own hired houses, except Dr. Hyde, who being settled for life, bought a farm and built a house according to the custom of those times.
THE HORSE SHEDS.
Those useful, if not elegant, appendages to our New England meeting-houses, the horse sheds, must not be overlooked in this record of " the courts of the Lord's house." The first public mention of them is the vote of the town July, 1800, "to appoint a committee of three men, to attend to applications of persons, who may want land to erect sheds upon, or any other buildings." In 1813 the town bought more ground of Messrs. Foote and Bradley " for the purpose of shed ground and common." On the town records is a plot showing the location of 36 sheds. When the meeting-house was moved in 1833, changes were made in the " shed spots," and still others in 1848, when the meeting-house was enlarged. 17 new sheds were built, making about 40 in all. When the present church edifice was built these convenient and necessary appendages were re-arranged, and increased, so that few churches in the land were better supplied with " complementary means of grace," as horse sheds have been called.
THE PRESENT CHURCH AND CHAPEL.
The present spacious and stately church building was erected by the parish at a cost of about $30,000.
The corner stone was laid 1857, July 21. Dr. Gale delivered then a historical address, giving in greater full- ness of detail the facts embodied in the preceding sketch. The building was dedicated by an eloquent sermon by Dr. Gale, and by other religious services, September 1, 1858. The accompanying cut will give the reader a good idea of the exterior of the building. The main audience
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
237
THE HISTORY OF LEE.
room has a seating capacity for over a thousand. In the rear is a pleasant chapel of a semi-octagonal form with seating accommodations for two hundred. This church was built at a time of great financial depression, and too much credit cannot be given to the building committee for carrying the enterprise through so successfully.
SEXTONS AND SERVICES.
The town in its early history not only claimed to hold a title to the church building, and to be under obligation to pay the minister's salary, but made it its business to look af- ter the cleanliness of the building. Every year the duty of opening the doors, sweeping the floor, and ringing the bell, offered at vendue to the lowest bidder, was a part of the transactions of the town meeting. This was at first a matter of special appointment as when 1785, March 28, Hope Davis was duly elected " to take care of sweeping, and shut the doors and windows of the meeting-house, and to be allowed what it shall be worth at the year's end." 1789, March 1, Nathaniel Bassett was chosen and allowed 18 shillings. 1812, it was voted that the bell should be rung at 9 P. M. six months when the nights were longest ; the other six months at noon. Nathaniel Bassett will be remembered by the older people as for nearly two score years the sexton who for sixteen dollars a year took care of the meeting-house and rang noon and night the bell that marked for the community the great divisions of each day. A special committee was chosen 1812, May 4, to collect fines, 50 cents each, for any window pane that might be broken. 1814, April 11, the town voted that the meeting-house floor should be sanded after its washing in May.
The hours of religious service also came under the pur- view of the town meeting.
The town voted to reject a proposition made that there
238
THE HISTORY OF LEE.
should be but one preaching service through the Winter. 1807, April 6, a committee was appointed to wait on Dr. Hyde and see if will be agreeable to him to have the in- termission one hour through the ensuing year.
A still more striking instance of the town's interference in what is now considered the special province of every religious church or society, is the vote 1790, Sept. 23, appointing a committee " to treat with regard to making some alterations in the church's covenant."
PARISH EXPENSES.
The assumption of such a variety of cares by the town, is in striking contrast to the limitations now fixed by statute to the interests which properly and legally may come within the scope of town action. In the report of a committee, adopted 1788, Jan. 3, in regard to the abatement of taxes which the constables for various years had not been able to collect, it is bewildering to note the variety of objects for which specific taxes had been laid. There was the minister's tax, distinct from the town and from the county tax. Besides these were the State tax No. 5, and the Continental tax, No. 2. Work on the meeting-house, and glazing the meeting- house were to be paid for by taxes specially levied for the purpose. As late as 1822, March 4, the town meet- ing listened to a report of a committee, specifying minutely what repairs it was needful to make, and what would be the probable cost. It was not until 1830 that the Siamese-twin connection of church and town were severed, and the parish freed from the abnormal and worrisome dependence upon the supervision of the town.
The main argument relied upon in assessing and col- lecting the minister's tax was that the church was open to all. They could have a seat if they chose. Rev. Dr.
239
THE HISTORY OF LEE.
Marsh (father of Dr. Marsh the secretary of the Am. Temperance Society), used this argument with a barber who was duly assessed though he never put his foot within the church doors. Dr. Marsh, by the way, never patronized this barber, but sent his wig to Hartford to be dressed. Soon after the constable had made his annual rounds, the minister was surprised by receiving a bill from the barber for dressing his wig. "How's this ?" he ex- claimed. "I've never had any wig dressed by you." " But you might have had it done," was the reply. The Doctor saw the point, and paid the bill, the exact amount of the barber's minister tax.
THE CONGREGATIONAL PARISH.
In 1830 the parish system for the management of the secular affairs of the church was adopted. The parish consisted not only of the members of the church but of all others who were willing to unite with it and share the responsibility for the support of the gospel. Hereto- fore the law required every man to be taxed for the benefit of some ecclesiastical society, giving him the choice to which his assessment should be paid. Hence- forth all religious societies were voluntary organizations, not even church members being required by law to con- tribute toward their support. This was a great revolu- tion and many old and wise heads thought it would result in the ruin of the country. In this town the plan of supporting the gospel by a tax on the property of the parish, was adopted and continued in operation long after almost every town in the state had given it up. Indeed the Congregational parish still raises its funds mostly by taxation, property and pews being taxed for about an equal amount.
240
THE HISTORY OF LEE.
THE CHURCH AT SOUTH LEE.
"In 1805 Rev. Mr. Garrison began holding religious meetings in the school-house in the east end of the vil- lage of South Lee. One service was held on the Sabbath for several years. The preachers were itinerant, but most generally lived in town. Among the first was Rev. William Ross, a native of Lee. A complete list of the va- rious preachers cannot be given. Among them are re- membered with affectionate respect Rev. Messrs. Wool- sey, Cook, Rice, Hibbard, Jacobs, Clark, Smith, Bangs.
In 1827 a Baptist church was organized at Tyringham in connection with the labors of Elder Ira Hall. About the same time he extended his labors to South Lee, preaching in the adjacent school-house No. 2, in the Hop- land district. The religious interest awakened led to an effort to build in South Lee a meeting-house suitable for religious purposes. As no denomination felt strong enough to undertake the work alone, it was wisely deter- mined to combine the different religious interests in the erection of a house to be used by each under such regu- lations as might be agreed upon. The first meeting with this object in view was held at the school-house in South Lee, May 14, 1827. A half acre of land having been purchased from Gen. Joseph Whiting, a constitution was drawn up, subscriptions collected, and the building begun. The dedication took place August 21, 1828. The consti- tution provided for the occupancy of the house in these terms : " The First Baptist Society in said town [known as the Tyringham and Lee Baptist Church] and the Methodist Episcopal Society shall have the occupancy of said house on the Sabbath when they have appointments for that purpose ; but when the two societies have no ap- pointments, the house shall be opened at all times to the Congregationalists and other religious societies." For the purpose of vesting the control of the house in a
METHODIST CHURCH .- FERN CLIFF IN THE REAR.
-
241
THE HISTORY OF LEE.
definite body, it was further provided that all subscribers to the building fund to the amount of five dollars should be entitled to one vote and one sitting, and in the same proportion for all additional sums.
For a considerable number of years, worship was sus- tained by Baptists and Methodists on alternate Sabbaths. The Baptist ministers who succeeded Ira Hall were Alex. Bush, Geo. Phippen, and Forris Moore. The Methodist ministers in whose circuit South Lee was included were too numerous to mention. Subsequently Rev. Mr. Brad- ley, a Congregationalist, was settled here a few years.
After this field had been in a large measure abandoned by the three denominations interested in the erection of the house, the Episcopalians established worship, and have maintained it with little interruption to the present time.
In 1862 the house was repaired at an expense of nearly $450.00. Through the liberality of the Episcopal church in Stockbridge, a very serviceable pipe organ was placed in the church in 1867. Three years later the house was again put in thorough repair, many alterations made and a belfry and a bell added to its exterior, involving alto- gether an expense of over $1,300.00.
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND SOCIETY OF LEE.
BY REV. A. OSTRANDER.
PREVIOUS to 1831 the Methodists in Lee held occasional meetings in various district school-houses. In that year, Revs. David Holmes and Thomas Sparks established regular services, and Lee became a Conference Missionary station, remaining such until 1838. Meetings were still held in school-houses, especially those in Water street and at the Center, until 1839. In January of that year, Frederick Van Tassel, Cyrus Shaw, Ackley Fuller, Reynolds White, John Sturges, Asa Stebbins, Amos Barnes and Amos Maxfield made a petition to Hubbard Bartlett, Esq., Justice of the Peace, to issue a warrant in the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to call a meeting of 31
242
THE HISTORY OF LEE.
the Methodist Episcopal Society of Lee. The meeting was held ac- cording to warrant, in the Center school-house, January 16, 1839. Organization was effected by the election of Lorenzo D. Brown as Chairman, and W. H. Hill (now of Lenox), Clerk. The first Trustees were Amos Barnes, Thomas Hulett, Asa Stebbins, M. D. Field and John Sturges. At this meeting, a committee was appointed to raise money bý subscription for the erection of a church edifice, and a Building Committee was appointed, consisting of M. D. Field, Albert M. Howk, L. D. Brown, John Sturges and Wm. H. Hill. Funds were secured, and a building 40× 55 feet was erected, costing $2,381.81. It was dedicated January 25, 1840, the sermon being preached by the Rev. Jacob C. Shaw of Tyringham. In 1846, the land on which the church and parsonage are built was quit-claimed to the Trustees by the American Bible Society, for the use of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1849 the building was enlarged by the addition of twenty feet to its eastern end. During the pastorate of Rev. L. W. Wals- worth, 1864-67, the front of the church was re-modeled and improved, and the steeple erected. During the same period the indebtedness of the society was paid.
The parsonage was built in 1852 under the administration of Rev. Z. N. Lewis.
In the Fall of 1876, the gallery of the church which had long been unused, was so re-constructed and enlarged as to form a commodious chapel, thus supplying a long-needed want.
At the present time, the Society enjoys the possession of a substan- tial church and parsonage property valued at $20,000, entirely free from debt or incumbrance of any kind. From 1831 to 1843 Lee formed part of a circuit, sharing the services of the appointed preach- ers with Lenox and other points. Since 1843 Lee has been a sepa- rate station, receiving its pastors by appointment of the New York Annual Conference, each year, without interruption. The following is believed to be a correct list of the pastors from 1831 to 1878 :
1831. Holmes and Sparks. 1844-46. John A. Silleck.
1832. Julius Field. 1846-48. J. N. Shaffer.
1833. T. Sparks.
1848-50. Pelatiah Ward.
1834-35. J. B. Wakeley. 1850-51. J. Z. Nichols.
1836, Denton Keeler.
1851-53. Z. Ń. Lewis.
1837. Keeler and Warner. 1853-54. Luther W. Peck.
1838. M. Van Deusen and A. Nash. 1854-56. Wm. Ostrander.
1839. M. Van Deusen and Shaw. 1856-58. Marvin R. Lent.
1840-42. Wm. Gothard. 1858-60. Z. N. Lewis.
1842-44. Chas. C. Keys.
1860-61. H. C. Humphrey.
243
THE HISTORY OF LEE.
1861-62. Alexander McLean. 1871-73, Clark Wright.
1862-64. Thos. E. Fero.
1873-75. Winslow W. Sever.
1864-67. L. W. Walsworth.
1875-76. H. B. Mead.
1867-69. Wm. Hall.
1876-78. A. Ostrander.
1869-71. Wm. Stevens.
By this record, it appears that this Church has had thirty pastors during forty-seven years. Generally they have been men of zeal, full of love for their Master, and untiring in their efforts to win souls to Christ and to build up the Church. Under their ministry the Church has enjoyed frequent revival seasons, one of the most noteworthy being that during the pastorate of Rev. C. C. Keys, of whom his biographer says :
" His term of service in Lee, Mass., was crowned with remarkable displays of grace. In midsummer his church was thronged by anx- ious listeners to his word, while the crowd outside, unable to find en- trance, often extended to the street."
Rev. J. B. Wakeley became one of the most prominent and popular men in the Church, both in pulpit service and literature.
Rev. Pelatiah Ward entered the army as a captain during the Re- bellion, and fell while gallantly leading his men at the battle of Ma- nassas in 1862.
Rev. J. Z. Nichols was removed at the end of his first year to be made Presiding Elder of Rhinebeck District.
Rev. Z. N. Lewis is the only pastor who has served the Church a second term, having been recalled by petition in 1858.
Of the pastors previous to 1840, only three-Messrs. D. Keeler, M. Van Deusen and A. Nash-are known to be living; while of the twenty-one since that date all are living except Messrs. Keys, Silleck, Ward, Fero and Hall.
Prominent among the early members of the Church were Wm. L. Culver, Jesse Cheney, Hosea Allen, Jr., James Reed, Robt. Thomson, Kenaz Clark and David Baker. Of these the last alone remains, and is now the oldest male member of the Church.
Among the trustees, the names of Albert M. Howk and Caleb Ben- ton are prominent as life-long and staunch supporters of the Church.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.