USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Metropolitan Boston; a modern history; Volume III > Part 19
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The clergyman still counts as a man of influence, as a moulder of public opinion, and as a citizen conspicuously qualified to shape the practical policy of administration of schools, libraries, charities and local government. Altered social structure, changed con- ditions of living, new forms of abode and community life, the rise of new professions and the increased importance of older ones, may have rendered impossible some of that pas- toral supervision of flock and community and that direct moral censorship of the laity, which was characteristic of the early ministers and priests. But church and clergy are still factors in Boston life to a degree that is significant and important ; and they supply a conserving and ethical force which is lacking in states more recently added to the Union, whose founders were more purely commercial and utilitarian in their motives for settle-
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ment; states where the educational systems, from the start, have been chiefly secular in aim.
Moreover, the religion of Boston now bears, and will bear, whatever changes may come, the impress of that emphasis on ethics which has characterized it from the first. The Pilgrim or Puritan was a theologian, but also a setter-up of the Kingdom of God on earth. Roger Williams revolted against emphasis on creed above deed. Jonathan Edwards left his church at Northampton because he was not supported in an effort to dis- cipline its sinners, and as a reformer of the Puritan polity, he stood for a regenerate church membership. Jonathan Mayhew preached the liberty from tyranny, that Sam Adams organized against in the town meetings. Channing and his contemporaries among Unitarians, and Beecher and Bushnell among Orthodox Congregationalists, labored for a theology that was in harmony with the highest ethical ideals of men. The anti-slavery propaganda of Garrison and Phillips, Parker and Emerson, ultimately forced Boston churches to hatred of slavery and support of a war that put an end to it; and out of all the clashings of Puritans and Quakers, Calvinists and Arminians, Trinitarians and Uni- tarians, Protestants and Roman Catholics, and Conservatives and Radicals in religion and politics, which Boston has seen, has emerged the ideal of free thought, free speech, and toleration of many points of view; an attitude which has become ingrained and chronic, and that today makes Boston a singularly attractive place of residence for persons who elsewhere have suffered from tyranny or cramping environment. The result is a measure of present amity between former foes and historically hostile faiths which is unprece- dented, while at the same time there is a candor in expressing diverse points of view without diminishing personal and sectarian goodwill which is surest proof of the high measure of civilization to which the section has attained.
The Rise and Fall of Denominations-A very interesting feature of the development of religions in Boston is the rise and fall of the dominat- ing churches of each generation of the latter half of the city's religious history. For a century and a half the Puritan or Trinitarian Congrega- tional Church stood almost alone. Then for a half century there entered the field many other denominations, and those which had made a feeble start during the freedom of religious worship granted with the Provincial charter, became strong and grew. The "Great Awakening" or revival period of the middle eighteenth century era opened the way to the Meth- odist faith, although little growth was made by this denomination for more than fifty years. The Revolution so filled men's minds with the idea of freedom in all things that the coercive features of Puritanism were resented and a more liberal basis of worship was sought. Then, too, there was a decided let down in religious interest during the Revolution, and Boston showed the same divergence from the straight line of ortho- doxy that was manifest throughout the whole of the new Nation. With- out strife or the waving of banners, Unitarianism became established. Not until a revival of the earlier theology in the first quarter of the last century was brought out the contrast between the Unitarian and Trin- itarian faiths and the two stood out in sharp opposition to each other. Congregations split ; old founded churches became definitely one faith or the other. In the battle of the two sets of doctrine, which however was
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confined principally to New England, the Unitarians won, and became the dominant church of New England and of Boston.
The Changing Faiths-Up to the time of the Civil War, the leading religion of Boston was Unitarian. In the year 1860, the total number of the churches of all denominations in the city was 107. Of these 24 were Congregational Unitarian; 14 Congregational Trinitarian ; Baptist, 14; Protestant Episcopal, 12; Methodist Episcopal, 12; Universalist, 6; Pres- byterian, 4; Roman Catholic, 10; various other denominations, including two Jewish synagogues, II. In other words, in the number of meeting places, the Unitarians ranked first, the Congregational Trinitarians, Bap- tists, Protestant Episcopalians and Methodists all having a fairly equal hold on second place, with the Roman Catholic following not so far behind.
Twenty years later, 1880, and the figures now include the most of the localities annexed by Boston, the number of religious societies in Boston had more than doubled, now numbering 220. The pendulum had swung toward the Trinitarian Congregational end of the era, they now having the greatest number of churches in the city of any single denomination, with 32. But the Roman Catholic was now in second place with 31 churches. Then followed the Baptist with 27; the Congregational Uni- tarian with 26; the Methodist with 26; Protestant Episcopal, 22; Uni- versalist, 9; Presbyterian, 8; Jewish, 7; Lutheran, 5 ; other denominations 27. The marked features of these two decades were the trebling of the number of Catholic churches, an ever greater percentage increase of Jew- ish synagogues, the practical failure of the Unitarians to hold their own, and the doubling of most of the other denominations.
Within a few years the Roman Catholics outranked any single denom- ination both in churches and adherents. By 1900, the number of adher- ents of this church constituted more than half of the membership figures given for the city. From a religious standpoint, Boston had become, and now is, a Catholic city. Where once was the stronghold of Puritanism, between sixty-five and seventy per cent of all the people accept the Cath- olic faith and church. Meanwhile, in 1900, the Protestant Episcopal Church had risen to second place on the list.
Boston Churches and Nationalities-Coming down to the year 1926 we find that the number of religious societies with meeting places in Boston is 366. The Roman Catholic Church is far in the lead with 70 parishes or churches; and there are Catholic institutions of different orders to be added to this total. Next in number are the Jewish syna- gogues, 40. Third come the Baptists with 38, and, in their order, the next seven most numerous churches are the Episcopal, 35; Congrega-
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tional Trinitarian, 34; Methodist Episcopal, 31; Congregational Uni- tarian, 18; Lutheran, 16; Presbyterian, 8; and Universalist, 6. Of the Methodist Episcopal (African) there are 3 churches; Christian Science, 3; Adventist, 2; Spiritualist, 2; New Church (Swedenborgian) 2; Friends I; Disciples, 1; and various other churches totaling 57.
So much for the bare statistics of churches. One may interpret them in many ways, but the figures must be taken, whatever the interpretation, in connection with ones covering the population of the city. Until a com- paratively recent date, the chief gains in the Catholic church were from emigration (Ireland and Canada, French). And such has been the stand- ing won by this denomination, and so free from interference by State or people has this church been, that it presents a record of numerical increase, of development in education, philanthropy, and practical relig- ion, of which all may be proud. The various migrations of the Irish by which both Boston and the Catholic church profited, began nearly a cen- tury ago and continued on into this century. The influx of settlers from Scotland at the beginning of this century helped largely in the growth of Presbyterianism during the first two decades. With the arrival of Italian and Portuguese Roman Catholics, of Greek adherents to the Orthodox Greek Church, and of large numbers of Orthodox Jews from Russia and other parts of Europe, Boston had added more factors which complicated the racial and religious situation in the city. Even the Roman church of Boston was profoundly affected, and no longer is solely of Celtic complexion.
Census figures later than 1920 are still unavailable for the student of the details of race distribution in the municipality. Taking those of 1920, it is made clear that the city is less New England in race than it is usually considered. Taking the total population as 748,060-the correctness of which census was disputed-65.71 per cent was rated as native white, 31.94 as foreign born white, with 2.19 per cent. negroes and 0.16 Chinese, Japanese, etc. Subdividing the native born white according to parentage it is found that only 24.30 per cent. were of native parentage, as against 31.05 per cent. of foreign parentage, and 9.56 per cent. mixed parentage. In other words, only a quarter of the entire population of Boston is made up of native whites of native parentage. And if it were possible to go back several generations, it seems likely that the proportion of those coming from colonial stock would be very small indeed, approaching the vanishing point. Nothing could be clearer than that the racial stock which founded the Congregational and Unitarian, the two typical New England religions, has few, comparatively, representatives now resident in Boston. Probably this, more than any other one feature, accounts for the present dominance in the municipality of religions unknown, almost, for the first half of the history of Boston.
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The Effect upon the Churches of a Changing Population-The chang- ing character of the population of the municipality has worked hard- ships on all religions, on the Protestants more than on others. Localities once the residential sections of natives have become foreign centers. The churches built by religious societies of one faith have become use- less as places of worship for the original denomination. Often, the edi- fices have been sold to some other society; often the business require- ments of the locality have made it necessary to tear down many of the older meetinghouses. Some still remain ; some of great historic interest are now in dingy foreign atmospheres which all but make one forget the part they played in American history. If there has been one thing more than another that has occupied the attention and called for the principal labors among the Protestant denominations during this century, it is the building of new places of worship. And this work is still going on, and must, until the localities to which the adherents of any particular church are provided with proper meetinghouses. On the physical side of relig- ions, the building programs of the churches of the city takes precedence at the present time.
The movement, particularly of the wealthiest churches, seeking new sites, began more than a half century ago. The new lands of the "Back Bay" section attracted many, and most of the notable structures built at that time (1865-75) were put up in this neighborhood. The South End was chosen by many during this same period. Several remained "down town" and form one of the rarest of the historic possessions of the munic- ipality. In recent years church building has been more on the increase in the outlying portions of the city.
The Historic Churches-The historic "down town" churches have, for the most part, been mentioned and parts of their story told in an earlier chapter in this work, but they have a perennial interest that makes one loath to pass them by. They include the Old South Meetinghouse, King's Chapel, Park Street Church, St. Paul's, now the Protestant Epis- copal Cathedral, Christ Church at North End, now the oldest church building still standing in the city. The Old South dates from 1730 and replaced the "little cedar meeting-house" erected by the Third Church in Boston in 1669. Here Otis, Warren and Hancock addressed the citizens on patriotic subjects ; Whitefield preached here ; meetings held here led to the "Boston Tea Party." The church was used as a riding school by the British Dragoons in 1775. The building is now under the care of a group of Boston women; the New Old South Church in Back Bay has housed the congregation of this society since 1875.
The present King's Chapel dates from 1749, at least the corner stone was laid in that year, it not being completed sufficiently to be used until
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1754. It was built to enclose the first Episcopal church of 1688. It now is occupied by the Unitarians. The Park Street Church dates from 1809, and was the first Trinitarian-Congregational church formed and an edifice built after Unitarianism had swept through the Puritan churches of the city. As the home of many brilliant preachers and the seat of Orthodoxy, it was known to the irreverent as "Brimstone Corner." Aside from its pulpit orators, the Park Street was famous for the choir that bore this name, many of whom were members of the musical societies that had so much to do with making Boston a musical center. St. Paul's Cathedral is of comparatively recent date as churches go in the down-town section. It was probably the most impressive church of its day. Phillips Brooks wrote of it that it was a "most notable and permanent addition to the power of Episcopacy in Boston. Its Grecian Temple seemed, to the men who built it, to be the triumph of architectural beauty and of fitness for God's service." Of Reverend Alexander Vinton, who for seventeen years was its rector (1842-59) Brooks wrote: "His work may be considered as having done more than any other man who preached in Boston to bring the Episcopal Church into the understanding and sympathy and respect of the people." Christ Church, dating from 1723, stands isolated from Protestant peoples in the North End, but is one of the chief historic landmarks of the municipality. The signal lights to Paul Revere, the aged chimes, the ancient fittings and communion vessels including pieces given by George II, the first monument erected to Washington, all attract home folk and visitors.
Church Movement to Back Bay-The filling in of the sheet of water known as Back Bay, which began in 1857 and continued for three decades, gave the city a section which early began to attract Bostonians and with them followed the churches. In few parts of the municipality have its residents so clearly shown their individuality as in their dwellings erected on what was really an uninspiring flat section. Commonwealth Avenue with its central parkway is the most beautiful street within the city limits. Beacon Street close to the Charles has on it some of the finest residences to be found, and many of the notables of Boston have lived here. Huntington Avenue and Boyleston Street were chosen as the sites for many of the institutions, cultural and educational, which give a dis- tinction seldom attained by city streets. The many cross streets are in keeping with the long main highways, making the most of the Back Bay an ideal center of home and institutional life.
The churches began their movement to Back Bay in 1860 when the Arlington Street place of worship was built, to be followed by Emmanuel Church in 1862; the Central Congregational Trinitarian Church in 1867; the First Church in Boston, in 1868; the Brattle Square (now the First
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Baptist) Church in 1873; the Second Church in Boston, 1874-this con- gregation later sold the same building and moved to Audubon Circle, between Boston and Brookline; the New Old South Church, 1875 ; Trin- ity, 1877; the Hollis Street, 1884; and the "Christian Science Temple" 1895 and 1906. Nearly all of these churches have used stone in their con- struction, are splendidly designed, built with little regard for other than dignity, fitness and beauty. The variety of architecture is very great, and the finished structures a delight to the eye. Few laymen are more famil- iar with the architectural beauties of the churches of Boston than was the late Edwin Bacon, and it is to his writings the present compiler is indebted for much that is descriptive of the places of worship in the city.
The "First Church in Boston"-Mr. Bacon thus wrote of the First Church in Boston :
The chaste First Church, beautiful in design, of the finer type of ecclesiastical archi- tecture, fitly represents the succession of meeting-houses of the First Church of Boston, beginning with the pioneers' little mud-walled and thatch-roofed structure beside Market Place. Its rich interior contains various mementoes of the past. On one of the painted windows is inscribed the church covenant adopted and signed by Winthrop and other leaders when the church was formed in Charlestown on the thirtieth of July, 1630, only a few weeks after the arrival of Winthrop's company, whence it was removed to Boston. With the rare old communion plate is shown an embossed cup with the inscription engraved on its rim, "The Gift of Gov' Jnº Winthrop to Ye It Church." The statue of Winthrop, on the Marlborough Street side of the church, is that by Richard S. Green- ough, which used to stand in the midst of a network of street-car tracks at the junction of Court and Tremont streets, and Cornhill in front of Scollay Square. It is a duplicate of the statue placed by the State of Massachusetts in the Capitol at Washington. It represents the Governor as just after landing on the soil of the New World. Behind the figure appears the base of a newly cut forest tree with a rope attached, signifying the fastening of the boat in which the Governor had come ashore. The figure is clad in the picturesque garb of the period. The right hand holds the Colony Charter, the left hand, a Bible. The statue was first set up here in Boston and uncovered to the public on Sep- tember 17, 1880, the day of the celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the settlement of the town.
The church, although dating from the Civil War period, has a striking exterior, and the interior is both rich and tasteful ; the designers being the architects Ware and Van Brunt. The stained glass windows were imported from England, the organ from Germany. The original cost to build was well over $300,000.
Of the three Back Bay churches built prior to the First Congrega- tional, the Arlington Street Church facing the Public Gardens has a most notable history. As a building, it is of the stately architecture that is reminiscent of Sir Christopher Wren; the architect was Arthur Gilman. The church has one of the few sets of chimes to be found in Boston. The Society, when formed in 1727, worshipped in a barn on Federal Street,
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where later, 1786, the form of government was changed to Congregational and a new place of worship built. William Ellery Channing became the pastor of the little church in 1803, although called to the pulpit of Brattle Street Church, one of the largest and wealthiest of that day. In the relig- ious controversy then approaching a climax, Channing unexpectedly swung to the side of Unitarianism and became one of the leaders in liberal religion. His fame as preacher, writer and accomplished scholar, made the pulpit of the Federal Street Church also famous. After his death in 1842 he was succeeded by Ezra Stiles Gannett, D. D., who had been Channing's associate since 1824. It was during Dr. Gannett's reign that the present church was built. Paul Revere Frothingham, after a long pastorate, died in 1926, having been preceded by John F. W. Ware, who followed Dr. Gannett in 1871, and Brooke Herford, who came here from Chicago.
Emmanuel Church (Protestant Episcopal) was formed in 1860 and built their first place of worship two years after Arlington Street. Its pastor, Frederick D. Huntington, had been pastor of the South Congre- gational Church, Plummer Professor of Christian Morals, and preacher to the University at Cambridge, but left the Unitarian fold, the church being built for him. He continued as rector of the Episcopal parish until 1869, when he was made Bishop of Central New York. He was followed in the Boston Church by Doctor Alexander H. Vinton, Leighton Parks, and the present rector, Doctor Elwood Worcester. One of the conspicu- ous features of Doctor Worcester's pastorate has been his inauguration of what came to be known as the Emmanuel Movement, interest in which was, for a time, both international and national and pointed the way to new fields of activity by the church and clergy. Doctor Worcester, be- ginning in 1906, began to expound the relation of psychotherapy to relig- ion, and the service which properly trained clergymen, working with medical men, can render in curing certain forms of disease ; the results of clinics held in the church gave its name to the movement.
The Central Church (Congregational Trinitarian) on Berkeley Street, is possibly the most noteworthy of the earlier Back Bay churches. Bos- ton is favored with many fine varieties of stone which it has placed in its public buildings. The Central Church was built of Roxbury stone with sandstone trimmings, and is of the advanced Gothic style of architecture. The spire, two hundred and thirty-six feet, is the highest in the city. R. M. Upjohn was the architect who gave to it the fine lines and impres- sive simplicity which still gives it dominancy over the structures of this section. The Central Society was organized in 1835 to occupy the Odeon Theatre, and was known as the Franklin Church. The name was changed in 1841 to the present title when a new edifice was built on Winter Street.
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The first pastor was Reverend William Rogers, who remained for many years (1835-51). His successors have been rather numerous, among them being Rev. George Richards, John E. Todd, D. D., the noted Rev. John De Witt and Joseph Duryea. The present incumbent is Rev. Seeley K. Tompkins.
These earlier churches were all built within a few years of each other, and there was an intermission of five years before another group was started. Two came from the boards of the talented architect, H. H. Rich- ardson, the Brattle Square and Trinity churches. He also designed the Woburn Public Library, the North Easton Public Library and Ames Memorial Hall in the same place, and Sever Hall at Harvard, besides many notable dwellings. Brattle Square was his first church building and was designed to express massiveness and permanency. Unfortun- ately, the acoustic properties of the edifice were so poor as to make it almost impossible for Doctor Lothrop, then the pastor, to be heard. This church had been erected without regard to expense, thereby loading the Unitarian Society which occupied it with a burden of debt which its diminishing membership was unable to meet. The church was closed in 1876, the membership dissolving fellowship at this same time thus bringing to a close the career of the famous "Manifesto Church" of 1699, the first of the Puritan churches to break away from the intolerance of belief and polity that then held sway. The church building was purchased at pub- lic auction by J. Montgomery Sears in 1881 and sold to the First Baptist Society the next year.
It was fitting that this religious body should become the successor of the historic organization, for the Baptist Society antedated the Brattle Square organization by many years. An account has been given of the early history of the much persecuted Baptists who joined hands for wor- ship in accordance with their own ideas in 1665. They built a little meet- inghouse on Salem Street in 1680, only to have its door nailed up by order of the Council and Governor of the Colony. It survived all endeav- ors to quench it, and prospered after the forcing upon the colony of a Provincial charter which, however resented, did give freedom of worship to all denominations. After meeting in a series of churches of ever increasing dimensions, the Brattle Square house was purchased and, after extensive interior changes, its acoustics were improved and the general effect enhanced. The dominant feature of the church building is the massive Florentine tower with its colossal figures designed by Bartholdi, sculptured on its sides, carved by Italian workers brought from abroad for this purpose. They are in high relief, in four groups representing the four epochs in Christian experience, Baptism, Communion, Marriage and Death.
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