USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Reminiscences of Worcester from the earliest period, historical and genealogical with notices of early settlers and prominent citizens, and descriptions of old landmarks and ancient dwellings, accompanied by a map and numerous illustrations > Part 12
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cated next west of McFarland, and whose estate was in the same family for an equal length of time, until sold to the pres- ent owner, Daniel Noyes ; James Rankin, whose beautiful daughter Anna married Samuel Andrews, father-in-law of Col. Timothy Bigelow, thus making this Scotch emigrant great- great-great-grandfather of Ex-Chief Justice George Tyler Big- clow ; William, Robert, Matthew, John and Hugh Gray, an- cestors probably of all of that name now in the country, their location here being at first in the north part of the town, on the north side of Lincoln street, between Burncoat street and the Curtis farm, afterwards in the south-east part ; Robert Crawford, ancestor of the Crawfords in this country, his loca- tion being between Green Hill and Plantation street ; Robert Barbour (or Barber), ancestor of those of that name here ; John Young and his son David, born near Londonderry, Ire- land, who as well as a few other natives of the north of Ireland came over with their Scotch brethren, and introduced here the first potatoes used in this country, both living to very advanced age ; James Hambleton, afterwards spelled Hamilton ; Robert, John and Patrick Peables, or Peebles ; John Duncan, some- times spelled Dunkin ; Duncan Graham, John Clark, John Battey, Wm. Mahan, Andrew Farrand, James Forbush, James Thornington, Hugh Kelso, James Ferguson, Robert Larthog, John McClentick (or Mcclintock), John McKonkey, James Glasford, James McGregoire.
Many persons distinguished in the history of the town, state and country, are descendants of the above. Genealogical sketches of some of these will form subjects of future chapters.
WORCESTER NORTH AND SOUTH PRECINCTS.
The original territory of Worcester, extending nearly twelve miles north and south, and nearly six miles east and west, was too great for its inhabitants to assemble in one place of wor- ship. What had been previously called Worcester North Pre- cinct, was set off as a separate town, Nov. 3, 1740, and a church was organized there the following year with Rev. Joseph Davis as pastor. June 23, 1773, " Worcester South Precinct" was
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constituted out of some three miles in breadth of territory in the south-west corner of Worcester, including the present Au- burn Common, with additional territory from the adjoining towns of Leicester, Oxford and Sutton ; religious meetings be- gan to be held there in the spring of that year, at the hotel of Major Thomas Drury, (where now resides the present pastor of the church there, Rev. Elnathan Davis,) and the crection of the present meeting house on Auburn Common was soon after begun, which was completed in 1776, in season to have the de- claration of independence read within its walls on the first Sunday after it had been received in Massachusetts. The church there was organized Jan. 26, 1776, and " Worcester South Precinct " was incorporated as a separate town, April 10, 1778, under the name of Ward, changed to Auburn in 1837. The first pastor at the latter place was Rev. Isaac Bailey, suc- ceeded from 1813 to 1828 by Rev. Enoch Pond, D. D., now of Bangor Theological Seminary, in his 87th year. The modera- tor of the first legal meeting held to organize the south precinct, Aug. 17, 1773, was David Bancroft; precinct clerk, Jacob Stevens ; assessors and committee first chosen to provide for preaching, and see to the building of a meeting house, Com- fort Rice, Jonathan Stone, Alexander Nichols, Benjamin Car- ter, Andrew and John Crowl, Thomas Scott, James and John Hart, Thomas Drury, Peter Hardy, Wm. Phipps.
At the first legal meeting in Worcester North Precinct, after it was set off as Holden, which was held May 4, 1741, Lieut. Simon Davis, father of the first minister there, Rev. Joseph Davis, was chosen moderator ; Simon Davis, John Bigelow and Cyprian Davis, selectmen ; Jonathan Lovell, great-grandfather of the present Joseph, Amariah B., John D., and E. H. Lovell of Worcester, was chosen constable for the east end, and James Smith constable of the west end of the newly organized town ; James Clark, James Palree and Samuel Hayward, assessors ; William Nichols, Treasurer ; Abraham Newton, tythingman ; James Gray, Jotham Bigelow and David Brown, fence viewers ; Jotham Bigelow, clerk of the market ; Jas. Gray, Sam'l Bruso, hog reefs ; Jos. Wooley, Abraham Newton, field drivers ; Samuel Hayward, sealer of leather ; James Caldwell and John Child,
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deer reefs ; John Bigelow and Joseph Hubbard, surveyors of highways ; Simon Davis, grand juryman.
These names are given to indicate who were the prominent residents of the North and South precincts of Worcester, be- fore any of its original territory of eight miles square had been set off. The John and Jotham Bigelow mentioned were un- doubtedly sons of the Joshua Bigelow of Worcester, afterwards of Westminister, alluded to on page 48.
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2d Congregational (Unitarian) Church, 1851. (The present edifice on Court Hill.)
CHAPTER IX.
THE SECOND PARISH (FIRST UNITARIAN ) CHURCH.
Until 1785, there existed but one organized religious society in Worcester, the population, numbering at the latter date about two thousand, having for thirty-seven years enjoyed the ministrations of the same clergyman. During the last illness and for a few months after the decease of Rev. Thaddeus Mac- carty, July 20, 1784, the Rev. Aaron Bancroft, son of Dea. Samuel Bancroft of Reading, who graduated at Harvard, in 1778, amid the din of arms of the revolutionary strife, supplied the pulpit of the old South Church, but owing to differences of sentiment on certain points of doctrine, his preaching was not acceptable to a majority of the congregation, and a large min- ority of Unitarian views, comprising many of the wealthiest and most intelligent members, seccded and formed a new church and society, which began holding meetings the last Sun- day in March, 1785, and they ordained and installed Dr. Bancroft as their pastor. Their meetings were for seven years held in the Court House (now the residence of Mrs. George A. Trumbull on Trumbull Square,) until January 1, 1792, when their first house of worship was dedicated, situated just south of the old Antiquarian Hall on Summer street, the old building having been for thirty years past occupied as a public school house. Rev. Zabdiel Adams of Lunenburg preached the dedicatory sermon. At the ordination of Dr. Bancroft, Feb. 1, 1786, the sermon was preached by Rev. Thomas Barnard of the North Church in Salem, the charge to the pastor given by Rev. Timothy Harrington of Lancaster, the righthand of fellowship presented by Rev. Zabdiel Adams of Lunenburg, the conclud- ing prayer made by Rev. Dr. John Lothrop of Boston, and benediction was pronounced by Rev. Timothy Hilliard of Cam-
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bridge. As this was the first instance. in this Commonwealth of a voluntary association for religious worship unsanctioned by the authority of government, it was considered a bold in- novation on the usages of the past, inasmuch, also, as until that period, all the inland parishes in Massachusetts had been de- signated by geographical boundaries. Consequently, great dif- ficulty was experienced in getting churches to assist in the in- stallation solemnities, two churches only in Worcester County, at that time, (those in Lancaster and Lunenburg) being known to favor this liberal movement. At its first organization the new society consisted of sixty-three members, the church coven- ant being subscribed by twenty persons.
CONSTITUTION OF THE CHURCH:
At a meeting held in the Court House, Dec. 1, 1785, the pastor-elect, Rev. Aaron Bancroft, preached, the religious cove- nant was read, and the following persons subscribed their names thereto, and this was the formation of the Second Church in Worcester : Timothy Paine, Benjamin Flagg, Josiah Pierce, David Bigelow, Joseph Allen, Ephraim Mower, John Mower, Ignatius Goulding, Sarah Paine, (wife of Timothy Paine,) Thankful Mower, (wife of Maj. Ephraim Mower,) Sarah Pierce, (wife of Josiah Pierce,) Abigail Flagg, (wife of Benj. Flagg, ) Elizabeth Willard, Dorothy Allen, (wife of Joseph Allen,) Lydia Baldwin, Susanna Fowle, Mary Fever, (wife of Win. Sever, and mother of Mrs. Gov. Lincoln,) Sarah Paine, Jr., (daughter of Timothy Paine,) and Lucretia Chandler, (af- terwards wife of the pastor, and mother of Mrs. Gov. Davis.) At subsequent church meetings, the number of members rapid- ly increased. The only religious test or creed embraced in the covenant subscribed to, which was drawn up by the pastor-elect, required the members to " walk together as a Christian society in the faith and order of the gospel, as true disciples of Jesus Christ in all good carriage and behavior both towards God and towards man, in charity with all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and truth, taking the Holy Scriptures as our sole and sufficient rule of faith and practice, and relying on the mediation of Christ for the pardon of our manifold sins."
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Among the earliest to add their names to the above list, were Mary and Elizabeth Maccarty, daughters of the old south min- ister, and their brother Nathaniel was a member of the society. The new society was organized at their first public meeting for religious services, the last Sunday in March, 1785, when Dr. Bancroft received his formal invitation to settle, although the church was not constituted till December following.
Outside of the signers of the church covenant, among those most influential in the formation of the new society were the senior Gov. Levi Lincoln, Judge Edward Bangs, Col. Timothy Bigelow and Isaiah Thomas.
A severe struggle was maintained with the powers of both church and state before the new church and society were legal- ly recognized, but an act of incorporation was finally obtained from the Legislature, Nov. 13, 1787, giving them the right of a separate parish existence.
PARISH MEETINGS.
The first legally called meeting of the members of the sec- ond parish, for the choice of parish officers, was held March 9, 1789, in pursuance of a warrant, issued by Hon. Levi Lincoln, senior, to Maj. Ephraim Mower, as one of the principal mem- bers of the parish.
Mr. Lincoln was chosen moderator, and parish officers for the year ensuing were elected as follows : Hon. Joseph Allen, clerk ; Capt. John Pierce, Hon. Timothy Paine and Hon. Edward Bangs, assessors ; Capt. Samuel Bridge, treasurer; Ephraim Mower, collector ; and David Bigelow, Lieut. Josiah Pierce, Col. Benjamin Flagg, Col. Samuel Flagg, and Cornelius Stowell, prudential committee. The meeting then adjourned to March 23, 1789, to consider a proposition from Dr. Ban- croft to relinquish one-third of his annual salary of $500 to equalize the expense of the erection of a meeting-house. At the latter meeting, plans for the house were considered, one reported by the committee adopted, and Capt. John Pierce, Hon. Nathaniel Paine, and Hon. Levi Lincoln were chosen a committee to procure the frame for the meeting-house, and make all necessary contracts for the building of the same,
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agrecably to the plan accepted. At the same meeting, Hon. Timothy Paine, Samuel Braser, Capt. Joel Howe, Col. Benj. Flagg and Capt. John Pierce were chosen a committee to in- quire on what terms the most convenient spot may be had whereon to erect the meeting house, and report at the adjourned meet- ing held April 20, following. At the latter meeting, several locations, reported by this committee, were considered, and the meeting adjourned to May 25, and again to June 1, 1789, when it was voted to have the location for the meeting house " be- tween the dwelling house of Hon. Joseph Allen and that of Capt. Samuel Bridge, near the great road." Joseph Allen then lived on the north corner of Main and School streets, where David Curtis, the blacksmith, afterwards resided, and Samuel Bridge lived on the east side of Lincoln street, in the old dwell- ing, afterwards owned and occupied by Ebenezer S. Geer, be- hind two venerable elm trees. At the same meeting, Hon. Levi Lincoln, Dea. David Bigelow, Micah Johnson, Col. Benj. Flagg and Capt. Samuel Bridge were chosen a committee to " finally determine where to build, provided it be within the limits mentioned." The spot they selected, (just south of the old Antiquarian Hall, built in 1820,) was about half way be- tween those limits.
At the second annual parish meeting held April 30, 1790, Dea. David Bigelow was chosen Moderator, and the following parish officers chosen for the year ensuing : Hon. Joseph Al- len, clerk ; Hon. Timothy Paine, Joseph Allen and Capt. John Pierce, assessors ; Capt. Samuel Bridge, treasurer ; Dr. Abra- ham Lincoln, collector ; the assessors to be the prudential committee.
At a meeting held Feb. 4, 1791, Dea. David Bigelow, mod- erator, Hon. Edward Bangs, Hon. Joseph Allen. and William Sever, Esq., were chosen a committee to take a deed of the land selected for the church, and it was voted that pew, No. 51, adjoining the pulpit stairs, be for the use of the minister ; and that the pews on the lower floor be granted to the persons de- signated by their respective numbers, each pew holder to pay twenty-four shillings annually from April 1, 1790.
At the third annual parish meeting held April 29, 1791, Hon. Timothy Paine, moderator, and Dr. Abraham Lincoln,
2d Congregational (Unitarian) Church, 1792. (Now the Summer St. School-house.)
2d Congregational (Unitarian) Church, 1829. (Occupied the site of the present one, and burned in Aug. 1849. )
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clerk, Timothy Paine, Edward Bangs and David Bigelow were chosen assessors for the year ensuing; Dea. Samuel Bridge, treasurer ; Samuel Allen, collector ; and David Bige- low, Josiah Pierce and Samuel Braser were chosen a committee to make conveyances of the pews in the meeting-house then nearly completed.
The first parish meeting held in the meeting house, was Sept. 15, 1791. Sept. 19, Capt. Samuel Bridge, Maj. Wm. Treadwell, and Isaiah Thomas were chosen a committee to con- tract for the building of a cupola and vane on the structure.
THE FIRST MEETING HOUSE.
This first meeting house of the second parish or First Unit- arian Society, which began to be regularly used for religious worship with the first Sunday in 1792, was a plain wooden structure, 60 feet by 50, having the same general outside ap- pearance as the old building, excepting the tower which was re- moved, presents now. It was built by Ignatius Goulding and Elias Mann, according to plans by the latter, and had a bell and tower clock, which were afterwards used on the next church built in 1829. The clock was the gift of Isaiah Thomas. The old structure had sixty-one box pews on the floor, and there were galleries on three sides.
The main or central aisle led from the front entrance to a tier of pews on each side, numbered from one to twenty-five or thirty, even numbers on the north side, and the odd numbers on the south side of this aisle. The south aisle, parallel with the latter, led to a tier of pews on the south wall, and the north aisle led to a corresponding tier of pews on the north wall. A cross aisle also led to pews on each side of the high pulpit.
As put on record by the committee selected for the purpose, the pews on the lower floor were conveyed to the following par- ties, at the opening of the house, the same sum of 24 shillings annually being paid for each pew :
THE FIRST PEW OWNERS.
No. 1, Palmer Goulding; 2, James Goulding ; 3, Benjamin Flagg ; 4, Daniel Chadwick and Abner Child ; 5, Benjamin
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Butman ; 6, Aaron Bancroft, pastor ; 7, Eli Gale and Hugh Kelso; 8, Nathaniel Paine; 9, Timothy Paine ; 10, Samuel Bridge; 11, Isaiah Thomas ; 12, William Sever ; 13, Ignatius Goulding ; 14, Levi Lincoln, senior ; 15, Nathan Heard ; 16, John Stanton ; 17, Wm. Chandler ; 18, Joseph Allen ; 19, Levi Lincoln ; 20, Charles and Samuel Chandler ; 21 and 22, Isaiah Thomas ; 23, Judge Edward Bangs ; 24, Timothy Paine ; 25, Isaiah Thomas ; 26, John Pierce ; 27, Daniel Heywood ; 28, Thomas Chandler ; 29, Isaac Chadwick ; 30, John Walker; 31, Isaiah Thomas ; 32, Wm. Mahan; 33, Samuel Rice ; 34, Ephi- raim Mower; 35, Daniel Clapp ; 36, Dr. John Green ; 37, Micah Johnson ; 38, David Chadwick ; 39, Samuel Allen, senior ; 40, Clark Chandler ; 41, Nathaniel Paine ; 42, Elias Mann ; 43, Edward Bangs ; 44, Joel Howe ; 45, Nathan Patch ; 46, C. and S. Chandler ; 47, Levi Lincoln ; 48, Dr. Abraham Lincoln ; 49 and 50, Isaiah Thomas ; 52, C. and S. Chandler ; 53, Nathan Blackman ; 54, Ignatius Goulding ; 55, Isaiah Thomas ; 56, Joseph Allen; 57, C. and S. Chandler ; 58, Joseph Allen ; 59, Levi Lincoln ; 60 and 61, Isaiah Thomas.
As many of the persons above named took each several pews, the numbers against their names would not be a true index of their respective seats, but it is known that Judge Edward Bangs, Isaiah Thomas, the senior Gov. Lincoln, Daniel Waldo, Senior, Stephen Salisbury, senior, and Timothy and Dr. Wm. Paine, oc- cupied pews on the south side of the broad or main aisle, in the order named, and Hon. Joseph Allen, Judge Nathaniel Paine, Capt. John Stanton, Capt. John and Lewis Barnard, and Major Jedediah Healey were on the opposite side of the central aisle. Samuel Allen, senior, Samuel Braser, Lemuel Rice and Nathan Heard had wall pews on the south aisle, and Dr. Abra- ham Lincoln, Dr. John Green, senior, Maj. Ephraim Mower, Elias Mann and John Walker had pews on the north aisle. Dea. Wm. Trowbridge's pew was next to the stairs on the north side of the pulpit, and Benjamin Thaxter's the second from the pulpit on the south side. The first deacons, Samuel Bridge, David Bigelow and Nathan Heard, had seats specially provided for the deacons directly in front of the pulpit. On the broad stair at the right of the pulpit, sat a Hessian, dressed in minis -
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terial attire, named Michael Heinrich Braatz, one of the earliest members of the church, who waited upon the pastor when oc- casion required. A comparison of the names of these pew- owners with those previously connected with the first parish church, as seen on pages 116 and 117, and the accompanying plan certified to by the then Town Clerk, Judge John Chandler, indicates how large a proportion of the prominent members of the old church seceded to form the second parish.
THE SECOND MEETING HOUSE.
The old structure well answered its purpose for thirty-seven years, until 1828, when a new and more commodious house was erected on the site of the present one. The first movement in this direction was at a parish meeting held Nov. 27, 1827, Dea. Benjamin Butman, moderator, when it was voted "ex- pedient to contract for a new and more commodious house of worship, on a new lot on Main street, between the Court House on the north and the house of Nathaniel Maccarty [where Brin- ley Block now stands] on the south, the outside walls to be of brick, the whole cost to be not over $15,000;" and the follow- ing persons were appointed a committee to carry this vote into effect, by contracting for the erection of the new structure, and superintending its construction : Frederick Wm. Paine, George T. Rice, Capt. Lewis Barnard, senior, Dea. Alpheus Merrifield, Maj. Rejoice Newton, Col. Pliny Merrick and Col. Samuel Ward.
The committee purchased for this purpose a lot of land of Isaiah Thomas for $4,000, where the present church stands, on which then stood the dwelling house now in the rear of it, where Dea. John P. Kettell and Calvin Foster, senior, had previously resided. The dwelling house was removed back, ground immediately broken for the foundation of the new structure, and the corner stone was laid Aug. 11, 1828, when an address was delivered by Rev. Alonzo Hill, and religious ex- ercises were conducted by Rev. Dr. Bancroft.
At a parish meeting held June 29, 1829, Col. Pliny Merrick, moderator, the committee chosen at a former meeting, consisting of Gov. Levi Lincoln, Dea. Benj. Butman, Samuel M. Burnside,
18
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Reminiscences of Worcester.
Hon. Charles Allen and Wm. Eaton, to consider what was nec- essary to be done for the opening of the new house, made their report, stating that it would be ready for occupancy about Aug. 20, 1829, and on their recommendation, Hon. John Da- vis, Walter Bigelow, Samuel Hathaway, Lewis Barnard, Wm. Eaton, Benjamin Butman and John P. Kettell were chosen a committee to make appraisals of the pews, and make arrange- ments for the dedicatory exercises, in conjunction with the senior and junior pastors.
This building was 68 feet front by 75 feet deep, and the walls 31 feet high, surmounted with a cupola and tower 125 feet from the ground. There were galleries on three sides, and the floor was divided into 104 pews, arranged somewhat similar to the former house, with the exception that there was an addi- tional tier of pews from both the north and south aisles, making six tiers of pews entered from the middle, north and south aisles, and there were eight pews on each side of the pulpit en- tered from the aisle running north and south in front of the pulpit. The highest appraised value of any pews was $300 each, and the lowest $80, the highest premium paid for any pew being $54. The amount raised from the sale of all of them, was $16,000, sufficient to pay for the building of the church, and the land. Of this sum, $6330 was raised from the sale of the twenty-seven middle or broad aisle pews. .
The contractors and builders of the church were Elias Car- ter, carpenter, and Col. Peter Kendall, mason. At the dedica- tion, Aug. 20, 1829, the exercises, beginning at 11 o'clock A. M., were as follows: Introductory prayer by Rev. Joseph Al- len, D. D., of Northborough ; consecrating prayer by Rev. Alonzo Hill, colleague pastor; sermon by the senior pas- tor, Rev. Aaron Bancroft, D. D. ; singing of a hymn, written for the occasion by the senior pastor; concluding prayer by Rev. Nathaniel Thayer, D. D., of Lancaster. The music, in- cluding anthems at the opening and close, was under the direc- tion of Emory Perry. Of the sixty-three original members of the society, only eight were living at the time of the dedication of this second meeting house.
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Reminiscences of Worcester.
This edifice was unfortunately burned on the night of Friday, Aug. 24. 1849, but most of the organ, pulpit and furniture were saved, having been removed, as the building was undergoing re- pairs.
At an informal parish meeting held in Brinley Hall, Aug. 27, following the fire, to take action concerning the matter, Gov. Levi Lincoln was chosen moderator, and a committee consisting of the following fifteen gentlemen, was appointed to take the subject under consideration, and report at a legal meeting what course to pursue to replace the structure burned : Hon. Levi Lincoln, Hon. Charles Allen, Elbridge Boyden, Wm. M. Bickford, Thomas Kinnicutt, Stephen Salisbury, Jas. Shepherd, John P. Kettell, Charles W. Hartshorn, Geo. T. Rice, Walter Bigelow, Jr., John W. Lincoln, Silas Dinsmore, Fitzroy Wil- lard, Danforth B. Comins.
Several of the other churches offered the use of their respec- tive houses of worship, but Brinley Hall was hired for a while, and then Flagg's Hall was used until the new house was built, the seats in which were arranged as near as possible to the posi- tions occupied in the meeting house, by a committee chosen for the purpose, consisting of John P. Kettell, Charles A. Hamil- ton, Geo. W. Wheeler, George B. Coleman, and Walter Bige- low, Jr.
THE THIRD AND PRESENT HOUSE OF WORSHIP.
At a parish meeting held Nov. 9, 1849, the committee of fif- teen formerly appointed, made their report, recommending the erection of a new structure, according to plans of Sidney M. Stone, architect, of New Haven, which with some modification was adopted, and the structure, (the present elegant and capa- cious, one of that society, ) was erected under the direction of the following fifteen gentlemen as building committee : Ex- Gov. Levi Lincoln, chairman ; Judge Charles Allen, Judge Thomas Kinnicutt, Hon. Stephen Salisbury, George T. Rice, James Shepherd, John P. Kettell, Charles W. Hartshorn, Francis HI. Kinnicutt, Walter Bigelow, Jr., Wm. A. Wheeler, Fitzroy Willard, Alphous Merrifield, John Hammond, and Re- joice Newton. Of the above fifteen gentlemen, four only now survive, after a lapse of a little over a quarter of a century.
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Reminiscences of Worcester.
The new edifice, of chaste and beautiful Corinthian design in its architecture, is of brick, covered with mastic representing squares, and cost a little over $25,000, which sum was raised by the sale of pews at the opening. Of this expenditure, $426 was for the bell weighing 2908 pounds, made by Holbrook & Ware of Medway, in addition to the $348 allowed for the old met- al in the bell burned ; and $825 for repairing the organ which originally cost $2000. The building is about 95 feet front by 100 feet deep, exclusive of the 43 feet added the following year to the rear, for a vestry, &c. The principal builder was Joel Wilder, mason.
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