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 15
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3, Clara Alice Jones, born Aug. 21, 1858, now Sophomore in Wellesley College, where she has been nearly two years.
7. Rev. Lemuel Moss, D. D., the seventh pastor, was born in Boone County, Kentucky, Dec. 27, 1829 ; worked nine years at the printing business in Cincinnati, Ohio; graduated at Rochester University, New York, in 1858, and at the Theolog- ical Seminary there in 1860 ; and was ordained at Worcester, Aug. 30, 1860, with the following exercises : reading of Scrip- tures by Rev. J. D. E. Jones of Worcester ; introductory prayer by Rev. Jonathan Aldrich of Worcester ; sermon by Rev. J. R. Scott of Yonkers, N. Y. ; ordaining prayer by Rev. Dr. R. E. Pattison of Worcester ; charge to the pastor by Rev. Dr. E. G. Robinson, then of Rochester Theological Seminary, now president of Brown University ; right hand of fellowship by Rev. H. L. Wayland of the Main street Baptist Church, Wor- cester ; charge to the church by Rev. Dr. Wm. F. Warren of Boston ; closing prayer by Rev. Dr. Abial Fisher of Belling- ham.
Dr. Moss resigned his pastorate in September, 1864, to enter the service of the United States Christian Commission, as one of its Secretaries, and after the war was successively editor of the American Baptist at Philadelphia ; professor in the Univer- sity of Lewisburg, and Theological Seminary at Chester, Penn. ; president of the University of Chicago, Ill. ; and is now pre- sident of Franklin College, Indiana.
Dr. Moss married, December, 1851, Harrict Brigham.
It was during the pastorate of Dr. Moss, that the interesting semi-centennial exercises took place Dec. 9, 1862, in celebra- tion of the fiftieth anniversary of the constitution of this church, on which occasion an able and interesting historical address was delivered by Hon. Isaac Davis, with other appropriate exercises.
8. Rev. Hiram K. Pervear, the eighth pastor, was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, graduated at Brown University, and Newton Theological Seminary ; and was first settled in East Cambridge. He began his pastorate in Worcester the first Sunday in May, 1865, and left in January, 1873, to become pastor of the church in Cambridgeport, where he has since re_ mained.
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9. Rev. Benjamin DeForest Marshall, D. D., the ninth and present pastor, was born in North Egremont, son of Rev. Enos and Helen DeForest Marshall, now of Clarksburg, Munroe Co., N. Y. He graduated at Rochester University in 1852, and at Rochester Theological Seminary in 1855; was settled four years at Lockport, and thirteen years at Buffalo, N. Y. ; and began his pastorate at Worcester the first Sunday in April, 1873, when he preached his introductory discourse from Eph. 4 : 11, 12. The public installation exercises in recognition of the commencement of his pastorate here, and of Rev. F. W. Bakeman as pastor of the Main street Baptist, which took place at the same time, May 16, 1873, were as follows: Reading of Scriptures by Rev. C. V. Hanson of Peabody ; prayer by Rev. Dr. George H. Gould of the Piedmont Congregational Church ; sermon by Rev. Dr. Heman Lincoln of Newton, from John 12 : 3 ; prayer of installation by Rev. S. H. Stackpole of Westboro' ; charge to the pastors by Rev. Dr. S. B. Grant of Fitchburg ; right hand of fellowship by Rev. I. R. Wheelock of Pleasant street Baptist Church ; charge to the churches by Rev. George B. Gow of Worcester.
Dr. Marshall received the degree of D. D. from Rochester University. He married in 1856, at Lockport, N. Y., Cather- ine R. Woods, daughter of Judge Jonathan L. and Cornelia (Dayton) Woods, and they have had four children, as follows, the two oldest being members of the June (1877,) graduating class of the Worcester High School: 1, Cornelia D. ; 2, John Murray ; 3, Helen D., now member of the Walnut street Gram- mar School ; 4, Ernest W.
Dr. Marshall, now in his fifth year of service here, has of- ficiated with great acceptance. Besides his pulpit and pastoral labors, he has given several series of Sunday evening discourses on moral and practical topics, suggested by the reformatory movements of the day, in which he has taken a prominent part.
The annual salaries of the nine pastors of this church have averaged as follows, from the beginning: 1, Wm. Bentley, 1812 to 1815, $300; 2, Jonathan Going, 1815 to 1832, $400 ; 3, F. A. Willard, 1832 to 1835, $500; 4, Jonathan Aldrich, 1835 to 1838, $700 ; 5, S. B. Swaim, 1839 to 1854, $900; 6,
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J. D. E. Jones, 1855 to 1859, $1200 ; 7, Lemuel Moss, 1860 to 1864, $1400 ; 8, H. K. Pervear, 1865 to 1873, about $2000 ; 9, Rev. Dr. Marshall from 1873, $3000.
Among the early members of this church, whom it has instructed and sent forth to the world, are many distinguished preachers of the gospel, doctors of divinity, and presidents of colleges, including Rev. Abisha Sampson, afterwards minister at Harvard ; his son, Rev. George W. Sampson, D. D., for many years past president of Columbia College, Washington, D. C. ; Rev. Silas Bailey, D. D., successively president of Granville Ohio, and of Franklin College, Indiana ; Rev. Robert E. Patti- son, D. D., president successively of Waterville College, and of the Theological Seminaries at Covington, Ky., and Newton, Mass. ; Rev. Prof. Samuel S. Green of Brown University ; and Rev. Gustavus F. Davis, D. D., who died at Hartford in 1836 ; besides a host of others, distinguished in educational as well as religious enterprises in home and foreign fields.
THE DEACONS.
The deacons of this church have been, from the beginning : James Wilson, 21 years from 1812 to 1833; Nathaniel Stow- ell, 38 years from 1822 to his death, April 28, 1860, aged 90 ; Daniel Goddard, 20 years from 1822 to 1842, when he became united with the Pleasant Street Baptist Church, where he of- ficiated as deacon thirty years till 1873, making fifty years in all; Zebina E. Berry, 12 years from 1836 to 1848; Joseph Converse, 5 years from 1844 to his death, April 6, 1849 ; George W. Rugg, 28 years from 1848 to his death in 1876; Enoch Hall, 8 years from 1848 to 1856; Rhodes B. Chap- man and Amos Lyon, each for a brief period, the latter in 1855-56 ; Henry B. Hakes and Samuel Warren from 1868 to 1873. The present deacons are : Nathaniel G. Whitney, chosen in 1868 ; Simeon N. Story and Moses S. Johnson, chosen in 1873, and George W. Huse in 1876.
THE CLERKS.
The clerks of the church, since the time of Elder Going, who kept the records during most of his pastorate, have been :
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Benjamin Flagg, Joel Marble, R. B. Chapman, Charles War- ren, George A. Willard, and Charles H. Hill, from 1830 to 1842 ; Horace Ayres, 15 years to 1857 ; succeeded by Joua- than Luther, and Benjamin S. Luther to 1864, and Charles F. Rugg to the present time.
The society clerks since 1853 have been : Simeon N. Story, Benjamin Goddard, George H. Rice and John Q. Adams.
THE MUSIC.
The music at this church, for a long time before the first organ was put in, was led by the venerable Benjamin Flagg, with his well remembered bass viol, and his brother John on the tenor viol. For a year before the first organ was put in, and seven years afterwards, Wm. Sumner was conductor and organist, and the late Osgood Collester succeeded him for sev- eral years. There was then congregational singing, led by F. H. Knight and others, till the new organ was put in, in 1868, from which time A. L. Barr, Henry S. Rice and J. D. Moore were successively organists, till the present year, C. P. Morrison being now organist and conductor.
OTHER CHURCHES.
In the course of the sixty-five years from 1812 to 1877, the number of churches in Worcester has increased from three to thirty-three, divided among the different denominations as fol- lows, a more particular account of each and of their places of worship, being deferred till another time :
TRINITARIAN CONGREGATIONAL-Eight Churches : 1st, (Old South,) organ- ized in 1716 ; 2d, Calvinist (Central), organized August 17, 1820, the suc- cessive pastors being Revs. Loammi Ives Hoadley to 1830, David Peabody to 1835, John S. C. Abbott to 1838, and Dr. Seth Sweetser, 39 years to the present time, Rev. Horace E. Barnes serving as colleague for one year from November, 1875 ; 3d, the Union Church, organized February 3, 1836, the successive pastors being Rev. Jonathan E. Woodbridge to 1838, Dr. Elam Smalley to 1854, and Dr. Ebenezer Cutler, 22 years to the pres- ent time ; 4th, Salem street Church, organized June 14, 1848, the suc- cessive pastors being Revs. George Bushnell to 1858, Merrill Richardson to 1871, and Charles M. Lamson, six years to the present time ; 5th, Plymouth Church, organized July 7, 1869, their first pastor, Rev. George Whitefield
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Phillips, being now in his seventh year of service ; 6th, Piedmont Church, organized Sept. 18, 1872, Rev. Dr. George H. Gould, pastor ; 7th, Tabernacle Church, organized April 15, 1874, Rev. Wm. M. Parry, pastor ; 8th, Sum- mer street Mission, first organized as a church Jan. 22, 1865, with Rev. Wm. T. Sleeper now pastor, but there has been regular preaching there for twenty-two years by him, Rev. Samuel Souther, and Rev. Henry T. Cheever and Rev. C, M. Whitney.
UNITARIAN CONGREGATIONAL-Two Churches : Ist, organized December 1, 1785 ; 2d, Church of the Unity, organized Jan. 31, 1846, the successive pas- tors being Revs. Edward E. Hale to 1856, Rush R. Shippen to 1871, and Henry Blanchard, the latter settled May 4, 1873.
BAPTIST-Four Churches : 1st, organized Dec. 9, 1812; 2d, Pleasant street, organized Dec. 28, 1841, the successive pastors being Revs. John Jen- nings, Charles K. Colver, D. W. Faunce, J. J. Tucker, David Weston, I. R. Wheelock and S. L. Holman ; 3d, Main street, organized July, 1853, the successive pastors being Revs. H. L. Wayland, Dr. Joseph Banvard, George B. Gow and F. W. Bakeman ; 4th, Dewey street Chapel, organized in 1872, the successive pastors being Revs. L. M. Sargent and D. F. Lamson, the latter since 1873.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL-Seven Churches, (including Zion and Bethel, color- ed) : 1st, Trinity, (formerly Park street), organized Feb. 18, 1834, the suc- cessive pastors being Revs. Joseph A. Merrill, George Pickering, John T. Burrill, James Porter, Jotham Horton, Moses L. Scudder, Miner Raymond, Charles K. True, Amos Binney, Jonathan D. Bridge, Loranus Crowell, N. E. Cobleigh, Z. A. Mudge, D. E. Chapin, F. H. Newhall, Chester Field, J. H. Twombly, J. W. Dadman, D. E. Chapin, J. H. Mansfield, C. N. Smith, W. F. Mallalieu, Ira G. Bidwell, V. A. Cooper, A. B. Kendig ; 2d, Laurel street, organized July 20, 1845, the successive pastors being Revs. Richard S. Rust, J. W. Mowry, George Dunbar, F. A. Griswold, C. L. Eastman, Wm. Mann, D. H. Higgins, J. W. Lewis, J. W. Mowry, H. W. Warren, Ichabod Marcy, Samuel Kelley, J. C. Cromack, Jefferson Hascall, T. W. Lewis, Samuel Kelley, A. Carroll, Wm. Pentecost, H. D. Weston, and Wm. Pentecost, the latter being now in his eighth year of service in Worcester ; 3d, Zion's Church, organized in 1846, their successive pastors being Revs. Alexander Posey, J. N. Mars, R. R. Morris, Peter Ross, Joseph Hicks, Joseph G. Smith, Thomas A. Davis, Allen Walker, Peter Ross and J. Wesley Brown ; 4th, Webster Square, organized in April, 1860, their successive pas- tors being Revs. Daniel Dorchester, Wm. Gordon, Wm. Pentecost, E. W. Virgin, Pliny Wood, C. H. Hanaford, R. C. Parsons, E. A. Titus and V. M. Simons ; 5th, Bethel, organized in 1867, the successive pastors being Revs. P. L. Sanford, E. T. Williams and J. B. Hill ; 6th, Grace Church, organized May 5, 1867, the successive pastors being Revs. J. O. Peck, A. Mckeown, J. O. Knowles, C. D. Hills and George S. Chadbourne : 7th, Coral street, organized in 1872, the successive pastors being Revs. E. S. Chase and H. D. Weston.
ROMAN CATHOLIC-Five Churches : 1st, St. John's, organized in 1834 un- der Rev. James Fitton, succeeded by Revs. A. Williamson, M. W. Gibson, J. A. McAvoy, John Boyce, P. T. O'Reilly, Thomas Griffin and Thomas J. Conaty, the two latter having officiated as chief and assistant since Rev. Mr. O'Reilly was chosen bishop ; 2d, St. Anne's Church, organized in 1855, the successive pastors being Revs. John J. Power, Wm. A. Power and Dennis Scannell ; 3d, St. Paul's, organized in 1869, pastor, Rev. J. J. Power, assist- ant, Rev. Daniel HI. O'Neil ; 4th, Notre Dame des Canadiens, organized in 1869, Rev. J. B. Primeau, pastor ; 5th, Church of the Immaculate Concep- tion, organized 1874, pastor, Rev. Robert Walsh.
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PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL-Two Churches : 1st, All Saints', first meeting held Dec. 13, 1835, by Rev. Dr. Thomas H. Vaill, the succeeding pastors be- ing Revs. F. C. Putnam, Dr. George T. Chapman, George H. Clark, Nathan- iel T. Bent, A. M. Morrison, Dr. Wm. H. Brooks, A. C. Patterson, E. W. Hagar, and Dr. Wm. R. Huntington, the latter being now in his sixteenth year of service ; 2d, St. Matthew's Chapel, organized in 1871, the successive pastors being Revs. Henry Mckay and Amos Skeele.
Other denominations have one church each, as follows :
UNIVERSALIST,-Society formed June 3, 1841. Church organized Nov. 21, 1843, the successive pastors being Revs. S. P. Landers to 1844, Albert Case to 1849, O. H. Tillotson to 1852, J. G. Adams to 1860, L. M. Burrington to 1862, T. E. St. John to 1866, B. F. Bowles to 1868, T. E. St. John to the present time, the latter being now in his thirteenth year of service.
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS-began holding meetings in 1837, and built their meeting-house in 1846.
SECOND ADVENT-began holding meetings in 1840, church organized in 1850; the successive pastors being Elders George W. Needham, John S. White, D. T. Taylor, Geo. W. Burnham, Albion Ross, and S. G. Matthew- son.
DISCIPLES OF CHRIST-organized in 1860, by Elders W. A. S. Smyth and P. Blaisdell, and the pastors have been Revs. Alanson Wilcox, J. M. Atwa- ter and Wm. Rowsee.
NEW JERUSALEM-organized in 1874, Walter Gates, leader.
THE NORTH END BAPTIST MISSION-established by representatives of the different Baptist churches in the city, as the nucleus of a new Baptist church in that section, began holding regular religious services Aug. 1, 1875, in Bang's Block, opposite the Court House, conducted by Rev. S. L. Holman and others.
FREE CHURCH-Organized in 1852; Rev. T. W. Higginson was pastor for about six years, and was succeeded by Rev. D. A. Wasson who officiated several months, and subsequently the society became merged into a spirit- ualist organization, and they have continued to hold public meetings and seances to the present time.
Besides the above there have been regular services by differ- ent resident clergymen of the city at the State Lunatic Hospital and Jail chapels.
WORCESTER HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING, 1971.
03
SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL HOUSES.
CHAPTER XI.
THE FIRST SCHOOLS.
The earliest practical action taken by the founders of the town toward the establishment of common schools, was April 4, 1726, when Maj. Jonas Rice, the first permanent settler, was appointed the first school-teacher, he being engaged by the selectmen of that year, Dea. Nathaniel Moore, Dea. Daniel Heywood, James Taylor, Moses Leonard, and Benjamin Flagg, Jr., " to teach children and youth to read and write as ye law directs, until ye fifteenth day of December ensuing." May 25, 1727, James Holden, Moses Leonard, Henry Lee, John Hub- bard, and John Stearns were chosen a " committee to provide a school-master for one year," they being the first school com- mittee appointed by the town, the duties entrusted to them be- ing in those days often performed by the selectmen. Jan. 15, 1728, the sum of £16. 10s. was voted for the support of schools, a portion of this sum being for the payment of a fine imposed on " presentment" by the grand jury for not complying with the law previous year. May 23, 1728, Benjamin Flagg, Jr., . Palmer Goulding and Daniel Hubbard were chosen a commit- tee to " provide a school-master for the year ensuing." March 31, 1729, the selectmen, that day chosen, Dea. Nathaniel Moore, Judge William Jennison, James Holden, Dea. Daniel Hey- wood and Zephaniah Rice, were instructed to provide a school- master, and in May, engaged Benjamin Flagg, Jr., to act in that capacity till December 15, following. The latter year, £14
22
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were raised for the support of schools, including allowance for previous arrearages.
April 13, 1731, five school districts were formed, one in the centre and four others in the north, south, east, and west divisions of the territory, and the selectmen were in- structed to "procure a suitable number of young dames, not exceeding five for the teaching of small children." In 1732, Richard Rogers was engaged, and taught eight years, holding his schools at different dwellings in circuit around the town, £50 a year being voted to him for his services, which began September 1, Maj. Jonas Rice officiating again in that capacity for four months from May 1, 1732, until Mr. Rogers took hold.
May 25, 1733, the first action was taken toward the erection of a school-house ; it was then voted that " a school-house be built in the centre of the south half," [Holden was then the north half or precinct, and Worcester proper the south half of the original township,] and " that Col. John Chandler, Jr., be the surveyor to find the centre of said south half, and Lieut. Henry Lee, Maj. Jonas Rice and James Moore be a committee to assist him." It was also " voted, that said house be 24 feet long, 16 feet wide and 7 feet stud, to be completely finished with good chimney glass, at the discretion of a committee to be appointed, and that Maj. Daniel Heywood, Benjamin Flagg and Ebenezer Stearns be a committee to see the house erected, as they shall think most to the advantage of the town, and that they provide suitable tables and benches for ye scholars."
The ample period of five years was occupied in considering this matter before further action, as it appears by the record, that at a town meeting held May 15, 1738," John Chandler, Jr., Esq., surveyor, and ye committee appointed to find where the centre line will strike the country road in order to build a school- house there or as near as may be [to such a point] in some suitable place, reported, and the town voted : That ye commit- tee formerly appointed (or those of them that still live in the town) erect and build a school-house at or near the north-west corner of the estate of John Chandler, Jr., Esq., where he now dwells, and as his fence now stands, and that the charge there- for be paid out of the surplus money now in the hands of the
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Treasurer." This location was changed by vote, three weeks later, to a spot described "between the Court House and bridge below the fulling mill," indicating a point near the mid- dle of Lincoln Square, nearly in front of the present Antiqua- rian Hall, where the house was accordingly built, and the old structure remained there till toward the close of the century. The John Chandler, Jr., surveyor, here referred to, was the son of the first Judge, who soon after that succeeded himself to the judicial functions, his residence and homestead estate compris- ing the five hundred acres east and south-east of Lincoln Square, which so long remained in the family, the old dwelling house on which occupied the site of the present residence of Hon. Edward Earle.
One of the first teachers in this first school-house was Rev. William Jennison, nephew of Judge Jennison, and great-grand- father of the late Samuel and William Jennison of Worcester.
In 1740, the sum of £100 was appropriated for the support of the schools, one-half of it for the centre district, on condition that a Grammar School be sustained in the latter to " save the town from presentment," and a writing master be employed for the year in the circuit of the outer districts. But the full re- quirements of the law in regard to maintaining a Grammar School do not seem to have been carried into effect until 1752, when the first Grammar or High School, for instruction in the languages, was established, a building for that special purpose being afterwards erected on the east side of Main street, near the north corner of Mechanic street .* It was an humble one story structure, afterwards converted into a dwelling by Thomas Johnson. After the revolution, a more commodious structure for the purpose was erected on the west side of Main street, afterwards known as the Centre School House.
* It is a matter of uncertainty at what precise time this building was put up. Previous to its being erected, of course the Grammar School then estab- lished must have been kept in the old school-house " between the Court House and bridge" at Lincoln Square, and John Adams must have officiated there, instead of in the building erected, specially for the Grammar School, (as stated on page 91,) provided the latter structure was not erected till after he taught here. Judging from his description of his school, during his first year at least, it must have included the elementary as well as higher branches of instruction.
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At the annual March meeting in 1742, it was voted that nine months of the schooling be divided among the four quarters of the town, described as Dr. Moore's, Thomas Parker's, Henry Lee's, and Elisha Smith's, the other three months in the school- house then just built at the centre.
At the annual meeting in 1749, the committee appointed to fix places for erecting school-houses in the four outer quarters of the town, made a report, which was accepted, locating them as follows : East quarter, between Capt. (afterwards Col.) Ben- jamin Flagg's and Matthias Stearns, (probably near what was afterwards known as Gates' school-house) ; west quarter, "ye crotch of the path between Nathaniel Moore, Jr., and Wm. Elder's," probably not far from Qunsigamond Village, or the district afterwards known as Pakachoag ; north quarter, " near Lieut. Fisk's," taking in what was afterwards known as Adams Square, etc.
The number and location of the seven districts in 1760, when the total appropriation for schools was £80, were as follows, with the proportion allowed to each: Centre, £36. 8s. 4d. ; Tatnuck, £9. 16s. 11d .; Smith quarter, £7. 5s .; Curtis', at North-cast, £5. 7s. ; Harrington's, £6. 14s. ; Pakachoag, £9; Stone's, £5. 8s. 9d.
In 1769 the total appropriation of £78. 17s. was divided among the eight districts as follows: Centre, £19; Tatnuck, £10. 10s .; Smith quarter, £9. 8s .; Pakachoag, £8. 8s .; Stone's quarter, £8. 5s .; Stowell's, (Sagatabscot Hill) ; £8. 3s .; Capt. Curtis', £7. 11s. ; Capt. Flagg's, (corner of Planta- tion street and Bloomingdale road,) £7. 11s.
At the March meeting in 1774, £100 were appropriated for schools, and Hon. Timothy Paine chosen to provide for the Grammar (high) school-master, and the following gentlemen for the English schools in their respective divisions: William Young, Daniel Bigelow, William Gates, David Bancroft, Jona- than Stone, David Chadwick and Joseph Barber.
The vote by which the first Grammar School was established in 1752, required the inhabitants of the centre district, extend- ing one mile and a half around the centre, to keep a Grammar School the whole year. The deficiency of the public grants for
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instruction therein was made up by subscription among the leading citizens of the town who had been instrumental in starting the enterprise, foremost among whom were Attorney General James Putnam, Judge John Chandler, and his brother the sheriff. The establishment of this institution was probably the nucleus of what was afterwards known as the Centre District School System, which accomplished so much for public instruction in Worcester fifty and seventy-five years ago, and earlier, under the lead of the Lincolns, Allens, Dr. Dix, Dr. Green, Dr. Ban- croft, Dr. Going, Theophilus Wheeler, Benjamin Chapin, Sam- uel Jennison, Frederick W. Paine, S. M. Burnside and others.
PRESIDENT JOHN ADAMS AS A WORCESTER SCHOOL MASTER.
In this connection a few reminiscences concerning the time when John Adams, afterwards president of the United States, taught the Latin Grammar School in Worcester, between 1755 and 1758, may be interesting. It is remarkable that the first entry upon his diary which he so long kept, through so many public vicissitudes in a life-time extending to nearly ninety years, was made in Worcester, Nov. 18, 1755, some three months after he had begun his school here, and is in these words :
" In the public exercises of commencement I was somewhat remarked as a respondent, and the Rev. Mr. Maccarty of Worcester, who was empowered by the Selectmen of that town to procure them a Latin master for the Gram- mar School, engaged me to undertake it. About three weeks after com- mencement in 1755, when not twenty years of age, a horse was sent from Worcester, and a man to attend me. We made the journey (from Braintree to Worcester) sixty miles, in one day, and I entered on my office. For three months I boarded with one Greene, at the expense of the town, and by the agreement of the Selectmen. Here I found Morgan's Moral Philosophy, which I found had circulated with some freedom in that town, and that the principles of Deism had made considerable progress among persons in that and other towns in the county."
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