USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Great Barrington > St. James' Parish, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, 1762-1962 > Part 6
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The old church, which was much out of repair and inconveniently situated at the south of the village, has been taken down and a new, neat and commodious stone edifice erected in the center of the village on an eligible site" given by Mr. Silas Sprague, to whose munificence and untiring perseverance we are principally indebted, under Providence, for this great acquisition to our parish. It is now just finished and
ready for consecration . The people have also furnished a good bell of ample size, which is esteemed as very convenient. And we are
"What is now the northeast corner of Main and Railroad streets, where the Robbins block now stands.
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pleased to observe that there appears to be a good spirit of zeal and perseverance, and love for the Church stirring amongst us generally; but more especially manifest in the industry of the Ladies' Charitable Sewing Society in doing much for the poor and distressed, and in furnishing by their funds, trimmings for the Orchestra, Chancel, Desk - and Pulpit of the new Church.
The new edifice was consecrated by Alexander Viets Griswold, Bishop of the Eastern Diocese, on June 23, 1835, when he also adminis- tered confirmation.
This, the second building to house St. James' Church, was used until 1858, when the third - and present - edifice was occupied. Sold and divested of its tower and pillars, it was used for business until it burned down in the great Railroad Street fire of October 12, 1896, which raged for six hours and destroyed twenty-two business buildings.
During the construction of the new church the parish had no place of worship in the lower precinct inasmuch as the old church had been de- molished for the useful building materials it contained. In this interval Gilbert held services at the Congregational meeting house, the Chapel at Van Deusenville, and in the Green River, Three Mile Hill, Muddy Brook. Bung Hill and Center Schools and at Bloomer's Furnace.
Gilbert was very active, also, in exchanging with his confreres in the area, preaching at Lenox, Stockbridge, West Stockbridge, Pittsfield, Sharon and Hitchcockville. On one of these occasions he baptised the infant daughter of the Rev. Samuel P. Parker of Stockbridge.
Twice in the history of St. James' Church there has occurred the ordination of a priest; and the new "Stone Church" as it was called, was the scene of the ordination on July 5, 1838, of Ethan Allen of Otis. by Bishop Griswold, who also confirmed several people at that service.
III
Fiscal stringencies again plagued the Society, for the site of the first church had not been sold as late as 1836, and it was found that there existed a deficiency of $600 in the building fund. Circulation of another subscription list brought in pledges from 44 members totalling $476. In 1838 it was noted that Gilbert was "in needy and somewhat em- barrassed circumstances" since of $500 owing him, only $390 had been paid; however, he agreed to try to get by on whatever the Society could raise for his support.
It was at this time he availed himself of the schoolhouse which Timothy Wainwright had built ten years earlier for the clergymen of the parish, and opened a school. The only description we have of that school is an advertisement appearing in the Christian Witness.
BOARDING SCHOOL
Parsonage House, Great Barrington. The subscribers desire to give notice that they will take into their family 20 Young Ladies to board & instruct in the following branches, viz .: Needlework, Drawing and Painting, Latin, French, and Music. The situation is pleasant; and particular attention will be paid to the improvement of their manners and morals.
Reasonable terms made known on application to
Rev. Sturges Gilbert Mrs. M. C. Gilbert
Great Barrington. March 27, 1838.
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Taylor's History states that the school was "for both misses and boys" and that "it was sustained for several years". If so, it was carried on by his successor, for Gilbert sold his house and property for $1700 on No- vember 17, 1838, to Josiah W. Turner, pastor of the Congregational Church.
It seems probable that neither the school nor the extra preaching he did elsewhere sufficiently augmented his income and that Gilbert was driven to that action to discharge his debts. He had shown signs of discourage- ment as early as 1836, when he wrote to the Convention that
We have to lament that our standard of Christian morals and our temperature of zeal, is far below the Gospel, and we fear there is a great defect of personal piety and ardent religious affection. May God in mercy pour His benefits upon us and awaken us from the deadly torpor of insensibility.
Greener pastures beckoned; Gilbert gave up in 1839 and moved to Hobart, New York. He was succeeded by Samuel Hassard, who became Rector of St. James' on April 21. Lost to St. James' by its neglect of his temporal necessities, Gilbert was subsequently memorialized by a window in the third church (fourth from the chancel on the epistle side; there the date of his departure is given incorrectly).
Under the guidance of the new rector, Samuel Hassard, the affairs of the church improved to the extent that he was able, in his first annual report to the Convention, to write in the optimistic vein revealed in the following extract from the Diocesan Journal for 1839:
The Parish has two houses of worship; the church in the village of Great Barrington and the chapel at Van Deusenville, in the north part of the town. From the erection of the chapel in 1829 until the settle- ment of the present minister, the Rector officiated in each of these houses, on alternate Sundays. But at the time of the last Easter meet- ing it had come to be very generally felt that it was absolutely neces- sary that the church in the village of Great Barrington should be open every Sabbath. Accordingly, it was proposed at that meeting to see if the south part of the parish could raise enough money to have preaching in the church all the time, and to their surprise, they found that they could raise it easily. And the people in the North part of the parish have since ascertained that they can raise money enough to have preaching in the chapel half the time. This, then, is the present situation of our affairs. (The present Rector) has the pastoral care of the whole parish, but preaches only in the church, excepting when the Communion is to be administered at the chapel; and the Rev. Mr. Parker of Stock- bridge has consented, to (my) great satisfaction and (that) of all con- cerned, to officiate, for the present, every Sunday morning at the chapel. The good effect of having service regularly at the church is already in some degree apparent, particularly in the Sunday school, which is now twice as large as it was when it could meet only once a fortnight We have two schools; that at the church has 18 teachers and 90 scholars. The one at Van Deusenville, not yet fully organized for want of books, will probably number about 30 scholars.
The Ladies' Sewing Society has been revived (and) consists at present of 38 members.
However, the communicants of the Chapel were dissatisfied and in 1840 withdrew from St. James' Parish to form their own Trinity Episcopal Society. Hassard explained the situation in his 1840 report to the Con- vention:
Since the last report, the people worshipping in the chapel at Van Deusenville have separated from us and formed themselves into a new parish. This measure, which was contemplated more than a year ago,
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and deferred for a season by the Bishop's advice, will account for the large reduction in the number of our communicants. The separation took place mainly in consequence of a vote passed at the parish meet- ing, Easter, 1839, to have preaching at the church all the time. The people at Van Deusenville thought it altogether best that the chapel should be kept open and be occupied, and that they could act more freely and efficiently for this end as an independent body. A separa- tion accordingly took place, and there are now in the town of Great Barrington two parishes of the Episcopal Church: St. James' and Trinity.
Although the parent church had lost a considerable proportion of its membership to Trinity Parish, it gained by accession ten new com- municants in 1839 and forty in 1840, so that on the balance it continued to grow. We quote from Hassard again, concerning 1840:
The state of our parish, as to temporal things at least, is flourishing. More money was raised last Easter for the support of the Gospel than was realized in any previous year. Every pew in the church was rented at the same time. We have raised for religious and charitable purposes by contributions in the church, $75.65. The Ladies' Society has also raised, for the same purposes, $133.10. The industry, persever- ance and punctuality that have characterized all the proceedings of this society are in the highest degree creditable to its members and are hailed as happy omens for the future . .. The best feature in the parish as regards spiritual things, is the Sunday school. It is large and well supplied with competent and faithful teachers, and an excellent library. We are strong in the belief that the Lord will raise up out of it a generation to His praise.
But in 1842 some "pecuniary embarrassment" of the members of the parish resulted in a total lack of contributions to missions, and Hassard observed ruefully that
It must be confessed that there prevails extensively in the parish the opinion that charity begins at home and ends there. It is hoped that more correct and enlarged views may soon be entertained, and that the members of our church and congregation may be convinced that, he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
The importance of St. James' in the Diocese was such that on De- cember 12-14, 1843,
The Western Association held its quarterly meeting in this parish. The meeting was attended by Rev. Dr. Clark & Rev. Messrs. Ballard, Chapman, Lee, Baker & Rev. Mr. Scott of Connecticut. All the brethren preached and made addresses. A missionary meeting was held on the 14th when addresses were made, and a collection for missions in this state, amounting to twenty-one dollars & forty-eight cents. The exer- cises were throughout very interesting and well attended.
Pride in their resurgent church led 71 communicants in 1846 to contribute $332 toward the purchase of a new bell.
Some statistics derived from Hassard's records show that in those days of the infancy of modern medicine, life was hazardous indeed. Dur- ing the eight years of his Rectorate more than half of the 81 persons he buried were forty years of age or under, including 19 infants. But a quarter were over seventy years of age and one was 91 - the oldest man in town.
Hassard himself died in office at the age of 41 in January of 1847 and was buried locally. He was succeeded in April by Samuel Dexter Denison.
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Chapter 5
FURTHER GROWTH: THE THIRD CHURCH
U NDER the rectorship of Samuel Dexter Denison St. James' continued to grow spiritually and temporally, and he mentioned in his re- port for 1848 the need for expanded facilities to accommodate the growing number of communicants. For several years the subject was agitated and although a successor, John Woart, in 1853 stated that the ladies of the parish had raised $325 to aid in furnishing a new church, it was not until May 28, 1856, that a subscription list was circulated to solicit funds for the purpose. The success of this campaign, resulting in pledges totalling $8174 by 97 contributors - including Bishop Manton Eastburn - decided the issue and the decision to build a new church was made at the parish meeting of February 9, 1857. A building committee comprising Loring G. Robbins, Edward A. Hulbert, George R. Ives, Marcus A. Gilbert and Theodore Dewey was appointed to make all necessary arrangements for the erection of a new edifice. This committee reported on March 28, 1857, that it had secured and approved plans for the building, let the contract and obtained a new site.
In its report, the committee stated that J. Washburn, Springfield architect, had designed a stone church
50 by 90 feet with a projection of 12 feet in the rear for Chancel, Library and Robing Room. There is a tower in front 16 feet square. The walls of main building are 20 feet above the floor, of Chancel 25 feet, Library and Robing Room 11 feet and the tower 82 feet with suitable and appropriate buttresses, Pinnacles and other ornamental work. There are 106 slips in the building capable of seating about 530 persons. The interior is finished in a highly tasteful and appropriate manner and your committee would say that the plans so far as they know have given entire satisfaction to all who have examined them and when completed the Edifice must be one of the most beautiful and com- modious churches in Western Massachusetts.
The contract with Hanford N. Hayes, a Bridgeport builder, called for completion of the edifice by May 1, 1858, at a cost of about $15,000. For a site, the property known as the "Rose Cottage Seminary"" on the west side of Main Street. comprising land occupied by the house and orchard of Mrs. John Whiting, was purchased by five men of the congre- gation: Loring G. Robbins, Benjamin F. Durant, Constant Southworth, Lorenzo H. Rice and Edward A. Hulbert; and transferred to the parish in exchange for the old church, valued at $4000, and a cash legacy of $1000 received in 1856 from the estate of Dr. Elias R. Hollenbeck. The organ, bell, carpets and cushions in the old church were exempted and later in- corporated into the new. Until the new edifice was ready for occupancy, the parish rented the old church from its new owners.
*A young ladies' boarding school occupying the former law office of William Cullen Bryant. conducted by the Misses Sarah, Mary and Nancy Kellogg until about 1853.
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Construction of the third - and present - church edifice was begun immediately and on May 23, 1857, the cornerstone was laid with Masonic ceremonies conducted by the incumbent rector, G. Lewis Platt. The event was described in the Berkshire Courier of May 28 in the following terms:
THE CORNER STONE
of the new St. James' Church now being erected on the most beautiful site in our village, was laid with appropriate services on Sunday after- noon last, it having been postponed in consequence of the storm. On the present occasion the weather was delightfully pleasant, the religious performances were solemn and impressive and had a cheering and animating effect. We feel that the influences of this occasion were eminently good, and that the noble edifice as it arises in grandeur and beauty will inaugurate a new era in our village history, the happy results of which we trust will extend to coming generations.
A procession moved from the parsonage adjoining the church grounds, repeating the 122nd Psalm. The Corner Stone was laid by the Rev. G. Lewis Platt, rector. Addresses were made by the Rev. J. A. Penniman of Stockbridge and by the rector. The Rev. S. P. Parker, late of Staten Island, assisted in devotional services. A Bible, a Prayer Book, a "Walk about Zion," "The Gospel," a sermon by Bishop Eastburn, "Life Work," and a "Pastoral Letter" by the rector, Journal of last Diocesan Conven- tion, a church Almanac, a list of the rectors, Officers of the church, and the names of the building committee, contractor and master builders, together with several church and secular papers were deposited in the cornerstone. .
The blue dolomitic limestone used in construction of the church was quarried and donated by John N. Robbins; and furnishings were given as follows:
Bible and Prayer Books by Clark W. Bryan
Marble Font and Communion Service by Mrs. Judith Stantenburgh Bigelow
Bishop's Chair and gas fixtures for Chancel, Desk and Pulpit by Artemas Bigelow
Chancel Chairs by Miss Cornelia Crossman
Chancel window of stained glass with device of a descending dove by George R. Ives
Cushions and Carpets by the Ladies' Society
The new building was formally occupied during a Society meeting held July 3, 1858. The meeting convened at the old church to consider the resignation of Lewis Platt, which he had earlier submitted, and to de- cide that contingent expenses be defrayed by sale of slips in the new church. The meeting thereupon adjourned to the new building two blocks down the street, where its business was concluded. The first service in the new church was held July 6, 1858.
The Society was justly proud of its successful effort and on March 7, 1859, upon the occasion of its first annual meeting within the new structure, the Vestry, comprising Theodore Dewey, Samuel B. Sumner, John N. Robbins and John Burget, rendered a report which said in part:
We congratulate the Society on its first Annual Meeting held within the walls of this new and beautiful edifice. This church has been for years the ardent and earnest desire of many of its most influential mem- bers. To realize their hopes and to accomplish their cherished object, they have come up to the task with a zeal and liberality worthy of all praise. The Society may this day behold the result of their labors. This new and beautiful church, without an equal in Western Massachu-
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setts for beauty of design and finish, may well be regarded by its members with affection and pride, and it should incite them with new life and activity, making them prompt and eager to respond to what- ever demands mav be necessary to perfect what has been so success- fully accomplished hitherto.
The reference to further necessary demands alluded to a report made by the building committee a year earlier, in March of 1858, itemizing the cost of the new church as follows:
Paid to architect for plans
S 250.00
Paid to builder
14,500.00
Foundation and incidentals 122.76
Pinnacles atop the tower
180.00
Stained glass
25.00
Painting
30.00
Steps
100.00
Mounting the bell
25.00
$15,232.76
The Society, accordingly, had incurred a debt of about $8000 in excess of pledges and revenue from the sale of the old Kellogg school, and in May of 1859 Loring G. Robbins and Marcus A. Gilbert, as Wardens, gave a mortgage on the church, rectory and property for $6000, payable in five years, to Benjamin F. Durant, Constant Southworth, Loring G. Rob- bins, Charles F. Coffing, Theodore Dewey and Edward A. Hulbert, so that the outstanding bills might be paid.
Charles A. L. Richards had succeeded Platt as rector and during his term several of the mortgagors, with the help of the Ladies' Benevolent Society, made a start toward the discharge of the debt, but the real im- petus toward success was given by John T. Huntington who, on the under- standing that the debt would be cancelled in twelve months, came to St. James' as Rector on Christmas Eve, 1861. In accepting his call, Huntington had written that to "'Owe no man anything but to love one another' would be a good motto for every parish".
Accordingly, the campaign was pushed with zeal and in 1862 some thirty notes held against the church were re-assigned to the parish. A sub- scription list circulated during the summer secured pledges totalling $7893, of which $2200 was pledged by the Ladies' Benevolent Society. And on September 11 Huntington, in announcing the discharge of the entire debt of $8300, commented that "It was indeed a noble offering. The Lord be praised".
At last the way was clear for the consummation of the grand effort and as noted in a report by the Vestry:
By this timely aid, the Parish was entirely relieved from debt and thus enabled to present their beautiful church to the Bishop at his annual visitation, who consecrated it to the worship of Almighty God on Friday the seventh day of November A.D. 1862.
The year was most appropriate, marking as it did the centennial of the inception of the parish.
According to the notation of the event in the parish record by Hunt- ington, "the congregation filled the church, notwithstanding a violent snow- storm raged without", to witness Manton Eastburn, Bishop of the Diocese
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of Massachusetts, consecrate the new edifice. Assisting him in the Chancel, in addition to the rector of St. James', John T. Huntington, were three priests: Samuel P. Parker of Stockbridge (and formerly of Trinity Church, Van Deusenville), Samuel Cutler of Hanover, Massachusetts, and Robert Weeks of North Adams (who succeeded Huntington at St. James').
Following is the Instrument of Consecration as read by Bishop Eastburn:
WHEREAS The Church, Wardens & Vestrymen of St. James's Church, in the town of Great Barrington & State of Massachusetts, have, by an instrument this day presented to me, appropriated & devoted a house of public worship erected by them in said town to the worship & service of Almighty God, the Father, the Son, & the Holy Ghost, according to the provisions of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, in its ministry, doctrines, liturgy, rites & usages, & by a congregation in communion with said church, & in union with the convention thereof in the Diocese of Massachusetts;
And whereas the same Church, Wardens & Vestrymen have, by the same instrument, requested me to consecrate their said house of worship by the name of St. James's Church, & thereby separate it from all unhallowed, worldly & common uses, & solemnly dedicate it to the holy purposes above mentioned;
Now, therefore, know all men, by these presents, that I Manton East- burn, D.D., by divine permission Bishop of the Diocese of Massachu- setts, acting under the protection of Almighty God, have, on this seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & sixty-two, in presence of divers of the clergy, & a public congregation therein assembled, and according to the form prescribed by the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, consecrated the above mentioned house of worship by the name of St. James's Church.
And I do hereby pronounce & declare, that the said St. James's Church, Great Barrington, is consecrated accordingly; & thereby separated hence- forth from all unhallowed, worldly & common uses, & dedicated to the worship & service of Almighty God, the Father, the Son, & the Holy Ghost, for reading & preaching his holy word, for celebrating his holy sacraments, for offering to his glorious majesty the sacrifices of prayer, praise & thanksgiving, for blessing his people in his name, & for the performance of all other holy offices, agreeable to the terms "of the covenant of grace & salvation in our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ, & according to the provisions of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, in its ministry, doctrines, liturgy, rites & usages.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto affixed mv seal & signature at Great Barrington, the day & year above written, & in the twentieth year of my consecration.
Manton Eastburn
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Chapter 6
CIVIL WAR AND HIGH CHURCH
I
A FTER the death of Samuel Hassard in 1847 terminated his rectorship of almost eight years, St. James' entered upon a period of almost half a century during which no rector endured as long as six years. This era of rapid turnover, which saw eighteen priests come and go, ended in 1892, when Isaac S. Hartley became rector.
In the understandable effort to find an incumbent, the Vestry of St. James' Church sometimes chose unwisely. Thus, Justin E. Field, Fran- cis Byrne, George Lewis Platt and Orlando F. Starkey were all eventually invited to resign - for reasons that are not apparent from the records - and the shortest tenure was that of Byrne, which lasted only four months in 1854.
On the other hand, many of those chosen soon moved on of their own volition, seeking what appeared to them to be greener fields or a more congenial environment. Three of these men, noteworthy here only for their short tenures, were William Wood Seymour, who stayed for ten months in the middle 1850's, John H. Rogers, who remained for less than ten months in 1865-6, and John C. Eccleston, who stayed less than eight months in 1866. Samuel Dexter Denison remained for two and a half years in the late 1840's; and John F. Woart (1851-4), Charles A. L. Richards (1858-61) and John T. Huntington ( 1861-4) each served for approximately three years.
Robert Weeks, succeeding Huntington, served for six months upon an interim basis until John H. Rogers was engaged. He, as well as Field, Byrne and Seymour, were never instituted rector of the parish.
Henry Olmstead, who persevered for five years (1867-72), was moved to observe in 1868 that
This ancient parish has suffered much from frequent changes of rector- ships. But there is an earnestness and unity among the people which overcome all the difficulties and we have found, thus far, much to encourage us in our work.
Such a succession of rectors, interspersed with supply clergy, would seem hardly conducive to advancement. Yet St. James' during that period was by no means devoid of progress. That great milestone --- the erection of the third and present church edifice - was achieved in the early part of this unsettled period, attesting to the underlying vitality of the parish, and this event also brought the technological advance represented by the intro- duction of gas light into the church.
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