USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Great Barrington > St. James' Parish, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, 1762-1962 > Part 9
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The Rector, Mr. Tower, was host to the Wardens, Vestrymen, visit- ing clergymen and their wives at a dinner at the Berkshire Inn, and then the celebration continued that afternoon on the lawn of Charles E. Hotch- kiss' residence on South Main Street - the site of the first church edifice so many years before. There, against a scenic setting predominating with the church colors as arranged by John L. E. Pell, a bugler sounded "Church
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Wilhar 4 Mary
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Call" and the church flag was hoisted to fly above the Stars and Stripes. Representing the Bishop and Diocese of Connecticut, of which the parish was a part after the Revolution had separated it from London and until the Diocese of Massachusetts was established, Dr. Plumb spoke and was fol- lowed by Mr. Kellogg and Mr. Tower.
From there a procession marched the short distance to the Mahaiwe Cemetery, there to decorate the graves of the former rectors of the parish buried in Great Barrington: Gideon Bostwick, 1770-93; Sturges Gilbert, 1828-39; Samuel Hassard, 1839-47; and Daniel G. Anderson, 1876-82.
On Monday July 26 a reception was held at the parish house, to which town officials and others were invited and at which the receiving line comprised members of the anniversary committee. Addresses were delivered by the Rev. Messrs. Bourne, Thurlow and Brown.
Following the reception, a pageant depicting incidents in the his- tory of the parish was presented under the direction of Mrs. John L. Rob- bins, its author. Miss Mary Robbins was the reader. Bishop Lawrence honored the event with a surprise appearance. Using authentic relics and costumes, Mrs. Robbins portrayed six scenes, with parishioners acting the parts of their antecedents.
The first scene was that of the imprisonment in the stocks, in 1758, of the three Burghardt brothers, Garrett, John and Peter, and their de- fence by a fourth, Hendrick, the parts being played by Warren Dolby, Theodore Ramsdell and John Robbins and by Fred Burghardt, a direct descendant. The initially mocking, and then sympathetic, villagers were represented by Miss Fanny Goodsill, Mrs. Frank Beattie and a group from Sheffield, where the incident had actually occurred.
Scene two showed the founding of the parish in 1762 by Thomas Davies, whose part was played by Truman Wheeler.
In the third scene, Pratt Tobey played Gideon Bostwick. He wore the original surplice and carried the chalice and paten used by the far- ranging, first rector of the parish, which were lent by William John Brown, Rector of St. John's Church, Manchester, Vermont, where these articles are preserved.
Dr. William Whiting, physician, patriot, judge and Representative to the Provincial Congress, was portrayed by Frank Beattie and the singers. as they and their leader appeared from 1795 to 1821, were played by Richard Combes of Sheffield, Gordon Najar and Mrs. Carl Thatcher of Housatonic and Mrs. Leon Pecon of Risingdale. This was the fourth scene.
The fifth scene then depicted the formation of the First Company in Great Barrington, May 28, 1861, when the Rev. Charles A. L. Richards pre- sented a Bible to each man and Mrs. Judith Bigelow gave her "elegant ban- ner". The parts were taken by Roland Goodsill and Mrs. George Pinkham, respectively, and Frank de la Chevallerie represented the men of the First Company.
The final scene was a group of portraits representing leaders of the Parish, with Miss Mary Augusta Loop symbolizing the women and John H. C. Church the men, and Mr. Tower the clergy.
A comprehensive exhibition of treasures and relics of the church was shown by the Altar Guild at a tea held two days later, to end the an- niversary observance.
Congratulatory letters were received by the Rector and his parish
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from the Rt. Rev. Frederick G. Budlong, Bishop of Connecticut; the Rt. Rev. Vedder Van Dyke, Bishop of Vermont; and the Rt. Rev. G. Ashton Oldham, Bishop of Albany, each of whom noted with appreciation the missionary work conducted by Gideon Bostwick in their respective dioceses.
All during Mr. Tower's tenure there were many entertainments concerts, musicales, suppers and other gatherings by the several organi- zations in the church, for he believed in enlisting all his parishioners in church activities. He also liked to travel and during leaves of absence made several trips in the United States and abroad, the parish being taken by several supply priests.
Mr. Tower had hoped to remain in his rectorship until the end of the second World War, in order that he might be on hand to greet his "boys" upon their return from the services, but ill health forced his resig- nation in August 1944. In recognition of his long and ardent service, the Vestry on September 6 voted him the title Rector Emeritus, and prior to his departure on October 1 he was tendered a reception by the parish. In the intervening years Mr. Tower, a resident of New York, has visited Great Barrington almost every year to continue the many friendships he es- tablished during his twenty-two years at St. James'. He is a great raconteur, with a fund of anecdotes which makes his presence at the dinner table the delight of any hostess. IV
After a short interval, Richard Mortimer-Maddox was called to be Rector of St. James' from St. John's, Barrington, Rhode Island, where he had been for fourteen years and he took up his post early in November.
One of the new rector's early acts was to suggest the appointment of a Key Man to act as liaison between the laymen of the parish and the Bishop. Earl B. Raifstanger, in January 1945, was the first to hold the position.
At a Vestry meeting in March 1945, Frank Beattie, organist and choir director, suggested that a nursery school be established in order that mothers might be able to attend Sunday services; and the following Jan- uary, at the next Annual Meeting, the proposal was presented to the parish along with the Rector's suggestion that the Chapel be dismantled to make room for it. The Chapel was little used but there was some adverse opinion. and after assurances were given that the Chapel fittings, being memorials, would be preserved and readily accessible for replacement if the need arose, the room was vacated. Mrs. Clifford S. Chapin undertook to establish a private kindergarten, there being none in the public schools, and to care for the youngsters during Sunday services. Such a program was begun in the fall of 1946.
Also at that Annual Meeting, on January 8, 1946, it was voted to discontinue the renting of pews and so, after many years, St. James' at last became a free church. During the decoration of the church that was done in the spring, the name plates that had for so long identified the owners of the pews, were removed.
At that meeting, also, it was voted to inaugurate the next year a system to rotate the Vestry systematically.
Immediately after Easter, 1946, the church was prepared for com- plete redecoration. Members of the Vestry met Sunday evening April 21 to remove books and cushions from the pews. The pews themselves were removed and refurbished and staging erected in the nave for masonry work
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and painting. The roof and tower, which had been damaged by a wind- storm in 1945, were repaired and the tower repointed the following year. The total cost of almost $5000 was defrayed by special offerings, the pro- ceeds of an auction, and the income from and the principal sum of a be- quest made by the late Burton Baldwin for the purpose.
At the Annual Meeting in January 1948 the rotating Vestry was in- stituted, which at any annual meeting, four Vestrymen retire to be replaced by four men who have not so served during the year past, four remain for one year, and four for two years. It was felt that in this manner continuity of membership on the Vestry would be preserved while providing at the same time for desirable change and broadened opportunity for participa- tion by the men of the parish.
Attendance at church having declined, it was suggested a weekly bulletin be prepared and pamphlets distributed to hotels in the area.
A Memorial Service to honor the dead of World War II was held on Sunday, July 6, 1947, at which the American Legion and its Auxiliary, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and Boy and Girl Scouts were invited to participate. There was placed in the narthex an engrossed listing of those from St. James' who had entered the Services, the text of which follows:
Your Prayers are asked for those who have gone to serve our Flag and Country by Land and Sea and Air Our Roll of Honor
John Alden Hamilton Lloyd Warren Hamilton
Edwin Harper Holbrook
Hartwell Homer
George Walter Leonhard
Russell Bowes Allen
Carleton Kenyon Anderson
Henry Warren Andrews
Orville Henry Barnes Jr.
Theodore Baldwin Millard
Richard Victor Barth
Frederick Mignery Mullen
Frank Edward Beattie Harold David Beattie
Patricia Nicoll Charles R. Parsons
·Charles Bartlett Birdsey Donald Francis Brazee Charles Henry Brown James Jav Brown Arthur Carleton Chase Richard Courtlant Chase Robert Eugene Chase
William Roy Parsons
Garrett Hardy Payne
John Thomas Raifstanger .
Earl Lewis Raifstanger Christine Ramsdell Richard Spencer Ramsdell
Theodore George Ramsdell Thomas Potter Ramsdell John Anthony Remick III
" Almon Russell Coons William Jessie Crown Coons Frank Whitwell Hunault de la Chevallerie John Hoey Dempsey Joseph De Vries
Thomas Cullen Roberts Charles Runyon III John Richard Seeley Robert W. Taggart II George Edward Thompson
Charles Weston Dolby
Erling Gilbert Dollar
Pratt Lorenzo Tobey
Gavlord Erving Eichorn Robert Eugene Faivre Theodore William Forty Robert Waight Fuller Lavender Kennedy Goodsill Roland John Goodsill
Harry Gray Treadwell Jr. James Demetrius Tripodes Richard Delmore Tryon Mary Poplaski Varnier Millidge Penderell Walker III
Arnold Alden Whitehouse
Robert John Gray Ellerv William Heath
Walter Sherman Whitestone Jr.
Orville G. Heath
Donald Stuart Hamilton
Willis Alfred Wilcoxson Donald Worthington Jr.
* Deceased
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Irving Francis Markham George Hill Mellen
George Francis Mercer
George Curtis Millard
V
Catastrophe struck the parish house on the night of December 28, 1949, when it was gutted by fire thought to have originated in a closet. Discovered by a passing motorist who alerted the rector, the fire was con- fined to the parish house by the firemen of Great Barrington and Housa- tonic, and the church itself was not damaged. Although much of the Altar linen was damaged by smoke, the ceremonial vestments were preserved by Mr. Mortimer-Maddox, who directed the firemen to cover the chest in which they were stored.
During the reconstruction which followed, the women of the Parish Aid Society continued to provide luncheon to the Rotary Club, having been offered the use of the Congregational parish house, and the Chapin Nursery School was conducted temporarily in the residence of its director until late June, when it returned in time for graduation exercises.
Reconstruction was begun early in the new year under the direction of a building committee: Edward B. Dolby, C. Albert Anderson, Hartwell Homer, Robert K. Wheeler, Stirling B. Thomas and John Langdon D. Peters, Chairman. The walls and roof of the building were essentially undamaged, so the rebuilding entailed only the reconstruction of the interior. This was carried out by the contracting and building firm of C. Albert Anderson and his son Carleton K. Anderson, both members of the parish. The Parish Aid Society cooperated by restoring the draperies, furnishings and kitchen facilities; and as finally completed, the parish house was practically a new building.
In a report to the annual parish meeting in January 1951, the build- ing committee set the cost at $32,040.34, of which $30,200.58 was reim- bursed by insurance. A few further purchases to be made were estimated at $1200, and gifts and contributions from parishioners, the Bishop, the Diocese and what remained of the old Men's Club treasury, were such that the net debt which the parish assumed was about $1500. This was subsequently discharged, along with the debt remaining from the earlier refurbishing of the church and tower, by special pledges.
In 1957 it was discovered that some of the trusses supporting the heavy slate roof of the church, had cracked, allowing the roof to sag dan- gerously. This had happened as a consequence of the frequent passage of heavy trucks in the street - an eventuality which the builders of the church a century before could not have anticipated. Again the Andersons, father and son, effected repairs, employing jacks to raise the slate roof to its former contour; meanwhile, heavy beams in the nave supported the load above.
During the winter of 1957-8, Mrs. Clifford S. Chapin conducted a Teen-Age Club in the parish house and concurrently some of the men of the parish renovated the basement for bowling and pool. To satisfy the fire laws, it was necessary for the parish to have an outdoor exit constructed which, in anticipation of such future need, had been done in 1955 in memory of Thomas S. Ramsdell Jr. In the spring, on June 24, 1958, the more faithful members of the Teen-Age Club enjoyed a trip to Washington by chartered bus, where the girls and boys were accommodated in the dormitories of the schools associated with the National Cathedral.
The basement facilities for bowling and pool were made available
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on a limited basis to the youth of the town, with volunteers from the Vestry in charge of the premises one evening a week, but lack of interest, coupled with the opening of large commercial alleys in town, caused the termina- tion of that program in 1959. The Tcen-Age Club, likewise, because of lack of support, was discontinued after its second year.
The Diocese elected a new Bishop to succeed Bishop Lawrence, who retired, and the first visit of the Rt. Rev. Robert McConnell Hatch to St. James' was on Sunday, June 8, 1958, for confirmation. Following the service a reception was held at the parish house and then a buffet luncheon for the Wardens and Vestrymen with their wives was given in the Bishop's honor by Mr. and Mrs. Mortimer-Maddox at the rectory.
After a tenure of only two months short of sixteen years, Mr. Morti- mer-Maddox resigned in the fall of 1960. He preached a moving farewell sermon to a capacity congregation on September 6, advising that they forbear to recall him for special ministrations but transfer their complete devotion and loyalty to their new rector. Many who regretted his departure to retirement on Cape Cod contributed toward the presentation of an auto- mobile to him. He will be long remembered for his particularly felicitous custom of reciting movingly the beautiful and allegorical prayer° during his transit of the nave upon the conclusion of the noon service on Sunday, while acolytes extinguished the Altar candles:
Support us, O Father, all the day long, until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes and the busy world is hushed and the fever of life is over and our work is done. Then, in Thy mercy, grant us a safe lodging and a holy rest, and peace at the last. Amen.
During the remainder of the year Canon Robert R. Carmichael broke his retirement to come to St. James' from northern Berkshire for a full complement of services; and on Sunday, January 1, 1961, the Rev. Dr. Arthur Pierce Middleton, late of St. Paul's Church, Brookfield, Con- necticut, acceded to the rectorship of St. James'. Dr. Middleton was in- stituted Rector of the parish at an evening service on Tuesday, January 17, by the Rt. Rev. Robert McConnell Hatch, Bishop of Western Massachusetts, assisted by Canon Charles Edwin Hill of the Diocese of Albany and editor of The Anglican. A reception to the new rector and his family, followed in the parish house.
On May 14, 1961 the new Rector began a biweekly parish news- letter, called The Jacobean (from the Hebrew "Jacob," meaning "James.") The reason expressed in the first issue was that he had twice as many souls in his cure as can be properly cared for by one priest. Therefore, since he could not call at the homes of his parishioners as frequently as he wished, the newsletter would enable him to do so, vicariously, and keep everyone informed about the affairs of the parish. It also served as a vehicle for teaching the people more about the Church, its doctrine, its liturgy, and its history. Here is an example of general and lasting interest that ap- peared in the first issue:
Everyone knows, I suppose, that our patron saint is James the son of Zebedee, who with his younger brother, St. John, and with St. Peter be- longed to the inner circle of important Apostles, having been privileged
*Composed by George W. Douglas. Anglican priest. in or before 1876, of selected phrases: from two sermons preached by John Henry Newman in 1842-3. It may be found on Page 594 of the Book of Common Prayer.
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ST. JAMES' CHURCH AND RECTORY
The Church occupies the site of the law office of William Cullen Bryant, the poet. who lived in Great Barrington 1815-25. The present Rectory, built 1893-95 at a cost of $12.000, replaced tico earlier ones, the first of which was built in 1763 by Silas Goodrich and housed the Keeper of the County Jail.
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to witness the raising of Jairus' daughter, the Transfiguration, and our Lord's Agony at Gethsemane. Because of their zeal, James and John were called "Boanerges," or "Sons of Thunder," by our Lord. St. James is known in history as "the great," to distinguish him from the other Apostle of the same name, St. James the Less, who was the son of Alphaeus, probably because the former was tall and the latter short. He must also be distinguished from St. James the Just, "the Lord's brother" (i.e. cousin), who though not an Apostle or even a believer un- til after the Resurrection, later became Bishop of Jerusalem. ( In Acts 15 you may read of his presiding over the Council of Jerusalem, c.49 A.D.) Our St. James was the first Apostle to suffer martyrdom, being beheaded by Herod Agrippa in 43 or 44 A.D. St. Luke's narrative in Acts 12 tells how "Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword."
From the ninth century onwards it was believed that his mortal remains had been translated to the town in northwestern Spain called Compostela - a corruption of "Postolo Giacomo," or the Apostle James. As this was the only grave of an Apostle in Western Europe, it became the shrine second only to Rome, and our patron saint was especially venerated not only in Spain, but in France and Britain as well. Over four hundred churches in England were dedicated to him. Those who visited Compostela carried back as souvenirs and proof of their pil- grimage the scallop shells that lie in abundance on the coast of Galicia, and hence, by the thirteenth century the shell had become a sign of a pilgrim and a symbol of St. James the Great.
The Jacobean proved an immediate success, resulting in a notable quickening of parochial interest. An appeal in the second issue of May 28, 1961 for suitable improvements as appropriate ways of commemorating the parish bicentennial resulted in various capital gifts totalling nearly $50,000.
The first of these was the gift of Eleanor, Edythe and Avis Seed of two bells weighing 1188 and 705 lbs. respectively, to be hung in the Church Tower along with the 1870 bell of 2034 Ibs., and all three to be provided with electric bell-ringers. The new bells, named "Miles" and "Lydia," after their father and mother, were cast in Holland, blessed on the ground on November 11, and dedicated on Sunday, November 19, 1961 by the Rector. This peal of three bells weighing nearly two tons is extraordinarily pleasing in tone, and has been heard as far away as South Egremont -- four miles distant.
The next notable gift from an anonymous donor enabled the parish to convert the electrical system of the Church, Parish House, and Rectory to a three-phase system in the interest of safety, efficiency, and economy. Also from the same gift came the money to pay for a new Tower Clock to replace the worn-out one of 1860. The new clock is electrically-powered, eliminating the necessity of a man climbing the tower every four days and cranking up a half-ton weight on a winch. The new dials are replicas of the old wooden ones, but are made of black plexiglass with gold-leafed anodized aluminum numerals.
Next came the munificent gift of a Carillon by Mr. and Mrs. Fred- erick W. Beinecke in memory of Mrs. Beinecke's father, William Miller Sperry, announced in the November 26, 1961 issue of The Jacobean. This instrument, made by Schulmerich Carillons, Inc. of Sellersville, Pa., con- sists of 49-Flemish-tuned, 49 harp-tuned, and 25 English-tuned bells, to- gether with a Westminster Hour Strike and an automatic roll-player - their
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largest installation in New England, and the fourth in the nation. A Schul- merich Carillon consists of small bronze bars, which, when struck by steel hammers, produce pure bell tones of such small magnitude that they are barely audible to the human ear. These are picked up electrostatically, amplified, and reproduced from the Tower. The resulting tones are virtually indistinguishable from the rich, deep notes of a cast-bell carillon.
The Sperry Memorial Carillon was dedicated at the 10:30 A. M. service on Sunday, December 10, 1961 by the Rural Dean of Berkshire (the Very Rev'd Robert S. S. Whitman) representing the Bishop of Western Massachusetts. The noted carillonneur, Mr. John Klein, gave a recital at the dedication which was tape-recorded and later broadcast by WSBS, the Great Barrington radio station.
Other generous gifts of money made possible the repainting of the Parish House inside and out; the completion of the carpetting of the aisles of the Church; the procuring of new altar linens; an additional chalice and paten for small, weekday celebrations; new choir and acolyte vestments; and a blue Verger's Gown richly trimmed with black velvet. To replace worn Prayer Books and Hymnals in the Church, 150 of each were pur- chased out of an unrestricted gift of $5,000 given by a New York gentle- man in memory of William Miller Sperry whose character and generosity he wished to pay tribute to. Also purchased from it was a handsome silver and ebony Verge (or parish mace) bearing the parish arms, designed and made by J. Wippell & Co., Ltd. of Exeter and London, and engraved in memory of Mr. Sperry.
At the same time another anonymous donor gave a pair of silver and ebony Churchwarden Staves embodying the distinctive emblem of our patronal saint, a scallop shell. These were also designed and made by Wippell & Co.
The Jacobean, however, was not limited to procuring gifts to the Church. It also served to stimulate interest and encourage participation in the activities of the parish. The attendance at services grew, a men's club called the Churchmen of St. James' was begun, and a young people's group was started -- the Young Churchmen of St. James'. Also a weekday Nursery School for boys and girls from three to five was begun in the Parish House under the aegis of the Berkshire Country Day School of Lenox in addition to the weekday Kindergarten of Mrs. Tibbetts.
These increased activities brought with them the need for secretarial assistance for the Rector. Hence, in January, 1962 Mrs. John T. Raifstanger was appointed Parish Secretary with office hours three mornings a week. The Choir Room in the Parish House was converted to a dual use, being the Secretary's Office during the week. The office was provided with a desk, telephone, a new Gestetner Mimeograph machine, and a new electric typewriter.
This expanded staff was made possible by a successful Every-Mem- ber Canvass in the fall of 1961 headed by Mr. H. Wickliffe Rose admirably supported by many others, which succeeded in increasing the pledges by some 70% over the previous year, making possible the adoption of an op- erating budget for 1962 of $35,600. Thus, the stage has been set for what is devoutly hoped to be a notable year of advance, as befits the beginning of the third century of the parish's existence.
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Chapter 9
TRINITY CHURCH, VAN DEUSENVILLE
W ITH the rise of Van Deusenville as a secondary industrial center in the town of Great Barrington and its attendant increase in popu- lation, there came to be a large enough coterie of Episcopalians there to arouse in them a desire to have their own, local house of worship.
Accordingly, as detailed earlier in Chapter 4, ten members of St. James' Parish living in the vicinity of Van Deusenville, in a petition dated November 10, 1828, called for a parish meeting "to see if said Society will agree or consent to the building of a Chapel at Van Deusenville." At such a meeting held on November 22, a committee of five was chosen to inquire into the question; and at the subsequent meeting on December 6 this com- mittee reported affirmatively, provided that certain conditions to be defined were observed and that the Chapel be built at no cost to the parish.
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