USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Salisbury > The West Parish Church, Salisbury, Mass. : One hundredth anniversary, June 17, 1885 > Part 5
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Rev. D. T. Fiske, of Newburyport, said : While sitting in the old church touching memories of childhood days had come back, and if led blindfolded within it, " I should have said, this is where my childhood was spent; here I spent my Sabbath; here I first worshiped God in public assembly." He hoped it would be preserved for another century.
Remarks followed by Rev. H. E. Mott, and Rev. Mr. Peterson, of New- buryport; Rev. J. F. Spaulding, of East Salisbury; Hon. Geo. W. Morrill, of Amesbury; Robert Rich, Esq., whose father, Rev. Thomas Rich, preached at Rocky Hill; Charles W. Morrill, of Lawton, Michigan; Cyrus Currier, of Newark, N. J .; Rev. O. A. Roberts, of Salisbury; James D. Pike, of Merrimac. Wm. D. Lowell responded in the following, entitled " Old Drift," which was read by the president of the day:
1785. "UP TO ROCKY HILL." 1885.
"Like a man, which built a house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it; for it was founded upon a rock."
As I gaze upon this ancient and prominent land-mark of one of the many beautiful hills of the Merrimac Valley, on this lovely June day, and out also on the rich picture of nature before me, and view with an inherent devotional home-love,
"The pleasant bend of the Salisbury shore, The tossing sumach, the clipping oar, And the hues of the hills that Newbury wore,"
I am reminded of God's first temples, and can here worship with true devotion the good cause of nature in the lesson presented. But the old meeting-house is before me, and as its familiar outline, still resting as firm and fair on its solid foundation as it did when the faithful builders one hundred years ago
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THE VEST PARISH CHURCH, SALISBURY, MASS.
delivered it to the Old Salisbury building committee, it presents to us the great truth of the efficacy of a good foundation, and illustrates fully the wisdom of the divine comparison as applicable to the Christian virtue of obedience.
My recollection will take fifty or more years from the venerable temple. Let me look again with child-like reverence on that goodly company of de- voted Puritans that then so dearly loved the old church and its pastors. From the many divergent pathways of the forest they gatliered together every Sabbath in happy meeting and greeting, to receive from the droppings of this sanctuary heavenly food to refresh and make the heart glad.
In my retrospective journey of years there will come before me but a very few of those first aged members of this once large congregation of worshipers. The great Reaper had left but few worthy samples unharvested on the old fields to speak to us then of that full and thrifty field of "ye olden time " that once, like the full ripe field of grain that bows in beauty to the summer breeze, here bowed in devotion to the Great Power above. Our worthy great-grand- fathers and mothers -the memory of but very few of the present can reach back to them or their time. They occupied the old ground their allotted season, made their record, and passed on to give place to the increasing crowd that follow, who give little thought of the old tenants before them.
"Young footsteps come and old footsteps go, You may be dust in your turn ; but still From the river Parker to the Artichoke, From the blossoming Laurel to Indian Hill, As a harp when touched by the wind's sweet will, Your names shall the people's memory thrill."
The careless descendants as they tread the last resting places in the grave- yard near by, read casually from the moss-covered stones erected to the " sacred memory " of once dearly-loved kindred with no feeling of sadness, no sorrow, no tears. Such is life: we too are drifting on the same current to the same destination. Some few words and deeds of mankind live on and on, like the wave ripples of sound through space, and may never die or be lost. Time may be no limit for them ; their mysterious destiny is beyond.
The scripture quotation noticed, suggests an important question. Who were the skillful builders of one hundred years ago, and of this ancient meeting- house ? Until recently this question has been unanswered. Fortunately, in the search for old documents of interest to this occasion two yellow time- stained bits of paper were found by Wm. E. Morrill, establishing the fact that two famous workmen of Newburyport, Timothy Palmer and - Spofford, were the builders of this church. The few relics of their skill and handiwork that still remain with us, are evidence of mind over matter. It is due to their
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THE ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF
precious memory that we should revere the good mechanic whose work has stood the test of one hundred years.
" By their works ye shall know them."
Timothy Palmer, inventor, architect, bridge and church builder, and mechanic : of his work may be named the Deer Island Bridge, which, after nearly a century's time and use was pronounced by modern builders a structure wonderful for its perfect principles of strength. Another monument of his skill is the church building of the Unitarian society of Newburyport, the spire of which is said to be even today the most perfect in architectural design of any church steeple in New England. He built many church edifices and also many bridges. He improved the highways, and perhaps the streets of New- buryport owe to his skill much of their beauty.
Of the partner, Mr. Spofford, let me say, that he was of a family of noble words and deeds: whether professors or mechanics, their work was ever well done. A church builder of Jerusalem was once highly honored for building a wonderful temple; his proverbial wisdom and fame has reached down through the ages. Let us today not forget the wise and faithful workmen of this ancient temple - Palmer and Spofford.
Dear old temple of the fathers and mothers of old Salisbury - born with the nation; may it remain upon its firm foundation another century.
The following came in as a part of the exercises:
LINES TO ROCKY HILL MEETING-HOUSE.
A century old thou stand'st today triumphant; Its fiercest storms have o'er thee harmless passed, Harmless around thy sturdy frames' enclosure Its thunder-bolts have crashed.
A century ago at thy completion Thy builders must have viewed thee o'er with pride,
And said, our work shall long remain substantial When we have " crossed the tide."
They truly said, thy sturdy faithful builders,- Around thee have a century's storms held sway; Still thou art firm; and yet, God willing, Shall stand for many a day.
'Twas here our fathers praised the Great Jehovah; The God they trusted through the battle's deadly maze ; 'Twas Him who raised the hand of the oppressor, To Him they gave the praise.
Then from thy door no organ-tones came pealing, Simple their worship as the ancient dress they wore,
When through thy many panes the sun touched lightly The powdered wigs of yore.
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THE WEST PARISH CHURCH, SALISBURY, MASS.
Long have they slept - a century's mighty changes Has swept their varied scenes before thy view ; And 'neath thy roof we come today to mingle The old time with the new.
O could'st thou tell thy history strange and varied, The child who through thy door did toddling go, Who passed for aye thy sun-rent Southern threshhold With feeble step and slow;
How from the distant blue of the Atlantic, Over the meadows, over western hill and stream, Thou hast seen where rolled the stage-coach slowly - The swift-winged coach of steam.
But silently thou stand'st - secure thy secrets - No praise of thy builders' true are told, Today we honor them, their work demands it- Thy architects of old.
From them we well may learn a lesson: Whate'er the task, to do our labor well, That it like their's may stand in future ages, The builders' fame to tell.
A telegram was read from E. M. Boynton, regretting inability to be present, but extending congratulations to the centennial gathering on so fitting a day.
The exercises closed by a re-gathering in the meeting-house and a service of song, lead by the chorus choir. Several of the old-fashioned tunes were sang, ending with " Auld Lang Syne."
A vote of thanks was given the singers for the excellent services rendered throughout the day. A vote of thanks was given to Rev. S. J. Spaulding, D.D., of Newburyport, for his valuable historical address. Also, to Hon. R. S. Spof- ford, of Salisbury, for his eloquent speech in introduction to the reading of the beautiful poem by Harriet Prescott Spofford, and to Rev. O. A. Roberts and J. W. Nye for their valuable poems.
MEMBERS OF THE CHORUS.
Conductor. - Moses Flanders.
Organist. - Will L. Brown.
Tenors. - A. T. Brown, W. H. Day, David True, Hiram Jewell, Daniel Webster, Frank Flanders.
Sopranos. - Mrs. Emma J. Williams, Mrs. Mary W. Currier, Mrs. Sarah Rolfe, Mrs. Frank I. Snell, Mrs. J. G. White, Mrs. Martha Goodwin, Mrs. Allen McKensie, Mrs. Dr. Young, Miss Lizzie Hallier.
Contraltos .- Mrs. Frank Brown, Mrs. E. A. Goodwin, Mrs. James Williams, Mrs. Emma O. Perkins, Mrs Annie Martin, Miss M. A. B. Titcomb, Miss Carrie Williams, Miss Myra Kelley.
Bassos .- P. Albert True, Joseph Oak, A. E. Tuttle, Frank Massure, Frank I. Snell, H. P. Wells, John Evans, David Davol.
Orchestra. - John Evans, violone ; Joseph Evans, violone ; F. B. French, violoncello; F. P. Currier, trombone; Frank Battles, clarionet; Miss George, violin; John C. Carr, violin; Nathaniel J. Keen, violin; Alfred C. Webster, flute; A. E. Walker, cornet; Mrs. A. E. Walker, cornet.
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NOTE.
By vote of the Committee of Arrangements for the observance of the One Hundredth Anniversary of the West Parish Church in Salisbury, the pre- paration of this publication was placed in the hands of a committee of three, consisting of W. H. B. Currier, Robert Drummond, and Wm. E. Morrill. The delay in its publication has been mainly due to the difficulty of securing and correcting matters of historical data, in order that the work might be correct as a reference-book of the First Church established in this parish.
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