USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Melrose > The history of Melrose, County of Middlesex, Massachusetts > Part 17
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The affiliated societies are the Young People's Religious Union, the Ladies' Aid Society and the Unity Club.
The late William F. Conant, who died in December 1897, was the parish treasurer for a period of thirty years. His son- in-law, the late Dexter F. Munroe, was parish clerk for many years.
THE LIBERAL CHRISTIAN UNION CHURCH. This Church was organized in 1895. Preaching services were held at first in the hall of the Highland Club House, and afterward in Rogers' Hall. Until 1896, the pulpit was supplied by many different pastors; then the Rev. Henry A. Westall was settled over the Society. The congregation was a small one, and after an ex- istence of four or five years, during which it received aid from the American Unitarian Society, of $250 annually, the Society disbanded.
SAINT MARY OF THE ANNUNCIATION CHURCH. The names of the first Catholic families living in North Malden, were Conway, Kelley and Doherty. A few others came about the time the Boston and Maine Railroad was built in 1845. From 1851 to 1854, the Melrose Catholics attended mass at the Wakefield church. In the latter year, Melrose was made a part of the newly established parish of the Immaculate Con- ception, on Pleasant Street, Malden, near the Medford line. For nearly twenty years, the Melrose Catholics worshiped with the Malden parish, during which time the first mass in
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
Melrose was celebrated on Christmas day 1868, by Rev. Thomas Gleason, of Malden, in Masonic Hall, corner of Main Street and Wyoming Avenue.
In 1873, Melrose was attached as a mission to the Stoneham parish, under the pastorate of Father William H. Fitzpatrick. After a few years, the number of Catholics had increased in numbers sufficient to warrant the establishing of a new parish in Melrose, which was done and placed under the charge of Father Fitzpatrick, in conjunction with his Stoneham duties. When the First Baptist Society erected its present brick chapel, in 1874, the church edifice then standing on its site, at the corner of Main and Upham Streets, was sold to the Catholics for the sum of $2,200, removed to a lot on Dell Ave- nue, costing $1,000, remodelled and named St. Bridget's Church. Previous to its completion several services were held in Masonic Hall, Father Fitzpatrick officiating. The first service in their church was held in October, 1873. Here the Catholics worshiped until their present large and handsome edifice was erected in 1893-4, on the corner of Herbert and Myrtle Streets. The church lot contains an acre of land, having a frontage on the three streets, Herbert, Myrtle and Grove.
The corner-stone of the new church was laid in 1891. Rev. Dennis O'Callaghan delivering the sermon. It was dedicated in November, 1893, with appropriate exercises, and sermon by Rev. John P. Dore of Chicago. The cost of land and edifice was $55,000. It was originally intended by Father O'Farrell, to build the church of stone, modelling it after the famous Melrose Abbey; but it having been discovered that the sub- stratum soil was of such sandy and unsubstantial nature it was deemed unwise to build such a heavy structure as that would have been; therefore the plans were changed, and the present Romanesque edifice with a rock-faced Lynnfield granite base- ment substituted.
The Melrose mission was raised to parish dignity towards the close of the summer of 1894, the name changed from St. Bridget to St. Mary, and the Rev. Francis J. Glynn became the first resident pastor, and still remains.
As the parish now numbers about two thousand, Father Glynn is aided in his parochial duties by Rev. Daniel J. Carney as assistant, who received his appointment January I, 1897.
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HISTORY OF MELROSE.
In 1895, the handsome residence of Albert D. Holmes, on Myrtle Street, near the church, was purchased for a rectory, at a cost of $7,500.
ST. MARY'S CHURCH.
After the new church edifice was built, the old one on Dell Avenue, was abandoned for religious services, and is now used
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
as a parish hall. Here the Young Men's Catholic Lyceum and other associations meet.
Previous to the purchase of their first church in 1873, a Sun- day School had been organized as early as May 1, 1870, by James P. Murphy, and its sessions were held in different halls. It now has a membership of 425.
At the time Father Glynn came to the parish the indebted- ness on the property had been reduced to $20,000. Some im- provements have since been added costing a number of thous- ands of dollars, but under his energetic management, aided by a church debt society which he organized, the church will soon be free of debt.
OLD TIME CHURCH GOING.
Previous to the beginning of the nineteenth century, and for some years afterwards, the residents of North Malden had to wend their way to " Middletown," either on foot, horseback, or by team, on the Sabbath day, to attend public worship, as they did also, on election days to vote. Relative to these facts, and as a picture of those early days, the following from Echoes from Mystic Side, is here given:
Our sympathies, even at this late day, go out to our North and South Malden friends, when we think of their hurrying under the rays of a hot sun, or plodding through the deep snows, over such a long stretch of land, and then to enter a not over-heated room, and seat themselves on hard, wooden benches, and listen to a long, and, we imagine, rather a doctrinal sermon. Then there was the tithing man, who stood watching ready to reprimand all unruly boys, whispering girls, or sleeping parents. At a meeting of the selectmen in 1684, it was agreed and ordered, that " all householders or masters of familyes in this Towne shall take their turns successively every Lord's day, both be low and in the galires."
On entering the church, the women were expected to pass up one flight of stairs, and the men up those on the opposite side, and a rail- ing was placed between the galleries in which they sat. A committee was always appointed to assign seats to each person in town, and this act was called " dignifying the seats." The choice fell to those paying the highest rates towards the support of the minister, while dignity, age and deafness were considered.
Under date of 1692 the first grant of separate seats was given, and it was voted " that corronal page have liberty to build a pue, and in case corronal page leave the seat it shall returne to the towne." Later
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HISTORY OF MELROSE.
it was " voted that collonal paige hes liberty to remove his pewe into That corner of ye meeting-hous by ye little dore." "Voted that deken Green and John Greenland are goe and Treat with collonal paige in order to ye Removing of his pew." Other permits were given, from time to time, until the seats were alone reserved for the galleries.
It was also voted, that certain persons were to be allowed a piece of land to erect a stable to shelter their horses "on the Sabbath days." A space of four feet was given each person, which was ample room, since the farmers rode on their farm horses, and were often accompa- nied by their wives, seated on pillions behind them.
Quartette choirs were not in vogue until a much later period, and as books were not plentiful, one of the deacons would read two lines of a hymn, the congregation would then sing them, when he would read two more, and so on to the end. This was called " deaconing the hymn." Many of them were not of a particularly cheering nature, being written as lessons to ponder over rather than for diversion, and were oftentimes made doubly plaintive by being set to minor music. We copy a few for the perusal of those who are fond of verse : -
"Hark ! from the tombs, a doleful sound ; Mine ears attend the cry- Ye living men, come, view the ground, Where you must shortly lie."
One story, repeated and vouched for by a well-known divine, is, that a much-respected pastor over a small society, departed this life, and the usual funeral ceremonies were held in the church. The choir was invited to assist on this solemn occasion, and being desirous to add as much as possible to make the exercises interesting, selected and sang the only anthem that they had well practiced together, many repetitions of these words occurring :
"Believing, we rejoice, to see the curse removed."
Such hymns were sung, and dutifully listened to generally, but on one occasion, when a very just and worthy man was having the last selemn rites performed, and the minister selected the hymn-
"See how the aged sinner goes, Laden with grief and heavy woes, Down to the dwellings of the dead, With endless curses on his head ; "
the choir refused to sing it, and another was chosen.
CHAPTER VI.
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
N ORTH Malden had no school-house of its own until about the middle of the eighteenth century. But as early as 1691, the town records show that action was taken for the education of its children. No doubt it had done so earlier, but there is no earlier record than the following: " Ezekiel Jenkins continuing to be the Townes Scoule Master." In 1693, there is an item equally concise: "John Sprague jun! Schoolmaster." August 24, 1699, the record is given a little more in detail :
John Sprague chose scoolmaster for this present yeer: or for one yeer, it is left to ye select-men to agree with him what he shall haue for his incurigment to keep scool for one yeer.
In 1702, the town began to provide education for the differ- ent parts of the same, as shown by the following vote:
John Sprague Is chose scool-marstar for ye yeer insuing To learn Children & youth to Reed and wright and to Refmetick acording to his best Skill. And he is to have ten pounds paid him by ye town for his pains. The scool is to be free for all ye Inhabitants of this town : and to be kept at foure severall places at foure severall times one quartar of a yeer in a place: In such places whar those five men shall apoint, namly: Leut Henery Green, Leut John Line, Lemuell Jenkins, Tho Okes And Nathaniell Upham : who are chose by ye town for yt purpose.
Just where the school was kept in North Malden it is hard to say. But by the record for the next year it would seem that the North Maldenites had to travel to the centre of the town:
by a uote Ezeckiel Jenkins is chose scoolmastar for this presant yeer : and The Scoole to be Kept at his one hous: he is to haue 3 pounds for ye yeer : and ye befitit of ye scollars.
This means he was to have the benefit of whatever small
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HISTORY OF MELROSE.
amounts of money that may have been paid by the scholars for any purpose, besides the three pounds. Mr. Jenkins was again elected on similar terms in 1704. He died in 1705, and was buried in Sandy Bank, or Bell Rock Cemetery. The gravestone bears the following epitaph:
Here Lyes ye Body of | Ezekiel Jenkins Aged 37 Years | Who Died July ye 30th 1705 Mauldens | Late School Master From A Painfull | Life Is Gone To Take His Rest His | Lord Hath Calld Him Whome .
The next reference in the records to any school privileges for the northern part of the town occurs under date of July 12, 1710, as follows:
nathaniell waite chose Scoolmaster voted yt ye Scool shall be Re- moued into 3 parts of ye Town - The first half yeer in ye center - and one quartar in ye southwardly end And one quarter in ye nothardly end of ye Town.
ยท For some reason Mr. Waite did not serve; and later in the year "mr Samuell wigglesworth," son of Rev. Michael Wigglesworth, author of The Day of Doom, was engaged for a six months' session, with this vote:
yt ye Schoole shall be kept ye first four months in mr parsons hous And then ye School shall be Remoued into sum hous Towards ye north end of The Town ye othar Two months.
Mr. Wigglesworth was engaged for a second term, when it was
Voted Ther shall be sixteen pounds money Raisd for To pay ye schoolmastar namly mr Wigglesworth, and That ye school shall be kept 4 months in ye body of ye Town And Two months at ye northwardly end of sd town.
The location and building of a school-house in the early times was a source of excitement and contention, as is often the case in later years. At a town meeting held May 18, 1711:
Jt was put to vote whether ye Town would buld a Schoolhous and set jt on ye Towns land on ye west side of ye way ouer against ye wachhous. And ye School to be kept two thirds of ye time yt a School- mastar shall be jnproud jn ye sd Schoole-hous and ye othar third part of ye time at ye northerly end of The town : neer or a mong ye Greens jn sum priuet Roome And ye hous to be bult at ye charg of ye town and also ye charg of priuet Roome : And ye vote past on ye negitiue.
Six months later, November 20, 1711, it was voted:
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EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
That ther be a School-hous bult- Also voted yt ye Schoolhous shall be set between ye pound and John Wilsons hous.
Up to this time schools had been kept in the watch-house and in private houses; but in 1712, as per above vote, a build- ing was erected for the purpose, as is seen by the following action of the town; this was Malden's first school building:
Voted yt ye scool-hous shall be bult 20 foots jn length 16 foots wide 6 foot stud between joints. A chimney, nere seven foots between ye gams
decreased the capacity of the room; and when its spacious "harth" was blazing with its pile of green logs the physical discomfort of the child who sat on the nearest bench could only have been equalled by that of the unfortunate shiverer who sat by the door. Of course, it was of one story and its walls were filled with brick "to ye plaets," in that good, cold-defy- ing fashion which may yet be found in some old houses, and which puts to shame the shams of modern construction 1
William Green, the "carpender," was to receive thirty-five pounds. For the somewhat unique contract for this work, be- tween the Selectmen and Mr. Green, see sketch of the Green family. January 17, 1714/5 it was voted :
That ye school shall be moued to John greens house jn ye woods : - for two months : which js to be March and April next ensuing the date heerof.
This was the house of the original settler, Thomas Green, at the Highlands, west of Main, and north of Franklin Streets.
The next year it was
vot : yt The Schoolmastar shall be Removed To ye northardly end of This Town To Keep ye school ye Remaining part of ye Time agreed on for him to be among us.
Occasional votes in the town records show that schooling was provided for the north end of the town a portion of the time only. June 17, 1723, Mr. Buckman was engaged to keep the school twelve months, at a salary of four pounds. That year it was kept five months in the centre, three and a half at the south part, and three and a half at "sum conuenant place jn The northardly end of malden."
For the next twenty years nothing definite is said about the schooling for the North End.
1 Corey. History of Malden, 614.
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HISTORY OF MELROSE.
In 1744, it was voted:
That the School shall be keept one quarter part of the time yearly near the house of Abraham Skinner and one quarter part of the time yearly near the hous of Thomas Burditt Jut and another quarter part of the time yearly near the hous of John Colman or the house of the widow Mercy Pratt provided that perticular persons will be at the Charge of erecting a School house at each of those places.
According to a MS. left by Mr. Barrett, the house of the widow Pratt stood where now stands the Lynde mansion, on the corner of Grove and Lebanon Streets; and Mr. Colman's about forty rods north, on the west side of Lebanon Street, which was then the old 1653 road. The school-house stood about half way between these places, on the east side, about on the corner of Lebanon and Laurel Streets. He had heard it described by those who remembered it, "as a small, un- painted shanty, with a brick fireplace in one corner. Old Mr. John Lynde used to say that Master Swain who taught the school there, would frequently, in school hours, send one of the scholars to his father's house for a mug of cider."
During this period, of about a century, the cause of educa- tion in Malden seems to have had a varied experience, as the town was several times presented at the Quarter Sessions for not maintaining a grammar school; but in 1750, educational matters were improved, and Nathaniel Jenkins, Jr., was chosen school-master. He retained this office for a period of twenty- five years, until he acquired the well-earned title of "good old Master Jenkins." His original occupation was that of a shoe- maker. But the guardians of the town, who had evidently been embarrassed for a long time in their endeavors to procure a suitable teacher, thought they discerned in him some of the necessary qualifications. After some hesitation, which was re- moved in part by the fact that his health was inadequate for his mechanical calling, he acquiesced in their proposal. To prepare himself for his new vocation, he, for want of a normal school, put himself under the instruction of the Rev. Mr. Emerson for about twelve months. Having by this time ob- tained some knowledge of the languages, and the approbation of several clergymen, he entered with zeal upon his duties as an instructor of youth. He is represented as a pious man and an excellent teacher, though in his practice the rod was not a mere symbol of authority. It had a use, as well as a meaning.
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EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
This is a view of the very curious and unique little box- desk, which belonged to this good school-master, and which he carried back and forth with him from precinct to precinct. As there is a hole in the top of the back, he evidently hung it upon a nail. It probably held his books, pen, ink and paper, and possi- bly, his useful rod.2 In those days he taught school for six months in Malden center, three months in the south part of the town, now Ever- ett, and three months in the THE JENKINS DESK. north part, now Melrose.
In 1789, Joseph Barrett, of North Malden, was chairman of the School Committee. That year school was kept in the little old school-house, four and a half months; the next year four months.
Nathaniel Jenkins ju.
In 1799, the town chose a committee, consisting of Joseph Barrett, Bernard Green, and Captain Amos Sargent, to draw a plan, and estimate the cost of a new school-house for the north part of the town. They reported, and the sum of $600 was appropriated. Joseph Barrett and William Emerson were the committee to build the same. They bought a small piece of land, in 1800, of Ezra Howard, on the west side of Lebanon, a few rods south of Upham Street, then Upham Lane, and built thereon a school-house. It was about twenty by twenty-five feet in size, and low studded. It was an unpainted building with board blinds for the windows, with a small porch over the door on the south side. Artemas Barrett went to school in this building; and the manuscript before quoted gives this description of the school-house.
As you entered, there was an open space ; rows of seats, with desks in front. on each side of the house with an aisle passing between them
2 This desk now belongs to Mrs.
great-great grand daughter of Mr. Adeline A. Nichols, of Malden, a Jenkins.
.
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HISTORY OF MELROSE.
on each side to the wall; each row would seat about six scholars. A large wooden desk stood at the north end of the house with a platform raised in its rear where the teacher was seated. There was an open space in front of the desk where the boys put their hats. In the middle of the house stood a massive stove in which wood was burnt in large clefts about two feet in length. It was the practice in those days for the scholars to take their turns in building the fires and sweeping out. The writer well remembers when his turn came of going as soon as he could see, and how he felt when entering that dark room before he could open the close board blinds and let in the light. He also remembers how long it was before the room could be made even com- fortable and how the scholars when they arrived would gather around that old stove and remain as long as allowed to. And frequently during school hours, the scholars would have to beg the privilege of going to the stove in order to get warm.
About the time this school house was built the town was formed into districts, each drawing their proportion of the money raised and man- aging their own affairs. It was the practice in those days during the summer months to employ a school-marm, as she was called, as only the smaller children then attended school. In the winter the boys, and some of them quite large, nearly men grown, attended and a master was then employed.
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THE OLD SCHOOL HOUSE.
This was before matches had been invented, and these scholars then took their turn in building fires, and they had to take live coals of fire with them, from their homes. At this time Malden had four school-houses; this one at the North End, one where Sprague Street joins Salem Street, one on Nelson's Hill at the South End, and one on the Lynn road, near Maplewood Square.
In this little old school-house, Robert Gerry, who died in
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EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.
Stoneham, April 1, 1873, in his ninetieth year, taught school during the winter season for twenty four years, in succession, commencing in 1803. Here the North Maldenites learned to "read, write, and cipher." The boys and girls living in the west part of the town, came "across lots," passing by the old Tainter or Howard house, which stood where the Swett block now is, crossing Ell Pond brook on a log.
Occasionally, when school did not keep here, the scholars, some of them, went to "middletown " school, going over the old road by the foot of Boston Rock.
This old school-house was abandoned when the town of Malden built a new one, in 1829, on Upham Street, on land conveyed to the "North School District," by William Dix, for $50. It was built by the school-master Mr. Gerry. Robert Gen, This was burned about the year 1845, and an- other one built on its site; in it was kept a Primary, Intermediate, and Grammar School. Others who taught school in this house, besides Mr. Gerry, were Dr. Levi Gould, Nelson Cochran and Rev. John C. Ingalls. This house was burned in April, 1874, and was succeeded by the present Sewall School House, formerly called the Centre School House, standing next to the First Baptist Church.
This house that was burned, built by Mr. Gerry in 1829, was the only school-house existing at the time Melrose was in- corporated, in 1850.3 Very soon after this others had to be built; one on Lynde Street, one on Green Street, and one on
3 Previous to this there had ex- isted for a few years, a private in- stitution of learning, situated on Berwick Street, near the corner of Herbert Street. This was known as "Academy Hall." It was after- wards moved to Main Street, where it became Lyceum Hall, was used by the Town, and for various other purposes ; and perished in the fire of August 20, 1870. In the Cuiver- salist Trumpel, for 1851, the follow- ing advertisement of this institu- tion appeared : Melrose Academy.
The Spring Term of this Institu- tion, situated on the Boston and Maine Railroad, seven miles from Haymarket Square, Boston, will commence on Monday March 4. under the charge of its present Teacher, Mr. D. C. Quimby, A. M., Principal ; Miss Caroline M. Rip- ley, Preceptress; Mr. J. W. Tur- ner, Teacher of Music.
The proprietors have permission to refer to B. B. Mussey, Esq., Rev. S. Streeter, T. Whittemore, T. Starr King, Charles Brooks, Syl-
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HISTORY OF MELROSE.
Foster Street, opposite the end of Vinton Street, all built in 1853, costing $1,600 each; then the small ones on Franklin and Upham Streets, in 1855; now all abandoned for newer and better ones. That on Foster Street was succeeded by the present D. W. Gooch School building, which was built in 1886, costing $14,000, remodelled and enlarged in 1892, at a cost of $18,500. The committee to build consisted of Moses S. Page, Royal P. Barry, Daniel Norton, Joel Snow, and W. Irving Ellis; to remodel, John O. Norris, John .C. Maker, William D. Stewart, A. Eugene Upham, Decius Beebe, Albert B. Franklin and Henry Brown.
March 30, 1868, the town appropriated $20,000 for a new High School building, and Janu- ary 14, 1869, and additional sum of $7,500, was added. The building committee con- sisted of Messrs. Rufus Smith, Daniel W. Gooch, Charles H. Isburgh, Wingate P. Sargent, - Walter Babb, George New- hall and George A. Mansfield. The site selected was 30,000 feet of land situated on Em- erson Street, at the corner of Lake Avenue, purchased of THE OLD HIGH SCHOOL HOUSE. Messrs. David L. & John G. Webster. It was finished and dedicated July 15, 1869. It was destroyed by fire January 25, IS97.
By the building of this High School House, the crowded condition of the then existing schools was relieved. At this time Melrose had seven school-houses, and eighteen teachers. As our town was increasing in population very fast, additional vanus Cobb, Boston. H. Ballou, will be carefully guarded by the teacher. 2d, D. D., F. A. Farley, Brooklyn, N. Y., H. M. Lane, John G. Whittier, Amesbury, Mass., Daniel Osgood, M. D., Mantanzas, Cuba.
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