USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Brookline > Town records of Brookline, Massachusetts, 1858-1871, v. 2 > Part 9
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The meeting was called to order by Charles Pope, Esquire, a Justice of the Peace for the County of Norfolk, who read the application and warrant and return, and declared that legal notice had been given as required by the warrant; whereupon it was unanimously-
Voted, That in accordance with the said application and warrant we now proceed to organize ourselves into a corporation under the General Statutes of Massachusetts in relation to the incorporation of persons proposing to build a house of public worship.
Voted, To proceed to the choice of a Clerk by ballot, whereupon D. H. Rogers, having received a majority of all the votes, was declared elected, and was duly sworn, according to law, by the presiding magistrate.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
NORFOLK, SS.
June 23d, 1860.
Then personally appeared the above-named D. H. Rogers, and made solemn oath that he would faithfully and impartially perform all the duties which belong to him as Clerk of the Proprietors of High Street Church.
Before me,
CHARLES POPE, Justice of the Peace.
The presiding magistrate then resigned the chair to the Clerk, where- upon the meeting proceeded to the choice of a Moderator, by ballot, and William A. Wellman, Esq., being chosen, took the chair, and the follow- ing votes were then passed :-
Voted, That by authority of the General Statute we now declare our- selves a corporation, under the name and style of "The Proprietors of High Street Church," and as such corporation accept the various statute provisions of this Commonwealth in relation to the incorporation of persons proposing to build a house of public worship.
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Organization of High Street Church.
Voted, That the meeting house which this corporation propose to build is intended to be exclusively for the worship of God and the exposition of His Holy Word in conformity with the doctrines of the New Jerusalem as they are taught in the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.
Voted, That after the sale of pews no person shall be entitled to vote in this corporation except such pew owners as are legal voters in the civil affairs of this Commonwealth, and no person shall have more than one vote.
Voted, That no alteration shall be made in the two preceding votes unless by a vote of three-fourths of all the legal voters of the corpora- tion in favor of such alteration.
Voted, That all deeds of pews shall be given subject to the last three preceding votes.
Voted, That the officers of this corporation shall be the same as are authorized and required by the General Statutes for parishes and religious societies, and they shall be qualified in the same manner and hold their offices for the same time; and the manner of calling meetings and the time of holding them shall also be the same as thereby required.
Voted, That the common seal of this corporation shall bear the words Proprietors of High Street Church, 1860.
Voted, That in accordance with the provisions of the 28th Section of the 30th Chapter of the General Statutes, it is now agreed and determined that the amount of real and personal estate, in addition to the meeting house which they propose to build, which may be necessary for the object of this corporation, is fifty thousand dollars.
Voted, That we now proceed to the election of officers.
Whereupon the following-named persons were duly elected :
For Assessors : William D. Philbrick, A. L. Cutler, J. W. Edgerly.
For Treasurer : William A. Wellman.
For Collector : Edwin Field.
Voted, That the Assessors be authorized to purchase for this corpora- tion the lot of land at the junction of High and Irving streets, at the price heretofore verbally agreed upon, and, on receiving a clear title thereto, the Treasurer is hereby authorized to give the corporation note for the consideration money.
Voted, That the Assessors, Treasurer and Clerk be fully authorized to make contracts for the erection, finishing and furnishing a house for public worship, on the said lot, according to the plans and specifications of Messrs. Philbrick and Ware.
Voted, That after the said house is completed, one pew shall be set aside for the Pastor, and forever reserved for his use; and proper reser- vations may also be made for the use of the choir; and the remainder of the pews shall be appraised, according to their relative value, so as to cover the entire cost of land, buildings and appurtenances. The pews shall then be offered for sale, the choice to be determined by auction, and the choice money averaged on all the pews in proportion to their appraised value and allowed to the purchasers to reduce the appraised value. All moneys contributed to the corporation to aid in the erection of the church, except donations, shall be refunded in pews, with interest, unless the corporation elects to refund it in money.
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Brookline Town Records.
Voted, That the entire property of house, land and unsold pews shall vest in the pew owners, the interest of each pew-holder in the whole property to be determined by the relative value of the pews as appraised.
Voted, That the Clerk leave with the Clerk of the Town of Brookline a true copy of the records of these proceedings within ten days of this meeting.
Voted, That the Treasurer procure a common seal.
Voted, That the Clerk procure a record book.
Voted, To dissolve this meeting.
A true record.
Attest : D. H. ROGERS, Clerk.
A true copy from the record.
Attest : D. H. ROGERS.
BROOKLINE, June 30th, 1860, 8 A. M.
Received and entered.
Attest : B. F. BAKER, Town Clerk.
GENERAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 6, 1860.
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WARRANT.
SEAL. SEAL. COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
SEAL. SEAL.
NORFOLK, SS. 1
To either of the Constables of the Town of Brookline,
GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby required to notify and warn the inhabitants of the town of Brookline, qualified to vote in elections, to meet at the Town Hall in said town, on Tuesday, the sixth day of November next, it being the Tuesday next after the first Monday in said month, at one of the clock in the afternoon, at which time and place the polls will be opened, and kept open until forty-five minutes past four of the clock, during which time they will be required to give in their votes to the Selectmen for the following national, state and county officers, viz. :-
103
General Election, November 6, 1860.
For thirteen Electors of President and Vice President of the United States, each ballot of such Elector to contain the name of at least one inhabitant of each Congressional Dis- trict of this Commonwealth ; one Representative to Congress for the Fourth Congressional District ; also for Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, a Councillor for Councillor District Number Six, Secretary of the Commonwealth, Treasurer and Receiver-General, Attorney-General, Auditor . of Accounts, one Senator for the North Norfolk District, a Representative for the Third Representative District of the County of Norfolk, consisting of the Town of Brookline, being the number appointed to said district according to law, and one County Commissioner for the County of Nor- folk,-all to be voted for on one ticket.
Hereof fail not, and make due return of this warrant with your doings thereon, on or before the time of said meeting.
Given under our hands and seals at Brookline aforesaid, this twenty-second day of October, in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and sixty.
JAMES BARTLETT, MARSHAL STEARNS, THOMAS PARSONS, E. R. SECOMB, Selectmen of the Town of Brookline.
NORFOLK, SS.
BROOKLINE, October 31st, 1860.
Pursuant to the within warrant, I have notified and warned the inhab- itants of the town of Brookline, qualified to vote in elections, to appear at the time and place and for the purposes within named, by leaving a printed copy of the same at their last and usual place of residence.
I. C. HOPKINS, Constable of Brookline.
A true copy of the warrant and return.
Attest : B. F. BAKER, Town Clerk.
In pursuance of the foregoing warrant, the citizens of the town of Brookline met in the Town Hall in said town, on Tuesday, the sixth day of November, in the year of our
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Brookline Town Records.
Lord eighteen hundred and sixty, and were called to order by James Bartlett, chairman of the Board of Selectmen.
The Town Clerk then read the warrant calling said meet- ing, and the return thercon.
In conformity with the provisions of the foregoing warrant, the polls were declared open, and were kept open for the reception of votes until fifteen minutes of five o'clock, when they were declared closed.
The Selectmen and Town Clerk then proceeded to sort and count the votes, and the whole number of votes given in was six hundred and seventy, and the whole number of votes were sorted, counted, and recorded, and declaration thereof made in open town meeting, as is required by law, and were for the following-named persons and officers :
For Electors at Large : Six hundred and forty-six.
Levi Lincoln, of Worcester, had two hundred.
N. P. Wilder, of Dorchester, had two hundred.
George Morey, of Boston, had two hundred and ninety-three. P. A. Chapman, of Springfield, had two hundred and ninety-three. Isaac Davis, of Worcester, had one hundred and thirty. Charles Heebner, of Lee, had one hundred and thirty. C. W. Chaplin, of Springfield, had twenty-seven.
Eben Sutton, of South Danvers, had twenty-seven.
For Electors : Six hundred and fifty.
District Number One :
Alfred Macy, of Nantucket, two hundred and ninety-three.
Joseph Grinnell, of New Bedford, two hundred.
Alexander Baxter, of Yarmouth, one hundred and thirty.
S. B. Phinney, of Barnstable, twenty-seven.
District Number Two :
James H. Mitchell, East Bridgewater, two hundred and ninety-three.
Benjamin Hobart, Abington, two hundred.
Benjamin Chase, Somerset, one hundred and thirty.
P. W. Leland, Fall River, twenty-seven.
District Number Three :
John M. Forbes, Milton, two hundred and ninety-threc.
Henry S. Mansfield, Stoughton, two hundred.
H. A. Aldrich, Mendon, one hundred and thirty. Roswell Gleason, Dorchester, twenty-seven.
105
General Election, November 6, 1860.
District Number Four :
Charles B. Hall, Boston, two hundred and ninety-three. Sanford M. Hunt, Roxbury, two hundred.
William J. Reynolds, Roxbury, one hundred and thirty. B. F. Hallett, Boston, twenty-seven.
District Number Five :
Peleg W. Chandler, Boston, two hundred and ninety-three. J. Thomas Stevens, Boston, two hundred.
Knowlton S. Chaffee, Cambridge, one hundred and thirty. George W. Parmenter, Boston, twenty-seven.
District Number Six :
John G. Whittier, Amesbury, two hundred and ninety-three. Nathaniel Silsbee, Salem, two hundred.
George Upton, Salem, one hundred and thirty.
Henry Durant, Lynn, twenty-seven.
District Number Seven :
George W. Cochoran, Methuen, two hundred and ninety-three. N. G. White, Lawrence, two hundred.
George W. Dike, Stoneham, one hundred and thirty.
Richard Frothingham, Charlestown, twenty-seven.
District Number Eight :
John Nesmith, of Lowell, two hundred and ninety-three. D. S. Richardson, of Lowell, two hundred. Ambrose Stoper, of Natick, one hundred and thirty.
Peter Haggerty, of Lowell, twenty-seven.
District Number Nine :
Amasa Walker, North Brookfield, two hundred and ninety-three. John G. Thurston, Lancaster, two hundred.
Levi Baker, Worcester, one hundred and thirty. John Spurr, Charlestown, twenty-seven.
District Number Ten :
Charles Field, Athol, two hundred and ninety-three. Osmyn Baker, Lancaster, two hundred. Stephen C. Bemis, Springfield, one hundred and thirty. Wells Lathrop, S. Hadley, twenty-seven.
District Number Eleven :
Charles Mattoon, Greenfield, two hundred and ninety-three. William G. Bates, Westfield, two hundred. Phineas Allen, Pittsfield, one hundred and thirty. Reuben Noble, Westfield, twenty-seven.
For Representative to Congress : Six hundred and seventy. Alexander H. Rice, of Boston, three hundred and fifty-two. Erastus B. Bigelow, of Boston, three hundred and eighteen.
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Brookline Town Records.
For Governor : Six hundred and forty-six.
John A. Andrew, of Boston, two hundred and seventy. Amos A. Lawrence, of Brookline, two hundred and twenty-seven. Erastus D. Beach, of Springfield, one hundred and twenty-four. Benjamin F. Butler, Lowell, twenty-five.
For Lieutenant-Governor : Six hundred and forty-three.
John L. Goodrich, of Stockbridge, two hundred and ninety. George Marston, of Barnstable, two hundred and one.
Charles Thompson, Charlestown, one hundred and thirty. David M. Carpenter, Greenfield, twenty-two.
For Counciller, Councillor District No. 6 : Six hundred and seventeen. James Ritchie, Roxbury, two hundred and ninety-five.
Andrew H. Ward, Jr., Newton, three hundred and twenty-two.
For Secretary of State : Six hundred and forty-three.
Oliver Warner, two hundred and eighty-three.
Thomas Parsons, Brookline, two hundred and eleven.
S. W. Bowman, Pittsfield, one hundred and twenty-seven. W. W. Comstock, Middleboro, twenty-two.
For Treasurer and Receiver-General : Six hundred and forty-three. Henry K. Oliver, Lawrence, two hundred and ninety-two.
Samuel A. Eliot, Cambridge, one hundred and ninety-nine.
Silas Pierce, Boston, one hundred and thirty. George Dennett, Boston. twenty-two.
For Attorney-General : Six hundred and forty-one.
Dwight Foster, Worcester, two hundred and eighty-nine. Henry Morris, Springfield, two hundred.
Samuel O. Lamb, Greenfield, one hundred and thirty. G. Washington Warren, Charlestown, twenty-two.
Auditor of Accounts : Six hundred and forty-two.
Levi Reed, Abington, two hundred and eighty-nine.
J. Henry Hill, Worcester, two hundred and one.
J. E. Esterbrook, Worcester, one hundred and thirty.
J. W. Mansur, Fitchburg, twenty-two.
For County Commissioner : Three hundred and eighty-one. Timothy Tucker, Milton, eighty-two. John Fisher, Dedham, nine.
Lucas Pond, Wrentham, two hundred and ninety.
For Senator for North Norfolk District : Six hundred and forty-six. Alpheus Hardy, Dorchester, three hundred and twelve. G. M. Brown, Dorchester, three hundred and thirty-four.
107
Special Meeting, November 22, 1860.
Representative to the General Court, Third Norfolk District : Six hundred and forty-three.
James Bartlett, one.
T. P. Chandler, one.
John A. Bird, seventy.
J. Murray Howe, one hundred and eighty-nine.
Edward R. Secomb, three hundred and eighty-two, and was declared to be elected to the next General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
In voting the check-list was used, and no person was allowed to deposit his vote until his name was found on the list and checked.
The business being all transacted, the returns were filled up and signed by the Selectmen and Town Clerk, and sealed up in open town meeting. They were then delivered to the Town Clerk to forward to their several places of destination.
The meeting was then declared dissolved, by James Bart- lett, Esq., chairman of the Board of Selectmen.
Dissolved.
Attest :
B. F. BAKER, Town Clerk.
SPECIAL MEETING, NOVEMBER 22, 1860.
-
ــالسلا SEAL.
WARRANT.
SEAL.1 SEAL.
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
SEAL.
NORFOLK, SS.
To either of the Constables of the Town of Brookline,
GREETING :
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby required to notify and warn the inhabitants of the town of Brookline, qualified to vote in elections, to meet at the Town Hall in said town, on Thursday, the twenty-second day of November, current, at seven of the clock in the evening, for the following purposes, to wit :
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Brookline Town Records.
First. To choose a Moderator.
Second. To see what action the town will take in relation to purchas- ing a piece of land for a common or park.
Third. To see if the town will authorize the Selectmen to purchase a thousand feet of hose for the fire department.
Fourth. To see if the town will raise and appropriate the money nec- essary for the foregoing purposes.
Hereof fail not, and make due return of this warrant with your doings thereon, to the Selectmen before or on the day of said meeting.
Given under our hands and seals at Brookline aforesaid, this twelfth day of November, in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and sixty.
JAMES BARTLETT, MARSHAL STEARNS, THOMAS PARSONS, N. G. CHAPIN, Selectmen of Brookline.
NORFOLK, SS.
BROOKLINE, Nov. 17, 1860.
By virtue hereof, I have notified the inhabitants of the town of Brook- line, herein described, to meet at the time and place and for the pur- poses within mentioned, by serving a copy of the within notice at each house in the town of Brookline.
R. A. CHACE, Constable of Brookline.
A true copy of the warrant and return.
Attest : B. F. BAKER, Town Clerk.
Pursuant to the foregoing warrant, the citizens of the town of Brookline assembled in the Town Hall on Thursday, the twenty-second day of November, eighteen hundred and sixty, and were called to order at seven o'clock, by the Town Clerk, who read the warrant and the return thereon, and presided during the election of a Moderator.
The First Article in the warrant was taken up by the Town Clerk.
Voted, That a Moderator be chosen by nomination.
The meeting nominated and chose for Moderator, William I. Bowditch, who took the chair.
109
Special Meeting, November 22, 1860.
The Second Article was then taken up, to wit :
To see what action the town will take in relation to purchasing a piece of land for a common or park.
On motion of Moses B. Williams, it was-
Voted, That a committee of six persons be appointed by the Chair, to take the whole subject into consideration, and report thereon at an adjourned meeting to be held one week from next Monday evening.
The Moderator appointed the following gentlemen to con- stitute said committee, viz. : Moses B. Williams, Henry Lee, Jr., Ginery Twichell, Isaac Taylor, George Bacon, and Charles Stearns, committee on purchasing a common.
Third Article taken up-to purchase a new hose.
On motion of Marshal Stearns, it was-
Voted, That the Town Treasurer be and hereby is author- ized to borrow the sum of one thousand dollars, to be placed in the hands of the Selectmen for the purchase of one thousand feet of hose for the use of the fire department.
On motion of Amos A. Lawrence-
Voted, That the said committee shall take into considera- tion the subject of draining and filling with clean gravel the low land in and about Pearl place, with reference to laying out thereupon a public square for the use of the inhabitants and for the public health ; provided the said lands which are not now in common can be purchased at a reasonable price. And that they shall ascertain and report at a further meet- ing in regard to such portions of land in other parts of the town as are suitable for public squares, and at what prices they can be purchased, to a number not exceeding ten in all.
Voted, That the foregoing committee be increased to twelve members, to be nominated at large.
The meeting nominated and chose the following gentle- men, viz. : Amos A. Lawrence, James Bartlett, James A. Dupee, William Aspinwall, M. P. Kennard, and Wilder Dwight, additional members of the committee on purchas- ing a common.
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Brookline Town Records.
Voted, To meet at the Town Hall on Monday evening, the third day of December next, at half-past seven o'clock.
Adjourned.
Attest : B. F. BAKER, Town Clerk.
ADJOURNED SPECIAL MEETING, DEC. 3, 1860.
Pursuant to adjournment, the citizens of the town of Brookline met at the Town Hall on Monday evening, De- cember the third, eighteen hundred and sixty, and were called to order by the Town Clerk, at seven and a half of the clock.
The Moderator, William I. Bowditch, resigned the office of Moderator.
The meeting nominated and chose for Moderator, William A. Wellman, and he accepted the office.
The Town Clerk then read the warrant calling the meet- ing and the return thereon, also the proceedings of the last meeting.
The committee on the subject-matter of the Second Article in the warrant calling the meeting, made the following report :
REPORT.
BROOKLINE, December 3d, 1860.
The committee appointed by the town on the 22d ult. to report on the expediency of purchasing one or more parcels of land for public squares, and upon the drainage and improvements of the neighborhood of Pearl place, would report that they have carefully attended to the duties assigned them, and respectfully submit the following results of their labors :
First. Your committee are unanimous in their recommendation to the town to purchase one or more pieces of land for public uses. Especially they believe it to be the duty of the town to provide a suitable spot for a training field, and to furnish the several schools with sufficient play- ground, that the pupils may not be driven into the streets or be tempted to trespass upon private property. . Acting under these views, your
111
Adjourned Special Meeting, December 3, 1860.
committee have examined with care all the tracts of land which have been suggested as available for these purposes in various parts of the town, and report them, with the prices at which they are severally offered for sale, as follows :
1st. A lot owned by Col. Aspinwall, on Harvard street between Aspin- wall avenue and the estate of George F. Homer, containing (60,000 feet) sixty thousand square feet ; price, 20c. per foot.
2d. A lot owned by Col. Aspinwall, situated on the Mill Dam road near Pearl place, containing about 60,000 feet; price, 10c. per foot.
3d. A lot owned by Mr. Bradley, on the corner of Harvard and Marion streets, containing 50,000 to 60,000 feet; price, 14c. per foot ; with lot adjoining, belonging to Dr. Wild, about the same size, which can propably be purchased at 10c. per foot.
4th. A lot owned by Thomas Griggs, on Harvard street near Mr. Selfridge's, containing four and a half acres ; price, 8c. per foot.
5th. A lot owned by Thomas Griggs, on Beacon street near Mrs. Mellen's, two acres ; price, 8c. per foot.
6th. A lot owned by Thomas Griggs, between Beacon and Webster streets, one acre; price, 10c. per foot.
7th. A lot owned by Charles Stearns, the triangular piece on Harvard street, near his house, one acre; price, 10c. per foot.
8th. A lot owned by Samuel A. Walker, on Hyde Park, five acres ; price not obtained.
9th. A lot on the Jones farm, on the westerly side of Cypress street, eleven and 43-100 acres ; price, $2,800 per acre.
10th. Three lots on Boylston street, extending from estate of Benj. Goddard to Cypress street : 1. Bradley Hill, owned by Mr. Hart; price, 14c. per foot. 2. Seven acres, owned by Mr. Philbrick; price, 5c. per foot. 3. Three acres, owned by the Davis heirs; price, $2000 per acre.
11th. A lot of Nathaniel Francis, on Walnut street, adjoining school- house near Dr. Hedge's church, 42,000 feet, at 10c. per foot.
Second. Your committee recommend the purchase by the town of the 11 43-100 acres of the Jones farm, at a price not exceeding $23,000, or of the lots extending from the Goddard estate to Cypress street, about 15} acres, at an aggregate of not exceeding $37,500.
Your committee would suggest that the Bradley Hill tract offers very desirable locations for a Town House, or for other public buildings, upon that part of it bounding upon Cypress street, and that either this tract or the Jones-farm lot could be made suitable for a training field.
Third. Your committee are decidedly of the opinion that if the school- house near Dr. Hedge's church is to be maintained, the land adjoining, of Mr. Francis, should be purchased as a playground for the pupils, otherwise the school should be abandoned.
Fourth. In relation to the matter of the improvement of Pearl place, your committee recommend the town to pass the following votes :
Voted, That the Selectmen be directed to purchase a piece of land in or near Pearl place, of about one acre, for a public square, provided it can be done at reasonable cost, and that they be instructed to adopt, as soon as may be judicious, methods of drainage of that neighborhood.
Voted, That the sum of $6,000 be appropriated for these purposes.
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Brookline Town Records.
Fifth. Your committee further recommend the adoption of the fol- lowing vote :
Voted, That the sum of $- be appropriated for the carrying out of such purposes as have not been already provided for.
Signed, MOSES B. WILLIAMS, Chairman. JAMES A. DUPEE, Secretary. For the Committee.
Voted, To accept the foregoing report.
Voted, That the several recommendations of the commit- tee be taken up in order.
The first recommendation of the committee was then taken up, to wit :
First. Your committee are unanimous in their recommendation to the town to purchase one or more pieces of land for public uses.
Voted, That the question on the adoption of the foregoing recommendations be taken by Yeas and Nays.
At the request of the Moderator, William Aspinwall called the names on the list.
The result of the voting was as follows, viz. :
Yeas, one hundred and fifteen ;
Nays, one hundred and thirty ;
-and thereby defeating the recommendations of the com- mittee.
Voted, That the thanks of the town be presented to the committee for their careful and arduous duties in preparing the foregoing report.
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