USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Warwick > Warwick, Massachusetts; biography of a town, 1763-1963 > Part 17
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Wilfred Benoit accepted the post of Chief Observer and Mrs. Fred R. Lincoln became his assistant. These with many others saw that the post was manned though it was by no means an easy assignment. It was extremely difficult to find people in a small town willing to spend from two to four hours sitting in the small building, to be constantly on the alert for planes flying overhead; to observe their number, type, size and direction in which they were going and immediately to telephone the description to the filter station in Albany, New York.
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There were times, of course, when it was impossible to find volunteers for the entire 24 hours daily. Nevertheless the logbook showed a 70 percent coverage of the 24 hour vigil. This was accomplished by about 15 observers from Warwick, assisted by some observers from Orange.
In 1957 a representative from the Manchester, New Hamp- shire, filter station attended a Parent Teachers Association meet- ing in Warwick and presented pins to Ralph Witherell, Flora Witherell, Harry C. Earle, Alice Durkee and Janet Shepardson for serving 250 hours each as observers. George D. Shepardson, Jr., Post Supervisor, received a certificate recognizing his service of 750 hours as an observer.
On January 31, 1959 the State Civil Defense notified Shepard- son the present radar network would give assurance that enemy planes would be detected before they reached the country so the post could be deactivated.
The old blacksmith shop had served as a highway garage and repair shop for over 30 years. None of its present visitors had any affection for it even though as boys they might have stood in the door and watched the blacksmith make the sparks fly. It was a miserable place to work on the town trucks, and the place was ready to collapse about them.
Lee J. Dresser, the Road Superintendent, had repeatedly com- plained about it and finally, after the town bought the Allen property in 1948, he succeeded in having the town vote to appro- priate $500 to be used to cut timber on the property. The money received from the sale of the timber or the lumber would be used toward the construction of a town garage.
He now had his foot in the door and his next step was to have a committee of three appointed, consisting of himself, G. S. Anderson and O. N. Ohlson, to draw plans for a garage. Dresser was authorized to proceed with the necessary excavation, using highway equipment.
At a special town meeting this committee reported some pro- gress, but requested that the town discharge it from further duty. This was done and a new committee appointed to determine the
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estimated cost of the garage. As a result of the report of this committee, the town voted in 1955 to appropriate $4850 to construct the building as requested. When contractors were asked to submit actual bids, however, it was found that the amount appropriated was much too small. Here, with schoolhouse con- struction problems being much more pressing, all action ceased on the garage plans.
Dresser bided his time until the schoolhouse addition had been completed and then under his highway report in the annual town report of 1957 he thanked the town for the new garage. Con- sidering that the construction of the garage had not yet been started, the sarcastic report spurred the town into action. When the annual town meeting was held the town voted to discharge the old committee appointed in 1954. A new committee of five, consisting of Albert H. Stoddard, chairman, Carl Nordstedt, Ralph W. Witherell, Donald Belsky and Charles E. Lincoln, Jr., was authorized to prepare plans, determine the cost and report.
The committee lost no time and reported on April 7, 1958. They were instructed to proceed with the construction, and an additional sum of $3500 was voted. Stoddard now declined to continue as chairman and Charles E. Lincoln, Jr. replaced him. The garage was completed speedily and occupied before winter arrived. It is of ample size and well constructed to answer the needs of the highway department for years to come. The com- mittee is to be congratulated on a job well done.
In 1962 the State Department of Correction proposed esta- blishing a prison camp on the site of the old Transient Camp on the Richmond road. This camp, similar to two others already established, would be used to house prisoners with good records during the final days of their imprisonment. Very slight restric- tions would be placed on them and privileges would be granted with the aim of assisting them in their rehabilitation.
They would work under the direction of foresters and the Department of Natural Resources on state-owned land. Reforest- ation and conservation work would be furthered as well as the development of state parks and picinic areas.
One building is to be erected to house 50 inmates and a staff
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of 11 men. It will have sleeping quarters, a kitchen and dining facilities, office and hospital. The basement will have recreation and laundry facilities.
A public hearing was held at the town hall, with both State Commissioners present, and the proposal was thoroughly discus- sed. Public opinion was heavily in favor of the plan, many having been convinced that the project would be a benefit to the town. As we write construction is expected to begin immediately.
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PART TWO ACTIVITIES
16 RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
First Congregational Unitarian Church of Warwick
THE STORY of how the old orthodox church, organized in 1760, became Unitarian under the pastorate of Reverend Pre- served Smith during the 1820's has been told, and also the builidng of the present church in 1836. Its subsequent history to the present day is typical of the struggle to exist that all rural churches in small towns with a dwindling population have experi- enced.
The Reverend Smith continued to serve as pastor until 1844 when diminishing financial support caused him to leave. A long succession of pastors followed, none of whom remained long.
In 1835 the Unitarians voted to invite the Universalists to add their subscription money to that of the First Parish and Religious Society toward supporting a minister. The minister was to exchange with Universalist ministers according to the proportion of the two funds. The plan failed to be accepted however.
The following year a somewhat similar attempt was made to unite with the Trinitarian Congregational Church in supporting alternating services between the two churches. It also came to naught.
The church was extensively repaired and painted in 1859 under the direction of Ira Draper, Hervey Barber and N. E. Stevens.
From 1860 to 1867 the church was fortunate in having the services of an able man during the trying years of the Civil War, Reverend Increase Lincoln. His own son, Sumner Lincoln, ser- ved throughout the war, rising from private to Lieutenant Colonel in a Vermont regiment.
In 1871 women were admitted to parish membership with the same privileges as male members.
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In 1884 a Howard clock was given to the town in memory of Mrs. Blake Clapp, a daughter of Jonathan Blake, Jr. Mrs. Clapp had previously given the church generous contributions to be invested, the interest to be used to support the church. Her daughters have made similar gifts .. The clock was placed in the steeple and is maintained by the town. The office of Bell Ringer was replaced by that of Caretaker of the Town Clock.
Mrs. Julia Ball Thayer of Keene, New Hampshire, the daugh- ter of David Ball, gave a bequest of $1,000 in 1905 and in 1907 Mrs. Rebecca Trask of Boston gave a similar sum.
The Delva property was bought to serve as a parsonage in 1898 from a gift of money received from Frederick Smith, a grandson of Preserved Smith. In 1922, during the period when the church was federated with the Trinitarian Congregational Church, an excellent pipe organ was bought from the Brattleboro Unitarian Church for $500. This was a joint undertaking of the two churches.
There were two distinct organizations in the church: namely the Unitarian Church and the Parish Society. The former had become neglected gradually but was revived in 1910. A church covenant and by-laws were drawn up by a committee consisting of Miss Clara A. Jones, Leslie W. Green and Miss Rhoda Cook, and adopted by the Parish. The Parish Society recognized the church organization and granted it several functions. These were withdrawn in 1915 when it was found that the church had been illegally formed. A new set of by-laws was prepared by Clara A. Jones, Mary A. Tyler and Etta M. T. Bass and accepted in 1917. These remained in force until 1935 when they were replaced by a new set prepared by Etta M. T. Bass, Mary C. Cole and Fred- erick A. Lincoln. These are in use at present.
The mutual difficulties under which the Unitarian and Con- gregational churches labored caused them to agree to hold union services in 1917. These services were to be held one month in one church and the next month in the other. Later this was changed and services were held six months at a time in each church. Both churches retained their own pastors, who arranged the services between them. This arrangement was so satisfactory
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that the decision was made to federate the two churches under one pastor.
This was accomplished January 31, 1921, the union being known as the Federated Church of Warwick. Each church, how- ever, maintained its own organization and elected three mem- bers each to comprise a joint committee who, with the pastor, made the necessary decisions on the church management. Either of the two churches had the right to terminate the federation upon giving six months' notice to the other.
The federation proved successful until 1933 when dissension arose over the actions of Reverend Merritt Buckingham, a Con- gregational minister. As a result, the First Parish and Religious Society withdrew from the federation, effective December 27, 1934.
The actual membership of the Unitarian Church had decreased in 1933 to one, a Mrs. Julia E. Proctor who lived in Antrim, New Hampshire. The Parish Society however had many members who had not joined the church. On April 19 five of these people journeyed to Antrim and Mrs. Proctor admitted them to church membership. They in turn admitted others, bringing the membership to 14. Eleven more were added in 1936.
The centennial of the church building was celebrated in 1936 with fitting ceremony. Reverend Edward McGlennen, recently installed, prepared an excellent history of the church for the occasion which was read during the exercises. The 100th anniver- sary of the dedication was observed in January, 1937.
The Reverend Raymond Conley succeeded Reverend McGlennen in 1938 and served two years. He was followed by Reverend Samuel Elberfeld in 1940 who remained until 1945. From that year, services generally were held only during the months of July and August when visiting ministers were available to supply the pulpit, and at Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Palm Sunday and Easter. An active Sunday School and Young People's Religious group were carried on throughout the year, and close affiliation with the Connecticut Valley Conference of Unitarian Churches was maintained.
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During the pastorate of Reverend Raymond Conley in 1938 Mrs. Conley was instrumental in reorganizing the women of the Unitarian Church into a society to assist in carrying on the activities of the church. The first president was Barbara L. Hol- brook and the remaining officers were Gladys Dresser, vice presi- dent; Mrs. Conley, secretary; Florence Lincoln, treasurer. The organization has been more or less active to the present time. When the churches became federated the second time, the mem- bership included women from both churches. Today Mrs. Jacqueline Hadsel is president; Agnes Hubbard, vice-president; Lois Lincoln, secretary; and June Smart, treasurer.
The Unitarian First Parish and Religious Society of Warwick also maintains its organization with the following officers serving today: Barbara L. Holbrook, clerk; Jacqueline Hadsel, treas- urer; Paul Hadsel, Joseph Stevens and Ralph F. Holbrook, mem- bers of the Joint Committee.
Trinitarian Congregational Church
When the First Orthodox Church under the leadership of Reverend Preserved Smith accepted the Unitarian doctrine, those who clung to the old beliefs gradually withdrew. As their num- ber increased they decided to form a second church founded on the creed of the original one. Under the leadership of William Burnett, Jr., John and Francis Leonard, William Howard and Ansel Lesure, a warrant was issued requesting a meeting of members to elect officers. Apparently some form of organization was in existence prior to the first recorded meeting.
This meeting was held at the home of John Leonard, Feb- ruary 16, 1829. The following April an ecclesiastical council of neighboring ministers was requested to aid in forming a church, stating "that in the usual place of worship in this town they are deprived of the privilege of hearing those doctrines which in their view are the essential truths of the Gospel." (Trinitarian Church Rec., Vol I, 1829-1859)
The church was formally organized June, 9, 1829, under the name of the Trinitarian Congregational Church of Warwick. Services were held at the abandoned tavern until 1832. Then
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a committee composed of Ansel Lesure, Francis Leonard and Appolus Root was instructed to collect funds, provide necessary materials and build a meeting house. This was located in the upper village, north of the present Dresser residence.
It was completed in 1833 and the Reverend Samuel Kingsbury was installed as the first pastor at an annual salary of $300. Dismissed in 1833, he was succeeded immediately by Reverend Roger C. Hatch, who served until ill health caused his retirement in 1853. He continued to reside in town and his daughter became the wife of Honorable William Windom, who was Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Garfield and Harrison. Her daughter left a bequest to the Warwick Library in memory of her mother in 1959.
Reverend H. M. Bridges was pastor from 1854 to 1860. In 1856 the church offered to deed land adjoining the church on the south side to anyone who would build a house giving the church the privilege of renting it for a parsonage. Deacon George W. Moore accepted the offer; the house was eventually bought by the church in 1876.
The following ministers served the church until 1890 when a gap occurs in the records until 1905: E. H. Blanchard, 1860- 1868; E. B. Bassett 1869-1874; S. W. Clarke, 1874-1876; John H. Garmon, 1876-1881; E. Squires, 1882-1889. The world famous evangelist Dwight L. Moody and his choir director Ira Sankey conducted a service at the church August 24, 1889 and again in 1890. The Northfield Congregational Church presented the Warwick church with a bell in 1889 which was drawn on a sled by the oxen of Deacon Chase. It was hung in the steeple erected to receive it on August 30 with fitting ceremony.
Reverend John Graham was pastor from 1904-1912, Anson Buzzell, 1912-1917, and Ralph H. Abercrombie, 1917-1920.
The church was incorporated by the state in 1917 and the parish society transferred its property to the church. The society was then dissolved.
On November 1, 1917 the Trinitarian Congregational Church voted to invite the First Parish and Religious Society of the Uni- tarian Church to join with them in holding alternate services.
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How this arrangement resulted in the Federated Church of War- wick has been described in the history of the Unitarian Church.
Reverend Granville Pierce was the first pastor of the Feder- ated Church. He was followed by Frederick Crane, Albert E. Mobbs, Clifford Newton, Arthur Wildes and Merritt Bucking- ham.
In January, 1922 the Congregational Church being in need of major repairs, it was decided to hold all services in the Uni- tarian Church. Finally the building was razed in 1929, and the land and adjoining parsonage sold. Thus when the federation dis- solved the Congregationalists found themselves with no church and only small invested funds to carry on future activities.
Under the leadership of Reverend Harlan P. Metcalf, a retired Congregational minister, they held services in the Goldsbury and Francis homesteads and the Pulcifer barn in 1935 and 1936. Shortly after the death of Reverend Metcalf on May 16, 1936, the decision was made to purchase the old residence once the home of Reverend Preserved Smith and convert it into a chapel. Subscriptions were solicited, and aided by a loan from the Con- gregational Building Society the necessary funds were raised. The building, named the Metcalf Memorial Chapel in honor of its late pastor, was dedicated August 29, 1937.
The following ministers have served since that date: William H. Giebel, 1937-1942; Harry Erickson, Judson Stent, Loring Chase and Chester Seamans, 1943-1951. All of these were either retired ministers or were connected with the Mount Hermon School and all resided in Northfield. Supply pastors were also sent by Reverend Kenneth Beckwith, field secretary for the Mas- sachusetts Congregational Conference.
In 1952 Richard Andrews, a student from the University of Massachusetts, began to conduct services. The following year members of both churches began to feel that the time had been reached when it might be possible to worship together for the best advancement of the religious life of the town. As a result Norman Durkee, Janet Shepardson and J. Arthur Francis were instructed to meet with a similar committee from the Unitarian Church composed of Ralph Holbrook, Joseph Stevens and Albert Stoddard to discuss the possibility.
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The committee reported November 7, 1954, and the joint recommendation that joint services be held six months of the year in each church was unanimously adopted. Richard Andrews continued as pastoral supply until 1955. These joint services, being satisfactory, were continued, and on September 9, 1957 a meeting was held to discuss the question of again formally joining a federation with the Unitarian Church. A committee composed of J. Arthur Francis, Howard Anderson and Janet Shepardson were instructed to meet with the members of the Unitarian committee and draw up Articles of Federation. These articles were later approved by both churches for a two-year trial period, and the federation began November 1, 1957.
The Trinitarian Congregational Church maintains its organiza- tion with the following officers at the present time: Grace C. Morse, clerk; Howard Anderson, treasurer; Anderson, Marian Copeland and Fred Voorhees, members of the joint committee.
Federated Church Of Warwick
The first attempt made by the Trinitarian Congregational Church and the Unitarian Church to join together in a Feder- ated Church was made in 1921. The conditions that brought about this step have been discussed under the historical sketch of the First Congregational Unitarian Church. The groundwork for this step had been made in the fall of 1917 when the dwind- ling congregations of both churches forced the members to real- ize the benefit to be derived from joint services.
On November 1 the Congregational Church voted to extend an invitation to the First Parish and Religious Society of the Unitarian Church to worship with them during the winter. The two pastors were to conduct the services on alternate Sabbaths. The arrangement proved successful and the services were con- tinued until October, 1920. Relations between the two churches had been so harmonious that gradually the opinion grew that a federation of the churches was practical.
As a result a constitution was drafted and submitted to the two churches for approval in January, 1921. The constitution as adopted stated that "in order to better fulfill their common
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mission to the Community, to conserve the resources of the King- dom of God and to promote the unity of his disciples for which Christ prayed, do hereby adopt the following Articles of Agree- ment and constitute themselves the Federated Church of War- wick."
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They agreed to unite for the support of one pastor and the maintenance of one program of work and worship. A Joint Com- mittee composed of three members elected by each church had charge of all business affairs, was to have the use of land and buildings and the income of all invested funds. Four members of the Joint Committee constituted a quorum provided that each church was represented by two members. The committee elected a chairman, a secretary and a treasurer. Each church maintained its own organization as formerly and each had the right to with- draw from the federation upon giving six months' notice to the other. These briefly were the principal articles of the federation.
The Reverend Granville Pierce, the incumbent Unitarian minister, was the first pastor. The first year services were held during the winter season in the Congregational Church from Thanksgiving Day until Palm Sunday. The remainder of the year the Unitarian Church was used. Services were conducted also at the Brush Valley schoolhouse on Sunday afternoons. The following year it was decided that all the services in the village should be held at the Unitarian Church.
Reverend Pierce remained as pastor only a few months. He was succeeded by Frederick Crane who served four years until 1924; Albert E. Mobbs, 1924; Clifford Newton, 1925 to 1929; Arthur D. Wildes, 1929 to 1931; and Merritt S. Buckingham, 1932 to 1934 followed.
During the pastorate of Reverend Buckingham, the first Con- gregational minister hired by the Federation, the members of the church became dissatisfied. He presented his resignation but insisted on continuing as pastor another six months if he so desired. The church voted to accept the resignation, 21 to 17, but a disagreement now developed between the two churches as to the six months' period. Let it suffice to say that on June 26, 1934 the Trinitarian Church was notified that the First Parish and
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Religious Society had voted 12 to 2 to withdraw from the Fed- eration, to take effect six months from date.
The years passed by and gradually the bitterness faded away. The story of how the two churches endeavored to carry on has been told already, and so we come to the year 1954. The first steps taken toward a second union of the two churches consisted of an agreement to hold joint services. From November 1 through the month of April the Metcalf Chapel was to be used, and the remainder of the year the services were to be in the Unitarian Church. Each church was to use its own order of worship, but the pulpit would be filled by Richard Andrews who had been supplying the Congregational Church since 1952. This arrangement began November 1, 1954 and continued until the fall of 1956. Mr. Andrews resigned in June, 1955 and numerous supply laymen then filled the pulpit under the direction of Rev- erend Kenneth Beckwith, the Congregational Field Secretary.
During this period the arrangements for the union services had been under the direction of a Joint Committee similar to the one in the first Federated Church. J. A. Francis, Norman Durkee and Janet Shepardson of the Congregational Church met with Ralph Holbrook, Joseph Stevens and Albert Stoddard of the First Parish. In May, 1957 Howard Anderson replaced Norman Durkee, and it was this group with Albert Stoddard as chairman and Janet Shepardson as secretary who revised the old constitu- tion and articles that had governed the administration of the first federation.
The result of their deliberations was submitted to the two churches for approval and adopted by both in October, 1957. Only minor changes had been made in the original articles. The first article that had read "First Parish and Religious Society" now read "Unitarian Church." The date of the annual meeting was changed from May 1 to November 1 when the new federa- tion would become effective. The federation was to remain in effect for a period of two years before any action could be taken to continue or dissolve it. The two churches continued to main- tain their individual organizations and the duties of the Joint Committee were unchanged.
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The Reverend Randall Gibson was installed as the first settled pastor at a salary of $3000 and the use of the Unitarian parson- age. Charles A. Morse was chosen treasurer of the Federated Church, and under the leadership of Ralph L. Holbrook a canvas of the town resulted in financial pledges which, with the interest from the joint invested funds of the churches, promised to put the Federated Church on a firm footing.
Unfortunately the Reverend Gibson resigned in March, and all efforts to secure a resident minister to replace him failed until the Reverend Eino Friberg, a blind Universalist minister, was engaged July 9, 1962. During the interval numerous supplies have occupied the pulpit during the winter months. These include William Dickenson, Henry Baerman, Doctor Robert H. Bryant, Reverend Henderson and Reverend Ray DeP. Haas. During the summer months from June to October, the Reverend Thomas S. Cleaver, a retired minister spending his winters in Florida, has served as pastor.
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