USA > Maine > Kennebec County > Gardiner > Christ Church, Gardiner, Maine : antecedents and history > Part 6
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Some of the minor business transactions of the town bear the mark of originality : for example, the purchase of the land for "Davis' Block," which, with its corner-sign of the great hat, has so long been one of the city's distinguishing features. This tract was bought of Mr. Gardiner by Mr. Jacob Davis, and the price, $350.00, was, according to agreement, paid in hats.
In the year 1804, the Episcopal Church of St. Ann's received a gift, valuable in itself, and doubly so because of the event which it commemorated. During Mr. Gardiner's life at Harvard and his trip upon the Continent, he had been more or less under the in- fluence of the French rationalism which so strongly affected the religious tone of the age, and on that account, had refrained from uniting with the Church of his fathers. He may have found God in the silence of his woodland home ;ยท at all events,
"He faced the spectres of the mind And laid them : thus he came at length 'To find a stronger faith his own."
As soon as he could conscientiously do so he became a member of the Episcopal Church, and it was then that he presented St. Ann's with a silver communion service, inscribed with the date and the name of the giver. These pieces were in use until 1864, when, since they were of enormous size, it was thought best to have them melted, and remade in a more convenient pattern. The parish, however, still possesses unchanged the large silver paten, on the
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bottom of which is engraved, "The gift of R. Hallowell Gardiner to St. Ann's Church, Gardiner, 1804." It bears the mark of Pitman, a London maker, and is considered extremely valuable. Among the Church property is also an apostle spoon of solid gold, which was given by the Gardiner family, and is of great age.
The beauty of Mr. Gardiner's character found its best expression in his future dealings with the House of the Lord. For nearly sixty years he was the stay of Gardiner's Church, and a staunch supporter of her teachings in many parts of the country. Both the clergymen of the parish and those who have visited the place bear grateful witness to his tireless hospitality and precious friendship. First at the house built by his father on the east side of the Ken- nebec (where Mr. Frank Stevens now lives), then at the cottage in Gardiner, upon the "river road," and later at the "Oaklands," Mr. Gardiner attracted to himself the best of Maine's people. To the student of our local history, it is scarcely possible to over-rate the influence exercised by the "Squire" and his gentle wife upon all around themn.
An act, passed by the Court of Massachusetts in 1807, gave per- mission to the wardens of St. Ann's Parish to commute the annual legacy of $124.00 arising from rent and proceeds of lands left by Dr. Gardiner for the use of the Church, so far as to receive any sum of equal value from his heirs ; also to sell or lease "lands, tene- ments, or hereditaments, which by commutation as aforesaid or otherwise" belong to the society, and to form from the proceeds a ministerial fund, whose interest should be used for the support of public worship in the society.
Mr. Haskell resigned his position in the summer of 1809. For two years the Church was without a rector and the services were discontinued.
Not long after the withdrawal of Mr. Haskell the people of the town began to show interest in the teachings of a certain Mr. Aaron Humphrey, a young Methodist minister. There is still ex- tant "A List of Persons highering Mr. Humphrey to Preach," wherein it is duly set forth that "the subscribers, being desirous to promote good order and regularity and the due observance of the sabath have agreed with the Revend. Mr. Humphries to preach with us at the school House near the Church in Gardiner every other sabath for the term of one year." This document is dated May 25, 1809, and is signed by about forty men, a few of whom were attendants of the Episcopal Church.
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Mr. Humphrey must have proved an attractive preacher, for in May, 1810, the parish of St. Ann's invited him to officiate one year for them in the Church, though not until he had promised to take orders in the near future. He was soon ordained a Deacon, and the Wardens, Messrs. R. H. Gardiner, Stephen Jewett, and Simon Bradstreet, were directed "respectfully to request the Reverend Bishop and other clergy of the Eastern Diocese to ad- mit him to an Episcopal ordination." This having been done, he continued to act as Rector of the Parish with a salary of $330.00, until the month of April, 1814 ; when, at the desire of the Parish, he resigned his position. In after years, Mr. Humphrey minis- tered in a "very flourishing" Episcopal Society at Lenox, Mass., and, as a preacher, was evidently possessed of much talent.
During the autumn of 1815, the pulpit was filled by the Rev. George Leonard ; and there were some who were in favor of inviting him to settle ; but, as opinions upon this point were not unani- mous, no further measures were taken; and the Church was with- out a pastor for about three years. Weekly services, however, were regularly held, and in the absence of other lay-readers, Mr. Gardi- ner did long duty in that capacity, thus keeping alive the parish interest during a season elsewhere fraught with spiritual dearth. There were, too, occasional sermons, preached in the Church by clergymen of other denominations. Among these was the famous " Parson Gillett" of Hallowell, the Secretary of the Maine Mission- ary Society, and the leading character in several romantic stories. On Christmas Day, 1815, it is recorded that Mr. Gillett delivered " a very excellent sermon " in St. Ann's Church.
It is a noticeable fact, in a time so deeply scarred with the traces of religious battles as were the years between 1790 and 1820, that Maine's Episcopalians should have kept such a neutral ground. Not only did our people invite the co-operation of the sects, but they also found much to admire in their beliefs. By one of the later rectors it was said, with reference to a sermon of another doctrine than his own, in whose reading the parish had taken great delight; "Ah, yes ! they didn't recognize the cloven foot until it was pointed out !"
It may be that this peculiar state of affairs called the attention of the higher officers of the church. In the year 1810 had been formed the "Eastern Diocese," embracing the parishes of Ver- mont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Com- missioners were appointed to inquire into the condition of north-
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ern Episcopalianism, and their report, dated 1811, indicates some- thing of that nature. The commissioners say :
" Although in these States, now formed into a diocese, some ir- regularities have taken place, and there has been a want of atten- tion to the Canons and Rules of the Church, yet the arrangements lately formed and the exertions made to organize the Church, and to obtain for it an Episcopal head, yield a ground of hope that this branch of the Church of Christ will not only pre- serve, but even extend more and more the light of the blessed Gospel."
It was during the lack of regular ministrations in Gardiner that the apostolic Bishop Griswold made his first visits to Maine. There were only twenty-two parishes in his diocese, and his mission- ary tours among them were attended by all the difficulties of trav- eling and lack of spiritual aid that may be imagined in a barren frontier country. The work of evangelism would have been im- possible to one not possessed of the new Bishop's uncommon for- titude, and acquaintance with the hard things of life. So courteous was he, so kind, so saintly, that with all his dignity, he was loved and welcomed with delight throughout his diocese ; whether he came, as he often did, to baptize and confirm the children of the fold under the green canopy of the uncleared forests, or whether he graced the pulpit of some little Church in the newly settled coun- try. Wherever he went, he was sure of a warm greeting from the little ones, who clung lovingly to him, unawed by the dignity of an office which revealed such sweetness of spirit. His first visitation to Gardiner was in August, 1817, when he confirmed twelve per- sons. It was doubtless due to the interest which he showed in the brave little parish, and in the efforts of the Senior Warden to sus- tain it in its struggle for existence, that the appointment of an able rector was secured in the fall of the same year.
The Rev. Gideon Wanton Olney had, during the summer, visited Gardiner, and the people had been so won by his appearance, that his assumption of the rectorate of St. Ann's was a subject for universal rejoicing. He was duly instituted by the Rev. Mr. Burroughs of Portsmouth, N. H., and began his work in the parish, with a salary of $700.00. By some of the older church-members he is described as a man of light complexion, with expressive blue eyes, a voice of great power and sweetness, and a peculiarly at- tractive personality. The energy of his measures and the per- suasive eloquence of his discourses were not long in bringing about
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a marked change in the condition of the parish. In the first year of his ministration his hearers crowded the Church to overflowing, and plans for a new building were earnestly discussed.
Gardiner, at this date, boasted of a social circle that was sel- dom equalled in a town of its size. For years it had been a fa- vorite stopping-place for travellers of culture whom business or pleasure led to the northern states. For such as these, the longed- for destination was the new river-side home of Mr. Gardiner, with its romantic, rambling style of architecture, its garden of beautiful shrubs and rich foreign blooms, all made infinitely more enjoyable by the cordial welcome with which the guest was sure to meet at the hands of the hospitable owner.
Besides this home of refinement, one could scarcely have been in Gardiner without noting, farther up the river, the mansions owned by the Hon. George Evans, and by the Allen family. The name of Evans is such a familiar one in history, that its recurrence in the records of the parish carries with it a great significance ; and, as we may well suppose, the influence of this second Daniel Webster in the little community must have been weighty, both as regarded spiritual and temporal matters. Mrs. Evans, too, with her comeliness and highly educated tastes, was a great power in the town.
The Allens, themselves nearly related to the Gardiner family, have long been famed in the city's history as aristocrats of the fine old school. The father, with his forensic talents and courtly ways, the mother, with her striking, unusual face, and literary accom- plishments, and the circle of their children and friends, must all have aided to raise the standard of the Church as well as the town to which they belonged.
In the same neighborhood lived Dr. Parker, a land owner of Farmingdale, once widely known for his skill in medicine, and for his mechanical inventions.
" Nobility Hill," the rising ground near the Church was dubbed by the dwellers on the further side of the Cobbossee,-the " Jor- dan," in their parlance ;- and, in truth, though the name was not given altogether in a pleasant spirit, there were, in the olden times, many of Gardiner's people who merited the title of noble- men. Besides those whom we have already mentioned, the Church chronicles in her fragmentary lists many names that have proved their worth in the story of the decades. Grant and Bradstreet, Swan and Davis, Williamson and Jewett, Kingsbury and Holman,
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Tarbox and Moore, Byram and Gay ; are these not titles of nobili- ty in our history? One of the early members of the Episcopal society was Dr. Enoch Hale, whose wife is buried in the old churchyard. He was an uncle of Dr. Edward Everett Hale, and afterwards gained eminence as a physician in Boston.
Hallowell and Augusta played an important part in the socfal life of Gardiner. The Vaughans and the Merricks, of Hallowell ; the Howards, Westons, Bridges, Conys, Williams, and Lambards, of Augusta, were frequent visitors; and, as there was no other Episcopal Church in the vicinity, many of them communed at St. Ann's, and, later, at the stone Church. Mr. Merrick, it is said, often came to the city to train the choir; and all who ever saw him, describe at length his strikingly erect figure, and beautiful face, surrounded by white silky locks that floated to his shoulders.
For some time after coming to Gardiner, Mr. Olney boarded at the house of Mr. Jacob Davis, walking, at service times, from thence to the Church, dressed in his ministerial robe, as St. Ann's possessed no vestry.
The ritual of the little parish must have been a singularly in- formal one at that early date, if we may judge by the anecdotes that have come down to us. One young gentleman of some re- pute in the neighborhood, was about to be married, and rode to St. Ann's on horseback, perhaps intending to bear away his bride on a pillion. He fastened his steed securely, and hastened in to the ceremony. The minister had begun the fateful words, when some one, rushing into the Church, caught the bridegroom's arm, and whispered to him that his horse, fretted by the flies outside, had caught his foot in the stirrup. Leaving the nuptial knot half tied, the young "Squire " ran to the rescue, and after a few min- utes' delay, returned for the conclusion of the sacred rite.
The need of a larger Church became more and more pressing, as the enthusiasm of the new rector attracted an increasing num- ber of hearers. At last it was decided to begin the undertaking, since it seemed probable that the expenses of construction could be defrayed by the rent of the pews. Plans for the new " Christ Church " were drawn by the Rev. Samuel Farmar Jarvis, D. D., and in the spring of 1819, the ceremony of laying the corner stone took place. It was made an occasion of rejoicing, and is thus de- scribed in the Portland Gazette of Tuesday, June 15th, 1819 :
"On Monday, the 31st ultima, the Corner Stone of *Christ Church, a new stone edifice now erecting in Gardiner, (Maine)
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was laid by the Wardens and Vestry of the same. The inter- esting ceremonies were commenced with appropriate religious ceremonies in the present Church by the Rev. Gideon W. Olney, the Rector, and an Anthem by the Choir of Singers. A process- ion was then formed, who proceeded to the site of the new build- ing in the following manner : Choir of Singers ; Rev. Mr. Olney and Neighboring Clergy ; Hon. Judge Putnam and D. A. Tyng, Esq., of the Supreme Judicial Court ; High Sheriff of the County ; Master Mason and Master Carpenter ; Members of the Society ; Strangers .- On reaching the spot the singers arranged themselves upon each side of the stage, which was placed upon the founda- tion, and the Officers, etc., in the procession ascended the same. The 100th Psalm from the collection was then sung, and Prayer and an exhortation were offered by the Rector, after which the Senior Warden deposited the Plate, named the Building and laid the stone, (aided by the Master Mason and his assistants) and made an occasional address to the Audience : the services were concluded by singing.
The collection of people was very great ; who appeared much gratified with the performances and with the rising prospects of this Church.
*The walls of this building are to be constructed entirely of granite of an excellent quality ; which is obtained from an exten- sive quarry in the neighborhood; the order of Architecture is Gothick, and for neatness and elegance it is presumed the plan of this Church will not suffer by comparison with any one now erected in the Country."
On the 18th of October, 1820, the Church was consecrated by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Grisworld, seven other clergymen being in at- tendance. Of this ceremony, too, there is an account, said to have been written by Mr. Gardiner, and published in the Christian Journal and Literary Register for January, 1821. As the Church, with the exception of a new one in Hartford, Conn., was then the only example of Gothic architecture in New England, it has seemed best to reproduce this article, which shows how much the building attracted the attention of all, and how beautiful. it was considered at that time.
"CHRIST CHURCH, GARDINER.
On Wednesday, the 18th of October, the festival of St. Luke the Evangelist, Christ Church at Gardiner, in the State of Maine, was
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solemnly consecrated to the service of Almighty God, by the Rt. Rev. the Bishop of the Eastern Diocese. Notwithstanding the badness of the roads, occasioned by the late heavy rains, and the unfavorable state of the weather, there was a large and highly re- spectable congregation. The Rev. Mr. Olney, the rector of the new Church, read the deed of consecration, by which the founders devoted it forever to the service of God, according to the usage of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. The Bish- op's sentence of consecration was read by the Rev. Dr. Jarvis of Boston, who also preached a sermon adapted to the occasion. Morning prayers were read by the Rev. Mr. Morss, of Newbury- port, and the communion was administered by the Bishop. We were gratified to see some of our dissenting brethren, and particu- larly two of the Congregational ministers, approach the Lord's table, and devoutly receive the sacrament from the hands of the Bishop. We hail with pleasure all such indications of the aban- donment of those prejudices which originally led to the unhappy separation from Episcopacy. May this returning desire to promote the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace become continually more and more extensive ! We can not omit noticing the excel- lence of the singing, and particularly, because it is so rare, the ex- cellence of the chanting. The Te Deum, though the choir were not much accustomed to chanting, we have never heard with so much pleasure.
On the following day (October 19th) the Bishop administered confirmation, but the heavy rain prevented the greater part of those who were to have received that rite from attending.
Christ Church is built of unhammered granite, divided into blocks of nearly equal size, and is of the simplest and purest style of Gothic architecture. The walls are crowned by battlements, which partially conceal the roof, and instead of a cornice there is merely a band or rib of stone corresponding with that of the water- table below. The arches of the windows form an equilateral, spherical triangle, which is the most perfect proportion. Each of the side windows is divided by three principal mullions, and the spaces between these in the arch of each window, are subdivided by smaller mullions, resting on the intersection of small arches. The chancel window, which is very grand, the whole width being upwards of fourteen feet, is divided by four principal mullions. These, together with the quantity of wood in the sashes, arising from the small size of the diamond glass, darken the windows so 11
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as to produce an agreeable light. It is intended, we understand, to increase this effect, by an ornamental screen behind the altar, on which will be inscribed the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Commandments.
The spire is of brick, and, together with the tower, forms an ele- vation of 120 feet. In the tower, immediately over the door, is a large window nearly 30 feet high, which lights the staircase leading to the organ gallery, and which, when seen from the Church, through an opening over the gallery door, produces a noble and sublime effect. By this double light, it was intended to give an idea, though a faint one, of the effect produced in Gothic cathe- drals by the lady chapel, seen from the choir, through a door, or what is technically called, the artificial infinite.
There are no pillars within, excepting those supporting the gal- lery, and two at the corners of the chancel ; but the arches of the ceiling terminate in corbels, and those over the side aisles are ribbed and grained with roses in the intersections. The pulpit is placed at one corner of the recess for the chancel, and the read- ing desk at the other; and the floor of the chancel is raised so high that when the clergyman is at the altar he may be seen in every part of the Church.
We have been thus minute in the description of this Church, because we wish to see a better taste, as well as a more convenient arrangement prevailing in the structure of our places of worship. In this church the whole congregation see the clergyman in the performance of all the sacred offices. The altar, especially, is in full view. We wish this might be more generally the case, and that the cumbrous reading-desks, which were introduced only on account of the great size of the cathedrals, might either be dis- pensed with in small buildings, or made so light and small, and placed in such a point of view, as not to obstruct the sight of the chancel.
We are decidedly of opinion too, that for country churches es- pecially, and we are inclined to make the remark still more ex- tensive, the Gothic or pointed form of architecture is the most solemn and interesting."
To this account it may be added that the stone for the building came from land owned by Mr. Gardiner, and situated some three or four miles up the Cobbossee River. It was brought down this stream upon clumsy scows, or horse-boats, and was so disposed by the masons, that its outer face exhibits the cleavage of the rock.
CHRIST CHURCH. SCHOOL-HOUSE.
ST. ANN'S CHURCH.
LYCEUM.
FROM A SKETCH MADE BY ALLYN HOLMES IN 1828.
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The expense of the Church was about $15,000 ; at least $11,000 of which was given by Mr. Gardiner. The interior was not exactly as it is now ; the pews were once high, like those in St. Paul's, Bos- ton, and in the back of the building two pews were elevated above the rest. Here sat the officials, armed with their long poles, ready to tap offending urchins, and keeping a sharp lookout for the mis- chievous Lyceum boys. The pulpit was a high one, with an ascent of five or six steps, and a door which the minister closed behind him, as he entered. The reading-desk, on the opposite side of the chancel, was approached by three steps, leading from the rob- ing-room, and this was also furnished with a door. It still stands in the Church, though it has been twice remodelled. The chan- cel rail formerly stretched straight across, from pillar to pillar. Behind it stood a table which was used in the communion service, and which was covered with red damask.
One striking feature of the time deserves mention. Mr. Gardi- ner, with his family, was usually driven to his place of worship in a large, old-fashioned coach, called by the people "a bcoby-hut." Mr. Olney, in his priest's robe, awaited the "Squire's" arrival in the vestibule of the Church, and then ushered him up the aisle to his pew, before going into the chancel.
The beginning of Mr. Olney's ministry was marked by a signal success in bringing children into the fold. In the baptismal records it is amusing to notice how many babies received the Christian names of the Rector, and the accomplished wife, whom he soon brought from Portland, to live with him in the rectory on Dresden Street. The old house had been repaired for their use, and Mrs. Olney, who was fond of society, had a room adapted to her organ, and planned for the entertainment of company. This was called by the neighbors " the octagon room," and, until with- in a few years, remained unchanged in the former rectory.
Mr. Olney was always especially kind to the little ones of the parish ; and, at that time, when the good old-fashioned rules were of the strictest, his attentions were not soon forgotten. There are grey-haired men in the Church to-day, who delight to tell of Mr. Olney's little gifts and pleasant words to them, when they were rosy-cheeked urchins at his knee.
Perhaps encouraged by the affection of these children, Mr. Olney began, in 1820, the experiment of a Sunday School, which was one of the earliest in New England, and for long years the only organization of its kind in the state. Its meetings were held
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in the old Church, whose two lines of pews were well filled by the little scholars. Either Mr. Olney or Mr. Gardiner usually con- ducted the opening exercises of the school. Sometimes, however, if the gentlemen happened to be absent, their place was taken by some of the ladies who had charge of the classes; among whom Mrs. Olive Worcester and Miss Dorcas Gay were specially promi- nent. The form observed in these early gatherings was very simple ; the school first knelt in prayer, and then, rising, sang a stanza of an ambiguously worded hymn, which was printed on cards, one for each child :---
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