USA > Maine > Sagadahoc County > Bath > History of Bath and environs, Sagadahoc County, Maine. 1607-1894 > Part 42
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On account of failing health, Dr. Fiske resigned his charge in August, 1883, on the fortieth anniversary of his settlement. In his farewell address, from Acts 20: 32, he made the following interesting statements of his work in the parish: "Since the commencement of my ministry I have preached 4, 140 sermons, have performed 515 marriage ceremonies, have attended 1,245 funerals, and baptized 292 children and 95 persons of riper years. I have also made 20,000 pastoral calls. On only one Sabbath in all the forty years was there no service in this church, and then on account of a very severe storm."
After his retirement he continued his deep interest in the church, always attending the Sunday morning service until prevented by increasing illness. On the occasion of the rededication of the church edifice, after its renovation in 1890, Dr. Fiske made the dedicatory prayer-one long to be remembered by all who heard it. He rejoiced fully with the people in the beautiful adornment of a church that for him held the sacred memories of half a century.
September 19, 1848, Mr. Fiske married Mary Augusta Tappan, daughter of Rev. Dr. Benjamin Tappan, who for thirty-nine years was pastor of the Congregational Church in Augusta, Me. Through her mother, Elizabeth Bowdoin Temple Winthrop, Mrs. Fiske is directly descended from the old Gov. John Winthrop and from Gov-
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ernor Bowdoin. Two of Dr. and Mrs. Fiske's children are still living: John Winthrop Fiske, a lawyer in New York, and Mary McGaw Fiske, at home in Bath. The eldest daughter, Katherine Tappan Fiske, died February 1, 1877. Dr. Fiske died .December 18, 1893.
The Winter Street .- When the Winter Street edifice had been completed the "First Church in Christ," the Old North, was reorgan- ized into the Winter Street Church, or the First Congregational Church of Bath, and the services of the pastor were formally trans- ferred to the newly formed church.
To succeed Dr. Fiske, several ministers preached on trial, and Rev. Omar White Folsom was invited to become pastor, which invitation was accepted. He is son of Jesse and Elizabeth (Varney) Folsom; was born in North Sandwich, Carroll County, N. H., April 24, 1844; fitted for college at Gilmanton Academy, in Gilmanton, N. H .; entered Dartmouth College, September, 1865, graduating in the centennial class of 1869; studied three years at Andover Theo- logical Seminary, graduating from that institution in the class of 1872; ordained to the gospel ministry and installed as pastor of the First Church, Newbury, Mass., October 31, 1872; continued pastor of that church till June 30, 1884; began work as pastor of the Winter Street Church, Bath, July 1, 1884, the installation service taking place September 16, 1884, and is occupying the pulpit at the present time, 1894.
The pastors of this church have been : Solomon Page, preached from 1758 to 1759; Francis Winter, settled from 1766 to 1787 ; Hugh Wallis, from December 9, 1795, to July 15, 1800; Asa Lyman, from January 1, 1806, to March 9, 1803; John W. Ellingwood, from Novem- ber 9, 1812, to August 17, 1843 ; John O. Fiske, from August 17, 1843, to August 17, 1883 ; Omar W. Folsom, from September 16, 1884.
The deacons of the Old North Church were : David Trufant, James Lemont, Jonathan Philbrook, Dummer Sewall, Caleb Marsh, David Sewall, Ammi R. Mitchell, Peleg Sprague, and Nicholas L. Mitchell. Deacons of the Winter Street Church: Henry Hyde, William B. Trufafft, Thomas C. Jackson, Thomas Simpson, Charles N. Delano, Joseph Sprague, Seth T. Snipe, David T. Percy, and Frederic H. Low.
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The South. - During the latter part of the pastorate of Mr. Winter there was a secession from the Old North of prominent men of the church and society, in which Mr. Winter eventually joined. These men were such as William King, John Peterson, and other influential men. The cause of their departure was on account of their dissent to the strong Calvinistic creed of the orthodox church and a strong leaning towards the more liberal Arminian doctrines, and they were termed the "liberal party." They built a church in 1805. Bath had a population not exceeding 2,000 people in 1805. It was the intention of this party to form an independent society. General King was then a member of the General Court of Massa- chusetts, in session at Boston. He was intrusted by the society with the task of finding a minister whose sentiments corresponded with theirs, and he was recommended to call on the Rev. William Jenks, with the assurance that he would answer their expectations and by his piety and learning fill the place. After the return of Mr. King from General Court a meeting was called and Mr. King, in his emphatic style and manner, stated that he had found a man who could fill the measure of their most sanguine expectations. It was voted to give Mr. Jenks a call to settle over the society.
Mr. Jenks, at this time, was about thirty years of age. He was a thorough scholar and a man of culture. He was well versed in the Oriental languages, not surpassed by any linguist. He was a graduate of Harvard College. In his person he was above the middle height, and weighed over 130 pounds. His face was an index of his mind, his head large, his eyes bright and sparkling, his manners kind. He was never censorious in or out of the pulpit. He united the noble qualities of man.
Mr. Jenks accepted the call of the parish and was to be in Bath at a fixed time to be ordained. A committee was appointed to call on an assembly of Congregational ministers and laymen of the churches to carry into effect the ordination. "Among other clergy- men invited to assist and take part was the Rev. Samuel Eaton of Harpswell. The parish committee found Mr. Eaton in his ancient house on that point of land called Harpswell Neck. They explained, and he soon understood their errand and congratulated them that
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they were soon to have the gospel preached to them in their beau- tiful and costly house in Bath, and assured them that he would be present and help make up the necessary number of ministers to ordain Mr. Jenks; but in looking over the copy of the records of the parish he found that the First Parish in Bath had no church. The reply was they did not consider it material, if the parish was legally organized, and that was the opinion of Mr. King. Mr. Eaton replied that such a course was unprecedented among all the Con- gregational Puritan Christians, and would bring disrespect upon the minister settled and the parish that settled him; that he could take no part in the ordination unless there was a church, as well as a congregation. This, too, was the view that all the neighboring invited clergymen took of the matter. A parish meeting was then called and the difficulties presented. The fertile genius of General King soon found a remedy for the difficulty. He stated to the meeting that it would be well enough, as a matter of form and to conform with ancient and universal usages, to have a church; and as there was no time for delay that they would make and form a church forthwith. He sat down and wrote a paper to the effect that those of the parish who signed should at once become the church of the First Parish. Mr. King was the first man to sign the paper and others followed. He remarked that he would soon fill it up.
The church was organized December 24, 1805. The members were William Jenks, William King, William Webb, Zacheus Crooker, Nathaniel Coffin, Enoch Jones, Betsey Jenks, Ann King, Harriet Webb, Mary Coffin, Pauline Jones. Mrs. King hesitated about becoming a member, thinking it too serions a matter and that it would abridge the social amusements which were dear to them at their age of life and rank in society. The General assured her that she misapprehended the case; that the formation of the church was a matter of business expediency and necessity in order to carry into effect the ordination of Mr. Jenks. Mrs. King finally gave her signature. The North Church would hold no communion or fellowship with the members of Mr. Jenks' church, as these latter, with the one exception of Zacheus Crooker, did not consider a change of heart and genuine piety necessary to membership.
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The South Church was reinforced by the following members: Levi Houghton, John Stockbridge, John Richardson, Green Rich- ardson, Samuel G. Bowman, William Ledyard, Jesse Russell, David Shaw, David Marston, Charlotte Houghton, and Sarah Hodgkins Rogers. It was the "Second Congregational Church of Bath."
At the ordination of Mr. Jenks, Mr. Winship preached the ordi- nation sermon, Mr. Bradford gave the charge, the right hand of fellowship was by Mr. Eaton, and the prayer by Mr. Parker. In this connection it might be interesting to note, that Mr. Parker was totally blind in his latter years, but could recite a hymn or a chapter of the Bible, in the pulpit, and not miss a word. At the ordination Mr. Francis Winter sat in one of the front seats with his head covered with his large white wig and his heavy cocked hat in his hand. Mr. Eaton sat in the pulpit with a wig not inferior to that of Mr. Winter's, and, according to the fashion of the times with gentlemen of posi- tion and dignity, both Mr. Winship and Mr. Eaton had beaver cocked hats. In fact the general dress of the clergymen of that day was of the continental style of costume, and in the pulpit they wore a white square neckband. During the twelve years' ministry of Mr. Jenks in Bath, he always appeared in the pulpit in continental dress.
A notable revival in the Bath churches, in February, 1816, gave to the South Church, members of strong orthodox sentiments, among whom were Judge Benj. Ames, Nehemiah Harding, Daniel Marston, Thomas H. Gage, David Shaw, and others, and Dr. Jenks became im- bued with the more orthodox views. There then ensued a lengthy and annimated correspondence upon this subject between General King and Dr. Jenks. The General ably contended that in all matters of faith and practice he stood the same as when he formed the church, and any change in the pastor or others of the church members, should not be a cause for his excommunication. This correspondence led to a truce between the parties which ended the controversy. But without immediately withdrawing from the church, General and Mrs. King ever afterwards attended the North or Win- ter Street Church.
To help out his salary, while preaching in Bath, Dr. Jenks' friends procured him the position of Professor of Oriental Languages
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and English Literature in Bowdoin College. In 1817 Dr. Jenks resigned his charge in Bath and removed to Boston, by solicitation of his admirers in that city, and became pastor of the Green Street Church. From 1810 to 1812, the North Church having no pastor, Dr. Jenks preached on alternate Sabbaths in each church until the installation of Mr. Ellingwood. After the departure of Dr. Jenks, till 1823, the South Church united with the Old North, Mr. Ellingwood preaching a portion of the time in the South Meeting- house.
In 1823 Mr. Seneca White was ordained pastor of the South Church and the two congregations were again separated. Mr. White was dismissed from the pastorate April 30, 1830. For five years the Old South remained without a pastor. Then the best interests of the Christian life in the community seemed to point towards the revival of the Old South or the formation of a new church. To accomplish this object eight members of the Old South Church, of whom seven were women and one man, were dismissed July 5, 1835, from that church, with the view of forming a new church, which was legally organized as the Third Church of Bath, July 8, 1835.
The remaining members of the old church transferred its com- munion plate to the new church, these members remaining intact as the Second Church in order to make this transfer legal. This accomplished, these persons united with the new church together with others coming from the North Church. Among those trans- ferred from the North Church were William M. Rogers and Levi Houghton.
Gershom Hyde and John Bovey were chosen deacons. Mr. Ray Palmer was at the same time installed as pastor, and his pastorate continued until November 6, 1850, when he was dismissed and became pastor of the First Congregational Church, at Albany, N. Y.
Mr. Palmer was a scholarly man, of very smooth and quiet demeanor, and was an author and poet whose literary works were published in book form, making him somewhat distinguished in the literary world. His hymn, "My faith looks up to Thee," is famous.
After the departure of Mr. Palmer to another field of labor, a supply was found for the pulpit in Eliphalet Whittlesey, then a
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young man, just graduated from Andover Seminary, and he was ordained over the church October 1, 1851. Mr. Whittlesey's pastorate gave good satisfaction. He resigned as pastor and was dismissed during 1861. The succeeding pastor was the Rev. Augustus F. Beard who came from a church at Cape Elizabeth, was installed August 12, 1862, and was dismissed, by resignation, in Jan- uary, 1868. A call was accepted by Rev. Wm. Hart, of New York. He was installed November 2, 1870, and resigned December 30, 1878. A call was then extended to Rev. William R. Richards, which was accepted, and he was installed October 16, 1879; resigned April 29, 1884; and was granted a dissolution of his pastorate May 8, 1884, but continued to preach until July 1, 1884, as specified by him in his letter of resignation. Mr. Richards was an able pulpit orator, learned and accomplished. He was popular among his people.
After Mr. Richards the pulpit was supplied by temporary preachers, some of whom were candidates for settlement, when Mr. Amos Frederic Dunnels received a call August 1, 1884, accepted August 13, 1884, installed over the church October 2, 1884. He was a young man, coming direct from Andover Theological Seminary. His home was in Boston. He continues in his pastoral duties here to the present time, 1894. Mr. Dunnels is a pastor of much ability and is a highly esteemed citizen, taking an active part in the com- munity in all movements tending to improvement in religious and temperance matters. In July, 1885, he preached a half-centennial sermon on the history of this "Third Congregational Church of Bath," which is of much value as detailing the formation and pro- gress of the church over which he presides. In 1892 he married Miss Lillius B. Humphreys, an estimable lady of his church.
The early deacons of this church were Gershom Hyde, John Bovey, Otis Kimball, Isaiah Percy, Peleg Sprague, and Horace Wilson, and the later deacons are Henry E. Palmer and Franklin S. Partridge.
In 1892 the church had a membership of forty men and one hun- dred and twenty-five women. Its Sabbath School numbered one hundred and ten scholars and fifteen teachers. Connected with this church is a branch of the Society of Christian Endeavor.
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The Episcopal .- When the Popham colony came from England, in 1607, and made a settlement at the mouth of the Kennebec River, the first act upon landing was to have a sermon preached. This was done by the Rev. Richard Seymour, a clergyman of the Church of England, who was chaplain of the colony. It was the first sermon in the English language preached on this continent. Church services were regularly established and the colonists erected a suit- able building for the purpose, laying the foundation of religious observances in the New World.
"They bade the holy dews of prayer Baptize a heathen sod, And mid the groves a church arose Unto the Christian's God."
One of the avowed objects the patrons of this colony had in view, was to spread civilization and christianity among the barbarous nations. In the subsequent early peopling of the Lower Kennebec those of the Episcopal denomination held a prominent place. Their first preacher was the Rev. William McLanathan. He came from Massachusetts, in 1756, as a missionary. His field of labor covered Georgetown as well as Frankfort (now Dresden), and his yearly salary was two hundred and fifty dollars. He lived in Fort Richmond. He was succeeded by the Rev. Jacob Bailey, who arrived from Massachusetts July 1, 1760. He lived at Pownalborough, preaching a portion of his time at Georgetown. When destitute of other preachers, people of all denominations attended his services. He was acceptable to the Nobles, Lithgows, Drummonds, Butlers, and other prominent families on the Lower Kennebec.
In 1768 the Rev. William Wheeler, who had taken Holy Orders in England, was assigned to Georgetown for missionary service. He lived a portion of the time with William Lithgow, while on the Lower Kennebec. He remained until 1772, when he left for Newport, R. I., and Mr. Bailey resumed his visits to Georgetown, preaching there every third Sunday until his forced departure for Halifax, in 1779, on account of his disloyalty to the Revolutionary cause.
In the early forties Miss Smith, daughter of Parsons Smith of this city, who had been on a visit to Bangor and who had become very
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much interested in the English church there, sent for a Bishop and was the first person confirmed in this denomination in this city. When Bishop Burgess was appointed over the diocese, and while on a visit to Bath, he found about half a dozen families who wished for a church in this city. Rector Fales came down from Brunswick and preached several times in the Methodist church. Finally Rev. Dr. Frederic Gardiner also came here and conducted services in Music Hall. The accomodations were too small and Corinthian Hall was secured as a place of worship, a pulpit and a chancel rail were erected, while a small organ was also purchased, August 16, 1849. It was here the society was organized and Rev. Dr. Gardiner chosen rector, June 29, 1850.
The parish continued to grow and wanted a church of its own, therefore the present Grace Church was built. The building com- mittee consisted of B. C. Bailey, T. D. Wilder, and J. H. Nichols. Mr. Fassett gave his services as superintendent during the work of building, and Mr. Gardiner, of Philadelphia, was the architect. When partially completed the funds gave out and, as the society saw no way of raising more, it was to be covered up and the work of build- ing suspended. But here Dr. Gardiner and others showed their faith and enterprise by agreeing to take the responsibility off the hands of the society, and the building was completed. The pews were sold and enough money realized to pay the cost of building. In a few years the pews were given to the church. The first rector was Rev. Dr. Gardiner, a most excellent man and preacher. He was scholarly and wrote several books, besides contributing to The North American Review. He remained here three years, then studied in Europe and became one of the faculty at the Berkeley Divinity School in Middletown, Conn.
Dr. Gardiner was followed by Rev. Mr. Weston, who came here temporarily; then Mr. Willey, of Stonington, came, who remained but eight months. Rev. Mr. Jessup was the next, who held the position six years. Up to this time the church had always received aid from the missionary society, but during his rectorship it became an independent church. Rev. Flavill S. Mines followed Mr. Jessup and remained two years. Rev. Mr. Durell, of Calais, was the next
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rector and remained about six years. After Mr. Durell came Mr. Tucker, and following him came Mr. Ogden, of New York, who staid four years; succeeding him was Rev. Mr. Hubbell, who remained but a few months and whose place was taken by Rev. Mr. Gregson, of Pennsylvania, who remained about five years, when Mr. DeHart came, remaining but a short time. Rev. Mr. Pratt was the rector for the next three years, when Dr. Robert N. Parke became the rector, and after staying several years went to New York. The Rev. H. W. R. Stafford, of New York, came to the church in 1889, and is the rector at the present time, 1894.
During Mr. Willey's rectorship the organ was purchased, and the chime of bells was bought while Mr. Jessup had charge.
The first wardens were E. C. Hyde and Jacob Smith. Among the wardens at different times have been J. H. Nichols, E. S. J. Nealley, and J. H. Mclellan. The present wardens are John O. Shaw and Charles E. Hyde. The vestrymen are Dr. C. A. Packard, Fred Klippell, George E. Hughes, and William H. Watson.
Besides the church the society owns a rectory on the corner of Oak and High streets, and parish house adjoining. Both of these build- ings are conveniently near the church. In 1890, under the direction of the rector, the Rev. H. W. R. Stafford, the surpliced boy choir was instituted, and in the same year a robing-room, for the accom- modation of the choir, was added to the church, the cost, amounting to $560, being met by the ladies of the society. The vestments for the choir were also purchased and made by them. In 1890 the old organ in the loft was sold to a Boothbay Harbor church, and from the proceeds of this sale, and by a generous sum added by Mrs. Clara K. Patten, a new and finely toned organ was placed on the floor of the church near the chancel.
The Swedenborgian. - The doctrines of Emanuel Swedenborg were introduced into Boston, by Rev. Mr. Hill, in the latter part of the eighteenth century. Mr. Manning, one of Mr. Hill's converts, had married a sister of Dea. Caleb Marsh, one of the pillars of the Old North Church of Bath. He sent books to Deacon Marsh, which he probably did not read as it was considered heresy, in those
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days, for a member of an orthodox church to read these publications. Capt. Horatio G. Allen, a native of Hingham, came to Bath, took up his residence in about 1795, and became one of its prominent men. He read Swedenborgian books, as also did the Rev. Abraham Cummings, a learned and pious Baptist missionary who preached on the sea-coast of Maine. Both became interested in these works and lost some orthodox standing in consequence. Dr. Jenks, of the South Church, had copies of these works in his library and loaned them to others. He said he found in them the primary doctrines of the Christian religion.
The seed thus sown began to take root and, from the year 1809, some members of the Old North and South Churches, with other people of the town, became so much interested in Swedenborg's doctrines that in the year 1818, they began to meet together for reading and conversation. Zina Hyde was one of the leaders and was sent as a delegate to a Swedenborgian conference held in Phila- delphia in 1817. The number of converts increasing, a society of the New Jerusalem Church was formed, and Sabbath services insti- tuted by Thomas Worcester, D. D., of Boston, September 20, 1829. From that time until 1840 the ministers preaching to this society were the Revs. Samuel Worcester, Adonis Howard, Joseph Pattee, and H. Worcester. In 1840 the Rev. Samuel F. Dike was settled as pastor. Under his administration the church and society largely increased in members and influence. The total membership has been one hundred and forty and the present is sixty. The Sunday School numbers seventy-five scholars.
DR. SAMUEL FULLER DIKE was born at North Bridgewater, Mass., March 17, 1815. In 1838 he graduated from Brown Univer- sity, and having become an earnest disciple of Swedenborg soon after leaving college, he went to Boston to study theology with Dr. Worcester. By him he was ordained in Philadelphia, June 7, 1840. He subsequently married Miss Worcester, the daughter of Dr. Worcester. Although then but twenty-five years of age, he had already shown his abilities as a scholar, and thereby attracted the attention of William D. Sewall, of this city, who invited him to become the first pastor of the New Church Society, then but
Sam. F. Dike
5
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recently formed in Bath. This invitation was accepted, and on Saturday, June 13, 1840, he arrived in the city, which, for over half a century, has been and is still his home. It is not unusual to find men who have been actively engaged in the ministry for fifty years, but it is very seldom that one of these can point to that period as spent in a single parish, while it is more than doubtful if the state can show another church of so long standing which has had but one pastor.
Mr. Dike was installed over the society October 10, 1841. In June, 1890, having served his church faithfully for fifty years, Dr. Dike preached his farewell sermon and withdrew from the pastorate, much to the regret of his people. Immediately following his resig- nation, through the generosity of one of his parishioners, he was enabled to make a tour of the world, taking one year for this trip. In 1841 the graded system of schools was introduced here, and Dr. Dike was chosen the first superintendent, a position he held uninterruptedly for twenty-four years. The efficiency of his work in this line is clearly shown by the fact that this period is always referred to as the one when Bath schools were at their best, and is held up as a standard by which the work of past times should be judged. Since his resignation from this office he has been repeat- edly urged to return, but his other duties have prevented him.
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