USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Harpswell > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 38
USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Brunswick > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 38
USA > Maine > Sagadahoc County > Topsham > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 38
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS.
There has never been any organized society of Friends in Bruns- wick, but. about 1772 several Quakers moved into town and settled not far from the line between Brunswick and Durham. Some of them had previously been living in Harpswell.1 Others joined them, and there are now a number of excellent people in the west end of the town who belong to this denomination. Their meeting-house is in the town of Durham, and they belong to the society of that town.
FREE-WILL BAPTIST SOCIETIES.
About 1793, Elder Pelatiah Tingley, of Waterboro', formerly of Sanford, began, with others, to hold religious meetings in Brunswick. These meetings were usually held at the house of William Alexander.2 About 1799 the FIRST FREE-WILL BAPTIST SOCIETY, or as it was some- times called, the " CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN BRUNSWICK AND FREEPORT," was formed. The first church meeting was held at James Elliot's on October 23. The members were Obadiah Curtis, Adam Elliot, Wil- liam Alexander, Anthony Morse, Joseph Ward, John Coombs, Susan- nah Morey, Hannah and Margaret Coombs.
In 1807 the records state that there was considerable contention in the church, but the cause thereof is not given. On August 27, of this year, the church numbered forty members. In 1809 there was a " considerable want of union and many backsliders."
In 1810 the church was more prosperous, and many converts were made. This year their meeting-house was built. It was a one-story building, and was situated near Noah Melcher's, on the old Freeport road. It was, it is said, the second meeting-house of this denomina- tion in the State.
In 1813, on December 16th, Elder Adam Elliot, who had been set- tled about August, 1803, died, and the pulpit became vacant. In 1816, Elder George Lamb was settled. The whole number of men- bers up to June 1, 1817, was one hundred and fifty.
On May 2, 1818, a division occurred in the church, on the question
' Pejepscot Papers.
2 Stewart's Free-Will Baptists.
389
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK.
of washing of feet after the manner of the early disciples, and a few members withdrew because the rite was not observed.
On February 22. 1823, owing to the small number of members and the low state of interest existing, the society was declared dissolved. On January 17, 1826, the church was reorganized by a committee from the Quarterly Meeting. The first meeting after the reorganization was held on the fourth of February. On November 14, 1827, the Union Meeting-House at "Growstown" was finished, and the future meetings of this society were held in it.
In 1831. June 25, the church voted to use a bass-viol with their singing. A resolve to use no ardent spirits, except as a medicine, was passed at this meeting. On February 22, 1834, it was voted to deal with all church members who had taken the pledge of temperance and had violated it. Elder Lamb resigned his pastorate on September 25, 1835. He died in Brunswick, December 14. 1836, having served as pastor nineteen years. August 12, 1837. Elder Andrew Rollins was received as pastor of the church. The whole number of members. between 1826 and 1839, was one hundred and ninety-three.
On May 16, 1840, it was voted to increase Elder Rollins's salary from three hundred to three hundred and fifty dollars. February 20, 1841, it was voted to recognize singing as a means of worship, and to make regulations in regard to the same. On July 22, 1842, Amos Lunt, Amos Lunt, Jr., Thomas Coombs, George Cobb, and Phineas Collins were dismissed, to organize the Freeport and Brunswick Church. On June 30, Elder Ezra Crowell was ordained.
June 8, 1844, Elder E. G. Eaton was elected as pastor. He was dismissed February 12. 1847. During the latter year Elder E. F. Page officiated. On February 12, 1848, Elder Almon Libby was settled. He was dismissed February 14. 1852, and in May of that year Elder Rollins was again settled. The whole number of mem- bers up to 1851 was three hundred and sixty-eight, of which two hundred and twenty-five were females.
February 12, 1853, the church repealed the old covenant and adopted the New Testament as a covenant. On September 20, 1856, Elder D. Waterman was settled. In 1859, Elder Chaney was settled over the church, but his pastorate was a short one, as he resigned in the Octo- ber following. On February 16, 1860. Elder Hutchinson was settled.
THE FREE BAPTIST SOCIETY OF, BRUNSWICK VILLAGE was originally composed of members of the church at Topsham who resided in Brunswick, and who, on account of the distance, resolved to form a church of their own.
390
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSIIAM, AND HARPSWELL.
The first sermon was delivered in Mclellan Hall, by Reverend Doctor Graham. No step had at that time been taken to form a soci- ety, though the matter had been somewhat discussed. On the evening of October 25, 1865, five men met at the house of Mr. Ezekiel Thompson to form a society. Church officers were appointed to serve six months, and on the next Sabbath Reverend A. H. Heath, then of Bates College Theological School, was invited to preach at the Good Templars' Hall. The Sunday school was organized at the second meeting of the society, November 5, 1865. Mr. Heath continued to preach until the spring of 1876, when he returned to his studies at the Theological School, and Reverend E. C. B. Hallam, a returned missionary, was engaged to preach in his stead.
On the afternoon of April 12, 1866, a council of ministers met at McLellan Hall, - to which place the society had moved its meetings, - to formally organize the church. Forty persons, including five con- verts, composed the society at this time. The council approved the course that had been taken, accepted the letters of recommendation that were presented, and extended the right hand of fellowship to the new society. Mr. Hallam was then installed as pastor. On the third of June following, the first communion service was held. Mr. Hallani was requested by the Missionary Board to return to India, and in con- sequence of his acquiescence, he was obliged to preach his farewell sermon on Sunday eve, November 11.
In 1867, Reverend S. D. Church was called to the pulpit, and preached for two years. During his pastorate eleven persons were received into the church. Reverend W. F. Smith commenced to preach to this society on August 22, 1869. The church at that time had sixty-five members and a growing congregation. Upon the com- pletion of Lemont Hall, in 1870, the majority of the society desired to occupy it, and it was accordingly engaged for the Sabbath services. This change of place met with earnest opposition, however, from a few members, who refused to enter the new hall and withdrew their support to the society. Consequently, upon the eighth of June, nine persons, including both deacons, were excluded from church member- ship. During Mr. Smith's pastorate forty-three persons were added to the church by baptism or by letter.
On November 30, 1872, the resignation of Reverend Mr. Smith was accepted. Ile was succeeded by Reverend II. P. Lamprey, who preached for one year, then by Doctor Heath, of Hallowell. The time of the latter was divided between two churches and the practice of medicine.
391
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK.
In the early part of 1875, Reverend B. M. Edwards, the present pastor, was settled. The society had for some time desired a house of worship, and in 1874 a lot of land upon O'Brien Street was purchased for the site of one. In the autumn of 1875 the building was com- menced. The vestry on the lower floor was finished before the middle of the following summer, and on the ninth of July, 1876, the first ser- mon in the new house was preached by Mr. Edwards. It was owing largely to the efforts of the pastor that the building was erected.
This church in its first years was unfortunate in losing many of its leading members by death, among whom were Deacon Dresser, Mr. Ezekiel Thompson, and Mrs. Smiley. "Aunt Smiley," as she was called, had prayer-meetings at her house for more than thirty years, and when this society was formed, their weekly prayer-meetings were held there until after her death. Mr. Thompson was elected a deacon after Mr. Dresser died, and served faithfully up to the time of his own decease. Deacon Dresser was one of the most active members in forming the society and was always zealous in its support.
A good degree of religious interest has always been kept up in this society, and the church shared largely in the revival work of the past winter. There are now one hundred and twenty-nine members. The Sunday school has been well supported, and there are now connected with it nine teachers and one hundred and thirty scholars.1
UNIVERSALIST AND UNITARIAN SOCIETIES.
The records of the UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY, previous to its uniting with the Unitarians in 1850, having been lost or destroyed, a per- fectly accurate history of the society is impossible. It is believed, however, that the following sketch is substantially correct, and it is as complete as could be made from the material at our disposal.
The first movement toward sustaining Universalist preaching here was made in the year 1812. The nature of that movement is best shown by the following agreement, the original of which is now in the possession of Mr. Harvey Stetson, son of the Harvey Stetson who is named in the agreement : -
" BRUNSWICK, January 20th, 1812.
" We, whose names are here under written, Do Profess to believe in the Doctrine of Universal Salvation by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ : And feeling it our Duty as well as our privilege and
1 For the particulars of the foregoing sketch, we are indebted to the pastor and to the parish clerk.
392
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
highest happiness to worship the one living and true God in Christ Jesus : Do hereby agree and enter into Solemn Covenant to assemble together as a Religious Society on the Sabbath as often as we can conveniently to worship the most high God : And that we will pay our proportion towards the expense of procuring a convenient place for convening together for publick and social Worship: and for the support of Publick Teachers of Piety, Religion and Christian Morality in our Society :
"LEMUEL SWIFT
DEAN SWIFT
JONATHAN EASTMAN
NATH! BADGER
JAMES MERRILL JAMES CARY JAMES JONES
HARVEY STETSON
EDWARD RAYMOND
JAMES MAXWELL
ROBERT EASTMAN
EDWARD WELCH PHINEAS TAYLOR
E. II. Goss
JAMES CARY JR.
IRA FULLER
ROGER MERRILL
JOSEPH KIMBALL JOHN LEE
JOHN MARSTON
EDMUND PRADY
ABNER PRATT
SOLOMON GRAY
BENJ. STEPHENS
REED WELCH
JOHN GRAY
BURT TOWNSEND
ABNER A. KELLEY
ALLEN WING.
STEPHEN LENNOX 31 "
They were incorporated in October of that year as the. FIRST UNIVERSAL CHRISTIAN SOCIETY IN BRUNSWICK. Mr. Dean Swift is probably the only one of the signers of the foregoing paper who is now living.
Soon after this agreement was made, arrangements were made with the Reverend Thomas Barnes, of Norway, to preach here once a month. The meetings were held in Washington Hall. Mr. Barnes came here on Saturday, on horseback, and returned on Monday. After the cotton-mill was built, in 1812-13, he received a good part of his pay in cotton yarn, which he carried home in his saddle-bags. He preached here for, probably, a year and a half. Mr. Barnes was called the " Father of Universalism in Maine." He came to Maine from Massachusetts in 1799 as an itinerant preacher. He was ordained over the united societies of Norway, New Gloucester, Falmouth, and Gray, January 6, 1802. He died in Poland in 1814.
Reverend Jacob Wood, of Saco, succeeded Mr. Barnes, preaching here occasionally, but for how long a time is uncertain. Probably
ELIJAH HALL
393
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK.
other itinerants visited the place from time to time. In 1826, Reverend Sylvanus Cobb 1 preached here several Sabbaths.
On the twenty-seventh of January, 1827, Major Burt Townsend, 2 Captain Roger Merrill,2 Captain Joseph MeLellan,2 Thomas Tay- lor,2 Colonel Andrew Dennison,2 Joshua Lufkin,2 Harvey Stetson,2 James Derby,2 A. C. Raymond, Joseph Lunt, John L. Swift, and others whose names we cannot ascertain, formed a society under the name of THE UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY OF BRUNSWICK AND TOPSHAM.
Arrangements were at once made with Reverend Mr. Cobb to preach once in three or four weeks. The meetings were held in Wash- ington Hall. This engagement continued until February, 1828 (about one year), when it terminated.
In April of that year Reverend Seth Stetson (Father Stetson, as he was called in later years) . came East on a missionary tonr. and preached here, for the first time, on Thursday evening, April 17, 1828. On the following Sunday, as he says in his diary, he " preached in a large hall to a good number of men." The next day he went to Tops- ham, where he was the guest of Major William Frost, and in the evening he preached in the court-house. From Topsham he went to Bowdoinham and other places in the vicinity, and soon after returned to Boston, where he then resided.
About the first of June following, he received an invitation to remove to Brunswick, and preach in the three towns of Brunswick, Bath, and Bowdoinham. alternately. He accepted the invitation, and on the twenty-second of June, 1828, he preached in Brunswick, and continued to preach there every third Sabbath until May 10, 1829, when his engagement closed.
A meeting-house for this parish was er cted in 1829. It was situated on Federal Street. directly opposite the present high- school building. Reverend Mr. Stetson was invited to preach in the new meeting-house during the winter, for which he received eight dollars a Sabbath. After the twenty-first of February. 1830, he preached a few Sabbaths for what he could get. a collection being taken up each Sabbath. The amount collected being too small for his necessities, he gave up the field and went on a mis- sionary tour, and in May following removed with his family to Buckfield.
1 He was afterwards settled at Malden, Massachusetts, where he died. He was a prom- inont clergyman in the denomination.
2 Deceased.
394
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
From this time until 1835 the Universalists were without preaching, and their meeting-house was occupied by the
UNITARIANS.
ON the eleventh of December, 1829, a meeting of Unitarians was held, and it was decided to form a society for the establishment and maintenance of Unitarian preaching in Brunswick. The organiza- tion was effected on the third day of January, 1830, under the title of THE SECOND CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY OF BRUNSWICK, 1 and was composed of twenty-three members, all of whom were avowed Unitarians. No records having been kept, we are unable to give a complete list of the members. Among them, however, were the following : Benjamin Weld, Charles Weld, Governor Dunlap, Professor Henry W. Longfellow, Ebenezer Everett, John Coburn, John S. Cushing, Humphrey Purinton, and Major William Frost.
A subscription paper was soon after circulated to raise funds to sup- port preaching. This list numbered fifty-five, and included some Universalists who sympathized with the Unitarians, and were willing to aid in support of Unitarian preaching.
The Universalists gave the use of their meeting-house, and in June, 1×30, the first Unitarian sermon was preached in Brunswick. Reverend Andrew Bigelow was the preacher.
From June, 1830, to June, 1835, there was regular Unitarian preaching, but there was not any of this time a settled minister. Of those who supplied the pulpit, Mr. Wiswell remained the longest.2 He preached here from 1832 to 1834,-a little more than two years.
The other ministers supplied for a longer or shorter time, vary- ing from two to ten or twelve Sundays each. The meetings were well attended, the building being generally well filled, but seldom or never crowded. Professor Longfellow conducted a Bible class for several years, which was largely attended, and which is spoken of by members of the class as having been exceedingly interesting and instructive.
1 This society had, however no legal existence.
2 The ministers supplying the pulpit after Mr. Bigelow, were : H. Edes, Allen Put- nam, Caleb Stetson, William Newell, John HI. Williams, Alonzo Hill, Sidney Willard, A. B. Muzzey, John Goldsbury, William D. Wiswell, William A. Whitwell, Jubez Whitman, R. A. Johnson, A. Davis, and Charles A. Farley.
.
295
ECCLESIASTICAL IIISTORY OF BRUNSWICK.
A part of the congregation was composed of Topsham people, and after a time the meetings alternated between Brunswick and Topsham to accommodate them. Finally it was agreed between the Universal- ists and Unitarians that the former should maintain preaching in Brunswick and the latter in Topsham. (See sketch of Unitarian soci- ety of Topsham. ) In 1835 the
UNIVERSALISTS
Made a third engagement with Reverend Seth Stetson to supply their pulpits. Accordingly he again removed to Brunswick with his family, and ever after resided here. His engagement began on the twenty-eighth of June. 1835, and ended on the twenty- eiglith of February, 1836.
Early in June, 1836. Reverend Stephen A. Sneathen came here from Massachusetts, and preached occasionally during the months of June, July, and August. Reverend G. M. Quinby, then settled at Yarmouth, also preached here occasionally during the same period. On the tenth of August, in this year, Mr. Sneathen entered into an engagement to preach every other Sabbath, a part of the time in Topsham. This arrangement was continued during the remainder of the year. On the twenty-fifth of Jannary, 1837, Mr. Sneathen was ordained, and became the first settled minister of the society. Ile was a young man, physically a cripple, but said to be a speaker of more than ordinary ability. His pastorate ended in the spring of 1838.
Mr. Sneathen was succeeded by Reverend Sidney Turner, whose pastorate commenced in June or July, 1838, and lasted until about the first of September, 1840. Father Stetson says of him in his diary, " He was a young Congregational minister who turned Universalist, but after a year or two he turned back again. Ile married a minister's widow in Bingham, where he was settled in 1849 "
In October, 1840, " Father" Stetson began his fourth and last engagement. preaching every other Sunday until April, 1842.
He was succeeded by Reverend Giles Bailey,1 who began a supply of the pulpit in April, 1812. In July he removed here from Winthrop, the place of his first pastorate, and where he
1 Now pastor of the Universalist Church in Reading, Pennsylvania, and to whom we are indebted for many of the facts contained in this sketch.
396
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL,
was ordained. He preached regularly during the year, but was not formally installed until January 7, 1843. The installation sermon was preached by Reverend Mr. Gardiner, of Waterville. The pastorate of Mr. Bailey continued until September, 1848, when he resigned to enter upon the duties of the missionary agency of the Maine Universalist Convention. The society was, during the pastorate of Mr. Bailey, in its most flourishing condition. The
officers of the society at that time were Colonel Andrew Dennison, and Anthony Raymond (or "Father" Raymond, as he was called), deacons ; Isaac Center, clerk ; Nathaniel Badger, collector and treasurer. During this pastorate the Mason Street Church was built. It was dedicated in December, 1846.
After the resignation of Mr. Bailey the church was without a pastor for several months. Early in the year 1849, Reverend W. C. George was called to the charge. He remained only a year, when the society was again without a pastor. 1
The Universalist Society of Brunswick and the Unitarian Society of Topsham were both at this time in a feeble condition, the result chiefly of deaths and removals. It was therefore proposed to unite the two societies in one organization. to be known as
THE MASON STREET RELIGIOUS SOCIETY,
The necessary arrangements were made, and went into effect on the first Sunday in November, 1850. Reverend Amos D. Wheeler, of Topsham, Unitarian, was the pastor.
There was a debt of one thousand dollars upon the house, six hun- dred dollars of which was procured by the pastor from prominent Unitarians in Boston, and the balance was paid by individual sub- scriptions in the society.
The engagement of Reverend Doctor Wheeler was for five years only, and the salary was to be raised in equal proportions by the members of the society from the two towns. Doctor Wheeler's engagement was renewed from time to time, so that his services were not discontinued until October 1, 1865, at which time he delivered his farewell discourse, having been appointed by the American Unitarian Association to act in a missionary capacity in the State of Maine.
During Doctor Wheeler's pastorate the ladies of this society formed an association, the object of which was : -
" First, the promotion of kind, social, Christian intercourse and
397
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK.
feeling among its members and generally throughout the society with which it is connected ; and secondly. to aid in the accomplishment of any religious or benevolent purpose from its funds or otherwise as a majority of its members may determine."
Doctor Wheeler was succeeded by Reverend William Ellery Cope- land, who was ordained on Thursday, July 26, 1866. The services were as follows : -
Introductory prayer, by Reverend Casneau Palfrey, D. D., of Belfast ; reading of Scripture, by Reverend John Nichols, of Saco; anthem, by choir ; sermon, by Reverend George Putnam, D. D., of Roxbury, Massachusetts ; hymn ; ordaining prayer, by Reverend A. D. Wheeler, D. D. ; charge, by Reverend Edward E. Hale, of Boston ; right hand of fellowship, by Reverend Charles C Sal- ter, of West Cambridge, Massachusetts ; address to the people, by Reverend Charles C. Everett, of Bangor ; hymn ; benediction, by the pastor.
Mr. Copeland, like his predecessor, was a Unitarian in his views. The society, however, owing to the various causes which usually com- bine to weaken any religious association, became gradually feeble, and as it became so, the Universalist element preponderated. Mr. Cope- land gave good satisfaction while pastor, though he laid himself open to the objection that was made, that he cared more for the temperance cause than he did for the success of this church. He resigned his charge in 1869, and in 1870 Reverend William R. French. a Universal- ist, was chosen to fill his place, and continued as pastor of the society until 1875, when he resigned. During his pastorate Mr. French labored faithfully and well for the interests of the society. Since his resignation no regular services have been held by either the Universal- ists or Unitarians.
THE UNITARIAN SOCIETY OF BRUNSWICK.
This society was legally organized on the fifth day of August, 1874. The incorporators numbered fifty-three. Stephen J. Young, W. B. Purinton, A. G. Poland, Emeline Weld, and Harriet Tebbets were elected a standing committee ; Henry W. Wheeler, clerk ; A. V. Metcalf. treasurer ; Humphrey Purinton, collector ; HI. P. Thompson and Alonzo Day, assessors.
A code of by-laws was adopted and a committee chosen to present, at some future time, plans for a chapel suitable for the accommodation of the society, and to take measures to secure a suitable lot.
398
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSIIAM, AND HARPSWELL.
In March. 1875, a lot was purchased on the corner of Federal and Pearl Streets for $1,500, the amount having been subscribed by mem- bers of the society. The society has not yet erected a church edifice, but the organization is maintained.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL SOCIETY OF BRUNSWICK.
The first Methodist preaching in Brunswick, of which we have any account, was in the year 1821. At that time Melville B. Cox, , while laboring on a circuit approaching within eight miles of this place, came here and, securing the use of the school-house near the colleges, commenced a course of Sunday-evening lectures. His devout appearance and the pathos of his words interested his hearers and soon drew a considerable congregation, among whom were many students. One family in the place kindly opened their doors for his entertainment. After he had continued his appoint- ment for some time, he came one Sabbath evening, wearied with the labors of the day and a long ride, from his place of preaching during the day, and called at the house of his host. He saw no signs of any one in the house, and knocked at the door several times, when at length the man came to the door and said that he was very sorry to inform him that he must turn him away from his house or be turned away himself. The preacher repaired to the place of meeting without a supper, preached his last sermon in Brunswick, and then rode eight miles to find a lodging; such was the opposition at that time against the Methodists.
In the latter part of 1828, or early in 1829, Reverend William II. Norris, then stationed at Bath, preached a few times in this place, after which meetings were held occasionally by local preachers from Bath. At the Maine Annual Conference, held in July, 1829, Rever- end Benjamin Bryant was appointed to the Bath circuit, including the upper part of Bath, New Meadows, and Brunswick. He spent a few Sabbaths in this village and formed a " class" of five members, namely, Mrs. Snowden, Miss Jane Blake, Miss Eunice Mclellan, Miss Margaret Todd, and Miss Maria Walker. The last two are still living.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.