USA > Maine > Kennebec County > Gardiner > One hundredth anniversary of the diocese of Maine, 1820-1920, Christ church, Gardiner, Maine, May thirtieth to June third > Part 4
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Rev. Gideon W. Olney
Court of Massachusetts, marched to the new site. An exhortation and prayer was made by the Rev. Gideon W. Olney, after which a silver plate, bearing on one side the date of the transaction and name of the principal benefactor, and on the other the name of the rector and church officers, was deposited under the corner and the stone laid in its place by the Senior Warden, Robert H. Gardiner, assisted by the master builder. Mr. Gardiner made an address suitable to the occasion. The Church records state: " The services were solemn, impressive, and ap-
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propriate, and excited a strong interest in the numerous congregation assembled upon the occasion."
The stones of the building were brought from a quarry in Litchfield, on clumsy scows propelled by horse power, down the Cobbossee River to the New Mills, whence they were hauled to this location.
On the 18th of October, 1820, the church was consecrated by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Griswold, of Massachusetts. Seven clergymen were in at- tendance. The Rev. Dr. Jarvis, of Boston, delivered a sermon suitable to the occasion, and communion was administered by the Bishop.
It was planned to pay for the building by the sale of pews, Mr. Gar- diner personally guaranteeing one-half of the cost. Pews were engaged and notes given, but many failed to keep their pledges, and Mr. Gar- diner was obliged to bear the greater part of the cost himself.
Without question this church must then have been the finest in the State and certainly among the best in New England. It is a fitting memorial to the generosity of its principal donor.
In looking over the Church records we find no mention of the dedi- cation of the church, of the cost of the building, or how it was borne. Unless this was done at the earnest request of Mr. Gardiner, it seems a strange omission. The only mention of the new church was at a meet- ing of the parish, September 4, 1820, when it was voted, " To give R. H. Gardiner, Esq., permission to build a row of tombs on the south side of the new Church, the sales of which are to be appropriated to the pur- chase of an organ for said new Church, or to some other object, at the election of said Gardiner, for the benefit of the Parish."
In 1824 "Mr. Gardiner presented the Church with an organ and also gave five of the six tombs which he had built, to the Society to be sold and the monies arising from the sale to be used in ornamenting the Church."
In order to beautify this part of the town, Mr. Gardiner presented the park, or common, as we call it, fronting the church and its yard, thus securing this beautiful open space for all time.
The interior of this building has been greatly altered. The pews were originally high, large, and enclosed by doors. The two rear pews on the main aisle, " where sat officials armed with long poles ready to tap of- fending boys," were elevated above the rest. The pulpit was a high one,
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having an ascent of five or six steps with a door which the rector closed upon entering. In 1857 the pulpit was removed and the pews were changed to their present size and shape; by this change twenty addi- tional pews were added. At first the organ and choir were located in the gallery, but in 1880 the organ was moved to its present location.
It seems incredible that no provision was made for heating the build- ing, and we can imagine the discomfort to those who attended services in the winter months. Seventeen years after its erection a small stove was placed in one corner, but it was many years before a furnace was installed and a chimney added. The only method at first for lighting this building was by candles.
The old church was sold to the town to be used for a town house. and the proceeds purchased the new bell. At this time it was the only bell in the city, and its use was sought on many occasions. At last it was thought necessary to restrict it, and the parish voted, " that it should be rung only for public worship, for funerals, for town business and Ly- ceum Lectures;" but a year later they added, "that it could be rung for Temperance meetings." Since its installation, until recently, it has rung every day, morning, noon, and evening; the evening curfew is still continued. Until a fire whistle was installed, this bell warned our people of all fires in this vicinity.
For a time the old building was used for a schoolhouse. For two years the Methodist Society occupied it for church purposes. It also served as offices for the town, and there all public meetings were held. After several years it was abandoned by the town, the doors and win- dows were taken out, and it became a ruin and the abode of tramps. On the night of July 4, 1833, it was set on fire by some of the boys of the neighborhood and thus passed out of existence.
In 1820, through the efforts of Mr. Gardiner and Simon Greenleaf, of Portland, members of the only Episcopal Churches in Maine, the separate Diocese was formed. Mr. Gardiner says: "There seemed some- thing preposterous in our two feeble Churches being admitted to an equal voice in the affairs of the Church with the numerous rich and powerful Churches in the state of New York." Through the influence of Massachusetts, these men were admitted as Deputies to the General Convention, and the Diocese of Maine was recognized.
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The Rev. Mr. Olney's influence was destroyed when he refused com- munion to some of his parishioners who participated in a dance given in the city, and Mr. Gardiner speaks with regret of the incident. In consequence the attendance diminished and Mr. Olney's resignation was accepted.
Again the records of the Church tell us interesting incidents in con- nection with its history. One clergyman asked for a month's vacation, as his health required it. They voted him " a month's relaxation in warm weather, but would indulge the hope that so long a period would not generally be found to be necessary." Showing the changes of time, some forty years later a clergyman made a month's vacation a condition be- fore accepting the pastorate.
At one of the meetings when a clergyman was elected the following comment appears: " A few months since we were sheep without a Shep- herd, and were scattered upon the mountains, because we had no one to guide us. But in our sorrows the Lord had mercy upon us and pro- vided us a Pastor whom we all esteem, whom we all respect and in whom we all feel confidence as our spiritual instructor and friend. May his ministry be long and useful and yield abundant fruit to the glory of God and the salvation of men. May many souls be given to him as the seals of his ministry and the crown of his rejoicing in the day of the Lord." The writer of this flowery quotation, at that time clerk of the parish, was Dr. Enoch Hale, principal of the Lyceum. Later he became an uncle of the famous Edward Everett Hale. We are sorry to note that in a few years this Shepherd was dismissed because his flock had lost confidence in him as a spiritual leader.
One of the rectors complained that his congregation diminished be- cause a majority of the pews were held by a single individual. When Mr. Gardiner heard the suggestion, he informed the parish that he would cheerfully convey to them all the pews he owned in the church, except- ing those required for the convenience of himself and family, and this was done.
Soon after the church was built, it was utilized by the town in a practical way. A large brick underground cistern was built in the road opposite the church, and the rainwater from the roof was conducted into it and used for supplying the hand engines when fires occurred in
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this vicinity. On many occasions it proved its usefulness, until the in- troduction of the city water in 1885.
May 13, 1849, the first by-laws that governed the action of the parish were adopted, although previously it had been under the general Canons and Constitutions of the Episcopal Church. New by-laws and the ones they now use were adopted April 10, 1869.
Dr. Gardiner's legacy, a charge upon all property in this city, was annually paid to the parish for a hundred years after his death, when, by act of our Maine legislature, it was allowed to be commuted into cash and was paid, in 1886, to Trustees, in whose keeping it still serves its original purpose, together with the other gifts of Dr. Gardiner and his grandson.
One curious thing we note in looking over the records, -the first mention of a woman's name, in 1873, when Maria Storrs was appointed a member of a committee to raise funds. Once since, the name of a woman is mentioned, a member of the Music Committee. At a parish meeting some twenty years ago we find this vote, "That every woman present try to raise five dollars in some way before Friday night, to pay the indebtedness." Who can say what part women will bear in parish affairs in the next hundred years?
In 1903, when the town was a century old, services were held in this building commemorative of the event.
Mr. Gardiner tells of the trials in having the church properly sup- plied by rectors until the arrival of Bishop Burgess, on the 6th of No- vember, 1847, after he had been made a Bishop on his thirty-eighth birthday. At that time there were only seven Episcopal parishes in Maine, - Portland, Saco, Bangor, Augusta, Brunswick, Milford, and Gardiner, - and this was the most flourishing. For nineteen years the first Bishop of Maine resided here, one of our leading citizens, a friend to all. No man ever lived in this city who commanded more respect than Bishop Burgess. We remember him well as he walked our streets, tall, straight, and spare; his white hair and saintly placid face gave him a beautiful appearance, and though he was but fifty-seven years of age when he left us, one could easily believe he had fully passed threescore years and ten. When making calls upon his parishioners in the country, he invariably carried an open book in his hand, reading as he walked. A
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remark concerning him made by my father, when I was a boy, made a lasting impression on me. He said, "the Bishop is one of the few men who desires to pay his full measure of taxes; he even requests that his prop- erty have a higher valuation than that placed upon it by the assessors."
Bishop Burgess was deeply interested in all that concerned the politi- cal, the moral, and the spiritual life of our city. For several years he served upon our board of education, and by his suggestions and his per- sonal influence did much to increase the efficiency of our schools. Dur- ing the dark days of the Rebellion, when men trembled for the safety of the Union, he had implicit faith in the Government; with his voice and by his pen he aided and encouraged those who were battling with treason. In his daily life in our city, or when attending his duties in his church, he was ever kind, considerate, and thoughtful, making no dis- tinction between the rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, the godly and the erring. He was beloved by all who knew him; his life and his example were an inspiration not only to his parish, but to our entire community.
Mr. Gardiner's family took a deep interest in this Church, both before and after his death. His son-in-law, Francis Richards, served as vestry- man and warden for twenty years, and it was chiefly through his efforts that the parish house was built in 1841. Three of Mr. Richards' sons have filled the position of warden or vestryman, and one of them, General Richards, is the oldest living ex-official of this Church. His service dates back forty-five years.
Mr. Gardiner left three sons. The eldest, named for him, resided in this city the greater part of his life, became clerk of the church in 1834, at the age of twenty-five, and part of the time was a member of the vestry. Upon the death of his father he was made senior warden, which position he held as long as he lived. Occupying, as I did, the same office room, and meeting him daily, I was aware of the interest he manifested in the affairs of the Church, not only in this parish, but also in the Mis- sionary Society, of which he was treasurer for years. Time and again he would borrow on his own responsibility the money necessary to meet the salaries of resident missionaries, saying, "They must be paid promptly; how else can they live?" His death in 1886 was a great loss to the Church.
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His second son, Colonel Gardiner, was a graduate of West Point and did effective service in the Civil War. He was the father of our present senior warden, the third Robert Hallowell Gardiner, a man who, fol- lowing the custom of his family, gives generously to this parish, and devotes much of his time and energy not only to its interests, but to the ecclesiastical interests of the whole State. He has identified himself
Robert Hallowell Gardiner, Esq.
with the work of Church Unity, which has carried his name beyond our land, into the remote parts of the earth. He has filled the position of warden of this parish for the past twenty years.
The third son, the Rev. Frederic Gardiner, D. D., was a fine type of clergyman, and was also a professor in one of the Divinity schools of another State. Although never settled over this parish, he frequently supplied its pulpit. Mr. Gardiner's youngest daughter, Sister Eleanor, the last of her generation, now living at the age of ninety-five, has devoted her entire life to the Church.
Miss Gilmore in her history has fittingly described the labors of the earlier clergymen, while my generation has been personally acquainted
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with those who have officiated here since the death of Bishop Burgess, each of whom has left his impression upon the life of the parish. Illus- trating the change of sentiment between the clergymen and parishion- ers, I remember well discussions which took place whenone of the rectors delivered a sermon against the evils of intemperance, criticising the law- breakers who carried on illegal traffic in liquor. Some of his parishioners said, " He should be driven from the city. No minister has any right to carry his private opinions into the pulpit; he should preach only from the Bible, and not mix in the secular affairs of life."
Bishop Burgess was succeeded by one of his pupils, the Rev. John T. Magrath. He was born in this city in 1842, graduated from Bowdoin College at the age of twenty, was principal of our High School, and stud- ied for the ministry with Bishop Burgess. His is the only case of a person born in Gardiner who became a clergyman and settled over a parish in this city.
It is nearly one hundred and seventy years since Dr. Gardiner made his first settlement ; and we have been able to discover only four per- sons, born in Gardiner, who became clergymen: one in 1796, one in 1811, one in 1822, and one in 1842. Two, the Rev. Frederic Gardiner and the Rev. Mr. Magrath, were Episcopalians, while the other two were Methodists ; and for practically one hundred years we have had no native-born minister save Mr. Magrath. Mr. Magrath was made a delegate from this parish to attend the Consecration service in Trinity Chapel, New York, January 25, 1867, when the Rev. Henry A. Neely was made Bishop of Maine. Mr. Magrath, though beloved by his parish, officiated here only about two years, when he received a call to Michi- gan, where he remained eleven years. Nearly all the rest of his life was passed in Massachusetts. He was Rector of Christ Church, Hyde Park, and of the Church of the Holy Spirit, Mattapan ; and he also served as assistant in Emmanuel Church and Trinity Church, Boston.
In 1905 he was instrumental in building on the island of Southport in this State, a beautiful chapel, "All Saints'-by-the-Sea," which was consecrated by Bishop Codman. The Rev. Mr. Magrath died in 1908, and his body is interred in our Oak Grove Cemetery.
The Rev. Christopher S. Leffingwell was here for ten years, a length of service exceeded only by that of Bishop Burgess and the present
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rector. He was a courteous gentleman, beloved by the townspeople as well as by his parish. In 1879 he went to Bar Harbor and took charge of a chapel built there by the summer residents. He remained its rector for twenty years, until St. Saviour's Mission ranked in importance with the largest parishes of the Diocese. He was an Honorary Canon of St. Luke's Cathedral. Through his efforts a flourishing Mission was started at Hull's Cove, where an attractive chapel was built. He died in 1902, in his seventy-fifth year.
The Rev. Leverett Bradley was a man of strong personality and broad religious views. Before coming to this parish he had been an assistant to Phillips Brooks, the Rector of Trinity Church, Boston, from whom he derived many of his ideas. His work, like that of Bishop Brooks, was original and impressive. The number at his services in this parish was the best testimonial of his spiritual power and effectiveness, and here he made many warm personal friends. He interested himself in the affairs of our city, and it was largely through his efforts that our Public Library was erected. His was the spirit of the pioneer ; and when he answered the call to a larger field and harder service, not only the parish, but the whole city, was loath to have him go. From here he went to Andover. Massachusetts, where through his efforts a beautiful church was soon erected. He was then called to St. Luke's Church, Philadelphia, where he had ample scope for his full powers. He died there in 1902, in his fifty-sixth year, worn out before his time.
The Rev. Charles L. Wells was a young clergyman who, during his four years' pastorate, endeared himself not only to the members of his parish, but to the townspeople as well. He had a beneficial influence over the young, and interested them in the better things of life. He left this parish to take a professorship at Seabury Divinity School, Minnesota. He received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from Harvard, and is the author of several important publications. He has had charge of a number of large parishes in this country, and has acted as professor at Harvard University and McGill University, Montreal. At present he is Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Sewanee, Tennessee.
The Rev. Allen E. Beeman, who followed Mr. Wells, was a fine scholar and devoted to the Church. Under his pastorate the vested choir was inaugurated, and through his interest many valuable Church rec-
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ords and papers were discovered and arranged in an orderly manner. From this parish Mr. Beeman went to Christ Churchi, Bridgeport, Con- necticut, and thence to Grace Church, Charleston, South Carolina. In 1897 he became Rector of St. Paul's Church, Fairfield, Connecticut, which position he still fills. He is also Archdeacon of Fairfield County, in that State.
The present rector, the Rev. Robert W. Plant, began his services in
Rev. Robert W. Plant
February, 1894, and has been with us more than a quarter of the time which spans the history of this building. As every one is aware, he is a man of unbounded energy and tireless in his work, which extends be- yond the immediate parish. He is a wonderful organizer, not only as leader, but as co-laborer in the various affairs in which he has been in- terested. His work in bringing the Children's Home from another city and erecting the building now called the "House of the Good Shep- herd," speaks volumes for his humaneness and efficiency. Any one who takes unhappy children from unfortunate surroundings and places them, not in an institution, as it is generally conducted, but in a real home with elevating and Christianizing influences, deserves the thanks
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of the entire community. Mr. Plant is always ready to cooperate in the charities of our city; he has been active in the management of our public hospital, and, as is well known, has always lent his aid to the affairs of the Church throughout the entire Diocese.
The parish records show that in the last one hundred and thirty years, since 1791, seventeen clergymen have officiated. Only one of these, the Rev. Joel Clap, who was here eighty years ago, has relatives now living in this city. The same family are also descendants as far as the sixth generation of Henry Smith, one of the first wardens, chosen in 1793.
After the death of Bishop Burgess, the Convention for the selection of a new bishop was held in this church, on the 30th of October, 1866, when the Rev. Henry A. Neely, D.D., was elected to fill the position, and. as was natural, Portland was chosen as the Cathedral city of the Episcopal Church in Maine.
Since Dr. Gardiner erected his little church, many strong men and women have given their time, their energy, and their means towards the development, growth, and success of this parish. It would be impossible to enumerate them all, but three persons stand out so prominently that tablets commemorative of their deeds have been placed on these walls. We turn to the one in memory of Dr. Gardiner, for he it was who first planted the cross in this part of the country; who, when dying in another State, reverted in thought to the little church on the banks of our river; and who, by his will, left a portion of his land and an annuity towards its perpetual support. The words on the tablet are in Latin, briefly de- scribing his life, and this memorial was placed here by his grandson when the church was built.
Again our minds recall the one who conceived and built this struc- ture, who watched over and cared for this parish until, in the fullness of time, he was gathered to his fathers. Robert Hallowell Gardiner died at his beautiful home in this city, in April, 1864, at the age of fourscore years and two, in the full possession of his faculties and surrounded by his family, to whom he was devoted. His was a beautiful ending to a long, busy, useful life, and he must have recalled with satisfaction his many deeds for the betterment of mankind. Fittingly did a grateful people inscribe these words to his memory: "From youth to age their Leader, Benefactor and Godly Example."
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Then we think of the life and example of the first Bishop of Maine, and are grateful that he was permitted to carry on his work in this city. In his ministry to mankind he labored beyond his strength, and in the winter of 1865-66 he sought, too late, for rest and relief in a visit to the milder climate of the West India Islands. At sea, on his return voyage to his home in this city, he met his tragic death. How well the words on yonder tablet in this building, where so many of his useful hours were spent, describe Bishop George Burgess!
Learned, judicious, saintly ; Living for Christ and the Church; Loving all, beloved by all; Faithful in every trust, even unto death.
Robert Hallowell Gardiner and Bishop Burgess both sleep in the little yard beside the church they loved so dearly. "They rest from their labors; and their works do follow them."
Thus briefly have we sketched the principal events in the life of this parish, from the time when, in colonial days, Dr. Gardiner planted in the wilderness his little church, which, twenty years later, was to be destroyed by a maniac; we have told how the sturdy pioneers erected another in its place, which served their purpose until a man of vision and generous impulse gave to this community the structure whose hun- dredth birthday we now celebrate.
We have seen its name changed from "St. Ann's," bestowed upon it by the donor of the little edifice, in 1771, to "The Episcopalian Society in Pittston," then to "The Episcopal Society of Gardiner," and once again to "Christ's Church in Gardiner." Under authority of a general law of Maine for the "Incorporation of Parishes," on April 8, 1869, it adopted the title of " The Rector, Wardens and Vestrymen of Christ Church, Gardiner, County of Kennebec," which legal title it now bears.
We love to call it " the old historical Church," not only of our city, but of our State, and well has it borne its honors.
Our beautiful church, built before any newspaper in the town could note its existence, looked graciously down upon the first steamboat that laboriously worked its way to our wharves; it heard the earliest click recorded by a telegraphic instrument, and it welcomed the iron
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horse when it came to this part of the world. At its birth no adequate means of heating or lighting were available, and it antedates nearly all of our modern comforts and conveniences. Nobly has it weathered each storm, and it bids fair to continue on its even course for many a century to come. What will it chronicle before its next centennial! No human eye can look into its future, no human hand can draw aside the curtain which veils its unknown destiny.
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