USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Portland > The history of Portland, from 1632 to 1864: with a notice of previous settlements, colonial grants, and changes of government in Maine > Part 59
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The Bethel Church for Seamen was organized in September, 1842. In 1827 a society was incorporated to provide for re- ligious instruction for seaman, under the name of "The Trus- tees of the Mariner's Church." The large granite building on Fore street between Long and Commercial wharves, sixty-one feet front, was erected in 1828 at an expense of thirty-three thousand dollars, containing a spacious chapel in the third sto- ry, and other apartments, and stores, by the rent of which, and of a liberal subscription obtained for the object, it was, hoped that the institution would be sustained and the debt paid. But in this the trustees were disappointed, and after a struggle of about fifteen years the whole property became forfeited to the mortgagees for the non payment of the money hired to erect the building. Afterward, services' were held in the Ex- change Hall and the City Hall by Rev. George W. Bourne and Rev. David M. Mitchell. In 1847 a new effort was made to procure a building suited to the important object, and resulted in the erection of the brick church now standing near the cor- ner of Fore and Chatham streets, which was completed in 1849. Preaching is held there regularly on Sundays and a church
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gathered, consisting at the present time of thirty-three mem- bers, and a Sunday school of one hundred and twelve pupils. The Rev. Samuel H. Merrill was installed in 1856, and con- tinued a faithful and devoted pastor until 1864, when receiv- ing the appointment of chaplain in the army, he resigned his office, and was succeeded in July, 1864, by Rev. V. J. Harts- horn, who sustains the public worship.
An Abyssinian Society, composed of colored people, was incor- porated in 1828, which the same year by aid of liberal sub- scriptions from other persons, commenced the construction of their meeting-house in Sumner street. In 1835 twenty-two colored members of the Second Church were set off to unite with the Abyssinian church. The Rev. A. N. Freeman was the pastor for several years and at the same time had charge of a day school and a Sunday school for colored children, hav- ing an average attendance of fifty scholars. The Rev. Mr. Johnson now preaches to the society, and attends to the Sun- day school, both of which are respectable in point of numbers. The day scholars are, under recent arrangements, distributed in the other schools and the separate establishment for colored children is discontinued.
Church of the Second Advent. A society under this name was organized in this city in 1851, and have held their meet- ings in a hall. The Rev. P. B. Morgan was their preacher for a while ; but they have no stated preacher, depending upon such persons to conduct their meetings, as they can from time to time procure. They hold their meetings now in Cushman's Hall, 355 Congress street ; their number is small.
An Association of Spiritualists was formed in 1850 and have regular meetings on Sunday at Mechanic's Hall, on the corner of Congress and Casco streets. They have a variety of speak- ers, both male and female, generally from abroad, who conduct a service without regard to the usual religious forms. The attendance is generally good, often large, depending however upon the popularity of the speaker. They have no regular
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clergyman, and adopt no creed ; believing in spiritual mani- festations, and in communications of the living with the de- parted, who are supposed to be in constant sympathy with the dwellers upon the earth and hold intercourse with them.
The number of religious societies in the city in 1864, is twenty-eight, beside the city missionary's congregation. These all have regular houses of worship, but the Adventists, Spirit- ualists, and the City Missionary. And they are divided de- nominationally as follows, fourteen in the Congregational order, which are again divided by doctrinal sentiments, viz., ten Trini- tarian; three Unitarian, and one Universalist; three Metho- dist societies, two Baptist, two Catholic, two Episcopal, and one each of Freewill-baptists, Swedenborgian, Quaker, Spirit- ualists, and Adventist.
These are all the Congregational societies which have been established here ; we shall now endeavor to present a brief view of those of other sects which now divide the town. The first in order of time is the Methodist society.
The first Methodist sermon ever preached iu Maine was at Saco, September 10, 1793, by Elder Jesse Lee of Virginia. He had been principally instrumental in forming the societies of this order in the New England States, which he commenced in Connecticut in 1789. At a conference held at Lynn in 1793, this zealous disciple of Wesley was appointed to travel through Maine. In a tour of several months in this State, he went as far east as Castine, and preached almost every day to such col- lections of people as he could draw together. A circuit was immediately formed on the Kennebec called Readfield circuit, and a preacher sent to them.1 The Portland circuit, established in 1794, was the next, and in 1795 a class was formed in this town, and in December of the same year the first quarterly meeting held in the State, assembled at Poland. Elder Wager
1 Elder Wager was appointed preacher ; the next year Enoch Mudge of Lynn, one of the first fruits of Elder Lee's preaching at Lynn, was sent to Readfield.
44
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was appointed the traveling preacher in this circuit. On El- der Lee's first visit here he preached several times in the sec- ond congregational meeting-house ; subsequently he preached in the court-house and sometimes in a private house in Essex street. The first society was organized by Elder Wager in 1795, and consisted of six persons. They struggled along through many difficulties and with a slow progress for nine years, at the end of which time the number of members had increased to but eleven.1
In 1804, however, their prospects began to brighten, Enoch Ilsley purchased and presented to the society the house previously occupied by the Episcopalians, which was removed to Federal street and soon filled by a respectable congregation. This was the first house of worship which the society had owned. The Rev Joshua Taylor now became the stationed preacher, and the church, which at the commencement of Mr. Taylor's ministry consisted of but eleven members, increased in two years to sixty-four. In 1808 the society having become so numerous as to require larger accommodations than the old house afforded, made arrangements for the erection of a more spacious one. Trustees were chosen to superintend the con- cerns of the society according to the discipline of that order, and a year or two after, the house now used by the society in Chestnut street was erected, and on the 17th of February, 1811, was dedicated by Rev. E. Kelby .? The society kept on steadily increasing ; in February, 1821, they became incorpo- rated. Twice the house in Chestnut street was enlarged, and at length it became necessary to furnish still more room, when the society with great spirit and unanimity erected the neat
1 In 1797 the persons who had associated together, were received into the Methodist Episcopal Church as one of the united societies.
2 The trustees were William Waterhouse, Thomas Delano, William True, Thomas Runnels, Samuel Homer, Lemuel Gooding, and Thomas Dodge. Mr. Gooding is the only survivor.
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METHODISTS.
and handsome brick church on the corner of Pleasant and Park streets in 1828.1
In 1835 the members of the second society, not being able to sustain their public worship, concluded to return to the pa- rent society and sold their house to a new parish established by the Unitarians. Still many who lived in the western part of the city did not relinquish their desire for a place of worship in that portion of the town. Their wishes were at length grati- fied, and in 1846 they erected a neat wooden church on Pine street, over which Elder Gershom Cox presided two years ; he was succeeded by Rev. Howard B. Abbott, and the usual bien- nial successions peculiar to the Methodist denomination. The preacher now stationed in this society is the Rev. Henry M. Blake. The number of church members is two hundred and eighty-two; pupils in the Sunday school three hundred and fifty ; teachers, thirty-six.
In the mean time the old society in Chestnut street pursued their steady and even course, growing with the growth of the town and enlarging their spiritual borders. Their biennial succession of ministers, according to the usage of the denomi- nation, gives them fresh accession of ministerial talent and gifts, and quickens them by varied presentations of truth. In 1847, Rev Charles F. Allen of Norridgewock was their preach- er ; his successors have been the Rev. Messrs. William McDon- ald, Aaron Sanderson, Joseph Colby, Charles W. Morse, and others named below.
1 The following table will show the progress of this society in the State.
In 1795 members 318, stat. preach. 4. 1822 members 6,524 stat. preach. 41.
1800 1,197, 10. 1831 13,478 66 91. 1816 66 3,364, 27. 1864 about 20,000 162.
This does not include the local preachers, who are as numerous as the stationed preachers ; the latter are supported by voluntary contributions. The Maine An- nual Conference of this connection is composed of all the traveling Methodist ministers in the State.
In 1832 a newspaper was established in Portland under the auspices of this society, called the Maine Wesleyan Journal, the first number of which was issued Jannary 12, of that year.
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The society in 1855 began to feel that their accommodations were too narrow for them, and they sought a more eligible sit- uation and larger room. At this time and juncture, the Rev. Henry Cox, by transfer, came among them, an Englishman by birth, intelligent, enterprising, and gifted with a good degree of eloquence. He perceived their wants, and was quick to avail himself of the wishes and liberal spirit of the people, who. desired a church edifice suited to their means and the progress of the age. Mr. Cox was the man for the occasion ; his wit was sharpened by experience, and he was most successful in accomplishing the great object of his own and his people's desire, in the erection of the beautiful and commodious brick church, which now stands upon the site of the old struc- ture. It was commenced in 1856 and was dedicated July 8, 1857, Mr. Cox preaching the sermon. It contains one hundred and ninety pews, and with the land cost about fifty thousand dollars ; it is one of the finest church edifices in the city. The old house of worship with the parsonage in the rear, endeared to the old worshipers by many hallowed associations, was destroyed by fire April 26, 1860. Mr. Cox remained with the society until 1860, and was succeeded by Rev. Henry B. Ridgeway. In 1862 and 1863, Rev. William R. Clark was their pastor ; at the present time the Rev. Mr. Allen, the ac- ceptable minister of 1847, is again in this wide field of labor. The society is large, prosperous, increasing, and harmonious. The number of the church members is four hundred and ninety- eight, and teachers and scholars in the Sunday school four hundred and ninety-four.
The success of a society is manifested by the offshoots it is able to send out. Thus this old hive of Methodism, the mother of the churches of the denomination in this city, planted in 1851, a new colony upon Munjoy's hill, in the midst of a grow- ing population. Dr. Eliphalet Clark generously presented a beautiful lot of land on the corner of Congress and St. Law- rence streets to a new society then formed, on which a conven-
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METHODISTS.
ient house was erected in the summer of 1851, sufficiently large to seat three hundred persons, and entirely free from debt. The church was consecrated to its holy uses by the Rev. George Webber, and the Rev. Eaton Shaw was appointed to officiate in the religious services until the annual conference of that year. A large congregation was gathered, and a Sunday school of about forty scholars was organized. The Rev. W. F. Farrington was appointed to the charge of the society by the conference, and about fifty-five members from the Chest- nut street society were organized into a church, which was rapidly increased, as well as the congregation and Sunday school, until the capacity of the house was exhausted. The seats were free. It now became necessary to enlarge the house to meet the pressure for attendance, and an addition was made to the building at a cost of about one thousand dol- lars, and pews took the place of free seats. The society in its first year, notwithstanding it was small and not wealthy, raised eight hundred dollars for parish purposes. The number of church members in 1864 is one hundred and seventy-five and attendants upon the Sunday school two hundred. The parish raised the last year four hundred dollars for benevo- lent objects, in addition to its ordinary expenses. The suc- cession of ministers has been, Revs. William McDonald, C. C. Mason, A. J. Church, B. Foster, George Webber, H. B. Abbott, and the present pastor, Samuel Roy:
In addition to these three flourishing Methodist churches, there is one established on Peak's Island in Casco Bay, num- bering twenty-seven church members, eleven probationers, and sixty Sunday school pupils and teachers, over which Rev. Joseph Hawkes, Jr., is stationed.
There are two Conferences now in Maine, one called the Maine Conference, the other the East Maine Conference, the dividing line being the Kennebec river to the bend below Skow- hegan, and thence on a north course to the Canada line. The division took place in 1848. The number of effective preach-
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ers in the Maine Conference is eighty-two; superannuated, seven- teen. In the Eastern Conference the effective preachers are eighty, and thirteen superannuated. The number of members in the Maine Conference in 1864 was ten thousand six hun- dred and seventy-seven. I am not able to give the number in the East Conference ; it probably does not fall far short of the other, and shows an increase of about eight thousand members beside seventeen hundred probationers since 1831. The whole number of members of the Methodist church in the United States, of the different orders, according to the latest returns, was one million six hundred and eight thousand seven hundred and thirty-two, larger than any other denomination except the numerous classes of Baptists.
Baptists. The first Baptist society organized in Maine was at Kittery in 1682; but the persecution was so great at that time on the part of government, that in about a year afterward the minister, Mr. Screven, and the greater part of his church, went to South Carolina and established themselves on Cooper's river, near where Charleston now stands. No further move- ments were made by persons of this persuasion for more than eighty years. In 1767 the Rev. Hezekiah Smith of Haverhill came to Maine to propagate the views of the Baptists, and con- tributed to the formation of a society in Berwick. At the same time he extended his visit to this town, but without any visible success. Mr. Deane was earnestly solicited by one or two persons to invite Mr. Smith to preach in his pulpit, but he declined doing it. In 1771, Mr. Smith came here again and preached to a few persons collected at John Burnham's house. If any effort was made at this time to collect a society here, it was wholly unsuccessful.1
1 Mr. Smith was born on Long Island, New York, April 21, 1737, graduated at Princeton College, New Jersey, 1762, and died at Haverhill, November 5, 1805. He gathered the first Baptist society in the county of Essex in 1765. He always preached without notes, and by a fine command of language, a strong and rich voice, an ardent and persuasive manner and a thorough knowledge of human na-
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+
No further attempts were made here to form a society of this order for many years. In 1796, Benjamin Titcomb, Thomas Beck, and four or five others, began to make religious inquiries, which resulted in their separation from the places where they had usually worshiped, and they met together for social wor- ship at the house of Mr. Titcomb. Their exercises were car- ried on by prayer, singing, and reading a printed sermon ; this service they soon found cold and formal, and no additions were made to their number. They then substituted reading and explaining the scriptures for the sermon, and after the services they conversed freely on their religious experiences. Their number now began to increase, and the private room became so crowded, that in the beginning of 1799, they held their meetings in a school-house in Union street. A short time pre- vious to this, one of their number had been baptized and ad- mitted to the Baptist church in North Yarmouth ; the subject of baptism now earnestly engaged their attention, and their inquiries into the scriptures were particularly directed to this subject, which resulted in their conviction that baptism by immersion was the true form. In the space of eighteen months, nine persons were baptized by immersion, and the society was visited by ministers of the Baptist persuasion.
About this time Benjamin Titcomb was baptized at North Yarmouth, and joined the church there, and in January, 1801, received the approbation of that church to preach. The soci- ety now hired the third story of the brick building on the cor- ner of Union and Middle streets; and in the month of March, 1801, those who had been baptized met together, signed arti- cles of faith and agreed to unite together in church fellowship. For their regular organization, they invited a council com-
ture, he acquired great influence in the denomination of which he was an orna- ment and support. In all the relations of life he was highly exemplary ; I can . well remember the kindness of manner with which he has often patted me on the head and taken me upon his knee; the impression of his open and amiable countenance will never be effaced from my memory.
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posed of the churches of Brunswick, North Yarmouth, and
$ New Gloucester, which assembled in Portland in July, 1801, and proceeded to constitute the persons who had before associ- ated together, "as a church of Christ ;"1 the following Septem- ber, Benjamin Titcomb was invited to take the pastoral charge of the society.
In June, 1803, the first meeting-house was erected in Federal street ; this was one story high, it was removed in 1811, and the large and convenient church now occupied by the society was erected on the same spot.2 At the time the first house was built, twenty-nine persons had been admitted to the church, of which one had died. In 1804, Mr. Titcomb moved to Bruns- wick and relinquished his pastoral care over the society. He was succeeded by the Rev. Josiah Convers, who was ordained October 21, 1807, and at his own request was dismissed in 1810. In May of the same year, the Rev. Caleb Blood took the pastoral office, in which he continued until his death, March 6, 1814.3 The pulpit was supplied by occasional preach- ing until November, 1815, when the Rev. Thomas B. Ripley commenced preaching to the society, and was ordained July, 1816.4
Mr. Ripley was very popular and successful as a preacher ; during his ministry of twelve years, two hundred and nineteen
1 The persons who had associated together as a church were Thomas Beck, Betsey Beck, Edward Carlton, Ruth Wheeler, Sally Tukey, Thankful Butman, Louis Owen, Eleanor Riggs, Moses Cross, and Mary Titcomb. Thomas Beck and Edward Carlton were. chosen deacons July 21, 1802. Deacon Carlton died in 1825, and Deacon Beck in 1830, aged seventy.
2 A handsome tower was added to this house and furnished with a bell in 1831. In 1847 the house was entirely remodeled, the floor raised, and a con- venient basement fitted up.
3. Mr. Blood, when he died, was in the sixtieth year of his age, and thirty-eighth of his ministry. He was deeply lamented by his society and friends.
4 The Rev. Dr. Baldwin of Boston preached the sermon. The society was incorporated in 1820.
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BAPTISTS-FEDERAL STREET SOCIETY.
persons were added to his church, of which fifty-five were the fruits of his first year's labor. Mr. Ripley's connection with the society terminated on occasion of some unhappy disagree- ment in 1828 ; in March of that year he tendered a resignation of his office, which was accepted. He left the society with the deep and lasting regret of many of its members, to whom he had endeared himself by the practice of those virtues which adorn a man and a christian ; his truly catholic spirit and amiable deportment extended the circle of his friends wide be- yond the precincts of his parish.1
Mr. Ripley was succeeded by the Rev. Ebenezer Thresher, Jr., of Providence, R. I., who was ordained December 17, 1828. He held the office but fifteen months, when the connection by mutual consent was dissolved. On the third of November, 1830, the Rev. George Leonard of Salem, having accepted the invitation of the society, was installed ; the sermon and address to the pastor were delivered by the Rev. Rufus Babcock, of Salem. Mr. Leonard's services were peculiarly acceptable to his people, but in the midst of his usefulness, they were sud- denly deprived of them by his death, which took place in Wor- cester, Mass., August 12, 1831. His remains at the request of his widow were brought to this place, and funeral solem- nities were performed over them at the meeting-house, and were followed to their final resting-place by a large portion of the church and congregation.
It was not until more than a year afterward that Mr. Leon- ard's place was supplied. Rev. Mr. Stow, of Portsmouth, was invited to become their pastor, but declined. In September, 1832, the Rev. John S. Meginnis having accepted the invitation of the society, was ordained, on which occasion the Rev. Dr. Wayland, President of Brown University, preached the ser- mon.2 The whole number of persons who had been received
1 Mr. Ripley settled in Bangor, but is now a faithful and devoted minister to the poor in this city.
2 Mr. Meginnis was a native of Pittsburg, Penn.
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HISTORY OF PORTLAND.
into this church from its organization to October 28, 1830, was three hundred and eighty-nine, of whom two hundred and thirty then remained, sixty-one having died, and the remainder ninety-eight, having been dismissed to other churches, or ex- cluded from their communion.
The number of members of the church in 1863 was three hundred and nineteen, and of scholars in the Sunday school two hundred and sixty-eight. Mr. Meginnis resigned the pas- toral charge in 1837, and was succeeded by the Rev. James T. Champlin, who was ordained May 5, 1838. Mr. Champlin felt compelled to resign his clerical office in 1841 on account of ill health, and was the same year appointed a professor in Waterville College ; he is now the valued and popular president of that institution. After about fourteen months' intermission the Rev. Luther F. Beecher of Connecticut was installed in October, 1842. In 1849 he was invited to Albany, and preached his farewell sermon June 7th of that year. The Rev. Jacob R. Scott was settled as the successor of Mr. Beecher in September, 1849. In 1853 he was invited by the American Baptist Missionary Society to take charge of the mission in France ; he resigned his pastorate April 4th of that year. But on further reflection he declined to enter upon that mission, and in the same year was installed over the Baptist Society in Fall River, where he died. His place in Portland was filled by the present pastor, Rev. William H. Shailer, who was in- stalled in the pastoral office March 19th, 1854, and has suc- cessfully filled the responsible position, as well as of that of a good and faithful citizen to the present time. Dr. Shailer was born in Haddam, Middlesex Co., Conn., was educated at Ma- dison University, a Baptist College established at Hamilton, N. Y., from which he graduated in 1835, and which in 1853 conferred upon him the honorary degree of D. D. Dr. Shailer was called from a church in Brookline, Mass., over which he had been settled from 1837 to 1854.
The Second or Free Street Baptist Society was formed in
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BAPTISTS-FREE STREET SOCIETY.
1836 by a secession from the First Baptist Society in 1836. They purchased the theater building on Free street the same year and altered it to a convenient church, which was dedicated August 11th of that year. In 1856 the building was enlarged and greatly improved in comfort and beauty ; a tower was erected on one front angle, and a tall and graceful spire on the other, at an expense of about fifteen thousand dollars. On the first of January, 1837, the Rev. Thomas O. Lincoln was or- dained their pastor, and continued with them until October 25th, 1841, when he received a dismission and afterward set- tled in Philadelphia. In February, 1842, the Rev. L. Colby was settled and remained until June, 1844. In November following the Rev. J. S. Eaton was inducted into the pastoral office and continued faithfully and efficiently to discharge its duties until his health entirely failed in 1855, when he retired from his labors and died in 1856 much lamented. He was succeeded in March, 1855, by the present pastor, the Rev. George W. Bosworth, under whose successful and able minis- trations the society is in a very flourishing condition. Mr. Bosworth was born in Bellingham, Mass., September 30, 1818. He was educated at Waterville College and Newton Theological Seminary ; was ordained and settled in Medford, Mass., in September, 1841, from thence was transferred to the South Baptist Church in Boston, March, 1846, where he continued until he was invited to take charge of the society in this city. In 1862 he received from Waterville College the honorary de- gree of D. D. The number of members connected with this church in 1863, was three hundred and seventeen. The whole number of communicants in the two hundred and seventy-eight Calvanistic Baptist churches in Maine, in 1863, was thirteen thousand one hundred and sixteen, with one hundred and eighty-five ordained ministers.
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