History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 25

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1168

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The first pastor was Rev. Matthew Newhall, in 1830. The following is a list of pastors of this church from its organization to the present:

James G. Smith, 1831 ; Leonard Bennett and Enoch II. Ladd, 1832 ; Silas Greene, 1833 ; Caleb Dustin, 1834; William S. Locke, 1835 ; Converse L. McCurdy, 1836-37 ; William J. Kidder, 1838 ; Matthew Newhall, a second time in 1839 ; Joseph Hayes, 1840; John S. G. Gridley, 1841 ; William S. Locke, 1842-44 ; Charles H. Eastman, 1845-46 ; Ezekiel Adams, 1847; Horatio N. Taplin, 1848; Henry Nutter, 1849-50; Isaac W. Huntley, 1851 to November 6, 1852 ; 'Elijah R. Wilkins, 1853; Robert S. Stubbs, 1854; Harrison N. Hart, 1855; Henry Nutter, 1856 ; Loren H. Gordon, 1857-58 ; Amos B. Russell, 1859-60; Josiah P'. Stinehfield, 1861. There was no pastor in 1862 ; E. R. Wilkins preached here a part of the year. Hezekiah A. Matteson, 1863-64; William Hughes for a part of the fol- lowing year ; Nathaniel L. Chase, 1866-67 ; James Dean, 1868 ; J. Mowry Bean, 1869-71; Thomas Tyrie, 1872, but left the church; joined the Free-Will Baptists ; Charles W. Taylor, 1873-74 ; Watson W. Smith, 1875- 76; George C. Noyes, 1877-78 ; William II. Jones, 1879-81 ; Joseph H. Brown, 1882 ; Rev. James W. Presbry, 1883-85 ; J. W. Bean, 1885.

St. Paul's Church.1-The First Methodist Epis- copal Church in Manchester was organized Septem-

ber 21, 1829, at the Centre, where it still continues. The Second Church was organized December 16, 1839, and is now known as St. Paul's Church. Its first pastor, Rev. John Jones, was appointed in June, 1840. During that Conference year a chapel was built on the corner of Hanover and Chestnut Streets. It was subsequently removed to the corner of Pine and Merrimack Streets, has recently been enlarged and improved, and is now owned and used by the Christian Church. Mr. Jones was followed by Rev. Silas Green, who took charge in 1841, and remained one year. His successor, Rev. Elihu Scott, found the chapel too small, and a new building was erected in 1842 on Elm Street, costing with the land and fur- nishings, sixteen thousand dollars. From that time until 1862 the church was known as the Elm Street Methodist Episcopal Church.

In 1856 a third church was organized, called the North Elm Street Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. E. Adams, who had been at Elm Street two years, was its first pastor. About the middle of the year he took the agency of the Conference Seminary at Tilton, N. H., and Rev. C. N. Smith filled out his year. He was followed by Rev. G. W. H. Clark in 1856-57, and he by Rev. Charles Young in 1858-59. Rev. G. S. Dearborn was pastor in 1860 and part of 1861. Before the close of 1861 he was transferred to Lisbon, and his year was filled out by Rev. Mr. Owens.

In the spring of 1862 the two Elm Street societies were united. Bishop Baker named the new organi- zation the St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church, and appointed Rev. James M. Buckley, now editor of thic Christian Advocate, its first pastor. Rev. D. C. Babcock was appointed in April, 1868, and continued with the church two years, during which time some three thousand five hundred dollars was expended in repairs. Under the labors of Rev. G. W. Norris, in 1878-79, the last dollar of a long-standing and bur- densome church debt was paid.

The society known as the Tabernacle Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in the spring of 1875. Its pastors were Rev. J. B. Hamilton, three years; the late Rev. L. E. Gordon, of precious memory, one year; and Rev. O. S. Baketel, who closed his labors with the society in 1879, when, in view of a new church enterprise previously started, and designed to provide a more commodious house of worship, both churches deemed it wise to unite again their strength.

For about forty years St. Paul's Church had wor- shiped on Elm Street. As the city grew in size and business houses multiplied, the noise of trade became so great that it often disturbed the services. The society also suffered from the want of a suitable place in which to hold its social meetings, for it owned but one story of the building, the first floor being occu- pied by stores that were not under the control of the church.

1 By Rev. J. M. Avann.

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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

The building was out of repair, and between spend- ing three or four thousand dollars on it and putting up a new church there was some hesitancy. When Rev. A. E. Drew was appointed to the pastorate, in 1880, he at once began to learn the minds of the peo- ple, and found them quite generally in favor of a new church. The title by which the property on Elm Street was held permitted it to be used only for re- ligious services. This was a serious encumbrance upon its sale, and nothing could be done until it was removed. Mr. Drew spent the greater part of a year in securing its removal, and it was only through his determined perseverance that the work of disentan- glement was successfully completed. The old house was sold for twelve thousand dollars, and the parson- age which the society owned on Laurel Street for four thousand two hundred dollars, and over nineteen thousand dollars was raised by subscription.

A building lot on the corner of Union and Amherst Streets was bought for five thousand seven hundred dol- lars; the corner-stone was laid June 3, 1882, and the completed structure was dedicated April 13, 1883. The church is built of faced brick, with cut-stone window trimmings, the arches being adorned with bond stones and the buttresses being capped with stone. The audience-room is finished in ash, and with its stained windows and frescoed walls produces a very pleasing effect. It will seat eight hundred persons. The main vestry will seat six hundred, besides which there are class-rooms, parlors, kitchen and dining-room. The parsonage stands immediately north of the church, and is in the same style of architecture. It contains eleven rooms, is heated by furnace, lighted with gas, and has every arrangement for convenience and comfort, and is nicely furnished by the society. It is probably not equaled by any parsonage in the Conference. The entire cost of lot, church and parsonage, as com- pleted and furnished, was not far from thirty-six thousand dollars, and the society believe that a better church for the money does not stand in New Hamp- shire. There is no mortgage upon the property, and the society is free from debt. The plans of the church edifice were drawn by Wm. M. Butterfield, a member of the church; the building committee consisted of David H. Young (chairman), Hilas Dickey, Wm. M. Butterfield, Charles Hutchinson and Clifford M. An- derson. These gentlemen, especially the first on the committee, gave a great deal of time and earnest effort to the enterprise. Under their supervision the expenditures were made with unusual care, and great praise is given them for the results, so highly satisfactory to all. But credit is especially due to Rev. Mr. Drew, who obtained and collected most of the subscriptions and had a general oversight of the whole work. He toiled carly and late, amid mani- fold discouragements. He determined to conquer, and the church stands as a monument to his energy and persisteney. He deserves all the good words that can be said of him in connection with this enterprise.

A grateful society will ever hold him in remem- brance.

The pastorate of Mr. Drew having expired, Bishop Simpson, in April, 1883, transferred Rev. J. M. Avann from the New England Conference (Eastern Massachusetts), and appointed him as the first pastor of the new church.

St. Paul's Church has always been a revival church. Scarcely a year has passed without a goodly number of conversions. Up to December, 1884, twelve hun- dred and ten had united with the church on proba- tion, and doubtless five or six hundred other converts have gone from its altars to swell the membership of the other Protestant Churches in the city. The church has never had men of large means among its mem- bers, and it has suffered many disadvantages, so that social considerations have drawn many away from it to other churches in the city; besides this, the tran- sient character of a large part of the population has scattered its former members far and wide over the country. The records show that three thousand seven hundred and fifty-one persons have been connected with this church from first to last in full membership. Now that the church has better facilities for work, there is the prospect of increased usefulness, with the assurance that it will hold and assimilate those who are drawn to it. The first year in the new building has been one of unusual success. One hundred and twenty-four have been added to the membership,-sixty-three by | conversion and sixty-one by letter. The receipts from . pew-rents and collections during the year have been four thousand six hundred and twenty-seven dollars, one thousand and fifty-two dollars of which has been for benevolent objects and the remainder for current ex- penses. The present membership of the church is five hundred and seventy. The following is a list of former pastors, with the years of their service :

John Jones, 1840; Silas Green, 1841 ; Elihu Scott, 1842; James W. Morey, 1843-44 ; Osman C. Baker, 1845 ; John Jones, 1846-47 ; Samuel Kelley, 1848 ; Lorenzo D. Barrows, 1849 ; Charles N. Smith, 1850 ; Silas Quimby, 1851 ; John Spaulding, 1852; Elisha Adams, 1853-54; II. II. llartwell, 1855-56; Richard S. Rust, 1857; Henry Hill, 1858-59 ; John Currier, 1860; James M. Buckley, 1861-62; Jonathan llall, 1863-64 ; William H. Thomas, 1865-66 ; Hiram L. Kelsey, 1867; Daniel C. Bab- cock, 1868-69 ; E. A. Smith, 1870-72; James Pike, 1873-74; C. B. P'il- blado, 1875-77 ; George W. Norris, 1878-79; A. E. Drew, 1880-82.

The First Unitarian Society.1-The Unitarian Church in Manchester did not originate from a change of base on the part of an orthodox Congregational Church, as in so many cases in New England, nor yet in an open and formal secession from any existing ecclesiastical organization. It appears, rather, to have been an independent movement, prompted by a desire, on the part of a few persons, to sustain liberal senti- ments in religion, and to worship God in a freer and happier way than seemed possible to them in the orthodox connection.

In January, 1841, Rev. S. Osgood, a minister then

1 By Rev. E. B. Payne.

101

MANCHESTER.

residing in Nashua, began, by invitation, to preach the Unitarian faith in Manchester. Sabbath services were held for four months, when it was thought best to suspend them until the town hall, then in process of erection, should be completed, affording a more suitable place in which to hold the meetings.

In March of the following year, 1842, the town hall was secured and services were resumed, with a view to making them permanent. Rev. Charles Briggs, secretary of the American Unitarian Association, in Boston, preached on a Sabbath, and Rev. O. H. Wel- lington was then engaged for the month of April. On Sunday evening, April 24, 1842, pursuant to a call for a meeting of those interested in sustaining Unitarian preaching in Manchester, the following persons met for consultation at the house of William Shepherd : John D. Kimball, William Shepherd, E. A. Straw, James May, M. G. J. Tewksbury, James MeKeen Wil- kins. H. F. Richardson, B. F. Osgood, Edwin Bodwell, Herman Foster and J. H. Kimball.

After thorough deliberation the following resolution was unanimously adopted :

" Resolved, That we will form ourselves into a society for the more effectual support of Unitarian preaching in the Town of Manchester, and that we will proceed, as soon as may be, to organize regularly under the laws of this State."

Messrs. Daniel Clark and E. A. Straw were appointed a committee to draft and report a constitution for such a society, and an adjournment was then had until Wednesday evening of the same week.

At the adjourned meeting (Wednesday evening, April 27th) the committee, above mentioned, reported a constitution for the government of a religious soci- ety, to be distinguished as the First Unitarian Society in Manchester, N. H. The preamble, as indicating the spirit and purpose of the organization, is hereby appended :

" PREAMBLE.

"The object of this Association is to support and enjoy the more effect- ually the institution of our holy religion. Our belief is in the reality of Divine Revelation, and in the Bible as the record of that revelation. Wo desire to know its truths, and, in all charity and love towards our fellow- men, to maintain them. Such being our purpose, we unite ourselves in this association, with the love of God, and of his son, Jesus Christ ; the love of the Divine truths as taught by Christ during his mission upon the earth ; and the love of all his children, our fellow-men and brethren, strong in our hearts, hoping to establish and maintain an altar where the sons of man may worship their Creator as their consciences shall dic- tate, untrammeled by any of these fettering creeds, the offspring of hu- man ingenuity alone. To do this we pledge our zealous and humble efforts, and in promoting this object it shall be our endeavor to merge all local and party feelings and all sectarian prejudices. Praying for Di- vine assistance, and hoping for the riches of God's grace and mercy, conscious of purity of intention, of mutual affection, of a love for truth, and holy concern for our fellow-men, we unite ourselves, for the further- ance of our object, into a religious society."

The articles of the constitution are omitted from this sketch, as being only the business basis of the organ- ization and of no public interest. The preamble and constitution were unanimously adopted, and the orig- inal signers were as follows: E. H. Straw, William Shepherd, J. D. Kimball, Job Chamberlin, John H. Kimball. James May, George W. Tilden, George Hall,

M. G. J. Tewksbury, Daniel Clark, Francis L. Clark, Alfred W. Rhoads, Benjamin F. Osgood, B. F. Man- ning, Isaiah Winch, J. B. Upham, A. G. Tucker, J. B. Moore, O. P. Warener, H. S. Reed, Charles F. Warren.

E. A. Straw was chosen clerk and treasurer, and at a subsequent meeting, May 1, 1842, John D. Kim- ball was elected president, and Messrs. William Shep- herd and B. F. Manning directors.

The movement being now well launched upon its career, the members set hopefully to work to realize their objeets. Rev. O. H. Wellington became the 1 first pastor. He was ordained July 19, 1842, Rev. C. Stetson, of Medford, preaching the ordination sermon. The attitude of the religious community to- ward Unitarianism wasshown in the fact that, whereas the pastors of all the churches in the town were invited to be present at the ordination and assist in the ser- vices, they all declined except the pastor of the Uni- versalist Church.

In the afternoon of the same day Rev. William Channing, of Nashua, preached before an assembly called to organize a church in connection with the society. In view of the above-mentioned action on the part of local ministers, it is curiously suggestive that the text of Mr. Channing's sermon was the words attributed to Jesus in John xvii. 22, 23,-" That they may be one, even as we are one: 1 in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one."

The church was duly organized, the following per- solis being the original members : Benjamin F. Osgood, S. Manning, Esther Parker, Melinda Osgood, Mehit- able Eastman, O. H. Wellington, C. A. K. Welling- ton, Susan Manning, John Cadwell, H. M. A. Foster.

The following statement was adopted as the basis of their union :

" I. This Society believe that the Bible is an authoritative and suffi- cient rule of faith and practice, and is the creed, and the only creed, that should be imposed upon churches, and the only platform upon which all churches can be founded.

" II. As God has made no two minds alike, diversities of opinion, even among Christians, must be expected to occur,-diversities which no men, or body of men, have a right to suppress by any measures other than an appeal 'to the law and the testimony,' by fair argument and persuasion, and not by expulsion from church membership or by the cry of heresy, and therefore this society recognizes, as its second leading principle, the right of private judgement.

" 11I. As men may believe in correct doctrines and yet have corrupt hearts -may profess religion without possessing it, -may comply without en- tering into their spirit and may have excellent feelings and emotions and yet not be Christians, but cannot live habitually the Christian life and manifest the Christian temper and spirit unless they be Christians, this society therefore further declare that in their judgment the Christian life and character are the only true and reliable tests among Christians, and cheerfully agree to invite and receive to their fellowship all, both ministers and people, who manifest this character and receive the Scrip- tures as their rule of faith, however much any such may differ from the majority of the society in respect of opinions."

It will be seen from these declarations that the founders of the church made it their primary end Ito emphasize and espouse the practical and vital interests of religious life and work, and were com- paratively indifferent to theological and ecclesiastical concerns.

102

HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGHI COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

For nearly a year more the public services of the new church and society were held in the town hall, but during the following year a lease was secured of a small chapel, built by the Methodists in 1841, and standing on the corner of Hanover and Chestnut Streets. The first services were held there on July 2, 1843. Some time during the summer this building was purchased from the Methodists and removed to a lot, donated by the Amoskeag corporation, on the corner of Merrimack and Pine Streets.

Mr. Wellington remained as pastor only two years, when his health necessitated his departure. He was succeeded by Rev. A. Dumont Jones, who was installed July 10, 1844. Mr. Jones remained only until the end of March, 1845. From that time until 1848 the church was without a settled pastor, the pulpit being supplied by different ministers, none of whom re- mained for any great length of time, except Rev. M. J. Motte, who preached regularly for one year during 1846-47. This was a period of great discouragement for the friends of the movement. Their numbers failed to increase, and debts were incurred, and the prospect generally seemed unpromising. At one time a motion was made to dissolve the society. This, however, did not prevail, but seemed to inspire the faithful with a determination to persevere. Resolu- tion and zeal brought the enterprise through these disheartening days.

A fortunate move was made in February, 1848, in extending a unanimous call to Rev. Arthur B. Fuller, a brother of the famous Margaret Fuller. The call was accepted and Mr. Fuller was installed March 29, 1848. The new pastor proved to be a man of unusual talents, and during the five years of his pastorate the society was greatly increased and strengthened. It was found necessary to enlarge the church, which was done, its seating capacity being increased to the extent of twenty-four'pews. The life and work of the church promised large and liberal things, but in 1853, Mr. Fuller, whose abilities had become widely recognized, received a call to the New North Church in Boston, and resigned his pastoral office in 1855.

The society was now established and strong, and since that time has held its ground and steadily grown until it is now one of the leading religious organizations of the city and State. The pastors who have served the church since 1853 have been as fol- lows: Rev. Francis Le Barren, from August, 1853, to October, 1855; Rev. W. L. Gage, from June, 1856, to April, 1858; Rev. Sylvan S. Hunting, from Septem- ber, 1858, to November, 1861; Rev. A. W. Stevens from September, 1862, to October, 1865; Rev. Au- gustus M. Haskell, from September 6, 1866, to March, 1869; Rev. C. B. Ferry, from December, 1869, to the summer of 1874; Rev. Harvey from November, 1874, to the spring of 1883. The present pastor is Rev. E. B. Payne, who was installed in February, 1884.

The church worshiped in the building on the cor- ner of Merrimack and Pine Streets until 1859, when an exchange was made for a larger building, for- merly occupied by the Free-Will Baptist Society, and standing on the corner of Merrimack and Chestnut Streets. This building, in turn, they sold in 1871, and erected their present house of worship on the corner of Beech and Amherst Streets, dedicating the new church in 1872.

It remains to be said only that the years have wrought. significant changes in the mental and spiritual attitude of the society. It has gradually departed farther and farther from the orthodoxy of forty years ago. It no longer stands, in all respects, indeed, upon the. platform provided by its original founders. It still emphasizes, as much as the older generation did, the practical and vital side of religion, rather than the dogmatic and ecclesiastical interests. It would re- affirm, upon occasion, the sincerity of its intentions,- the love of man, the purpose of affording opportu- nity to worship in the free and untrammeled exercise of conscience and the desire to do good in the com- munity where it lives and labors. But it has dropped out of its thought and sympathy almost entirely the theological ideas held by the early members, and expressed or implied in the preamble to the consti- tution and in the statement of principles on which the church was founded. Indeed, the church, as a separate organization, has disappeared, interest in it and the conscious need of it having ceased. There remains only the society. The Christian ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper are no longer ob- served. The majority consider these as so much entangled with the orthodox and historical Christian faith that they ought to be passed by by those who- seek the natural foundations, the real essentials and the sweet simplicities of religion. So, too, the ma- jority have ceased to trouble themselves with the. vexing question whether or not we are, in the histor- ical and accepted sense, a Christian Church. They believe there is something which is indisputably nobler than to be Christians,-namely, to be souls, genuine, generous, hale and happy souls, ready to. accept every reality in itself and in its relations, and holding themselves as servants to the truth, when it is known. And even these ideas are not formulated into a church creed to compete polemically with the definite creeds of other churches, and to constitute a dividing line between our little communion and an outside world regarded as hostile and alien. These sentiments indicate rather a drift of thought and feeling to which we gladly yield, asto a movement of the brooding spirit which appears to move on the waters. The society, in short, is a simple organiza- tion, uniting those who realize the moral quality, the spiritual significance and the impartial justice of the universe, and to accept it, before all Bibles, as the revelation of the true, the beautiful and the good.

103

MANCHESTER.

The Universalist Church,1- The germ of what is now the Universalist Society of Manchester was started in 1825 at Amoskeag village, by Dr. Oliver Dean, then agent of the manufacturing company out of which the Amoskeag Company grew.

Dr. Dean was a man of energy and large business capacity, and the success of manufacturing in our city is largely due to his efforts. But he was not only a man of business capacity, but was a man of strong religious principles, and even before he settled per- manently in the community he invited ministers of his faith to the village and established Universalist preaching. Services were continned under his direc- tion until 1833, when we learn from the records these facts : On the 4th of September, 1833, the following persons associated themselves together as the First Universalist Church of Bedford and Goffstown, and partook of the Lord's Supper :

Frederic A. Hadsdon, John Stark (3d), George Daniels, Hiram A. Daniels, John Mullett, Edwin Smith, David Fiske, Nehemiah Preston, Mary Parker, Mrs. Pattee, Nancy Poor, Moses Gage, John V. Wil- son and Caleb Johnson. There is now but one of the original members living, the Rev. J. V. Wilson, who was ordained to the ministry in 1835. The first pastor of the church was Rev. Frederic A. Hadsdon. On the 20th of November, 1833, the church met at the school-house in Amoskeag, and chose Rev. Frede- rie A. Hadsdon moderator, and George Daniels clerk of the meeting. After adopting a declaration of faith and a constitution, George Daniels was chosen clerk and treasurer, and Wilbur Gay a deacon. The meetings thereafter were held in Amoskeag Hall. The records were kept until November 21, 1833, at which time Archibald Dow was chosen moderator. The meeting dissolved and no further records of the church can be found.

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History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 25

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis Number of Pages: 1168

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1168