USA > New Hampshire > Carroll County > Wolfeborough > History of Wolfeborough (New Hampshire) > Part 26
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The Congregational Church at North Wolfeborough was largely one of the results of the Dr. Blake revival. Some thirty persons in the neighborhood were converted in a protracted
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meeting held in April, 1839, by Dr. Blake, several theological students and two Methodist ministers. One of the students, Robert Fuller, commenced preaching there. June 13, 1829, a church was organized by a council composed of Rev. John S. Winter and Deacon Daniel Smith, of the church in Ossipee ; Rev. Joshua Dodge, from the church in Moultonborough; Rev. Nathaniel Barker, from the church in Wakefield; Rev. S. H. Merrill, from the church in Center Harbor; Rev. Giles Leach and Mr. James Fullerton, from Sandwich; Deacon Thomas Rust and Deacon John Fox, from Wolfeborough Bridge. November 13, Thomas J. Tebbetts and Richard Bickford were chosen deacons. September 24, 1843, Rev. J. Dodlt was installed as pastor of the church. November 29, 1848, his pastoral relation ceased, and at the end of one year Rev. Stephen Merrill, a native of Conway, became pastor and continued such until his death, which occurred in June, 1860. Rev. Horace Wood had charge of the church from 1863 to 1866, preaching one-half the time. Since then, the church has not had a resident pastor, but has had preaching a portion of the time by theological students. Thomas L. Whitton has served as deacon. The church has had in all fifty members ; the present number is nine. The population of the neighborhood is very sparse, and very few persons attend the infrequent meetings of worship.
October 29, 1840, a union church building, largely owned by Congregationalists, was dedicated, Rev. John Winter, of Ossipee, making the dedicatory prayer and Rev. John Mordough preach- ing the sermon. The lot on which it stands was deeded by George E. Nudd to Richard Bickford, Aaron Roberts, Thomas J. Tebbetts, James Young, James Bickford, Samuel Tebbetts, Richard Nudd, Ezra Hardy, and Samuel Nudd. The meeting- house had a narrow escape from burning a few years after. One Monday forenoon it was found to be on fire on the inside. The school, which was in session, was dismissed, and the pupils soon extinguished the fire with snow. The fire probably originated
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from the snuffed wick of a candle, a meeting having been held in the church the previous evening.
The Methodists came to Wolfeborough quite early, but in small numbers, and although they are the most energetic and successful religious people in the United States in extending their church bounds, they have not gained much foothold in the town, probably on account of the ground being fully occupied by other denominations. Colonel William Cotton came from Ports- mouth in 1781. He had previously affiliated with the Methodists, but when in 1792 a Congregational Church was organized, he became a charter member. After the death of Mr. Allen, when the church had lost its visibility, he probably resumed his relations with his former religious associates. As is well known, his home was in the easterly part of the town, and thither a few itinerating Methodist preachers occasionally resorted. The Methodists and their immediate neighbors, the Baptists, were very fervid wor- shippers, and Christian fellowship so prevailed that in 1801 they erected a union meeting-house, which with its successor, a new structure, has to this time sheltered the waning remnants of the two organizations. The Methodist Church, a part of whose mem- bers lived within the limits of Brookfield, numbered in its palmy days nearly two score of persons; its membership is now less than one-fourth that number. Elder George O. Cotton, a grand- son of the Colonel, was for nearly half a century a local Methodist preacher, holding meetings in schoolhouses.
Several families of Friends took up their abode in Wolfe- borough soon after the close of the Revolutionary War. Among them were the Varneys, the Bassetts, and the Nowells. Other families affiliated with these, and to some extent adopted their views and practices. About 1825 they erected a small meeting- house on Varney's Lane, now Friend Street, and for quite a number of years held in it two weekly meetings statedly and others occasionally. The construction of the interior of their place of worship was peculiar, and so was the seating of the wor-
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shippers. A broad aisle extended through the building its entire length. Near this was a movable partition by which the one room could be made into two, if desired. At the end of the room were elevated seats. The male members of the society sat on one side of the broad aisle and the females on the other, the aged persons and officials occupying the higher seats.
The members of the "Meeting" at the proper time quietly took their accustomed places, and remained in silence for about an hour unless some one was "moved to speak." Sometimes one person and sometimes several would occupy a portion of the time. When the proper time for closing the meeting arrived, the leader, "who occupied one of the elevated seats, would extend his hand to the person sitting next to him and they would shake hands. The shake would then become general, this ceremony closing the meeting." There were some "gifts" in the society that were generally improved. Lindley M. Hoag was a forcible speaker, and would sometimes preach an extempore sermon that would continue for more than an hour without wearying his auditors. The talks of his wife, Huldah, were frequent, and found much favor with those who listened to her.
The Friends dressed well, but not showily. The material of their garments was of good quality, but of sober colors and plain- ly made. The style of their bonnets was regulated by the age of the wearers and was changeless, the aged women wearing a hod- shaped black silk; the middle-aged, a white silk of the same shape ; and the young misses, a white silk with the front slightly flaring.
It is not known that there was ever any organized society of Universalists in Wolfeborough, but there have been quite a num- ber of persons in different parts of the town who professed that faith. They were relatively more numerous in the neighborhood of South Wolfeborough than elsewhere. In 1845 a union church was built in that village, the probable cost of which was eight hundred dollars. Within a few years it has been repaired and
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modernized. To the expense of erecting this house the Uni- versalists contributed more than any other sect, although a preacher of that denomination seldom occupies the desk, which is free to all clergymen.
There were probably few, if any, professed Unitarians in Wolfe- borough previous to 1880. In the summer of 1882 Rev. Mr. Powell, pastor of the Unitarian Church at Laconia, held services several Sabbaths on the deck of steamer Lady of the Lake, while lying at the Wolfeborough wharf, and in the summer of 1883 Rev. Mr. Brown, of Charleston, S. C., while on his vacation, which he spent in Wolfeborough, preached in the Christian Church Sunday afternoons. During the following three years there was some preaching by different ministers under the man- agement of Rev. S. C. Beane, of Concord, Mass., the meetings being held in a hall. March 25, 1886, the First Unitarian Society in Wolfeborough was organized. The original members were Charles H. Parker, William B. Hodge, Frank P. Hobbs, Rufus H. King, Ida M. Clark, Mary A. Dowlin, Fred W. Prindle, Abbie M. Prindle, Joseph Lewando, Nellie J. Lewando, Charles F. Piper, Sewall W. Abbott. The first board of officers consisted of Oliver Dowlin, president; Ida M. Clark, vice-president ; Fred W. Prindle, clerk; Frank P. Hobbs, treasurer ; William B. Hodge, Charles F. Piper, Joseph Lewando, executive committee.
December 4, 1886, the society voted to build a church, and chose Greenleaf B. Clark, William B. Hodge, and Fred W. Prindle a building committee. This committee contracted with Charles Prindle and Winthrop D. Hersey to erect the edifice, and January 17, 1888, it was dedicated. At the dedicatory exercises the consecrating prayer was offered by Rev. Fielder Israel, of Salem, Mass., and the sermon delivered by Rev. Brooke Herford. It is the most costly church structure in Wolfeborough, being built and furnished at an expense of six thousand dollars. The first pastor of the society, which has no church organization, was Rev. Loren Benjamin McDonald. He has been succeeded by
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Revs. Laighton, Lock, Hamlet, and the present pastor, Rev. An- drew Hahn. A Sunday-school was established about the time of the dedication of the church which had fifty members. Rev. L. B. McDonald was its superintendent.
The Adventists became a distinct religious people about 1840. Having become believers in the near approach of the advent of Jesus Christ, and discovering, as they thought, too much con- formity to the world in church organizations, they, to a certain extent, withdrew from them. For a few years great religious ex- citement prevailed, and many persons affiliated with the new class of believers. They organized no churches and settled no minis- ters, their meetings being generally held in school-houses and conducted for the most part by itinerating preachers, the mem- bers of the worshipping assemblies taking an active part in the services. About 1854 their meetings became somewhat localized at the schoolhouse in Pleasant Valley, where for a long time they held Sabbath meetings, conducted by the Churchills, Charles Coleman, and other preachers. In 1886 they established meet- ings at Wolfeborough village, under the direction of Elder Al- phonzo Davis, holding them in private houses and ina fewinstances in the Christian and Free Baptist Churches. After that, for sev- eral years they occupied halls, where they had constant preaching by different ministers, and were quite prosperous. In 1890 a church was organized, and in 1891 a chapel was built on Union Street at a cost of thirty-eight hundred dollars. It was dedicated in 1892, A. W. Sibley preaching the dedicatory sermon. The church has had two pastors, Elders Mark Stevens and E. A. Goodwin.
Very few Catholics have made homes in Wolfeborough. Sev- eral of Irish nationality have lived in the town, but have received little attention from their religious teachers. More, but not a large number, of French extraction have domiciled here, and have for several years been occasionally visited by a priest. In 1898 they erected a chapel about twenty feet square, at a probable
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cost of four hundred dollars, and in it services are occasionally held.
Present Location of Churches-Advent, Union Street; Cath- olic, Beatrice Street; Christian, North Main Street; Congre- gational, South Main Street; Unitarian, Glendon Street; Free- will Baptist, Center Street, Wolfeborough Falls. There are union churches at Center Wolfeborough, East Wolfeborough, North Wolfeborough, and South Wolfeborough.
CHAPTER XXIII.
SCHOOLS-ANDREW COLLINS -- ISAIAH HORNE-GRAIN CURRENCY -FOUR DISTRICTS-SCHOOL-ROOMS -- FURNITURE-EIGHT DISTRICTS-SCHOOL LOT SOLD-SCHOOL-HOUSES-TEACH- ERS-DUDLEY LEAVITT-THE FIRE LIST-THE SWEEPING LIST-BOARDING AROUND-LITTLE REPUBLICS-BRANDY SCHEME-SCHOOL COMMITTEE-EXHIBIT OF SCHOOLS 1840-DISTRICT TWO-DISTRICT ONE-UNION OF DIS- TRICTS-HIGH SCHOOL-TOWN SYSTEM ADOPTED-WO- MEN TEACHERS COME TO THE FRONT-THE FIRST STOVE.
IN 1773 the town voted to raise five pounds for a school, and in 1774 an additional sum of the same amount for a like purpose. There is no evidence that either of these votes became effective. In 1776 John Sinkler brought a bill against the town for "going after a school-teacher." He probably failed to obtain one. Very important matters were then engrossing the attention of the in- habitants of the town as well as of the country generally. The restraints of government were loosely held, and the votes of majorities could not always be enforced.
It is probable that there was no school in Wolfeborough until 1781, when Andrew Collins appeared on the stage in the double role of preacher and school-master. His necessarily brief history is found in preceding pages under "The Ministry." A state law having been enacted rendering towns that made no provision for schools liable to be fined, a town-meeting was held December 17, 1782, at which it was voted "to hire a school for six months the coming year, three months in the winter and three in the summer." The selectmen engaged Isaiah Horne to take charge® of the winter school. Here is a copy of his agreement :-
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"Wolfeborough, Thursday, December 19, 1782.
This day agreed with Messrs. William Rogers and Richard Rust, selectmen of the town, to keep a proper English school for three months, at eleven dollars, silver currency, per month, and in such parts of said town as they shall direct, the school to begin on Monday next, I finding my board. Witness my hand, Isaiah Horne."
The town voted subsequently not to have the summer term of school. In January, 1783, a school-tax of ten pounds was as- sessed. In 1785 the town voted to have a school for three months in the summer. It was kept by Nathaniel Ambrose, Jr., who lived with his father in Moultonborough. The following winter the father received his son's wages in corn, which, with rye, was a staple currency, most of the taxes in Wolfeborough being paid in these two articles, and nearly all business transactions among the inhabitants based on their fixed values, which were deter- mined by votes passed in town meeting. Corn was valued at three shillings and rye at four shillings a bushel. For the ac- commodation of tax-payers two grain-takers were appointed. They were William Rogers on the south-west side of the town and William Triggs on the north-east. The grain-taxes were taken by the farmers to these depositories, and from them disbursed by orders from the selectmen.
In 1786 the town voted to have no school, and during the three following years there is no record of any. November 22, 1790, a school-tax of nineteen pounds was assessed. The selectmen divided the town into four districts, in which schools were kept by Nathaniel Ambrose as follows: number one, "Above the Bridge," sixty days; number two, "Below the Bridge," thirty- nine days; number three, "Cabbott," or "Farm," fifty-six days; number four, "Haines," twenty-five days. These schools were kept in private houses. That in district number one occupied an upper room in the newly erected and not completely finished
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domicil of Benjamin Blake. He and his wife came to Wolfe- borough in the early spring of 1768. They built a log-house in in which they lived eighteen years, in 1786 exchanging their closely crowded quarters for a dwelling of ampler dimensions. Some years after, this was consumed by fire, and was replaced by another of similar size and structure.
In 1790, when the school-districts were located, Mr. Blake's house was probably the most suitable for a school of any in that neighborhood, yet it required some outlay to fit it for the pur- pose intended, as the following bill of expenses indicates :-
"Wolfeborough, May, 1790.
The town of Wolfeborough to Benjamin Blake Dr.
To four benches to sit on 6 shillings
To fixing the room for the school I shilling To stuff for the banisters I shilling 6 pence
The whole amounting to 8 shillings 6 pence."
Of course provision of some sort was made for the accom- modation of the schools in the other districts, but there is no record of any action until September, 1793, when Daniel Brewster, who came to Wolfeborough two years before, charges the town "six shillings for making two additional benches and a writing- table for the use of the school." About the same time Jesse Merrill made "a writing-bench and two little boxes for the use of the schools." This simple furniture was removed from place to place to accommodate the schools, as the following bill of Jacob Smith shows :-
"The Selectmen to Jacob Smith Dr. December 1793 to mov- ing the school-benches at sundry times three shillings."
In 1793 the town had built a meeting-house and settled a minis- ter, and schools began to receive more atention. The selectmen divided the town into eight school-districts. Here follow lists of the tax-payers in the several districts acording to their respec- tive financial showing :-
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HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
District number one was located on the main road between Smith's River and Tuftonborough, and contained one-fifth of the town's inhabitants. List of tax-payers-William Rogers, Reuben Libbey, Benjamin Horne, Ebenezer Meder, John Fullerton, James Fullerton, Joseph Lary, Andrew Lucas, John Bassett, Lemuel Clifford, Jonathan Blake, Isaiah Horne, Andrew Wiggin, Samuel Tibbetts, Ebenezer Horne, Jr., Stephen Horne, Levi Tib- betts, Isaac Townsend, Benjamin Wiggin, John Horne, Eliphaz Wiggin, Jesse Merrill, Moses Wiggin, Andrew Wiggin, Jr., Chase Wiggin. Whole number, twenty-five; value of ratable estate, forty-one pounds, fourteen shillings, four pence.
District number two embraced the territory lying between Smith's River and New Durham, extending east to the Hersey Brook and also about a mile on the Pine Hill road. List of tax- payers-James Connor, Col. Henry Rust, William Lucas, Rich- ard Rust, Henry Allard, Thomas Chase, Henry Rust, Jr., James Lucas, Joshua Varney, Daniel Brewster, Jacob Smith, Israel Piper, Wiggin & Thurston, Moses Varney, Stephen Drew, Widow Martin, Jesse Whitten, Col. Stephen Evans, Joseph Varney, Oliver Smith, Joseph Evans, Jason Chamberlin, Daniel Brewster, Jr., Josiah Evans, Samuel Leavitt, Paul Blazo, Benjamin Whid- den. Whole number, twenty-seven; value of ratable estate, thirty-six pounds, eighteen shillings, eight pence.
District number three consisted of Wolfeborough Neck. List of tax-payers-Joseph Edmonds, Josiah Leavitt, Jonathan Ed- monds, John Edmonds, Daniel Cooley. Whole number, five; value of ratable estate, six pounds, six shillings, two pence. To this was added three pounds, eight shillings, and six pence of ratable estate from the Wentworth Farm.
District number four, called "Pine Hill," lay on the road from the farm of Andrew Wiggin to the Hersey neighborhood, on that through the fifty acre lots towards the "Mills," and also on that leading to the Stockbridge Mountain. List of taxpayers- Jonathan Hersey, David Copp, William Fullerton, John Lucas,
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HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
John Piper, David Piper, Jeremiah Gould, Paul Wiggin, John Shorey, Nehemiah Lucas, Samuel Piper, Timothy Piper. Whole number twelve ; value of ratable estate, fifteen pounds, one shil- ling, ten pence.
District number five, then called the "North District," em- braced the whole of the Masonian proprietors' lands, the westerly portion of Wolfeborough Addition, and the farms lying on the road from North Wolfeborough to the meeting-house. Within its boundaries were one-fifth of the inhabitants of the town. List of tax-payers-Isaac Goldsmith, Aaron Frost, Isaac Martin, Samuel Tibbetts, Jr., Joseph Keniston, Jedidiah Drew, William Triggs, Joseph Haines, Jacob Haines, Joshua Haines, John Swazey, Matthias Haines, Dudley Hardy, Perry Hardy, Isaac Drew, Cornelius Jenness, Abner Moodey, William Nudd, Ebenezer Tibbetts, Jonathan Tibbetts, Ichabod Tibbetts, Samuel Nudd, Thomas Drew, Josiah Willey, John Willey, Benjamin Savage, Abram Prebble, John Drew, Aaron Frost, Jr., William Goldsmith. Whole number, thirty; amount of ratable estate, thirty-five pounds, fourteen shillings, three pence.
District number six, a union district with Ossipee and Wake- field, was situated east of Whiteface Mountain. List of tax- payers-John Young, Samuel Hide, Widow Keniston, A. Glover. Whole number, four; value of ratable estate, seven pounds, two shillings, two pence, to. which was added three pounds, eight shillings, six pence of the ratable estate from the Wentworth Farm.
District number seven, called the "Farm District," was situated in the neighborhood of the Wentworth Farm and Cottonborough. List of tax-payers-Wentworth Farm, Calder farm, William Cot- ton, Jr., Edmund Tibbetts John Cotton, John Shortridge, John Martin, Nathaniel Brown, Josiah Cotton, Isaac Cotton. Whole number, thirteen ; value of ratable estate, twenty-five pounds, two shillings.
District number eight, called the "Furbur District," was south
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HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
of Lake Wentworth. List of taxpayers-John Furbur, Widow Leavitt, John Brackett, John Warren, George Warren, James Marden, George Yeaton, Timothy Martin. Whole number, eight ; value of ratable estate, four pounds, three shillings, seven pence, to which was added five pounds of the ratable estate of the Wentworth Farm.
The ratable estate of the Wentworth Farm was thirty-six pounds, equal to more than one-sixth of that of the whole town, including both persons and properties. It was apportioned to districts three, six, seven, and eight. The Calder farm, Jonathan Hersey, John Furbur, and James Connor were rated at three pounds or more, and Col. Henry Rust, William Rogers, William Lucas, John Young, and Reuben Libbey at from two to five shillings less.
At the census of 1790 the population of the town numbered- males about sixteen years of age, one hundred and twenty ; males under sixteen, one hundred and ten ; females of all ages, two hun- dred and seventeen; total, four hundred and forty-seven. The number of tax-payers in 1793 were one hundred and thirty. As the foregoing exhibit of school-districts shows, the inhabitants of the town were generally much scattered, the most compactly settled parts being the main road north of Smith's River and the Wentworth Farm neighborhood. Few families had as yet estab- lished homes in the central part of the town or in those portions now occupied by the villages. There was no collection of build- ings sufficiently large even to be denominated a hamlet.
The school-tax for the year amounted to ninety-two dollars and fifty cents, and was thus distributed : to district one, twenty dollars and forty-four cents ; to district two, eighteen dollars and ten cents ; to district three, four dollars and seventy-seven cents ; to district four, seven dollars and forty cents ; to district five, seventeen dollars and fifty-eight cents ; to district six, four dollars and ninety cents; to district seven, twelve dollars and thirty cents ; to district eight, six dollars and ninety-six cents.
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HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
During 1790 Abraham Peavey, George Nicholson, and Samuel Tucker taught schools in Wolfeborough. Each teacher perhaps visited one or more of the districts, and kept a term of school, the length of which was proportioned to the amount of tax allotted it, occupying the "spare room" of some commodious dwelling in the neighborhood, and except in the southwest part of the town, where movable school furniture had already been provided, utiliz- ing household articles supplemented with rude tables, seats, and benches. So pressing was the need of schooling that it is not improbable that some of the inhabitants, in order to lengthen the terms of school, may have furnished the teacher with gratuitous board, allowing him to retain the whole of his pittance of grain or money.
Agreeable to a vote of the town, the school lot was adver- tised to be sold June 1, 1797, at public vendue under the follow- ing conditions made by the committee having the matter in charge, which consisted of Richard Rust, William Rogers, and Nathaniel Brown :--
"Ist. Each lot to be set up separately and struck off to the highest bidder, who will be deemed the purchaser.
2nd. A valid conveyance to be made on payment of the pur- chase money.
3rd. The purchaser shall pay five per cent on the amount each lot sells for upon the land being struck off to him, which will be forfeited on his or their non-compliance with his bid or neglecting to fulfill the conditions.
4th. The purchaser may pay the money down or he may have the indulgence of nine years for the payment of the whole of the purchase money arising from the sale of each lot by giving good security on interest and paying one-third of the principle in two years, one-third part in four years, if requested, and the remaining third part in nine years, and the interest arising on the whole
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annually-and he may pay the same at any time within the said term of nine years, provided he shall pay the money due at one and the same time.
5th. A bond will be given for a lease or deed until the money is paid as expressed in the fourth article.
6th. Unless payments are made agreeably to the fourth article, the land and any part of the money which has been paid shall become forfeited and the bond of no effect."
The lot contained four hundred and fifty acres, and was divided into nine fifty-acre lots. On the road leading from the town meeting-house to North Wolfeborough, it extended from the westerly side of F. B. Horne's farm to that owned by Everett Fernald, and in a northerly direction, to the farm occupied by the late Ira Horne. Among the first purchasers were Thomas Stevenson, John Rines, George Yeaton, and Tilly Lary. Three sons of Jacob Horne, viz., James Twombley, Henry, and Elijah eventually had farms out of it. The most of it is now in the pos- session of Frank B. Horne, Samuel Reynolds, and Albert F. and James Stevenson. At the time of the sale it brought about five dollars an acre. The interest on the money arising from the sale of the school lot was one hundred and fifty-five dollars and eighty- four cents, and with the school-tax, it was thus divided in 1802 :-
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