USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Andover > History of the town of Andover, New Hampshire, 1751-1906, Part I > Part 7
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April 15, 1782: Voted, "to remove the Meeting house out to the Rode to the corner of Mr. Hilton's land."
June 10, 1782: Voted, "to settle a Minister as soon as conven- ' iently may be." Voted, "that Samnel Blake, Capt. William Emery and Jonathan Weare be a Committee to hire Preaching the present year." Voted, "to set a meeting house on the Plain between the Pond and Mr. Clough's."
July 8, 1782: Voted, "to extend a Call to Rev. Josiah Badcock of Milton Mass. to settle and preach in Andover." Voted, "to offer the learned young gentleman 150 dollars the 1st year and to add 10 dollars more each year until the salary should amount to 200 dollars per year." Also it was "voted to build
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HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
a house for Mr. Badcock as Big as Mr. Sam'l Blakes in said town, so far as to put up the frame and board it." Voted, "to give the gentleman 20 cords of wood yearly." Voted, "to pay the salary semiannually and to clear two acres of land annually for Mr. Badeoek for five years after his ordination but if he be Taken away or Dismissed within five years then to Clear no more." Voted, "that Mr. J. Badeock shall have Liberty to be absent three Sabbath days in a year yearly." Voted, "to give Mr. Badeoek the use of the parsonage in s'd Town so long as he is the minister thereof."
Mr. Badeoek settled in Andover, September 30, 1782.
The following is a copy of Mr. Josiah Badcock's credentials as a minister :
EPPING, Oct. 5, 1776.
This certifies whom it may concern that Mr. Josiah Badcock a Gen- tleman of a Liberal Education and unexceptionable character as far as we know (and we have had acquaintance with him for divers years) has offered himself to our inquiry as a Candidate for preaching the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and exhibited to us a specimen of his Gifts with which we are well satisfied & think it Duty to encourage him in his Design nothing Doubting of his sincere Desire to serve the interest of the Redeemer's Kingdom.
Josiah Cotton Nathaniel Trask Josiah Stearns John Page Timothy Upham
On September 16, 1782, the town elected a committee to invite the churches in Danvers, Mass., and Brentwood, Epping, Pem- broke, Sanbornton and Salisbury, N. H., to send their ministers and delegates to assist in the ordination of Mr. J. Badcock on October 30, 1782.
The ordaining council was entertained at the house of Samuel Blake, the site of the present W. S. Marston house, and the ordi- nation exercises were held at the same place. The ordination ser- mon was preached by Rev. Benjamin Wadsworth of Danvers, Mass., from the text Isaiah 52 : 7: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publish- eth salvation ; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth !"
In the course of his charge to the pastor Mr. Wadsworth said,
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RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES AND CHURCHES.
"as occasion calls prove yourself both a son of thunder and a son of consolation."
On the day of the ordination the First Congregational Church was organized. At first it consisted of six members. This num- ber slowly increased to thirty; then gradually diminished until 1809, when Mr. Badcock's connection with the church ceased. In 1828 only one member of this first church was living.
Unfortunately the records of this church have been lost or de- stroyed.
The following notes in Mr. Badcock's diary are characteristic of the man and his time :
July 8, 1782, "The people in Andover gave me a call to settle with them in the Gospel ministry."
October 30, "Was ordained in Andover."
November 19, "Went to board at Mr. Nathaniel Emery's."
July 11, 1783, "Preached a lecture at the river." This is the first notice of a religious meeting at the river road.
August 9, "A hard frost."
September 14, "Eben Scribner's wife died and on 20th child."
November 8, 1783, "My house was raised."
December 11, "Thanksgiving. Remarkably pleasant." November 18, 1784, "Was married."
January 19, 1785, "Moved into Andover."
April 14, "Fast day.
BILLS PAID FOR ORDINATION EXPENSES.
1782. The town paid Mr. Samuel Blake cost of ordination (in part) £1 0s. 0d.
1782. The town paid Capt. William Emery for certain ex- penses, £2 10s. 0d.
1782. The town paid Joseph Chandler for expenses of ordina- tion, £7 10s. 0d.
At that time the ordination of a minister was an impressive and notable event. As far as possible all the people stopped work on that day, joining in the religious services and afterwards par- taking freely of the rum and roast beef generously provided for all the people. So far, no itemized account of the food and bever- ages consumed on October 30, 1782, has been found, but numerous
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HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
traditions indicate that the quantity was sufficient to satisfy not only the elergy. but the congregation.
May 29, 1783, chose Nathan Rowe, Moses Clough and Thomas Blake a "committee to see that the Rev. Mr. Badeoek's house is done according to vote of s'd town."
November 8, 1783, "The frame for the parsonage was raised today." This building was built where Hale Flanders now lives, on Taunton Hill, formerly the Horaee Clay place.
In 1783, the town paid Captain Weare for rum used at the raising the frame for the parsonage, £1 4s. Od .; also for meat on the same occasion, £9 0s. 0d.
The timber for the parsonage was bought at "vendue" by the town. Nathan Rowe, Simeon Rollins. Simeon Connor, Theophi- lus Blake, Paul Smith Marston, Edward Ladd, Joseph Philbriek, Josiah Seribner, Joseph Chandler, William Morey, Ebenezer Til- ton, Thomas Blake and Joseph Fellows "bid off" and furnished the lumber. Jonathan Cilley bid off the framing for £4 1s. The frame was 30 x 25 and fifteen feet high below the eaves. The house was finished in 1784.
March 15, 1784, "Voted to have the meeting 13 Sabbaths the south side of the Pond." (Now Webster Lake.)
September 15. 1788, "Voted to build a meeting house on the plains near the pond."
May 10, 1790, "Voted to reconsider the vote passed at the last annual meeting to build the meeting house on the Plains near the Pond. Voted to build a meeting house on the Hill in Mr. Hil- ton's lot."
November 14, 1791, "Voted to build the meeting house on the hill by Capt. Baehelders. Voted to put up the frame by a tax."
"William Blake, Joseph Philbrick, Peter Weare. Lieut. John Rowe and Jonathan Cilley ehosen a Committee to build s'd meet- ing house and settle with Capt. Bachelder for the land." When the deed was made out for the land, Mrs. Baehelder refused to sign it because she understood that there would have to be a "bar" in her house to furnish liquors for the accommodation of the ministers and church goers and she could not approve such customs.
November 22, 1791, "Voted to choose a Committee out of town to fix a place to build a meeting house. Col. Gerrish, Capt.
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RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES AND CHURCHIES.
Wilder and Ens. Moses Garland chosen for the Committee. Jon- athan Fifield chosen, provided one of the other should fail."
At a meeting of the town on December 1, 1791, the report of the above committee was read, recommending that the meeting house be "located near Mr. Nathan Rowe's." Whereupon the town voted "not to build said meeting house at the place fixed by said Committee."
"Voted to abate Benj. Celley's Jr. Minister Rate in the year 1789."
August 27, 1792, the town "voted to clear Sam1. Rano from paying Minister Rate."
On March 18, 1793, voted to build two meeting-houses, one in the east and one in the west part of the town. On April 1 this vote was reconsidered and it was voted that the people in the west part of the town should have "their proportion of the preaching at the house of John Tirrill the present year."
Also, "Voted that the River people (so-called shall have their proportion of the Preaching at the East end of the Town."
The exeitement over the location of the new meeting-house re- sulted in a call for a town meeting on October 10, 1796, to see if the town would vote "to divide the town erosswise in the middle." The record shows that "the article was passed in the negative."
When the frame of the new chureh was all ready for raising, on May 3, 1796, the pastor, Mr. Badeoek, suggested the propriety of introdueing a prayer at that stage of the proceedings. The foreman reminded him that there was little time to spare, that the prayer should be short.
It was arranged that the foreman should give the signal for the close of the prayer, which he did by a crashing blow on a stick of timber near the parson, eausing him to jump and ab- ruptly elose the service in the middle of one of his most ornate periods.
The new building was raised on the site of the present North Church and was dedieated January 5, 1797. It was constructed on the general plan of country meeting-houses of that period (see page 74) and all the work was well done. The members of the building committee were: William Blake, Joseph Philbrick, Peter Weare, John Rowe and Jonathan Cilley. The building cost $2,200 and it is presumed that the pews were sold to help pay the bills, but no record of the sale has been found.
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12
15
9
11
-
39
35
19
23
27
38
18
41
40
33
25
21
17
36
16
1
2
42
FLOOR PLAN OF SECOND MEETING-HOUSE.
HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
37
32
28
20
24
22
26
30
34
29
3 /
HIGHLAND LAKE AND EAST ANDOVER VILLAGE, FROM CONNOR'S HILL
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RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES AND CHURCHES.
Key to the sketch of the floor plan of the second meeting-house. Where more than one name is given the pew was occupied jointly or by the persons named in succession :
1. William Tucker.
2. Dea. Jonathan Weare.
3. Mesheck Weare.
4. Col. Jonathan Weare.
5. John Rowe, Henry D. Hilton, Charles Hilton.
6. Elijah Hilton.
7. Jonathan Cilley.
8. Dea. Joseph Fellows.
9. Dea. Josiah Bachelder.
10. Willard Emery.
11. James Marston, Jeremiah Marston.
12. Pulpit.
13. Joseph Fellows, Mark Bachelder.
14. Joseph Brown, Moses Brown.
15. Ephraim Sanborn, Anthony Emery.
16. Jesse Graves.
17. Dea. William True, Enoch Seavey.
18. Timothy Weare, Ensign Green, David Buzzell.
19. Samuel Fuller, Silas Tilton.
20. 21. 22. Thomas R. White. 23. John Rowell, Moses Rowell.
24. -
25. Joseph Emery.
26.
27. Rev. Josiah Badcock.
28. Capt. James Tucker, Jonathan Cilley. 29.
30. James Philbrick.
31. Samuel Philbrick.
32. 33. 34.
35. Jacob Rowe.
36. Stephen Fellows.
37. Reuben Brown.
38. John Sawyer, Jesse Graves.
39. William Emery, Ebenezer Tucker.
40. Side entrance and staircase to gallery.
41. Side entrance and staircase to gallery.
42. Main entrance.
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HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
The granite underpinning of the new building came from a large boulder on the farm of Capt. Josiah Bachelder, now the home of ex-Gov. N. J. Bachelder.
About 1795 great opposition to the payment of the "minister tax" arose and so great was the influence of the independent citizens that payment was not rigorously enforced. In most cases where vigorous protest was made the town voted to remit the tax. An article in the warrant for the town meeting of October 21, 1796, was as follows: "To see if the Congregational Society will vote for the collector to make distress for the minis- ter tax on all or any of those who refuse to pay it or to give in any part of it." It does not appear that this general article was acted upon. It is probable that the town preferred to deal with each case separately.
Grave dissensions, from various causes, many of them growing out of the unpleasant discussions regarding the location of the new meeting-house, had weakened the strength of the church and made the church life and the relations between the pastor and the people very unsatisfactory, and in 1809 Mr. Badcock pro- posed to resign his position as preacher.
In that year the town chose Lieut. William Blake, Capt. Wil- lard Emery and Ensign Samuel Graves a committee to arrange for the dissolution of the official connection of Mr. Badcock with the town as its minister.
At the mutual request of pastor and people an ecclesiastical council, composed of ministers and delegates from the church in Salisbury, the second church in Boscawen, the church in San- bornton and delegates from the first church in Boscawen, con- vened at the house of Charles Hilton on July 13, 1809, and dis- solved the connection of Mr. Badcock with the society and with the town as a pastor, leaving the inhabitants, as the council ex- pressed it, "as sheep without a shepherd."
Regarding Mr. Badcock, the council declared :
We trust that his useful labors will not be suspended as we view him in good standing to be employed as a minister of the gospel wherever he may have opportunity to labor in the vineyard of our Lord.
Thomas Worcester, Moderator Ebenezer Price, Scribe
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RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES AND CHURCHES.
With the resignation of Mr. Badcock was concluded the rigid theological and dogmatic preaching so prevalent in the eighteenth century. Intimate acquaintance with that kind of teaching had destroyed most of the enthusiasm essential to healthy aspirations, and the membership of this church decreased as the years hurried on. The benumbing effect of such influences was soon banished by the rousing, fiery appeals, and even eloquence, of the young, enthusiastic evangelists and exhorters who at the beginning of the eentury thronged in the eastern and central seetions of the town, preaching with a zeal and fervor that swept old and young alike into the exeitement of "revivals" where, sometimes, sound reason lost control.
The pendulum swung to the other extreme.
That Mr. Badcock was not a zealous propagandist may be in- ferred from the fact that he remained in town at his home, busy with his farm, looking elosely after his financial interests. In- tellectually, he undoubtedly stood among the first citizens of the town; and in his civic and social rectitude was a model for his fellow-townsmen.
From the following paper it is shown that the minister on an annual salary, according to the original agreement, of $200 paid a good price for a pew in his own church :
This may certify whom it may concern that we the undersigned a committee to build a meeting house in this town, For and in considera- tion of Fifty five dollars paid by Rev. Josiah Badcock have given granted & sold a pew in the meeting house in s'd Town being the front floor pew at the right hand of the pulpit stairs to have and to hold s'd pew with its privileges forever and we the undersigned will warrant and defend the same against the claim of any person or persons whom- soever.
Jonathan Cilley, William Blake - Samuel Cilley, Charles Hilton Committee Willard Emery. Jan. 7, 1797.
MINISTER AND PARSONAGE LOTS.
In the original grant of the town provision was made for the support of the minister, in the following terms:
That one of the said shares be for the first minister of the Gospel who shall be settled on the said Land & Continue there during his life or until he shall be Regularly Dismissed. To hold to him his heirs &
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HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
assigns. and one other of the said shares to be for & towards the sup- port of the Gospel Ministry there forever,-and the first hundred acre lots belonging to these two shares shall be laid out as near the place where the Meeting house shall be built as may Conveniently be done, and not be drawn for as the other lots, that there be ten acres of land left and Reserved forever in some Convenient Place within said Bound- aries for Building a Meeting house & School House upon & for a Train- ing Field.
Lots numbered 19 W in first range, 19 E in first range and 19 in third range, were selected for the minister, and were after- wards known as the minister lots.
Two lots in the fourth range, Nos. 62 W and 62 E, and one lot, No. 62, in the second range, were known as the parsonage lots.
On June 14, 1810, the town voted to sell the parsonage lots. The sale of these lots and of one school lot, No. 17, was effected on June 19, 1810, as shown by the following entry in the town records, Volume II, page 141.
Vendue held at the meeting house in Andover on the 19th of June 1810.
1st. Set up School Lot No. 17 E, in 1st. Range, 100 Acres .- Struck off to Joseph Fellows 3d. at $190.00
Capt. Caleb Marston & Capt. William Emery his Bonds men.
2ª. Set up Parsonage Lot No. 62 in 4th, Range, 80 Acres,- Struck off to Philip Cilley at $190.00. Jonathan Keniston his Bondsman.
3d. Set up Parsonage Lot No. 62 in the 4th. Range. Struck off to Moses Fuller at $500.00. Stephen Fellows his Bondsman.
4th. Set up Parsonage Lot No. 62 in 2d. Range Struck off to Elijah Hilton at $917.00.
Charles Hilton, Capt. Willard Emery & Anthony Emery his Bonds men.
The above sums derived from the sale of the parsonage lots con- stituted the parsonage fund of $1,607. This principal was kept intaet and only the income used until the town voted to absorb it.
At first an attempt was made to divide the income from this fund among the various religious societies according to their rel- ative membership, but, as at some periods, societies were hur- riedly formed and almost as quickly disbanded, the problem of distribution became very complex and unsatisfactory.
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RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES AND CHURCHES.
On March 10, 1829, "Voted that the town collect the parsonage money as soon as practicable and pay the debts of the town and hold themselves accountable to the several Religious societies in Andover for the same."
March 8, 1831, "Voted to appropriate the parsonage fund both principal and interest for the use and benefit of the town."
And the "parsonage fund" disappeared.
For a few years after the resignation of Mr. Badcock there was occasional preaching and the form of a Congregational Society was feebly maintained. On May 5, 1809, "Lt. Moses Clough, Joseph Brown Jr. and Ephraim Eastman chosen a Committee to see what there is due from the town to Mr. Badcock." On May 12, 1815, the town paid Mr. Badcock $170.58, the balance due him at the time of his resignation, in 1809.
For several years prior to 1829 the very few Congregational- ists joined with representatives of other denominations under the name of the "Union Religious Society," to secure preaching a part of the time.
A so-called "First Congregational Society" in Andover was organized April 14, 1820. Dr. Silas Merrill was moderator and Capt. Josiah Evans, David Buswell, Dr. Silas Merrill, Lieut. Moses Brown and Capt. John Mayo, were the first directors. Benjamin M. Tyler was chosen treasurer and Enoch Merrill, clerk.
This organization continued until 1825, having provided some Congregational preaching during its existence. The last re- corded meeting occurred March 7, 1825.
The second association, called the "First Congregational So- ciety in Andover," was formed October 13, 1828, and a constitu- tion was adopted. The object of the society was declared to be "for the furtherance of good order, the diffusion of useful knowl- edge and the promotion of morality and religion."
Mr. Samuel Kingsbury came to Andover September 24, 1828. In 1828 a committee from the above society, consisting of Dr. Silas Merrill, Josiah Badcock, Esq., and Capt. Enoch Merrill, invited Mr. Kingsbury, then a licensed preacher, to become the pastor of the new church. He accepted, and on January 14, 1829, he was ordained and the church was organized the same day.
Mr. Kingsbury married, December 16, 1829, Mary, daughter of Rev. Josiah Badcock.
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HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
At the ordination of Mr. Kingsbury in the meeting-house at. East Andover, the following ministers were present :
Rev. John H. Church of Pelham.
Rev. Phineas Cook of Acworth.
Rev. Abraham Burnham of Pembroke.
Rev. Nathaniel Bouton of Concord. Rev. Ziba Conant of Northfield.
Rev. Samuel Wood, D. D., of Boscawen.
Rev. Ebenezer Price of Boscawen.
Rev. Abijah Cross of Salisbury.
Rev. Benjamin Sargent of New Chester.
Rev. John S. Winter of Danbury.
Rev. Joseph Lane of Sanbornton.
Rev. Job Cushman of Bristol.
Besides the ministers, several delegates from other churches were present, among them Dea. James Kilburn of Boscawen, who afterwards came to Andover to live.
The original members of the church were :
Badcock, Rev. Josiah Mayo, Mrs. John Badcock, Mrs. Josiah Mayo, Sophronia
Badeoek, Mary Hazeltine, J. H. McC. Weare, Mesheck
Merrill, Mrs. Enoch
IIazeltine, Mrs. J. II. MeC. Weare, Mrs. Mesheck
Mayo, Capt. John White, Mrs. Thomas R.
James Harvey MeClary Hazeltine was chosen elerk.
The names of members of the "First Congregational Society in Andover," in the latter part of 1829, were found in a list copied below. No names of women were contained in the list. This membership was made up mostly from those who withdrew from other societies in 1828.
From the Union Religious Society:
Badcock, Rev. Josiah
Buswell, David
Badcock, Josiah, Jr.
Butterfield, Samuel
Bachelder, David Brown, Moses
Currier, Edward
Dearborn, Leavitt
Brown, True Gale, Benjamin
Burpee, T. H. Gale, James
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RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES AND CHURCHES.
Graves, Jacob
Sargent, Ephraim K.
Hazeltine, J. H. McC.
Seavey, Joshua
Jameson, John
Weare, Jonathan
Mann, John
Weare, Joshna
Mayo, John
Weare, Mesheck
Merrill, Enoch
White, Thomas R.
Merrill, Silas
From the Freewill Baptist Society :
Bartlett, Jeremiah
Rowe, John
Brown, Stephen
Rowe, John, Jr.
Cilley, John
Rowe, Obadiah W.
Connor, James
Scribner, John
Emery, Willard
Scribner, William
Gove, Nathaniel
Tucker, Jonathan
Hilton, Henry D.
Weare, Alfred
Keniston, John
Weare, Jacob
Pervere, James Noyes
Weare, Jonathan 2d
Pervere, James Noyes, Jr.
Weare, Timothy
Pervere, Richard
With no previous church connection :
Bachelder, Moses
Frazier, Moses
Badcock, William
French, Peter
Bowers, Gardner
Huntoon, John
Burpee, Nathan
Marston, James
Cilley, Aaron
Rollins, Simeon
Cilley, T. J.
Scribner, Isaac
Clark, Thomas
Sweatt, John D.
Samuel Keniston, who withdrew from the Universtlist Church.
Mr. Kingsbury was engaged as a pastor for five years, but in February, 1831, the society asked for release from its obligation in the contract. This was granted without reluctance, as he had not been supported according to agreement and expectation. One hundred and twenty dollars was due him at that time. On closing his relations with the church he expressed the hope "that ere long a Kind Providence will send you a minister who shall have prudence and wisdom through Divine grace to unite your hearts in the faith and hope of the gospel.".
6
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HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
In 1829 Mr. Kingsbury reported to the New Hampshire Mis- sionary Society that "in 1828 only 5 religious papers were taken in Town." "Four of these were Methodist and one was Chris- tian." "At present we are wrapped in the broad mantle of stu- pidity." And this was only about seven months after his church was organized. He further wrote, "A weekly church prayer meeting has been established but I can hardly say that it has been attended."
After the retirement of Mr. Kingsbury very little Congrega- tional preaching was heard in East Andover: it occurred, how- ever, occasionally, in the Free Baptist Church, from 1839 to 1868.
In 1869 Rev. Howard Moody became the pastor of the East Andover Congregational Church, remaining there until his death, April 20, 1885. The pastors since that time have been :
Rev. Frederick G. Chester, from January 1, 1885, to January 1, 1887.
Rev. Elisha Ayers Keep, during 1887.
Rev. George F. Kenngott, from January, 1888, to January 6, 1889.
Rev. Frederick Brooks Noyes, from January 13 to October 6, 1889.
Various students from Andover, Mass., preached until April 1, 1890.
Rev. Edwin J. Aiken, from April 1 to November 1, 1890.
Rev. N. F. Carter, from December, 1890, to May 1, 1891.
Rev. Thomas J. Lewis, from May 1, 1891, to June 24, 1894.
Rev. John Thorpe, from September 1, 1894, to March 4, 1899. Installed October 30, 1894.
Rev. Thomas J. Lewis, from March, 1899, to November 28, 1903.
Rev. Ralza E. Andrews, from December, 1903.
The Congregational Society at Andover Centre was first or- ganized at the meeting-house in that village, June 25, 1841.
The ministers present composing the council were:
Rev. Benjamin Foster, Salisbury.
Rev. Isaac Knight, Franklin.
Rev. Nathaniel Sumner, Hill.
Rev. B. P. Stone, secretary New Hampshire Missionary So- ciety.
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RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES AND CHURCHES.
This society occupied the meeting-house jointly with other denominations.
The original members of this church were:
Brown, Elizabeth
Keniston, Asenath
Buck, Ammi
Keniston, Philip
Buck, Jane A.
Mitchell, Betsey
Cilley, Susan G.
Moulton, Susan
Eastman, Isaac R.
Sargent, Moses
Eastman, Jemima
Sargent, Sarah
Elkins, Lydia
Philip Keniston was chosen clerk.
In 1843 Rev. Nathan Howard was ordained pastor of the churches at Andover Centre and Wilmot, and preached half of the time in each town until 1849, when he devoted his whole time to the church at the Centre for one year. In 1850 the Congrega- tional Society at the Centre united with other denominations and employed Rev. Reuben Kimball as pastor for two years. In 1853 Mr. Howard returned to the Centre Church and served as pastor until the close of 1854.
The second Congregational Church to be formed at Andover Centre was organized November 16, 1880, and took the name of "The Orthodox Congregational Church of Andover Centre." The services were conducted as follows :
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