USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Haverhill > History of the town of Haverhill, New Hampshire > Part 13
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But this led to the serious trouble between the churches and the people on the two sides of the river. The Haverhill church was aggrieved that the Newbury church had not disciplined Barron and Wesson, and the Newbury church had a grievance in that certain of their members who lived at North Newbury were permitted by the Haverhill people to attend church at Ladd Street, and by their support of that church, claimed exemption from taxation for the support of the church in their own town. Fellowship, between the two churches was suspended. A council was called in 1794, which recommended that the Newbury church censure Barron and Wesson for their conduct, and that the Haverhill church should not receive James Abbott and Thomas Brook to its com- munion, but this did not help matters much. The question had been raised as to both the right and the expediency of supporting the church by taxation, and the leaven had begun to work. The beginning of the end of the New England system of union of state and church had come, and at the next council, which was called in 1796-a mutual council- one decided step was taken in the direction of a complete severance of
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church and state affairs. It had been deemed best to select ministers from a distance, in view of the high tension of feeling between the two churches and the importance of the questions involved. The ministers who comprised the council, and by whose decision the church had agreed to abide were Conant of Lyme, Spaulding of Salem, Woodman of San- bornton, Ward of Plymouth and Swift of Bennington.
The council met at Newbury on Wednesday of the week before com- mencement at Dartmouth College, and was attended by large numbers from both towns, Gen. Jacob Bayley, who spoke for the laymen, raised a question which the ministers strove to evade. They admitted that taxation for the support of religious worship, was right, just; but argued strenuously that each tax payer had the right to select the particular church or form of belief to which he wished his tax applied. The conduct of Captains Barron and Wesson, though not in accordance with the strict letter of the law, was not therefore deserving of censure by the church. The ministers comprising the council were, however, extremely jealous of their prerogatives, and perhaps some of them feared personal loss should they be forced to depend on voluntary contributions for their salary. They refused to give General Bayley and those he represented respectful consideration. They attacked the position taken by General Bayley with great violence. The result was that the council censured both churches for this unchristian conduct, and maintained the prin- ciple that every man should be taxed for the support of the religious organization favored by a majority of the voters of his town. The church at Newbury was also admonished for not disciplining the two members whose obstinacy had caused the trouble. It was a victory for the Haverhill church, but many of its members, and the members of the council lived to realize and admit the fact that their churches were more prosperous under the voluntary system which later was adopted having been made obligatory by law. The Newbury church proceeded to discipline its two members, excommunicating one, and continuing the other only on his confession of sin and repentance. Captain Barron died soon after in 1797, and was the first person buried in the Horse Meadow Cemetery, and this action of the Newbury church and the feeling against him in Haverhill doubtless led Captain Wesson, who had seen hard service in the Old French War and also in the War of Revolution, to remove to Grafton, Vt., and later to Peacham, Vt., where he died in 1812. A grand- son of his, Rev. Ephraim Clark, became a missionary to the Sandwich Islands, and a translator of the Bible into the Hawaiian language.
The last years of the pastorate of Mr. Smith were, as can be easily understood from the troubles described, troubles which were the sensa- tion of the day, filled with discouragements, and he asked for dismission in 1799, which was given him. The church in its subsequent history
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HISTORY OF HAVERHILL
had no more devoted, godly and able minister than he. He subsequently filled important pastorates and died in Boston at the age of 87. He was the author of several religious works which had a wide sale in their day, among which were treatises on Baptism, the Trinity, on the Prophecies and the Book of Revelation, and a small volume in which he ingeniously contended that the North American Indians were the lost tribes of Israel.
After a vacancy of some three and a half years, John Smith was ordained and settled as pastor both by town and church December 23, 1802. As the first minister settled by the town he received as a part of his settlement the farm upon which he lived during his pastorate and which he insisted on retaining as his own property after he had been deposed from the ministry and excommunicated from the church in Jan- uary, 1807, under a cloud of grave scandal. His action in persisting in retaining the farm coupled with the scandal affecting his character had doubtless much to do with the period of religious depression which fol- lowed his deposition. Mr. Smith preached both at Ladd Street and at the north part of the town.
Another religious awakening came in 1814, when the church of more than a hundred members had dwindled to twelve. This was followed by the ordination and installation of Grant Powers January 14, 1815. The town had been divided into two parishes, and Mr. Powers' ministry was restricted to the South Parish. His pastorate lasted fourteen years and three months, and was the longest in the history of the church. He was a native of Hollis, a graduate of Dartmouth College, class of 1810, had studied theology with Dr. Asa Burton of Thetford. A grandson of Capt. Peter Powers the pioneer explorer of the Coös County, a nephew of the Rev. Peter Powers the first minister of Coos, he had especial fit- ness for writing "A History of the Coos County," a work for which he is doubtless better remembered than for his long and somewhat stormy pastorate. He was a man of great energy, with especial fitness for gathering in and moulding into a strong church the results of the great revival which preceded and continued during the first years of his min- istry. He was also a man of strong convictions. Methodism began to gain adherents, and with Methodist theology and methods he had no sympathy whatever. Indeed he regarded them as subversive of genuine religion, and they met with his outspoken denunciation. When George Woodward, bank cashier and lawyer, opened his house to Methodist preachers, and his heart to the Methodist faith, he and his family lost caste in the social circle in which they had moved, and when Methodists secured the court room for their Sunday services, there was mourning on the part of Mr. Powers' church and congregation. But in spite of oppo- sition the Methodists grew in numbers, and two years before the close of Mr. Powers' pastorate built the brick church on the side of the academy
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and court house, which was later sold, and is now the Congregational house of worship.
The attitude of Mr. Powers and his church towards the Methodists is found in the dismissal of a member, who had asked for a letter or recom- mendation to that growing denomination:
Whereas, Mary Olmstead, who has been for several years a professed sister in this church, has for some time past gone out from us to join with the Methodists in belief and practice, which system both doctrinal and practical we consider unscriptural and dan- gerous to the prosperity of Zion; and, whereas, the said Mary Olmstead has made known her wish and determination to adhere to her present belief and practice against repeated endeavors to reclaim her from the error of her way,-Resolved, therefore, that the church considers the said Mary Olmstead just as she considers herself, no more of us. John 1st Epis., 2 : 19. Voted, by the church that this resolve be communicated to the said Mary Olmstead by the moderater as their final decision. Church in session May 15, 1823.
Grant Powers, Moderator of the Church.
The church in session today would hardly so treat a request for a letter of dismission to the Methodist Church, either in form or spirit. The Rev. Bryan Morse, a Methodist local preacher, and Mr. Powers had frequent wordy combats. Both were members of the church militant, as both now doubtless hold fellowship in the church triumphant. As the Methodists increased in numbers and social position, as they had erected, though had not paid for their church next the court house and academy, some of the members of Mr. Powers' church began to ques- tion whether he were not just a little too strong in his statements of Calvinistic doctrine.
In the autumn of 1824 occurred an incident which tended to increase the disaffection in the community towards Mr. Powers. At a Methodist camp meeting held in Warren, the conversion of one Narcissa Griffin was reported to be accompanied by a spiritual entrancement, in which it was affirmed that her face shone like that of an angel and that her skin became preternaturally smooth. An anonymous communication appeared in the Intelligence in September in which the writer affirmed that he believed every word of the story, and that he was particularly convinced that the skin of the young woman was perfectly smooth, for he "had felt a hundred of them and they all felt exactly so-smooth as bone." The phrase became a byword, "Smooth as a bone" was on everybody's tongue. An investigation was started to determine the authorship of the communication, which was generally denounced as indecent if not sacri- legious. So warm did the search for the author become that in the end Mr. Powers at a Sunday service confessed himself the author, expressing regrets, but at the same time excused himself, by quoting the example of the prophet Elijah who made use of irony and satire to confound the priests of Baal. In a communication to the Intelligence he also acknowledged
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HISTORY OF HAVERHILL
himself the author of the much discussed Griffin communication, and said: "However numerous and great were the considerations which induced me to notice the camp meeting story in so ludicrous and ironical sense as I did, I have upon reflection seen and realized it to be wrong- all wrong-and deeply regret the tendency of it." Mr. Powers, however, never recovered the favor he lost by this event, and this loss combined with a growing dissatisfaction with unswerving dogmatism of his pulpit utterances led to his resignation early in 1829.
He was the last pastor to occupy the old Ladd Street Meeting House. An indebtedness on the brick church at the Corner which the Methodists had built in 1827, and which proved too heavy for the young society to meet, gave the Congregationalists an opportunity to purchase a house already built and greatly simplified the problem of removing the church home from Ladd Street to the Corner. The Ladd Street people were now reconciled to the change by the continuance for some years of one meeting each Sunday at the old church. This was fashioned after the style of the meeting houses of those days, with square pews, a barrell- shaped pulpit, perched high and over it the heavy sounding board, hung by what seemed all too slender an iron rod. The deacons' seats of honor were in front of the pulpit and facing the congregation. The broad aisle ran straight from them to the front door. Beside the front door on the west side there was another entrance at the south under the tower from which rose a stairway to the gallery which extended around three sides of the house, the gallery also containing the old fashioned square pews. (See cut of the interior.) The accompanying cut made from a plan of the interior of the church, now in the possession of Miss Jennie Westgate with the names of the original pew owners with prices paid for pews enables the reader to build again in imagination the interior of this historic old structure, and to people it once more with its old-time congregation. The names of the pew owners are the substantial ones of Haverhill history: Col. Charles Johnston, Col. Joseph Hutchins, Gen. John Montgomery, Judge James, Woodward, Michael Johnston, Samuel Ladd, Joshua Young, Judge Ezekiel Ladd, Avery Sanders, Capt. Jonathan Ring, Josiah Elkins, Capt. Joseph Pearson, Dr. Isaac Moore, John Page, Dr. Martin Phelps, Harris Sawyer, Daniel Staniford, Gen. Moses Dow, Samuel Brooks, James Burenton, Ezekiel Ladd, Moody Bedel, Joseph Noyes, Dr. Scott J. Ward, Moses Elkins, James Ladd, James Mitchell, Jonathan Soper, and Ross Coon.
And then the bell, the charming autobiography of which was read in 1901 at its centennial by Miss Grace Woodward, the first bell to hang from a belfry in the Coös county, "the sweetest toned bell ever heard, which old Mr. Cross made to swing in the steeple with a strongly religious expression that no other bell ever had, nor could any other but the same
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old man draw from that one." The people at the Corner wanted the bell for the new church home, but all attempts to secure it, strenuous attempts some of them, were defeated, and the bell hangs in the belfry of the Ladd Street school house, souvenir and memento of the old meeting house which stood for nearly three score years on the same site, its demoli- tion taking place in 1849.
The church has been fortunate in its pastors. Rev. Henry Wood was the first after the occupation of the church at the Corner. A native of Loudon, graduate of Dartmouth in 1822, valedictorian of his class, contemporary and friend of Choate and Marsh at Hanover, theologically trained at Princeton, professor in Hampton-Sidney College, Virginia, pastor for a brief period in Goffstown. Scholarly, polished, refined in taste, yet because of his birth and early associations in heart-touch with the humblest and lowliest, he was eminently fitted for the pastorate of the new church, new because of environment. (See General Wood.) The Corner at this time-county seat, stage centre, with its half dozen taverns, its eighty-one dwellings, its twenty-seven shops and stores, its bank, academy, newspaper, its new church, its manufacturing establish- ments at the Brook-was the most notable village in the north country, and the Congregational church one of the strongest and most influential in the state.
On the occasion of the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the church Mr. J. H. Pearson of Chicago, born in Haverhill, 1820, gave a pen picture of the congregation of his boyhood and early manhood which in part was as follows:
As I look back over the years, I see the people as they took their places in church. The seats have been turned about since I attended here. The pews faced the minister and the singers and also the entrance of the church so that every one in their seats could see the people come into church. I used to think that a very nice arrangement, for we could see every one and how they looked when they entered. I will follow the pews and their occupants as I remember them. I will commence with the wall pews at the south- west corner of the church as it used to be. Of course I cannot recall all. There was Miss Eliza Cross, who used to sit in one of the cross pews in the corner. She was active in all Christian work, especially interested and effective in the Sunday school. She was an earnest advocate of the anti-slavery movement that was discussed in Ladd Street from as far back as 1840 on. Near her were Jonathan and William Watson who lived in the northern part of the town. They were not members of the church, but men who com- manded the respect of the community. The Woods family and Mrs. Jewett occupied the same pew. The Johnston family occupied, if I remember rightly, two pews. They were an old substantial family taking an honorable place among their neighbors. John Smith, who was once pastor, and his son, Charles R. Smith, had seats near and were regular attendants. Next came the family of Hon. Joseph Bell. He was a man of fine appearance, excellent business ability, leading lawyer, and exercised a wide influence through all northern New Hampshire. I can see him still as he used to walk into church in his Sunday suit, with ruffled shirt bosom, followed by his fine looking wife and children. He was not a member of the church, but attended pretty regularly and paid the most
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pew rent to the church. There was John Osgood and his family on that side. He was known throughout the town as honest John Osgood. He and his family were all mem- bers-a very fine family and good citizens.
The Towle family and Dr. Morgan sat side by side. Both were prominent in the community. William Burton and his family sat on this side the church-a large family regular in attendance, and interested in all the life of the church. Henry Towle (the jeweller) was also on that side the house. He was always in church and came early. John L. Rix and his family were usually in church, though not as early as some others. He was not a church member, but his wife was. He took an interest in church affairs, and if all did not go right, he generally had something to say about it. Next that I remember were Nathan B. Felton and wife and John R. Reding and wife. They took a back seat. I remember it was a little higher than the other pews, so that they could overlook the whole congregation. They were both prominent people and good citizens.
Lyman Burk and family, Arthur Carleton and family, Jacob Bell and family and James Bell and family occupied body pews. The two Bell families were the more prominent and their appearance corresponding. I can well remember John L. Bunce as he used to come to church. He was a tall fine looking man, as straight as a candle and with a military step that suited him well. He was banker and leading man in town. Then I can see Deacon Henry Barstow and his tall wife. He was rather short and a little lame. He used to lead the singing in the prayer meeting. Near these were James Atherton and family and Dr. Spalding and family. Deacon Chester Farnum had a front pew in the next row of seats. He lived farthest away from church, and yet you would always find him and his family in their seats before any others.
Benjamin Merrill and family came next. He had a large family and I think they occupied two pews. Everybody in town knew Capt. "Ben" Merrill. He was the king merchant in the village, a bright, active man and had a bright, active family. Deacon A. K. Merrill-eldest son of Benjamin-was made deacon when quite young and remained deacon till his death. I recall the name of Russell Kimball, prominent in the church and society. He was for many years the leading merchant in the village, and his note was as good as that of any man in town, if you could get it, but his notes never floated round on the market. John Nelson and family came next. He had one of the good old fashioned families that filled two pews when all were present. He was a lawyer of ability and also a successful business man.
Among the leading families that came from Ladd Street, I recall the Ladds and Her- berts. Somewhere in the body pews were John A. Page and his wife. Mr. Page was cashier of the Grafton bank for a number of years after Mr. Bunce left. Next to John A. Page, as I remember, came Dr. Ezra Bartlett and family. I can still see the venerable doctor with ruffled shirt bosom and cane coming into the aisle at the head of the family, his portly wife following him, and the large family following in their order, according to age. I must not forget to mention Peabody Webster. "Pee" Webster, we used to call him. He was a leading man in this church and society as long as he lived. Dr. Edmund Carleton sat behind Dr. Bartlett. He and his family were remarkable people. He was deacon for many years until his death. I recall distinctly Dr. Carleton, as he distributed the bread and wine at communion. Benjamin Swan and family were next behind Charles Carleton. On the east side the church Joshua Woodward and family and Caleb Hunt and family occupied two pews side by side. Somewhere near the Hunts and Woodwards were Gen. Poole and his family. Next to these came David Sloan and family. "Squire" Sloan, as he was called, was somewhat peculiar. He was, however, a good lawyer and with his family was highly respected. I next recall Samuel Page with a well filled pew of children on the east side of the church. He was a good Christian man,
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an honored citizen, a wise counsellor in all secular and religious matters. Hosea S. Baker and family came next. He was a pew holder and attended this church until about 1845, when he was induced to take charge of the Methodist Sunday School and afterwards attended that church. Then came Moses St. Clair and family. "Major" St. Clair he was usually called. One of his sons, George St. Clair, became an active worker in this church and also in the church in Chicago, where he later lived and died. The next pew was my father's, and next to it sat Moses Dow and family. After his death Voramus Keith married his widow and they were regular attendants. Then came the pew of Jonathan S. Nichols and family, and the two pews occupied by Michael Carleton and his large family.
I must speak of the members of the choir. The leader was Timothy K. Blaisdell who was conductor for many years, from about 1830 to 1845. He was a merchant, a good citizen, had a fine family, and his reputation as choir leader was excelled by none in the state. Sarah Merrill, or perhaps one of the other Merrill girls-sister of Deacon Merrill -played the organ. Miss Eleanor Towle, was the leading soprano. The rest of the choir came largely from the Merrill and Barstow families, though there were Samuel Ladd, Henry Towle, Nelson Chandler, James Woodward, Jona. S. Nichols, Ellen McClary (Mrs. Reding) two of James Bell's daughters, Calista and Orpha, and Luella Bell (Mrs. D. F. Merrill). I think it is true this church had the best singing of any church in this part of the county.
This indeed was a notable congregation. Those were the days when the leading men of the town who were not church members attended church and gave a hearty support to religious institutions. The glory of the Corner had not departed, and no small factor of this glory was to be found in the influence of the First Congregational church. The list of pastors is a notable one, scholarly, able godly men. There have been, including the present stated supply, nineteen with terms of service as fol- lows:
Ethan Smith
Ordained
Jan. 25, 1792
Dismissed
June 23, 1799
John Smith
Ordained
Dec. 23, 1802
Dismissed
Jan. 14, 1807
Grant Powers
Ordained
Jan. 4, 1815
Dismissed
Apr. 28, 1829
Henry Wood
Installed
Dec. 14, 1831
Dismissed
Mar. 3, 1835
Joseph Gibbs
Ordained
June 16, 1835
Died
Apr. 11, 1837
Archibald Fleming
Installed
June 27, 1838
Dismissed
Sept. 23, 1841
Samuel Delano
Installed
Feb. 16, 1842
Dismissed
Jan. 14, 1847
Moses C. Searle
Stated supply
May 1, 1847
Closed
May 1, 1849
Edward H. Greeley
Ordained
Nov. 7, 1849
Dismissed
Jan. 6, 1858
John D. Emerson
Ordained
Oct. 1, 1858
Dismissed
Nov. 19, 1867
Edward H. Greeley
Supply
Aug. 1, 1868
Installed
Nov. 25, 1869
Dismissed
July 2, 1874
J. Q. Bittinger
Installed
July 2, 1874
Dismissed
Oct. 12, 1886
Sidney K. Perkins
Stated supply
May 17, 1891
Closed
July 23, 1893
Charles L. Skinner
Stated supply
Nov. 1, 1893
Closed
Oct. 31, 1904
Maurice J. Duncklee
Stated supply
July 1, 1905
Closed
July 1, 1908
John Snow
Stated supply
Dec. 1, 1908
Closed
Oct. 21, 1911
J. Harold Gould Almon T. Boland
Stated supply
Apr. 14, 1912
Closed
July 31, 1915
Stated supply
Apr. 1, 1916
Dismissed
Mar. 4, 1891
Eugene C. Stoddard
Ordained
Oct. 22, 1886
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HISTORY OF HAVERHILL
The church has also been fortunate in its lay officials. Since 1792 seventeen men have filled the office of deacon, the same number as have filled the pastorate. Their terms of service have been as follows:
Charles Johnston
Apr. 12, 1792
Died Mar. 4, 1813
Dr. Martin Phelps
Apr. 12, 1792
Removed and deceased
John Richards 2d
Mar. 29, 1793
Dismissed to Piermont
Samuel Gould
Oct. 3, 1804 Dismissed Aug. 13, 1815
Stephen Morse
June 20, 1813
Dismissed to North Haverhill, 1815
Charles Farman
June 8, 1815
Died Dec. 29, 1847
Dr. Edmund Carleton
June 8, 1815
Died Nov. 2, 1838
John Punchard
July 11, 1818
Resigned March, 1819
Henry Barstow
Jan.
8, 1829
Dismissed Apr. 2, 1841
Abel K. Merrill
Jan.
6, 1839
Died Nov. 26, 1878
John V. Beane
May
5, 1848
Dismissed to Worcester, Jan. 21, 1858
Grove S. Stevens
Oct.
9, 1857
Died Dec. 20, 1905
Peabody W. Kimball
Oct.
9,1875
Died July 5, 1916
William H. Page
Jan.
2,1881
Died Aug. 2, 1906
William O. Burbank
Jan.
1,1892
Removed to California
George H. Stevens
Dec. 30, 1902
Died Nov. 19, 1905
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