USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Hillsborough > The history of Hillsborough, New Hampshire, 1735-1921, Volume 1 > Part 18
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4ly-Voted to Build said house Sixty two feet in length and fifty in wedth with three porches.
Voted when the plan of said house is drawn to sell the Pew ground for the purpose of purchasing Nails, timber of every kind for said house Boards Shingles and stones for underpining of said house, and that a purchaser of each pew pay Eighteen shillings in cash at a Certain time which shall hereafter be affixed by a Committee, and if the above mentioned Meterials are not procured at the time that shall be set them by the Committee, then the cash to be paid the Committee for the purpose of purchasing said Materials and in case the Pew grounds Does not more than purchase the Meterials which have been Mentioned-then the purchasers of said pews to turn in Neat Stock or grain to pay of the workmen.
Voted to Choose a Committee to carry on the work of said house.
Voted the Committee consist of five men (viz)-Major Benj Pierce Isaac Andrews Junr John Dutton Wm Taggart Paul Cooledge-Com- mittee
At an adjourned meeting held November 13 the Plan sub- mitted by the committee was accepted, and new members added to the board to help carry on the work. The new names were- Daries Abbot, Otis How, John McCalley, Calvin Stevens. Among other things decided it was voted to lessen the number of porches by one, and that the house should be "set fronting to the South." The omission of a porch as voted was from this side of the building.
LEMONADE
Photograph by MANAHAN.
INTERIOR, OLD TOWN HOUSE.
209
THE SYMONDS GIFT.
Other meetings were held to consider the details of building the house, and the work seems to have progressed as rapidly as could have been expected. The winter season was at hand, when the farmers have most leisure. First of all the timber had to be cut and hauled to the mill, such of it as was to be sawed, some of the larger timbers such as sills and posts being hewn by the men adept in that kind of work. It is said the first stick of timber was hauled to the mill by a pair of steers, owned and driven by John Hartwell, a boy of fourteen, accompanied and assisted by two of the boys of Rev. Mr. Barnes. Dea. Ephraim Barker of Amherst was the "master workman," who superintended the framing of its massive oaken timbers, though there is no record who his immediate assistants were. It is probable that nearly every man in town had a hand in its building, for in those days most men were adept in the use of carpenter's tools.
THE SYMONDS GIFT.
The following are the proposals alluded to in the warrant for the meeting on November 4, and upon which generous pro- position the town voted to build the meeting house :
I Joseph Symonds of Hillsborough in the County of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, Do now give the home farm of Samuel Symonds Late of Hillsborough Deceased with all the priviledges and appurtenances thereto belonging, as a free gift, agreeable to the desire of his Son Deceased, provided that this town Build Board and Shingles a Meeting house in Said town in Eighteen Months from the Date of this Meeting caled to hear and act upon said proposals; said house to be set upon the Land that had been appropriated for that use by Col : Hill and Likewise in finishing sd House that they Build a Convenient seat in the forepart of the front Gallery and always reserveing that the town bind and obligate themselves in case the said Samuel Symonds other Lands together with his effects Do not pay his Debts and funeral Charges the town shall cause the same to be paid -Likewise that the town free me the sd Joseph Symonds My Heirs and assigns forever from any suit or suits at Law which may hereafter arise by Reason of any Land Titles which the sd Samuel Symonds either gave or Received provided sd Suit or suits at Law Do do not amount to more than the value of the said home farm, and also that I the said Joseph Symonds Do engage for myself my heir and assigns to bear an equal proportion according to what I have received out of
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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
the said Samuel Symond's Estate-furthermore it is always to be remembered the improvement of the said farm until the Eighteen Months above mentioned are expired, and also reserving the boards upon the back side Roof of the barn and also some loose boards and plank on sd farm otherwise the town pay the same, These pro- posals agreed to and Ratified by said town to remain in full force and virtue otherwise to be void and of none effect.
Given under my hand this fourth Day of November A. D. 1788.
Attest Isaac Andrews John Dutton
Joseph Symonds
A special town meeting was called for Aug. 31, 1789 "to see what provision and in what way and Manner they will provide for the Raising of the Meeting house proposed to be Built in said town" at which it was "Voted there be provision Made on the Spot near the Meeting house for spectators as those employed in Raising said house." It was also "Voted to Raise sixty pounds for the purpose of Raising said Meeting house in said town in produce as follows (vis) Beef and Mutton at twenty shillings per hundred, Merchantable Rey at four shillings per bushels, indian corn three shillings per bushel." (This vote was recon- sidered at a later special meeting held Dec. 6 the same year.) "Voted the Committee appointed to carry on the work of said house be a Committee for the Raising said house." The "Raising" was accomplished Sept. 17, 1789. The reason for the preceeding votes of the town is accounted for not only by the fact that the undertaking required the united assistance of all, or nearly all, the able-bodied men in town to accomplish it, but the further fact that it being a matter of universal interest it would call together the families of those engaged in the labor, as well as people from adjourning towns, hence the necessity of providing a vantage ground of observation and for their "Crea- ture Comforts" as well. Tradition informs us that four bbls. of N. E. Rum were provided for the occasion. The following de- scription of the inside of the house is taken from "A Memoir, Hillsborough Old Meeting House" by L. W. Densmore: "The house is sixty-four feet eight inches in length, and forty-eight feet, six inches in width. Height to ceiling inside twenty-eight feet, height to gallery ten feet and a half, paneled and moulded front five feet high, panels showing 24×54 inches. The southern
21I
THE SYMONDS MEMORIAL.
entrance with double doors, is four feet ten inches, by nine feet. East and west entrances three feet four inches by six feet five inches, doors to audience three feet nine inches by six feet seven inches. The aisles separating the body pews from those next the walls were elevated 7 1-2 inches above the central aisles a similar ascent leading into the wall pews. Pew doors 22 inches wide, height of pews 40 1-2 inches of plain paneled work, surmounted by a rail. Most of the pews had seats on three sides, some having seats on all sides, elevated 17 inches above the floor and hinged to allow of being raised while their occupants stood during prayer and the singing service. The pulpit was reached by a flight of steps with an abrupt ascent to a landing whence a couple more of steps lead to the platform. The reading desk was semi- octagonal in form. Over it hung the antique board, at an eleva- tion of 7 feet above the platform, octagonal in shape 5 ft. 9 in across and 13 ft 4 1-2 in below the ceiling. Under the pulpit were two receptacles, closed by sash and glass, one of which con- tained the vessels used in the communion service, the other filled with a small library of religious books including several volumes of sermons, from which, on the Sabbath when the society were without regular preaching, sermons were read by different per- sons appointed by the deacons. Above the pulpit was placed a tablet commemorating the generous gift made by Mr. Samuel Symonds which bore the following inscription :
THIS MONUMENT IN MEMORY OF Dr. Samuel Symonds,
who departed this life 2ª of October A. D. 1788. in the 34th year of his age. Who gave £120 towards building this House, which was finished July 1794.
His hands while they his Gift This sweet remembrance, it is just
bestowed Should flourish while he sleeps in
His glory's future harvest sou'd. dust.
The east and west porches were 14 feet long and 14 1-2 feet wide each having entrances at the end and on the South face and a flight of stairs nearly four feet in width with landing and return
212
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
to reach the galleries in the body of the house. The gallery fronts were supported on columns, each turned out of a solid piece of timber. * * The Choir occupied the front of the South gallery, facing the pulpit. * * "A detailed account of subsequent action on the part of the town for the "Finishing of the Meeting house" is not necessary for a full understanding by the general reader. A summary will suffice. At a special town meeting April 26, 1790, "Revd Jona. Barnes and John Dutton" were chosen Agents to "Dispose of the Donation or farm" bequeathed the town by Mr. Samuel Symonds. (This farm is on the west side of the river on the "beard Road." now (1904) owned by heirs of the late A. B. Kimball.) At the annual meeting in March 1791 it was "Voted the Committe appointed to Build and finish the meet- ing house in said town be dismissed and one other Committee be Chosen in Lieu of them." This Committee consisted of John Dutton, Isaac Andrews, jr., and William Taggart. At the same meeting it was "Voted to raise 40 pounds for the use of finishing the Meeting house," and at a special meeting June 25, 1792, one hundred pounds more was voted for the same purpose, but it was not until July, 1794, that the house was finished as attested by the Symonds tablet, the only official declaraion of the fact.
According to the original plan the ground floor contained 54 pews besides reserving space covering four pews in front of the pulpit for aged persons. (These seats were subsequently taken out and pews made in their place.) Pew No. I was re- served for "the parsonage pew." Forty nine of them were sold at "public vendue" on Nov. 20, 1788, ranging in price from £13 for the highest to £8. The remaining pews in the gallery were sold June 17, 1794. The combined amount of the sales was £656 5 shillings; to which add the Symonds bequest £120 and the £140 appropriated by the town and we find that the total cost of the house £916 5 shillings. Many of the pews changed owners in after years at reduced prices, although some of them brought more than the original cost. There is one instance on record when the owner mortgaged his pew for thirty five dollars.
This house was located a few rods in front of the first described one, just outside the limits of the graveyard, upon a nearly level spot, the foundation being a solid ledge sloping slightly towards the east. At the entrance of the east porch was
213
UNTIMELY DEATH OF MR. BARNES.
a large flat-topped granite boulder raised to a sufficient height to serve as an imperishable horse-block upon and from which the women folk could conveniently dismount and mount from saddle and pillion before the days of carriages.
An appendage of much importance for the protection and comfort of animals in stormy or inclement weather, were horse- sheds. At the annual meeting March, 1795, it was "Voted that Joseph Symonds, Isaac Andrews John Dutton, William Taggard & Thomas Kerr be a committe to Examine the Common and report were Horsesheds Shall be Built :
"The committe reported That Horse Sheds May be set east of those on the east of the Meeting House West from the Graveyard gate as near The Corner of the wall as can be convenient for the road, and also from the Southeast corner of the pound and west of the Meeting House by the side of the Hill."
In the Warrant for March meeting, 1797, was an article to see if "in addition to the customary Town officers, the Town think proper to choose a man or men whose office it shall be to keep the Meeting house Clear from dogs on Sundays the insuing year by killing the same if found in the meeting house"-Voted to dismiss.
In the absence of Church records as before stated, we are obliged to rely upon other authorities for a period of 25 years.
In 1803 the Rev. Mr. Barnes, while riding on horse back was prostrated by a stroke of lightning which so paralized his energies as to disqualify him for the discharge of his pastoral duties, consequently he resigned them and he was dismissed. He survived two years and died August 3, 1805. Mr. Charles J. Smith in "Annals of Hillsborough" says of him:
"He was a man of very respectable talents, possessed a vigorous and discriminating mind and a lively and well cultivated imagination. He had a strong, sonorous voice, and an emphatic delivery. His manners were eminently dignified, polished and agreeable, a model of clerical urbanity. He was a charitable man with the sons and daughters of need, he was familiarly acquainted, making it an object to seek out the children of sorrow, and administered to their neces- sities, and by such he was regarded with the warmest affection. As a citizen, he exerted a commanding influence, in maintaining social order, preserving unanimity of feeling, and otherwise advancing the
214
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
prosperity of the town. In his religious belief he is supposed to have been, what was at that time styled an Arminian, that is a man of liberal views. He was not a rigid sectarian, but cherished a truly catholic and liberal spirit toward those who differed from him in sentiment."
As the inhabitants became more numerous and found greater leisure for study and mingle more freely with their fellowmen a growing dissatisfaction was manifest among them in regard to the jurisdiction of the state over the church. While a majority still believed it was eminently proper for the state to maintain its guardianship and sustain it, the growing minority, holding different religious tenets, chafed under the obligation to help support a church not wholly in harmony with their ideas of worship. Though they climbed the selfsame hills their fathers had trod, singly or together, they began to discover new paths by which to ascend the height of Calvary.
Before the beginning of the 19th century this feeling of rebellion began to make itself manifest, and as early as 1790 several claimed exemption from the minister's tax which had hithertofore been assigned by the town and directly for the dominating religion. Article 10, in the warrant June 27, read as follows: "to see if they (the town) will abate the minister tax for the present year of persons hereafter mentioned or any one of them (viz) Moses Steel, Robert Patten, John McClary, John McClintock, Alexander McClintock, Thomas Murdough, Joseph Taggart, John Bibson, James McCalley, Elijah Fiske, John Bix- bee, David Goodel, Jedidiah Preston, Ezekiel Little."
This article was dismissed, but one similar was inserted in each succeeding warrant regularly, always meeting with the same fate, until some of the parties resisted the payment of such tax, to test the validity of this action. A committee was appointed to defend these suits and reported a settlement, but carefully with- held the methods or extent of settlement. We get an inkling of the result obtained from the fact that henceforth an ever-increas- ing number of tax payers were exempted from the "minister's tax."
At the time of the settlement of Rev. Seth Chapin in 1805 as minister over the Congregational Church a decided opposition was shown in the vote at the annual town meeting which stood
215
A STUBBORN MINISTER.
107 in the affirmative and 69 in the negative. The opposition was very active too. At this time the Universalist society had become quite strong, and was probably the most energetic of those seek- ing a share of the town support, declaring with an indisputable truth that one division of the church people deserved assistance from the public treasury in equal proportion with another. Be- sides this society were the Baptist and Christian denominations.
It will be noticed that the names protesting against paying the minister's tax were largely Scotch-Irish, and would have been expected to be Presbyterians, yet this society never asserted itself distinctly in Hillsborough. The denomination had a strong society in Antrim, and probably some of the same belief in Hills- borough were affiliated with this organization.
In speaking of the churches the word Christian is given in the calculation of the denominations. As early as 1781 an effort was made to abolish the religious test for office, and to substitute in the Sixth Article of the Bill of Rights the word "Christian" for "Protestant," hence the derivation of the term. It was not until 1877 the religious test was removed, when Roman Catholics were allowed for the first time to hold office legally.
Upon taking a vote the town chose a committee of some of its leading citizens, headed by Hon. Benjamin Pierce, to confer with the dissatisfied ones and bring about harmony if possible. A protest was made signed by a goodly number of townsmen and filed with the clerk. This article contained the names of such influential citizens as Timothy Wyman, James Alcock, John Eaton, Benjamin Bradford, Amos Hartwell, and others.
Added to this growing sentiment Mr. Chapin's rigid views of orthodoxy following Mr. Barnes' more liberal teachings, to say nothing of the widely different personal bearing of the two men, was like heaping coals of fire upon the slumbering embers of the religious altar. It should not have taken a minister with more far-seeing gaze than that of this Puritanic disciple to read the signs on the church wall.
During the ministry of Mr. Barnes the "half way covenant," as already mentioned, was practiced. This meant that the children of those who were not members of the church could be admitted to the rite of baptism. Nor did the society stop here,
216
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
for eventually persons were admitted to the church with no particular confession of faith. It is easy to see that the discipline of the church was endangered, and the doctrines of the Unitarian faith promised to supplant the more rigid teachings of the Calvinists. Only a man of Mr. Barnes' ability and clerical urbanity could have carried this matter so far without disin- tegrating the church. A man of good talents, of fine physique, a vigorous mind, well-stocked from the best in literature, a vivid imagination, a clear voice with emphatic enunciation, and a pleasing address he was peculiarly fitted to maintain any line of work that interested him.
Though incapacitated from active work following the attack to his physical being, Mr. Barnes continued to hold his position nominally during an interval when several clergymen preached here as candidates or supplies. Among the former was a Rev. Josiah Moulton, and an effort was made to settle him. There being 54 members against him to 57 in favor, the attempt was abandoned.
In June, 1805, town and church concurring, the Rev. Stephen Chapin was accepted and ordained June 18, 1805, at a salary of $400.00, and allowed four Sabbaths. The ordination sermon was delivered by Rev. Nathaniel Emmons of Medway, Mass.
Mr. Chapin proved the very opposite of Mr. Barnes in his administration of the church affairs. The plan of the half covenant was abandoned, and an experimental acquaintance with religion demanded as a qualification for admission, while an Orthodox confession of faith and covenant was adopted. As might be expected this awakened a vigorous opposition from those who had been faithful adherents of the policy of the previous pastor. The result was that the talented but erratic Mr. Chapin had a stormy pastorate until his dismissal July 30, 1809. The number added to the church during his pastorate was 38, and though not large was an important acquisition. It was generally acknowledged that he was a minister of able qualities and good morals. No doubt the troubles engendered during his brief pastorate were due as much to the liberal ideas fostered by the previous administration as to his more rigid doctrines.
After leaving Hillsborough he filled half a dozen pastorates
217
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.
in different New England towns, and then received the appoint- ment of President of the Columbian College, Washington, D. C., being inaugurated in that office March 11, 1829, filling the im- portant position for several years with distinguished ability.
A committee of compromise was chosen to attempt to unite the members of the church which was partially successful, inso- far as to patch up the differences and allow the situation to remain with little change. Following the dismissal of Mr. Chapin in 1809 it was impossible to unite the diverging sentiments enough to settle a permanent pastor over any denomination.
After three years without a regular minister an invitation was extended to Rev. Seth Chapin of Mendon, Mass., no relative, except in name to his predecessor. He accepted and was or- dained January 1, 1812. The exercices upon this occasion con- sisted of an introductory prayer by Rev. Moses Sawyer of Hop- kinton ; sermon by Rev. Ephraim P. Bradford of New Boston ; ordaining prayer and charge by Rev. Reed Paige of Hancock ; the Right Hand of Fellowship by Rev. John M. Whiton of Antrim; concluding prayer by Rev. Lemuel Bliss of Bradford. The church affairs moved in an even tenor until Mr. Chapin was dismissed June 26, 1816.
At the annual Meeting March 8, 1814, the matter of allowing the different religious denominations a proportionate share of money and privileges in the use of the meeting house was acted upon, and a committee chosen to consider the situation. This board consisted of Hon. Benjamin Pierce, Calvin Stevens, Esqr., Messrs. George Little, James Wilson, Samuel Ellinwood, Dr. Paul Cooledge, and Mr. Benjamin Smith. This was an influential board of arbitrators, but the volcano was too near the surface to allow of suffocating much longer. Two years later, 1816, out of 373 persons assessed for taxes 153, nearly one-half, were exempt from a minister's tax. And this was the last time any reference was made to the matter in the town records. At last the church and the state had been separated, and the salary of the preacher was raised by subscription. Following the dismissal of this second Chapin, in the language of Rev. Harry Brickett in writing of the situation, "the church lived from hand to mouth ; licentiates from seminaries came and went."
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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
Finally, in 1820, Rev. John Lawton settled here and preached regularly here a year, when he was ordained in Novem- ber, 1821. He held a very successful pastorate here for fourteen years, adding 150 members to the church. Then he incurred the enmity of several of his parishioners by his earnest advocacy of temperance, a question at that time beginning to agitate the minds of men. He was dismissed at his own request in 1834. . He had married in February 9, 1826, Abigail, only daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Jonathan Barnes. He was reluctantly dismissed and his wife dying about this time, he left town to become the principal of an academy in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., soon after seeking new fields of endeavor.
The summer preceding Mr. Lawton's removal the first Sunday School in town was conducted by Frank W. Symonds, his sister Sarah and Maria Johnson.
Rev. Milton Ward was the next settled minister to preach in the old meeting house, but his stay was short, as he was dismissed at his own desire, he having changed his religious belief.
Next came the most promising of them all, Rev. Seth Farns- worth, ordained in November, 1836, but falling a victim to lung fever the following March, " in the full tide of his usefulness, abundant in labors, with bright prospects for the future."
His successor was Rev. Samuel G. Tenney, ordained July 4, 1838, just as a crisis in the history of the "Old Meeting House" was apparent. The time had come when the territory about the Centre no longer furnished a majority of the worshippers, and the members living in or near the hamlet at the falls demanded a division of the church, so they could have a house at Bridge Village. All this ultimately obtained, as is described in another chapter.
As if the honest old structure had not received sufficient opposition, in 1859 a new and smaller house of worship was built a little southeast of the "Mother Church." This was a neat and elegant house, constructed of wood, painted white, with green Venetian window blinds, the building surmounted by a beautiful tower.
219
THE CHURCH BELL.
In this tower was placed a fine-toned bell, which could be distinctly heard in any part of the town. One of the donors of this bell was Enoch Train of Boston, formerly of Hillsborough, who had not lost interest in his native hamlet upon moving away.
The bell was considered an important adjunct to the country meeting house. It will be remembered that Colonel Hill presented the first house, the one built by the original settlers of the town then "Old Number Seven," with such a useful adornment, but it never got any nearer its destination than Groton, Mass., where it rendered excellent service for many years. The first house at the Centre had a bell, but its successor did not have one.
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