USA > Rhode Island > Kent County > Warwick > The history of Warwick, Rhode Island, from its settlement in 1642 to the present time; including accounts of the early settlement and development of its several villages; sketches of the origin and progress of the different churches of the town, &c., &c > Part 28
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Soon after the brethren were set off from the mother church in Coventry as a branch, they united their efforts to secure a permanent place for worship. Mrs. Sarah Remington, widow of James E. Remington, gave them a lot of land consisting of about a quarter of an acre, on certain conditions, among which were, that the church should build a meeting-house upon it within six months, keep it in good repair and use it, or allow it to be used only for religious purposes, failing in which, the lot was to revert to the grantor, her heirs, assigns, &c. The deed, which is dated December 26, 1843, further pro- vided " that said house shall be open and free for all religious societies, when not occupied by said branch of
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the Crompton Mills Six Principle Baptist Society." The house was dedicated September 7th, 1844. The church continued as a branch of the Maple Root, until April 10, 1845, when it was formally organized as an independent church. On September 6, 1845, it united with the yearly Conference. November 28, 1850, William Rice was ordained as a deacon.
At the conclusion of Elder Place's labors, Elder Locke was recalled to the pastorate, and remained two years, when he died. Elder Wilcox preached two Sabbaths a month, for several years and until his last sickness. In the spring of 1868, Elder Ellery Kenyon became pastor, and continued until January 15, 1871, when he resigned. Sunday May 15, 1870, Wm. R. Johnson was baptized, and on the same day was ordained to the ministry, the ordination services being conducted by Elders Kenyon, Arnold and Wilcox. On March 23, 1871, the church unanimously elected Elder Wm. R. Johnson as its pas- tor and he continued thus until the present year. The church at present is without a pastor, though enjoying the preaching of Elder Slocum.
William Rice, C. A. Carpenter, C. M. Seekell and William Price have served the church as deacons ; William Rice, E. W. Sweet, John Wood, Sheldon H. Tillinghast, Wm. P. Place, as clerks. The present clerk, is Eben W. Sweet. The late Daniel Arnold bequeathed to this church a portion of his personal property, the . exact amount of which, has not yet been determined.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, RIVER POINT.
On the 7th of February, 1849, an ecclesiastical council convened at the meeting-house, at River Point, for the purpose of organizing an Evangelical Con- gregational Church. After the usual preliminaries, the council voted unanimously in favor of the project, and organized the following persons as a church, viz. : John L. Smith, Jeremiah K. Aldrich, Brigham C. Deane,
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Mary Greene, Phila B. Deane, Priscilla G. Seagraves, Hannah L. Sweet, Lucy Hill, Hannah Hall and Susan E. Smith
Rev. George Uhler at the time of the organization of the church, appears to have been preaching in the place, and was engaged by the church as its " stated supply," although he is spoken of in subsequent records as the pastor of the church. He continued his labors until ill health induced him to relinquish his position, June 12, 1853. On the following June 13th, a call was extended to Rev. S. B. Goodenow, at a salary of $700, which was accepted, and Mr. Goodenow entered upon his work the first Sabbath in December 1853 ,and remained until June 5, 1855, when he resigned and went to Ulster, N. Y. From this time, the church having become somewhat weakened by loss of quite a number of its members, was without regular pastoral labor until 1857, with the ex- ception of about nine months in 1856, when Rev. Mr. Woodbury officiated as a supply.
Rev. George W. Adams was installed pastor of the church, September 30, 1857, and died after a somewhat prolonged sickness, December 9, 1862. Mr. Adams was a sound theologian and an excellent pastor, and was beloved by the church and community. He was a dili- gent student and prepared his sermons with much care. We remember hearing him say that he had sixty fully written sermons that he had never preached. His death most deeply afflicted his family. Rev. Mr. Williams, who had been supplying the church during the pastor's illness, continued to preach until February, when seve- ral of the pastors connected with the Rhode Island Congregational Association kindly volunteered their ser- vices in supplying the pulpit until the last Sabbath in April, in order that the salary of the deceased pastor might be continued to his bereaved family.
On Feb. 6, 1864, the church by an unanimous invita- tion engaged the Rev. J. K. Aldrich to supply the pulpit the following year. This arrangement continued until August, 1867, when Mr. Aldrich removed to East
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Bridgewater, Mass., to assume the pastoral care of the Union Congregational Church in that place. Mr. Aldrich was during this time, as for several years pre- viously, also, Principal of an English and Classical School in the vicinity. He was followed by Rev. Lyman H. Blake, who received a call from the church Oct. 6, 1867, and was ordained and installed as pastor on Nov. 14th, following. Mr. Blake continued the pastor until Oct. 3, 1869, when he resigned to assume a pastorate at Rowley, Mass. Since then the church has been without a settled pastor, though enjoying during most of the time the ministrations of the word from various minis- ters, as " stated," or occasional supplies. Like nearly all churches it has had its seasons of adversity as well as of prosperity. One hundred and twenty-five persons have had their names enrolled upon its list of membership, sixty-two of whom were received on their confession of faith in the Redeemer, and the remainder by letters. Ten have died while members, two were excommuni- cated, and fifty-eight dismissed to unite with other churches, leaving the present number (April, 1875) fifty- five. John L. Smith and Henry Harris have served the church as deacons, and Jeremiah K. Adams, George T. Arnold and Thomas M. Holden as clerks. The records of this church have been unusually well kept, some of its clerks not only recording the ordinary business of the church, but also the births, marriages and deaths of those connected with it. .
THE WARWICK AND COVENTRY BAPTIST CHURCH .*
The house of worship connected with this church is located in the village of Crompton. The legal title of the society, which is composed of such persons as are elected from the male members of the church, none others being eligible, is, The First Baptist Society of
* The account of this church is from a recent discourse of the pastor, in commemoration of the seventieth anniversary of its organization.
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Warwick. The society possesses and controls the church property. The church is one of the mother churches of the town, having formerly embraced within her parish boundaries the territory now shared by about a score of churches of various orders which she has seen spring up around her. For this reason a somewhat extended account of her origin and progress may perhaps be allowed.
Three periods may be noticed. The first, extending from the organization to the building of the " Tin Top meeting house in Quidnick, in 1808; the second, from that event to the building of the meeting-house in Cromp- ton, in 1843 ; and the third, from that year to the pre- sent time.
The first period embraces only about two and a half years of time, and was of an unsettled, migratory char- acter, in which the church wandered about from place to place seeking for a permanent home. It commenced October 21, 1805, on which date a number of converts belonging to East Greenwich, Warwick and North Kingstown, met at East Greenwich, at the house of Mr. Caleb Mathews, and after due consideration, decided " to unite together under the name of the United Brethren and Sisters of East Greenwich, Warwick and North Kingstown." On the 11th of November following, a council consisting of delegates from the First and the Second Baptist Churches of Providence, the one at Re- hoboth and the one at North Kingstown, assembled, and after the usual examinations, recognized them as a Christian church, with the title of " The Baptist Church of East Greenwich, Warwick and North Kingstown." Thirty-seven persons, nine of whom were men, composed the organization. With the exception of Deacon Shaw and his wife, who were received by letter from the First Church, Providence, they appear to have been at the time but recently converted. Asa Niles, an unordained brother, had been preaching in East Greenwich and Cen- treville, and revival blessings had followed his earnest labors. Quite a number of persons had been converted, who afterwards united in the formation of this church.
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Though Mr. Niles did not join the new church, and was not formally recognized as its pastor, he continued to preach for it until the May following, when the care of the church was given to Rev. David Curtis.
Rev. Asa Niles was born in Braintree, Mass., Feb. 10, 1777. While in business in Boston, he attended Dr. Baldwin's church and was converted. Being convinced of his duty to preach the gospel, he gave up his business and moved to Beverly, where he studied with "Father Williams." Rev. Mr. Williams had several students at the time. Having finished his studies, he came into Rhode Island as a missionary, and labored at Paw- tucket, Pawtuxet, East Greenwich and Centreville. He was an earnest, pointed preacher, and the truths that he uttered awakened much opposition among " the baser sort," some of whom in the villages of Pawtuxet and East Greenwich threat- ened him with personal violence. At one time, while he was preaching, one of this class threw a stone at him through a window, which passed by his head, striking a woman and breaking her arm. Elder Niles kept the stone for about twenty- five years. At another time they took his horse, on which he rode to his appointments, and sheared his mane and tail, but it does not appear that he preached any less faithfully on account of these persecutions. After leaving this church, he preached in Middletown, Conn., four years; Windsor, Vt., four years; Salem, Mass., six years; Scituate, Mass., Weare, N. H., Haver- hill, Mass., and then went to Middleboro, Mass., where he died April 16, 1849, at the age of 72 years. His mind became im- paired at the age of sixty-five, and there was a gradual decay of his mental powers until he died. At his funeral there were six of his fellow ministers, who bore grateful testimony to his worth as a servant of Christ.
The church worshipped at East Greenwich a portion of the time in the Court House and also in an old meet- ing-house that has since been destroyed. At Centreville they worshipped in the school-house, in the building now used by Mr. Gould as a wheelwright's shop. This building had been erected for both school and religious purposes and, was solemnly dedicated to God with appropriate services. The Methodists also used it a part of the time. It was furnished with a gallery for the singers over the entrance, and is remembered gratefully by the few remaining individuals who were interested worshippers at the time. The larger portion of the church residing in the region of Centreville, it was finally
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decided to erect a suitable sanctuary where they would be better accommodated, and Quidnick being a central position, was chosen as the place. In view of this the church voted on the 27th of February, 1808, to change its name to the Baptist Church of Warwick and Coventry, which it still retains. This closes the first period of its history.
The first event of importance in the second period is the erection of the new meeting-house, which soon became widely known as the " Tin Top," so called from the steeple or cupola being covered with tin. Its dimen- sions were sixty feet long by forty wide, with a commo- dious vestry. Its galleries extended around three sides of the building. The building was framed in Provi- dence, and rafted down the river and around to Appo- naug, and thence drawn by teams to the place of erec- tion. It is said to have been raised and completed in two months, and cost $3,300. The land on which it stands was given by Mr. Jacob Greene. Probably no building ever erected in Kent County ever awakened so much interest as this. People living miles away, with curiosity excited, came and viewed it with wondering delight. Boys from the neighboring villages ran away from school, attracted by its glittering tower. Large congregations gathered for worship within its walls, and the church, with grateful pride, viewed the result of their toils and sacrifices. They had assumed, however, more pecuniary responsibility than they felt able to bear, and, in accordance with the custom of the times, they applied for and received of the General Assembly per- mission to raise $2,000 by a lottery. (Similar grants had been made to other churches. One to St. John's Church, Providence, in March 23, 1762, for $1,000; one for $2,500 to Trinity Church, June 8, 1767, New- port ; one to the First Baptist Church, Providence, for £2,000, in June, 1774, and at different dates to various other churches.) The plan did not succeed as well as was expected. After lingering along for years, the grant was sold to " Peirce & Burgess for $500, and John
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Allen was authorized to spend the money in repairing the house." The " Tin Top," at this period, occasion- ally resounded with the voices of other ministers beside that of the pastor, and there are those now living who remember hearing Dr. Stephen Gano, the pastor of the First Church, Providence ; President Asa Messer, of Brown University ; Dr. Benedict, of Pawtucket ; Rev. J. Pitman, and others, within its walls. On the 10th of Sep- tember, 1810, the church joined the Warren Association. The church held their stated Sabbath worship in the meeting-house until about 1830. Up to this time various places were used for evening worship, and frequently, upon the Sabbath, in Crompton. Among the buildings used for such purposes was the old " Cotton House," a building since removed, which stood just back of the Crompton Company's stable, and the old " Weave Shop," not far from Deacon Spencer's store, on the opposite side of the road. Elder Curtis wrote me before he died that he taught an evening school there, as well as held meet- ings, and that many of his pupils were there converted. The " Hall " house, that has since been removed farther south on the turnpike, opposite the site of the old Cotton House, was also used for religious purposes, and other buildings as they could be obtained, up to the time when the "Store Chamber" was fitted up for a place of worship. It is said that the place where the church was worshipping, at the time Elder Ross was the pastor, " became too straight for the people, and especially so . for the minister," and larger and better quarters were provided in the Store Chamber. This item fixes the time at about 1830, when they entered the latter place. The church, from this time, held its regular Sabbath services in Crompton, instead of Quidnick. The "Tin Top " was leased for a time to other worshippers, and was finally sold at public auction to Wm. B. Spencer, Esq., in trust for the Rhode Island Baptist State Con- vention, for the sum of $320. It still remains in posses- sion of the Convention, though occupied by the Quidnick Baptist Church, which was organized in 1851.
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Rev. David Curtis, son of William Curtis, was born in East Stoughton, Mass., Feb. 17, 1782. He was educated at Brown University, where he graduated in 180S. He was married to Rhoda Keach, of Smithfield. R. I., June; 1810, by Rev. Dr. Gano. His wife was born June 15, 1790, and died Nov. 26, 1864, at East Stoughton. Elder Curtis died at the same place Sept. 12, 1869. There are two sisters of Elder Curtis now living. He had thirteen children, two of whom are now living. One of his sisters married Rev. George Winchester, a Metho- dist clergyman. On February 6, 1819, Elder Curtis took a letter from the church and united with that of Pawtuxet. He was pastor at the latter place at two different times, and in 1821-22 was the postmaster. The post office occupied a part of the house in which he lived, which is now standing, and is the first one south of the bridge on the west side of the street. He preached about two years at Harwich, Mass., and about the same length of time at New Bedford. He then removed to Abington, Mass., where he remained about eight years, a part of which time he was the pastor of the church there. He then removed to Fiskeville, R. I., and preached about two years, also about two years at Chepachet. For the last twenty-five years of his life he lived in East Stoughton, preaching as he had opportunity to various churches, but without being settled as a pastor. On the death of his father he was left with some property, from which he derived a comfortable support during the latter years of his life. For many years previous to his death he made an annual pilgrimage to the scenes of his early labors, where he was always welcomed to the pulpit of the church and to the homes of the people.
Elder Curtis was followed in the pastoral office by Rev. Levi Walker, M. D., who united with the church Janu- ary 2, 1819, though it appears he had preached to the church already two years. Business in the village of Crompton was in a depressed state, growing out of the. failure of the manufacturing company, and the church found itself less able than usual to support a pastor. I find on the records of the church a vote by which they agreed to raise for Dr. Walker the sum of fifty dollars for the year. The doctor found it necessary to eke out his small salary by exercising his skill in the healing art .. Though the scriptures declare that man shall not live by bread alone, they do not ignore the fact that some bread is necessary. Mr. Walker remained the pastor until December, 1819, and then took a letter and united with
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the church at Preston, Conn., where he became the pastor.
Dr. Walker was born in 1784. His childhood was spent in Livermore, Maine. He experienced religion about the year 1804, and was for about twelve years a zealous Methodist preacher. His views on the subject of baptism underwent a change, and he united with the Baptist Church in Fall River, then under the pastoral care of Elder Borden. In 1807 he married Phebe Burroughs, a daughter of Elder Peleg Bur- roughs, pastor of the Free Will Baptist Church, in Tiverton, R. I. Dr. Walker preached in Fall River, New Bedford and Edgartown previous to his settlement over this church. After leaving Preston, Conn., he removed to North Stonington, where he continued to preach and practice medicine until about the time of his death. He died in Winstead, Conn., at the age of 87. " As a preacher he was clear, logical and con- vincing, rising at times to points of highest excellence, both in matter and manner." He possessed considerable skill as a physician. He had three sons who entered the ministry, viz .: Rev. W. C. Walker, now State Missionary in Connecticut; Rev. Levi Walker, Jr., deceased, and Rev. O. T. Walker, for several years pastor of Bowdoin Square Church, Boston, now pastor of the Third Baptist Church, Providence.
The third pastor, Rev. Jonathan Wilson, received a call from the church to the pastorate April 5, 1823, which he accepted, and united with the church June 8th following, and remained until February 19, 1830. Dur- ing this period a slight difficulty arose, occasioned by a portion of the church desiring to have a young brother whom the church had licensed, preach half the time and Mr. Wilson the other half. Mr. Wilson went off to the southern part of the State and preached about six months, the Rev. Seth Ewer, an agent of the State Con- vention, preaching in the meantime. He then returned and resumed his labors to the above date. Elder Wilson is spoken of as an able preacher, but was not thoroughly established in his religious sentiments. He went west and became a Millerite. As late as 1847 he returned to the east, and preached a few weeks in Providence, with the expectation of being soon translated to heaven. It is said he carried his ascension robes with him in his preaching journeys. About this time he made a visit to
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Centreville, calling on John Allen, who, doubtless, scratched his elbow, but refused to be converted to the views of his former pastor. His subsequent history is unknown.
The fourth pastor was Rev. Arthur A. Ross, who united with the church July 4, 1830, and closed his labors December 18, 1834. The parsonage house was built by Henry Hamilton for John Allen, in 1831, who afterwards gave it to the church.
Elder Ross was born in Connecticut, October, 1790. Mr. Ross' first settlement was in Thompson, Conn., in 1819, where he remained four years. He was pastor successively at Che- patchet, one or two years; Fall River, Mass., three years; Bris- tol, Warwick and Coventry Church, First Church, Newport, seven years; Lonsdale, two years; Natick, and the Second, or High Street Church, at Pawtucket, the latter place about two years. He died in Pawtucket, June 16, 1864, in his seventy- fourth year, and was buried in the cemetery of his wife's rela- tives near Cumberland Hill. During his ministry he baptised over 1400 persons. He was a laborious and successful pastor, a plain, outspoken preacher. While pastor at Newport he pub- lished a discourse, " Embracing the Civil and Religious History of Rhode Island," from the first settlement of the island to the close of the second century.
The fifth pastor, Rev. Thomas Dowling, united with the church June 5, 1836 ; closed his labors August, 1840.
Mr. Dowling was born in Brighton, Sussex county, England, April 2, 1809. He is a brother of Rev. John Dowling, D. D., of New York. Baptised by Rev. Charles Carpenter, pastor of the Baptist Church, Somer's Town, London; was licensed to preach in October, 1830, and labored as a local preacher in London and vicinity until September, 1833, when he sailed for this country. Was ordained as pastor of the Baptist Church in Catskill, N. Y., January 14, 1834; become pastor at Tru- mansburg, N. Y., January 1, 1835, from which place he came to this church. From here he went to the Third Church in North Stonington, Conn., and has continued to labor in that State ever since, (with the exception of two years at Agawam, Mass.,) having been settled as pastor at Willimantic, Central, Thompson, Tolland, and other places. In 1873 he resumed the pastorate at Tolland, where he now resides.
Mr. Dowling probably closed his labors as pastor a short time previous to his taking a letter from the
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church, as during the interval preceding the settlement of the next pastor, Rev. Dr. D. W. Phillips, now Presi- dent of the Nashville Institute, in Tennessee, but then a student of Brown University, supplied the church for about six months, preaching at the Tin Top and the Store Chamber. Dr. Phillips recently revisited the scene of his early labors, and preached for the church on the second Sabbath of June of the present year, receiving a contribution from the church and Sabbath school of $72 00 for the work in which he is engaged.
The sixth pastor was Rev. Thomas Wilkes, who united with the church November 8, 1840; closed his labors August, 1842.
Mr. Wilkes subsequently removed to the city of New York, where he ministered to a congregation of Swedenborgians. His ministry there appears to have been of short duration. The three principal members of his congregation, from whom he received his principal pecuniary support, it is said, failed him; one died, another failed in business, and the third removed from the city. Of his subsequent history I have no knowledge.
January 16, 1842, six persons were dismissed to unite with others at Phenix to form a new Baptist church, and the pastors and three delegates were appointed to attend the council to be held there on the 20th of that month.
As we look over the records to learn what measure of prosperity attended the efforts of the church during this second period of its history, we conclude that God blest their efforts abundantly. There were special seasons of refreshing, to which we shall refer hereafter, and seasons of spiritual drought; times when they were led to rejoice, and others when they were in heaviness. Up to this time the church had a large field to cultivate com- pared with its present limited one. Previous to 1840 there was no other church of the same order in any of the villages about us. Since then the churches at Phenix, Natick, Coventry Central, the present Quidnick Church, and the one at Old Warwick, have all been organized. The population was, also, almost entirely native, where now it is so largely foreign.
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