USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Providence > The meeting house of the First Baptist church in Providence; a history of the fabric > Part 3
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The Providence Athenaeum owns a copy of the "Book of Architecture" by James Gibbs, published in London in 1728. It is a folio bound in leather and shows signs of considerable use. It is, according to tradition, the book which was used in the selection of the design for the steeple. Dr. Guild says: "An old copy of this work, stated to be the one used in building the church, was lately in the possession of the Messrs. Ting- ley. . "1 Gov. Arnold says of the book: "probably the one used in building this Church. . "2
The old book was given to the Athenaeum by the two daughters of Mr. Alfred Stone who bought the book, mainly because of that very tradition, from Mr. Henry Tingley, long a designer of monuments in Providence. He inherited it from Silvanus and Samuel Tingley whose names are written across the lower part of the page on which the three spires stand, figure 11, with the statement that they bought the book from John Truman. On the back of another page are the words "bought of John Truman Architect." The Tingleys would be interested in the book because it contained many designs for monuments.
Higher up on the same page is the legend: "John Truman Bot of Caleb Ormsbee Esª."
The pedigree of the book, then, is complete and authentic back to Caleb Ormsbee, the architect of the earlier meeting house of the First Congregational Church, the building de- stroyed by fire in 1814.
It is known that Mr. Joseph Brown possessed a copy of Gibbs Book of Architecture. It is an item in his inventory.3
1. Guild, Brown Univ. and Manning, p. 223, note.
2. Arnold, Address, p. 10.
3. North Parlour. 1 Mahogany Desk and Book Case
Gibbs's Architecture
Swans Designs
Prov. Probate Rec., Will Book VII., pp. 12, 13.
22
20. THE INSIDE OF THE MEETING HOUSE LOOKING WEST IN 1924
21. THE INSIDE OF THE MEETING HOUSE LOOKING EAST IN 1924
-
There is only the constant tradition, however, to prove the identity of Mr. Brown's copy with that at the Athenaeum. The tradition has every probability behind it, everything short of certainty. The Tingleys apparently believed it and they must have received it from John Truman. He could easily have learned the truth from Caleb Ormsbee who was living in Mr. Brown's lifetime and who no doubt bought the book from the latter's estate after his death. Truman may have had another source of information in Jonathan Hammon, if the SallyHammon to whom he was married by Dr. Gano, on January 28, 1794 was a granddaughter of the old carpenter. It is possible that he was an apprentice of Hammon. It is more likely, in view of the ages of the men, that he was Ormsbee's apprentice and that Ormsbee may have learned his trade of Hammon.
There can be little doubt that this is the book.
23
B. THE ESTIMATE OF COST.
Cost of the Baptist Meeting house now Building viz.
320, Cord Stones & Carting on the Spot a 7/. £119.0.0 Masons Work for Laying ditto & Attendence 75.
Including the Digging for foundation
27hhds Lime for foundation & pillers a 18/
24.6. 60.
32000 Feet Oak Bords a 37/6
13m Feet 1/2 Inch Chesnut Bords a 30/
20 Thousand Egg Harber Bords a 54/. 19.10
20 Thousand Clear Bords & Plank supposed for outside to cost 4.10/ P Thousd
90.
50 Thousand Clear Green do with Cartg & Sticking up, a 66/.
165.
65 Thousand Eastern Merchantable Bords with
156.
32 Cumpus windows 5 Squairs wide & 6 high beside
the Compos heads, of Glass 10 by 13 a 64/ Including Stuf but Exclusive of Glass. .
1600 Feet
Window Glass a £5.
80.
Frameing the whole House & Tower Suppose 1200 Days a 4/ on an average. 240.0.0
130m Feet Timber Viz 100m a 4/. 15m a 5/. & 15m a 6/.
282.10
12m Clabbords Suppose to Lay 4 Inches out on an average a £6.
72.
60m [Clabbords]* Shingles a 21/.
63.
2 Dorrick Vernition Windows Suppose may Cost 1
Exclusive of Glass
8 Round windows, Stuf & work without Glass
70m Larthes a 12/.
350m Larth Nails a 2/6.
70m Shingle do a 3/
10.10
70m 6d Nails a 5/
17.10 87. 47.
60m 20d Nails a 11/ 5cwt 24d ditto a 6ª
2cwt 30d Nails a 56/ &ct 2cwt Deck Nails a do
11.4
1001b Spikes and 25001b of other Iron work a 6d
65.
18 pr. Large Hinges a 6/0. . 5.8
120 pr Pew Hinges a 1/6 if made by Jackson. 9.
about 3000 yards Plastering and Larthing a 6ª p yd 75.
[40 hhd Lime for plastering a 18/]* [ * ]
150 Bushels Hair .. 7.10
40 hhds Lime for plastering a 18/. 36.
8.
80 Load Sand a 2/
Carrd over £2084.11.0
Crossed out in MS.
24
54.
Carts and Sticking. . . a 48/
96.
18.
5.8. 42. 43.15
20m gd Nails a 7/, 200m 10ª ditto a 8/.
Cost of the New Baptis Meeting house brot over. - £2084.11
Painting the whole out Side including foundation 74.10 Steple and all computed at 1788 yda a 10d
do in Side, all the wood work except the Pews & flours 15.
a Bell and Hanging Suppose
*[suppose] 12001b a 2/6
160.
& £10 for hangg
400
Steple suppose will cost.
8 Collums a 6} Dollers together with Boreing & Maks \
a 120/
48.
Conecticut Stone Steps to 5 Dores Suppose
will take 26 Steps which with the Freight & Setting will cost
150.
2 windows Short Carrd out. 6.8
£2938.9
Work in Bording the Roofe 78 Squairs a 2/10
£11.1
Bording the Sides, Tower & Porches a 3/6 )
35.0
200 Squairs [Bording the whole outside]*
Laying 60m Shingles a 5/6. . 16.10
Laying 12m Clabbords with plaing &c a £6.
72 .-
Maks the Jetts Round the House & Tower 167.19
Water table 420 feet a 5ª 8.15
plain Jett to the porches 5.
Gable End Cornice for do 1.6
plastering the Foundation
15-
150 Bushel Hair more a 1/.
7.10
the Building 120 Pews a 36/.
216 .-
do the Pulpit & Cannepey & Communion Table
100
allso a Genteel Cushing & Curtins
A Dorick Porticoe before the Dore. 60-
12 Pillasters Fluted with Intablatures Compleet. 36-
Caseing 32 winders with plain Edge Casing 14.8
a 9/-
8 d° Round do 1.4
2 d° Vernition do. 6
119 Squairs of flours Exclusive of Pews a 7/ 41.13
90 yde Brast work to the Gallery with Belextion pannills & Single Cornice and Double architrave
30 .-
Frameing for the Brest work & Cealing the Same \
6 .- all Round the Inside.
Seets in the Gallery with out Backs. 10
Carried over .
£861.6
£2938.9
1925504
* Crossed out in MS.
25
brot over
The whole Carpenters work of the upper Gallery. Giting out the Ribs & puting up all the Sealings over Head. Caseing 8 post Beede Caseing.
50 .-
4.11-
do under Side the Gallery Beems.
2.11-
160 Steps in the Tower & Porches.
40.
Suppose 40 Meener Sort in the Tower above thel
3.6.8
upper Gallery a 1/8 ....
2 Inside Dores to the porches below & 1 Double do) to the Tower below, makes 4 Pannil Dores Includg 7.8
the Caseing. .
4 Quarter Round battend Bases for the Gallerys Include Casg 5.15
Flours in the porches omitted before 8 Squairs.
2.16
Caseing posts in the Poaches & Tower .. 2.14
7 Outside Dores with Fruntices & Casings. 43.16
2 .-
Hanging the winders Includg weights & all.
15 .-
Levelling Joice under the Gallerys and) in the Tower & porches 56 Sqrs
7 .-
Cordage & Blocks. .
15 .-
Licker at Raiseing & at other times
22.
Prepairing, Gravilling & Paveing a Strip 1
45. -
from the Street to the Tower 30 Feet wide
Paveing a Strip Round the House 16 feet wide.
50.
10 cwt Role Lead and puting it on
20.
Sundrys omitted Supposed.
100.
the Land bot of John Angell.
d° of Amaziah waterman.
£1320.3.8 4648.9
£4648.9
Stage for Commencement
6 .-
a Clock and Dial Plate.
100.
Litning Rods
12 .-
Work in Fixing & puting up the Rustick.
40.
Glazing & Stuff &c
30 .-
£6156.12.8
Locks
above & belowì
12 .-
4 Small Pillows to support the frunt Gallerys A
Work in takg Seets from old meeting house & puting in new
3. -
20 Cord Stones more. .
7 .-
paints the Roofe with Tar & Spannish Brown.
10.
£6188.12.8
Subscription to the House. £2930.
Suppose the Lottery to Neet.
1900 .-
old Baptist Meeting House & Lott beside (
240 .-
what is to pay Elder Winsor & others
1350 .- -
£6420. -
Endorsed: Calculation of the cost of the Meeting house made by John Jencks Jnº Brown Cahoon & Jo' Brown Made In Aug 1774.
26
£855- 855 -
£861.6/ 20 .-
£2938.9
100 Pews a £13.10.
£5968.12.8
petitions for the Stairs in the Tower.
C. THE LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS
A list of Subscriber to the meet& House
Payable 1/2 by the Tenth of April, 1/4 by the
10th June, & remainder 10 th. Sept next Dated 14th day of Feby 1774.
Daniel Jenckes.
£400.0
Nichº Brown.
450.0
John Brown.
350.0
John Jenckes.
250.0
Joseph Brown.
250.0
William Russel
200.0
Benja Thurber
200.0
£2100.0
& Daniel Cahoon
James Manning.
30.0.0
David Hoell.
60.0
Nath1 Wheaton
20.0.
Nicholas Power.
30.0.
Ephm Wheaton.
18.0.
Christopher Sheldon.
60.0.
Sam1 Warner.
18.0.
Joseph E. Tillinghast.
Jonathan Hammon to be
12.0.
paid in Labour
Comfort Wheaton in work.
12.0.
Martin Simmons in
12.0.
work upon the House
Arthur Fenner Jnr
12.0.
Daniel Tillinghast.
39.0.
William Holroyd.
18.0.0
349.0
James Arnold.
15.0.
Aaron Mason, in Materials
12.0.
for the Building.
Sam1 Thurber Jnr in
12.0.
Materials to the Building
William Corlis to be paid ) in Materials in his way
30.0.
Nath1 Saunders to be paid in work
6.0.
Timothy Mason.
3.0.
Pardon Sheldon.
12.0.
Benja Alger.
12.0.
Andrew Cole to be paid in \ work
6.0.
Wm Simmons to be pd in work.
8.0.
Thomas Stodard to be paid \ in work
7.0.
John Pettis to be paid in Stones. 9.0.
Amos Horton to be paid in ) work ..
10.0.
Obadiah Sprague to be paid l
3.0.
153.0.
in work
£2602.0.0.
27
18.0.
Edwd Thurber
pd Jnº B
James Wheaton to be paid in work.
£6.0.
Jehu Smith
9.0.
Joshua Lindley, to be paid in work. 6.0.
Jonathon Knowls, to be paid in work 6.0.
Benj. Comstock. ..
3.0.
Edward Knowles to be paid in Carp-) enter work
9.0.
Asa Hopkins in Carpenter worke.
6.0
Joseph Olney will Glaze the House)
if the Materials is found if living §
3.0.
Silvanus Jenckes.
9.0.
Melzer Packard.
3.0.
Benja Stelle.
15.0.
Joseph Arnold to be paid in work.
Chris" Arnold & Son to pay in our )
work
pd
Joseph Tillinghast.
15.0.
Arthur Fenner, when I can do it.
12.0.
Simon Smith.
15.0.
William Wheaton to be pd in )
3.0.
Materials or work. ..
3.0.
Materials or work
3.0.
William Brown, Including one) Pew to be paid in Carting in six months
50.0.
Phinehas Brown to be paid in Stone
5.0.
Daniel Brown, to be paid in stone.
3.0.
Daniel Hawkins, to be paid in)
6.0
Dexter Brown, to be pd in one Year)
5.0.
Paul Tew to be paid in 6 months.
9.0.
John Tillinghast to be paid in our)
6.0.
way
James Westcott, to be paid in six)
10.0.
months in West Inda Goods
Nichº Cooke.
30.0.
Ephram Bowen Fifteen pounds,
15.0.
Ambrose Page to be paid in English? Goods out of Shop
15.0.
Sam1 Whitman to be paid in produce
15.0.
LM. .326.0.
2602.
£2928.0.
Endorsed:
Copy of the Meeting House Subscription.
28
75.
6.
Abraham Whipple.
10.0.
Martin Thurber to be paid in )
James Olney to be paid in work.
Timber & bords
. with Interest
15.0.
Timothy Sheldon Jn™
D. THE LIST OF PEW OWNERS.
1 Thurber & Cahoon
65 P. Tew now Howell
2 Hill & Alger
66 Jo' Brown
3 James Wheaton
67 Abner Thayer
4 Asa Hopkins
68 Rufus Hopkins
5 David Burr
69 Comte
6 Barnard Eddy
70 Hope Brown & Daugter
7 Wm Cuzens
71 Henry Tillingst
9
Obd Sprague
10
Pardon Sheldon
74 Wm Russel
12 Wm Bowen
76 Comte
13 Wm Corlis
77 Chars Easterbooks
14
Wm & James Wheaton
78 David Martin
15 Nath1 Saunders
79 Dexter Brown
16 Nichº Brown
80 Parsonage
17 Jnº Cross
81 Chris™ Sheldon
18 Joª Arnold
82 Ephm Bowen
19 Jona Russel
83
Edwd Woodman
20 Tho" Lynsey
84
Esek Hopkins
21 Coll. Wm. Brown
85
Jnº B. Hopkins
22 Edwd Thurber
86
Joª Rogers
23 John Tillingst
87 Barnard & Brown
24 Jnº Brown
88 Sheldon & Smith
26
Wm Brayton
90 Laws & Whitecar
27
Nehemiah Sheldon
91 Timº Mason
28 Comte
92 Dan1 Tillinghast
29 Comte
93
N. Brown
30 Jo' Tillingst
94
Chris™ Olney
31 Jo' D. Russel
95 Benja Comstock
32 N. Brown
96 Joª Brown
33 Jona Knowles
97 Wm Wall
34
Aaron Mason
98
Sam1 Whitman
35 Dan1 Cahoon
99
Wm Rhodes
36 Welcome Arnold
100 Chris Arnold
37 John Pettis
101
Jonª Arnold
38 Benja Lynsey
102 Edwd [?] Thurber
39 Bacon & Black
103 Dan1 Hawkins
40 John Brown
104
Jonª Jenckes Jn™
41
James Arnold
105
Pitman & Fish
42
Nichº Cooke
106
Allen Brown
43
Sam1 Thurber
107
Jonª Dexter
44
Carpenter & Whitecar
108
Andrew Cole
45
Simon Smith
109
Wm Barton
46
Dan1 Bucklin
110
James Westcott
47 Wait Still Corlis
111 Stodard & Clap
48
Arthur Fenner
112
Joª Bucklin
49
Amos Horton
113
Nath1 Jacobs
50
Rigg & Wait [?] [illegible]
114
Wm Seamon
51 Nichº Power
115 Jnº Jenckes
52 Jo' Olney
116 Marye Kinnicutt
53 Silv® Jenckes
117 James Sabin
54 Jos Hewes
118 Benja Thurber
55
David Howell
119 Gidn Manchester
56
Sam1 Warner
120 Peter Randall
57 Wm Green
121 Benja Stelle
58
Wm Holroyd
122 Demount & Waterman
59 Sol. Drown
123 John Davis
60 Josiah Gifford
124 George Brown
61 Edwd Knowles
125 Man Mackimber & Co.
62 Phin® Brown
126 Joshª Lynley
63 Melzer Packard
64 Israel Low
Endorsed: Orig! Owners of Pews-
29
8 Nath1 Wheaton
72 Martin Thurber
73 Ambrose Page
11
Jo® E. Tillinghast
75 Abm Whipple
25 Martin Simmons
89 Joanª Jenckes
E. MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS
I
John Brown Com" to Build the Meeting house.
Mess's John Jenckes Dan1 Cahoon
Eph™ Wheaton
Nath1 Wheaton
Daniel Tillinghast
Joª Brown
W™ Russell
Edwd Thurber
Nichº Brown
Chris. Sheldon
Benja Thurber Be Comte to advise and assist in any Matters which he may request, & to meat at each others House in Course as they stand on their list, every Monday Evening, or Oftener if need require.
First Mett at Jnº Browns
May 9. 1774.
Endorsed: Memodm of Comte to meet at each others abot the Meeting house.
II
Brother Nich° Brown:
please to Deliver to M'
Sumner or James Wheeton one Cask 10ª Nails for the meeting house & charge it to sd House. March 4 1775
p Jnº Brown
30
III
About the Bords of David Gardner from Bourn to see Sd Gardners accot & to Charge the meeting house
Endorsed:
About the Bords of
David Gardner
IV
We the subscribers Promise to Advance to the Town of Providence and to pay to the Order of Moses Brown for the use of paving the Lane or Street Northward of the Baptist Meeting the sums set against our Names as fast as the same is Wanted to carry on the Work this summer in Witness Whereof we set our hands, the advance we Expect to Wait on the Town for, Two years on Interest until repaid-
John Jenckes, Sixty Loads of Paving Stones.
£
Moses Brown One hundred Dollars
Nicho Brown £15 in B & Benson Shop
John Brown to pay in any Goods one half by wholesail
and half by Retail. One Hundred Dollars-
-30 .-
To John Jenckes Nicholas Brown, John Brown, &c-
Endorsed:
Subscription for
Paving the Lane
on the North Side
of the Meeting House
1785.
31
V
Providence, Sept. 17th. 1791.
Sir.
Being at present greatly pressd for want of Money & calld on frequently by the Labourers I employd in painting the Meeting house- I am inducd to send you the Account & earnestly to request some small sum to satisfy the Debts which I owe & promisd long since to discharge.
Yours &c, W™ Albertson
The Account amounts to £14.6 .. 0
Mr. Nicholas Brown. amt. of our a/c exclusive of the Tar chgd is £7.18.2
must I deliver him any Cash & howmuch.
Endorsed: Mr. Nicholas Brown Present
VI
A List of Number of Pews Names & Persons anext
Nº 11 Dan1 Tillinghast £66
3- E. Hopkins 85
4- E. Thurber 85pd
5- D Eddy. 85 pd
6- C Arnold. 82
7 Wid Manton 60
8- Jos Olney 100pd
32
9- Dan1 Jenckes 120
10- N Brown 120
11- E Bowen. 100
12- Arth Fenner 70
13- Sol. Drown 80
14- A Brown. 70
15- Wm Brown 80
16 -- E. Hopkin
66
17- Jnº Jenckes*
88
18- George Corlist
110
19- Aaron Mason
75 or 150pd
20- Jos. Sheldon 150
21- N Tillingst 110
* George Corliss & Son crossed out
# Crossed out
Endorsed : Pews Baptist Meeting house
33
1
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