USA > Vermont > Windham County > Gazetteer and business directory of Windham county, Vt., 1724-1884 > Part 19
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Arad Stockwell, son of Perez, was born in Marlboro, Vt., May 18, 1773. He married Sally Harris, of Brattleboro, June 1, 1797, and a few years after came to Brattleboro, locating upon what is now the town poor farm, re- sided there until 1836, then moved to road 32, upon the farm now owned by his daughter, Mrs. S. P. Miller, where he died, February 1, 1856. His widow, or "Aunt Sally," as she was familiarly called, died September 21, 1883, aged over 104 years, retaining her mental faculties until the last. They reared seven children, five of whom are living, as follows : Maria, widow of Alfred Simonds, Cynthia A., widow of W. H. Gould, Sabrina, widow of John B. Mil- ler, and Arad H., in Brattleboro; and Calista R., wife of Lucius Fox, in Wilmington. Asaph, son of Perez Stockwell, was born in Marlboro, married Lucy Harris, a sister of Sally, and settled in the western part of this town. He reared a family of nine children, and died about thirty years ago.
Royal Gladden, born in England in 1769, came to Brattleboro in 1799, and settled in the western part of the town. He married Martha Roberts (his second wife), reared seven children, and died in 1847. His wife died in 1832. Two of the children, Martha G., widow of Jacob Dunklee, Jr., and Elizabeth, wife of Daniel Esterbrook, now reside here.
John, son of John Weatherhead, was born in Guilford, July 16, 1808, mar- ried Olive Rockwell, and a few years after his marriage came to Brattleboro,
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where he has resided since, being an extensive dealer in live stock. He has two children, Luke H., and Hiram F.
Asa Wheeler came to Brattleboro, from Warwick, Mass., in the spring of 1849, and the following year commenced the manufacture of edged tools, and the subsequently, in company with his son, G. B., added the manufacture of skates. In 1860 his factory was carried away by a freshet, after which he commenced the manufacture of counter sinks, which continued several years. He died November 12, 1880, aged seventy-seven years. His son, G. B., is now a Baptist clergyman of East Hardwick, Vt.
Ebenezer Fisher came to Brattleboro, from Massachusetts, when there were but fourteen families in the town. He first located on road 28, then removed to the farm just south of the same, the deed of which, now in the possession of his grandson, Wilder E., bears the date April 9, 1770. Upon this farm he resided until his death, in 1831, aged ninety years. He reared a family of fourteen children. Ebenezer, Jr., born here in 1777, resided on the old farm and manufactured brick many years. He married Lucy Fisher and reared ten children, and died September 1, 1836. Three of his children are living- Russell F., in Chester, Vt. ; Sybil, widow of Ezra Shepard, in Jamaica ; and Elias W., residing at Centerville. He married Lectana Weatherhead, of Guilford, and reared two children, Adaline and Chester L.
Willard, son of Isaiah Richardson, came here with his father, in 1797. when an infant. He subsequently settled upon the farm now owned by Joseph H. Plummer, reared five children, and died in 1883.
Leonard Bemis came to Brattleboro, from Weston, Mass., about 1825. He reared a family of five children. Joseph, his brother, came two years later and still resides here. He was born in 1803, married Debora Gleason, and has three children.
Isaiah Richardson, a native of Petersham, Mass., came to this town in 1800, locating on what is now the town farm. He had a family of two sons, Isaiah and Willard, and five girls, Matilda, Margaret, Esther, Mary, and Alvira. He died March 15, 1830. Isaiah, Jr., was eight years old when he came to Brattleboro with his father, and has been a resident of the town most of the time since, though he now resides in Massachusetts. He married Betsey Stearns, of Brattleboro, and reared seven sons and three daughters. Only one of the children, William F., now resides in town.
Dea. Joshua Wilder came to Brattleboro, from Westminster, at an early day, when there was but one house where the village now is. He located upon the farm now occupied by his grandchildren, George A., James R., and Marshall. He reared twelve children, and died March 21, 1828, aged ninety-four years. Solomon, son of Joshua, married Lovina Miller, of Dummerston, settled on the old farm, and reared nine children. He died March 16, 1832. Four of the children are now living, George A., Marshall and James R., on the old homestead, and Deacon Joseph in Brattleboro.
Of the soldiers of 1776 who have lived in Brattleboro, were the following :- Oliver Chapin, Reuben Church, Obadiah Gill, William Harris, James Den-
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nis, Daniel Harris, Isaac Pratt, Oliver Jones, Ichabod King. Daniel Stearns, David Wells, Thomas Akely, Samuel Bennet, Joel Bolster, William Butter- field, John Bemis, Jabez Clark, Benjamin Chamberlain, Benajah Dudley, Warren Esterbrooks, Salathiel ,Harris, Elihue Hotchkiss, Income Jones, Bro- mer Jenks, Joseph Joy, Elias Jones, Israel Jones, Thaddeus Miller, John Kel sey, Hezekiah Salisbury, Levi Shumway, Sylvanus Sartwell, Reuben Stearns, Thomas Simpson, Nathaniel Sampson, Samuel Willington, Lemuel Thomp- son, William King, Cushing King, Royal Tyler, and John Alexander.
During the late civil war the town furnished men as follows: Of officers, forty ; of privates, second Vermont regiment, fifty-five; third, twenty ; fourth, thirty-seven ; fifth, two ; sixth, three; seventh, three; eighth, twenty-three ; ninth, eighteen ; tenth, one ; eleventh, eleven; twelfth, two; sixteenth, forty- three ; seventeenth, two; sharp-shooter», eight; first cavalry, twenty-five; U. S. Colored Vols., three ; twelfth U. S. infantry, two; navy, ten; other State organizations, seven ; and of substitutes, fifty-five, making a total of 370 men.
CHURCHES.
The First Congregational church, located at West Brattleboro .- The first religious worship ever held in the town was probably at Fort Dummer ; where Rev. Ebenezer Hinsdale was chaplain from 1728 to 1742 ; and again in 1748, Andrew Gardner is mentioned as chaplain of a company at the same place. The first religious service ever held in the county, however, was probably the service held by Rev. John Williams, one of the Indian captives from Deerfield, at the mouth of William's river, in Rockingham, in 1704 (see page 27). In 1770, Rev. Abner Reeve, from Hadley, was appointed the first settled minister of the town, and during that year the Congregational church of West Brattleboro was organized. Mr. Reeve was of the order called the N. E. Calvinistic Congregational, a graduate of Yale college, and father of Judge Tapping Reeve, who founded the celebrated law school at Litchfield, Conn., and who was principal of that institution as late as 1816. Mr. Reeve continued his labors with the society until 1794, and died in 1798, as the headstone at his grave, near where stood the old meeting-house in which he officiated, testifies, in the following inscription :-
REV. ABNER REEVE, DIED MAY THE 16TH, 1798, IN THE 91 YEAR OF HIS AGE.
" Farewell, dear friends, We part in pain ; But hope to live And meet again."
About the time Mr. Reeve was sinking under the infirmities of age, Rev. William Wells settled in town. He was a native of Biggleswade, in England, and had been for twenty-three years a dissenting minister at Brownsgrove, in Worcestershire, Eng. He was at once invited to take the spiritual charge of the church and society, and entered upon his work in March, 1794. In
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March, 1814, Mr. Wells gave up his charge, the care of the whole town being too much for his advanced years and infirm health. He was succeeded by Rev. Caleb Burge, who officiated from 1814 to 1819. Rev. Jedediah L. Stark officiated from 1821 to 1839; Rev. Corbin Kidder from 1839 to 1845 ; Rev. Joseph Chandler from 1845 to 1870, the present pastor being Rev. C. H. Merrill. Of the early church, the Rev. Lewis Grout, of West Brattleboro, in an historical discourse delivered December 31, 1876, speaks as follows :-
" Among these points of interest may be reckoned a few facts and traditions respecting the first meeting-house. The house stood about eight rods west of the old cemetery, half a mile northward of the Harris hill, three or four rods north- ward from the present Smith Miller line, or about ten rods westward from the Rev. Abner Reeve's grave. The spot is marked by a small hollow or basin, as if there were a cellar under the building; and on the westerly border of the basin is a good sized boulder, as if this stone might have been, at one time, a part of the foundation. The house was gambrel-roofed, and it is said to have been built by the town; but as to the exact time we have no certain record. "Thompson's Gazetteer " says it was small, and built in 1772. In the historical address given by Charles K. Field, Esq., at the Brattleboro cen- tennial celebration, on the 4th of July last, the orator spoke of it as reputed to have been built of logs, like a block-house, in 1770. In the record of the annual meeting of the town in March, 1771, it is said that John Houghton was chosen surveyor of the road from the Wind-falls to the meeting-house, which is proof that there was such a house at that time ; and the records of the town speak of a meeting of the town as held there in April, 1772. Quite likely there may have been a block-house of logs, used for a time at least, for public worship, until another, which seems to have been a regular framed house, could be built. But whether the really first place of worship, built and used in this town, was made of logs, or not, I think there can hardly be a doubt that what is generally called the first meeting-house was a framed building, and that it was erected as early as the year 1771 or 1772. It will be remembered that when steps were taken for the building of a new house, near the site of the one we now occupy, the town authorized the selling of the old one to Mr. Israel Smith ; and some of the older inhabitants of our day tell us it was taken down and moved about a mile to the northward, to the Hapgood or Kittredge place, this side of the Dunklee homestead, there set up and occupied for some years as a dwelling house, and finally consumed by fire. It is also said that the porch of it was brought down and used for some years by Samuel Elliot, Esq., as a lawyer's office, and that this part of it is still extant in the first or ground story of the house at the east end of this village, just the other side of the covered bridge, and now owned by Mrs. Streeter."
In 1785 a large, convenient church building was erected, which was de- stroyed by fire February 2, 1845. The present building was soon after com- menced. It is a wood structure, capable of seating 350 persons, and is said to have cost $2,750.00, though it is now valued, including grounds, at $7,- 500.00. The society now has 190 members.
The Center Congregational church, located on Main street, East village .- Sometime previous to the resignation of Rev. Mr. Wells, the East village had commenced a rapid, thriving growth. Mr. Wells, whose residence was near by, had been in the habit of officiating two or three times a month at the
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East village, in the old school-house, then standing on the village common. The room proving too small for the meetings, however, a proposition was made that a house of worship should be erected, in which services should be held a part of the time, without dividing the parish ; but this plan did not meet with general favor in the town, so it was determined to form a new society, erect a church building, and invite Mr. Wells to be their minister.
(CENTER CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, BRATTLEBORO, VT.)
Accordingly fourteen members withdrew from the church at West Brattleboro, and July 15, 1816, the new church was organized, with Rev. William Wells as pastor, and John Holbrook as deacon.
Grindall R. Ellis, Esq., deeded to the society the land now known as the village common, on condition that the new edifice be located there. The society acted in conformity with these conditions, and the new edifice was dedicated August 22, 1816. Rev. Samuel Willard, of Deerfield, offering the dedicatory prayer, and Rev. Mr. Samuel Pratt, of Westmoreland, the con- cluding prayer. In 1842, the society finding their church building very much
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out of repair, and situated too far north for the convenience of a large por- tion of the congregation, concluded to remove it to Main street, and enlarge the building. This was accordingly done, the building being removed to the site it now occupies, upon land deeded by the heirs of Francis Goodhue, Esq., for the purpose. By this act they forfeited the right to the lands they had previously occupied. The new building was dedicated January 11, 1843, the dedicatory sermon being preached by Rev. Z. S. Barstow, D. D., of Keene, N. H., and the dedicatory prayer offered by Rev. Amos Foster, of Putney. The building will comfortably seat 600 persons, and is valned, including grounds, at $25 000.00. During the short ministry of Mr. Wells, the society was increased by the addition of seventy-eight members, and it now has 281 members. Mr. Wells officiated as pastor only three years, thus closing his long ministry of sixty years. He died at his home,'in December, 1827, aged eighty-three years. His successors have been Rev. Jonathan Mc Gee, from January 13, 1819, to September 10, 1834 ; Rev. Charles Walker, from Jan- uary 1, 1835, to February 11, 1846 ; Rev. A. H. Clapp, from October 14, 1846, to November 15, 1853 ; Rev. George P. Tyler, from November 16, 1853, to 1866 ; Kev. N. Mighill, from October, 1867, to 1875 ; Rev. George L. Walker, to January 1, 1878; Rev. George E. Martin, July 1, 1878; Rev. S. A. Martin, July 9, 1879, and was dismissed September 6, 1883. The pres- ent pastor is Rev. Samuel H. Lee.
The Brattleboro Unitarian Congregational Society, located on Main street .- After the death of Rev. Mr. Williams, a large number of the members of the Congregational society, then under the charge of Rev. Jonathan McGee, became dissatisfied with him as their pastor on account of certain doctrines which he preached, and because he refused to exchange pulpit services with several clergymen with whom Rev. Mr. Wells had been accustomed to hold ministerial exchange. They finally withdrew from that society and formed a new society, known by the name of the "Brattleboro Unitarian Congregational Society." The organization of this society was effected in 1831, and a house of worship was erected on Main street during that year and finished early the next year. It was dedicated February 22, 1832. Rev. George W. Hosmer, of Northfield, Mass., preaching the sermon. On the same day Rev. Nathaniel Thayer, D. D., of Lancaster, Mass., and other clergymen being present, the following persons, Eben Wells, Mary Wells, Samuel A. Allen, Maria Allen, Lemuel Whitney, Sophia Whitney, S. D. Chapin, Eliza Hyde, and Eunice Metcalf, united themselves into a Christian church, adopting and subscribing the same covenant which had been used under the ministry of Dr. Wells, and which v. as at that time still in use in the Congregational church, under the charge of Mr. McGee. The church was enlarged from time to time by the addition of other members. On the Sun- day succeeding the dedication of the church, Mr. Addison Brown, who had been preaching several months at Troy, N. Y., where he had organized a society, on invitation of the prudential committee of the society, commenced
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supplying the pulpit as a candidate, and after preaching about three months he received an invitation to settle as pastor of the church and accepted the same, his engagement at first being for three years. At the expiration of that time he renewed his engagement to supply the pulpit for five years, and after the expiration of that time his engagement was made annually during the remainder of his pastorate, which terminated near the close of 1845, he hav- ing preached for the society for nearly fourteen years in succession, with the
(UNITARIAN CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, BRATTLEBORO, VI.)
exception of a few months' interruption on account of sickness. Since the close of his ministry to the society they have been supplied by a great num- ber and variety of preachers, some for a brief period, others for a longer time. Those who have supplied the pulpit for the longest periods are Rev. G. G. Ingersoll, D. D., now deceased, who preached for the society at several times ; Rev. Farrington McIntire, who was ordained as pastor of the society, April 7, 1847, and closed his ministry at the end of that year ; Rev. John L. Russell, who continued with the society several months ; Rev. Mellish I. Motte, Rev. Solon W. Bush, and Rev. Francis C. Williams, each of whose ministry was three years or more ; Rev. F. Frothingham, who was the society's pastor for
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over two years, and Rev. H. N. Richardson, who supplied the desk for a little more than half a year. The present pastor is Rev. S. M. Crothers. The stone church erected by this society in 1874-'75, surpasses in durability and as a fine specimen of church architecture, anything of the kind in this place. It will comfortably seat 350 persons, and is valued, including grounds, at $50,000.00, its original cost being $40,000.00.
St. Michael's Episcopal church, located on Main street .- Regular Episco- pal services began to be held in Brattleboro, at "Dickinson's Hall," in 1836, when a society was formed, under the name of St. Peter's, with some hopes of permanency, Rev. Charles Devens, a talented, promising young man acting as rector. Hon. John Phelps and family, prominent actors in commencing this enterprise, moved to Maryland soon after its organization, thus withdraw- ing an influence that the infant society could ill afford to lose. After about two years services were held only occasionally, and then usually conducted at some place hired for the purpose, by the rector, three miles distant, at East Guilford. In 1852 accessions to the population of believers in this faith began to increase. In 1853 the society was re-organized, under its present name, services being at first conducted by Rev. G. C. Eastman, in a lower room of the town hall. Rev. Mr. Eastman resigned his charge April 15, 1854. Rev. William Southgate officiated from 1857 to April, 1860. Rev. A. P. Morris was invited to accept the rectorship October 10, 1860. Rev. Edmund Rowland occupied the desk in the summer previous to the advent of Mr. Morris. Rev. A. P. Morris was from Hamilton, C. W., and was rec- tor of this church during most of the time of the late war of the rebellion. October 14, 1864, Rev. G. W. Porter was invited to become rector of the parish. He accepted, and resigned after about two years' service. Rev. Francis W. Smith accepted an invitation to fill the vacancy, April 3, 1867, and resigned December 30, 1868. March 19, 1869, Rev. Mr. Harris ac- cepted an invitation of the parish to become its rector, and since November, 1874, Rev. William H. Collins has held the position. The church building, a frame and brick structure, was built in 1854, since which time, however, it has received many repairs and much improvement, so that it is now valued, including grounds, etc., at $8.000.00, and will seat 250 persons. In 1867 the society purchased a rectory, situated on Greene street, at an expense of $2,500.00. In 1871 they sold this rectory and purchased a lot on Tyler street, upon which, during the same year, a new rectory was built, costing about $6,000.00. The society now has 122 communicants.
The Methodist Episcopal church, located at Brattleboro .- Regular Metho- dist services date from the advent of Cyrus Davis, who came to this village about 1833, to superintend the printing department of the publishing house of Messrs. Holbrook & Co. When we were first made aware of Methodist preaching in the East village was in 1834, and Mr. Davis, a firm advocate and class leader of the order, was quite prominent in commencing and sus- taining these services, which were first held in a small district school-house on
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Canal street. Between 1835 and '37 the society erected their first house of worship. This building was placed near the school house they at first occu- pied on Canal street. Rev. William Brewster was the pastor of this church in 1837, and by his excellent character, eloquence and energy, considerable advance was made in building up the society. His worthy successor, Elder Harding, was also a talented and effective preacher; but the organization was not fortunate in members who were able or willing to clear off the mort- gage upon their church, and the advent of the Baptist church, born under its roof in 1840, seemed to exhaust the little vitality remaining in the society. The meeting-house passed out of their possession into the hands of " Miller- ites," so-called, in 1842. The Universalist society next obtained possession of this house and occupied it for their denominational purposes until their present house of worship was built, in 1850 and '51. The old house was then sold to Mr. W. Alexander, who inade such alterations as fitted it for a private residence.
The Methodist society was, for a time, a thing of the past; but within seven years after their trials with the Millerites, etc., it was made evident that some of the "old leaven, hid in three measures of meal," yet remained. The society began to improve in both numbers and interest, so that it now has 250 members, with Rev. A. B. Truax, pastor. Their neat brick church. erected in 1880, will comfortably seat 400 persons, and is valued, including grounds, at $18,000.00.
The First Baptist church, located on Main street .- Some of the earliest settlers were Baptists, and there was Baptist preaching in the town at a very early date. In 1770 an aged Baptist minister by the name of Whipple re- moved here from Groton, Conn., where he had been connected with the ancient Baptist church of that town, which was formed in 1705. He resided "over West river," and occasionally held meetings in his own house, though he more frequently preached in Guilford and Halifax. The meetings in his house were probably the first Baptist meetings held in town, and were among the earliest religious meetings held in this vicinity. Rev. Mr. Reeve, of the Congregational church, preached only a part of the time here, during the first three years of his ministry, alternating between Brattleboro and Guilford So Rev. Mr. Whipple divided his ministerial labors between Brattleboro, Guilford and Halifax. It is supposed that he died here, and that his grave is in the burying-ground near the school-house, in the West river district.
In April, 1772, Dea. Jonathan Pierce removed to Brattleboro from Nor- wich, Conn., he and his wife having been members of the church in connec- tion with Rev. Mr. Whipple. His daughter, Esther, was probably the first person ever baptized in the town. The ordinance was administered by Rev. Ebenezer Bailey, of Westmoreland, N. H., who was pastor of a large and respectable Baptist church there from 1773 to 1803. This first baptism was in the Connecticut river, near the village, which then consisted of only two or three houses. Subsequently, Rev. Mr. Bailey baptized several others in the
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West river neighborhood, while he and Rev. Beriah Willis, and Rev. Richard Williams, of Guilford, occasionally preached. There was also Baptist preach- ing from time to time at the house of Dea. Pierce, a few rods south of the cemetery, where he lived and died. His grave is a little further south, where some solitary gravestones may still be seen in the open field. Some of his descendants were among the first to unite in form- ing this church, holding fast to the faith of their venerable ancestor.
Previous to 1833 nothing was done towards the organization of the scattered Baptists in town, a considerable number of whom re- sided in this village and vicinity. In that year Rev. Joseph M. Graves, then agent of the Ver- mont Baptist convention, spent some time in visiting them, and gathered them into a company for maintaining religious meetings. Twelve persons gave their names and entered into engagements for this purpose, and a few others were subsequently added to the (FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, BRATTLEBORO, VT.) number thus pledged. They were supplied by Mr. Graves and neighboring ministers, who preached in the school-house on the common.
In March, 1840, Rev. Emerson Andrews, an evangelist, engaged the Methodist chapel and commenced a series of meetings, which resulted, April 2, 1840, in the organization of the present church. The opening prayer was offered by Rev. D. M. Crane, of North Springfield, the records being made by Jacob Estey, as clerk. Twenty-one names were subscribed to the agree- ment, and on the two following days, April 3d and 4th, at regular meetings, twelve persons were received for baptism, after due examination, and on the day following ten were baptized. On April 24th Rev. Joseph Freeman was chosen pastor. The first church building was erected on Eliot street, and completed in the autumn and winter of 1840-'41, and was dedicated the fol- lowing spring. The present handsome brick structure, located on Main street, was built in 1867. It will seat 600 persons, and is valued, including grounds, at $50,000.00. The society now has 525, members, with Rev. F. E. Tower, pastor.
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