USA > Vermont > Windham County > Rockingham > History of the town of Rockingham, Vermont, including the villages of Bellows Falls, Saxtons River, Rockingham, Cambridgeport and Bartonsville, 1907-1957 with family genealogies > Part 28
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In 1908 there were 80 Polish families in Bellows Falls and several hundred single persons to the total number of 504. Under the leadership of Severine Wierzbicki, contributions were made with the end in view of a Polish Church and Parish. They were aided by Rev. Valentine Michulka, pastor of St. Stanislaus Church in West Rutland and His Excellency John S. Michaud of Burlington who appointed them a priest, Rev. Francis Wawer, then completing his Seminary work in Rome, Italy. He came to Bellows Falls as Reverend pastor of the new parish after being ordained a priest on September 8, 1908 in Rome where his first mass was offered. He arrived in the United States in December, 1908 and after six months spent with Rev. Michulka in West Rutland, came to Bellows Falls on July 1, 1909 to organize the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Before the Polish people were able to own their own parish, they had worshipped in St. Charles Church, a Catholic Parish, through the generosity of that parish. Father Wawer, through the same kindness, resided with Rev. Francis Reynolds for some time and was aided and benefited by his advice and counsel. The first services in their own rooms were held in rented space in the Square where the Boy Scout headquarters are today and where a temporary chapel was arranged. The first mass for the Polish people was offered here on July 25, 1909.
In November of that year, a tract of land for a church and rectory was purchased from Edward L. Walger on Green St. and while much of this land was hilly and unsuitable for the erection of two buildings, no other spot was available and much of the sandy terrain still remains. But in 1910 the Church was started and finished on June 25, 1911 when it was consecrated
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by His Excellency, the Right Reverend Bishop Joseph J. Rice, Bishop of Burlington. The rectory was built three years later. The parish cemetery on the Westminster Road, was ob- tained, blessed and opened for use on April 25, 1926. In 1939. a house to be used as a convent was purchased on Green St. where four Felician Sisters, O.S.F., went into residence at the request of Father Wawer, to give catechetical instruction, and teach the Polish children the language of their homeland after regular school hours. On September 27, 1945, Rev. Wawer having become so enfeebled that his duties were onerous, the Right Reverend Bishop Edward F. Ryan, D.D., appointed Rev. Paul Orzech as assistant in the parish. He was followed by Rev. Benjamin D. Wysolmerski, the present administrator who was ordained June 3, 1950.
Today the Sacred Heart Parish numbers about 104 families with 454 souls and the parish buildings are valued at $50,000. This branch of our town has made a secure and dignified place for itself in the community. In October, 1956 a shrine to the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady of the Valley, was erected on the grounds of the church, made possible through donations and the labor of many parish members and friends. It took two months to build with a base and arch of imported colored marble, the cross and crucifix of colored marble and flagstone. A replica of the Sacred Host in white marble tops the arch and the figure of Our Lady is of white Carrara marble. The rosary around the entire shrine is of Vermont marble with a rose painted on each bead, this work being done by Ernest J. Bashaw and his brother Paul. Shrubbery was set out and the area landscaped, several trees being removed in the process. Plans are being made for a grotto on the hillside behind the shrine and the re- moval of the rectory garage which will be replaced by two blue spruce trees. Electric chimes were installed, paid for by con- tributions of parishioners and will be played in the morning, noon, six o'clock, nine o'clock and other solemn occasions. A change was made in the lighting system and plans are for further redecoration of the church. The shrine and the Cecilian Bells were blessed on Saturday, October 20, 1956 with over 700 people present in ceremonies beginning at 7:30 p. m. with a processional from the rectory to the shrine and conducted by the Most Rev- erend Edward F. Ryan of Burlington. The new hand cut glass chandeliers were imported from Czechoslovakia and were installed down the center of the Church.
IMMANUEL EPISCOPAL CHURCH
In 1898 Immanuel Episcopal Church celebrated the 100th anniversary of its parish. The original church building, the first church erected in Bellows Falls, maintained one of the first libraries in town which was started by Rev. Carlton Chase
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in 1827 and later housed in the lecture room over the old horse sheds. and open on Saturday afternoons for the use of the parish. This was thirty years before the first library was opened in Bellows Falls. The present church building, opened in 1867 and which took five years to build, was, during its construction, of daily interest to the townspeople who had never before be- held an edifice of such beauty. Designed by Richard Upjohn who designed Trinity Church in New York City, it was con- structed of rock-faced New Hampshire granite with irregular rubble work: Mr. Upjohn was an exponent of Gothic archi- tecture and responsible for bringing about a great change in ecclesiastical architecture in the United States. On All Saints' Day, November 1, 1876, the Church was consecrated by Rt. Rev. William Bissell, Bishop of Vermont.
During the rectorship of Rev. Charles T. Ogden in the 1870's, a parish school for boys and girls was maintained at the rectory. One of the pupils was Sylvia Green, later Mrs. Matthew Astor Wilks, who always helped meterially with the upkeep of the church, due to her long friendship with Rev. John C. Currier and who left, at her death in 1951, among many bequests, the sum of $600,00 to Immanuel Church. During the early part of the century, after school classes were held for all girls of the community, where patient women taught perspiring youngsters their stitches in red thread on squares of unbleached muslin.
Rev. Warren H. Roberts became rector in 1881 and in 1883 the interior of the church was re-decorated and a new Johnson pipe organ installed with 24 stops. The first chancel committee was also organized with Mrs. James H. Williams the first president and Miss S. Louise Flint as treasurer. It is known today as the Altar Guild and has full charge of car- ing for the appointments of the chancel. Rev. David Sanford served the church for 18 years, becoming rector in 1889 and was followed by Rev. Alfred C. Wilson. Rev. Roy W. Magoun came to the Church in 1918 and Rev. John Currier in 1920 and held .one of the longest terms of office in the history of the Church, retiring in 1944 to live in Putney, Vt. as rector emeritus, beloved of this people. During his residence a hardwood floor was laid in the Church, a stone floor in the Chancel and the in- terior of the Church re-decorated and other improvements made. Father John, as he was called, died suddenly January 1, 1957, in Atlantic City, N. J. and burial was in the churchyard beside his church. Rev. Edward T. H. Williams replaced Father Currier. He was replaced by Rev. George Huntington and on July 31 and August 1, 1948, the 150th anniversary of the parish was observed with appropriate exercises and program. In March of 1949 Rev. Robert S. Kerr came to the church and has accomplished much in its work. A guild hall was opened in the unused basement space and the kitchen modernized. In
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the spring of 1950 the old Johnson organ was replaced with an Estey organ, utilizing many pipes of the old organ which did such faithful work for so many years. It was dedicated on June 4 of that year, on Trinity Sunday, by the Rt. Rev. Vedder Van Dyck, Bishop of Vermont.
Laid out beside the church, the churchyard is reminiscent of country burying grounds in England to which many of its people traced their origins. Here lie buried the early members of the church and among the names on the stones are Atkinson, Green, Henry, Morgan, Webb, Williams and Wells, all impor- tant names in the birth of the town and village, two hundred years ago and after many of whom several present day streets are named. For many years, Richard F. Barker, a lineal de- scendant of John Atkinson, was custodian of the churchyard.
In 1954 the 83-foot tower was rebuilt when it was found to be structurally weak and stones falling from it revealed that the upper reaches of the west facade had cracked, evidently when struck by lightening seven years before. Water had disintegrated the lime mortar down to the 15-foot level. In 1916, at the time of the 100th anniversary of the original wooden church building, the Paul Revere bell in the tower was rung for five minutes at noon on Sunday. For many years the old bell rung at noon and curfew besides on Sunday. It was once also a fire alarm and at the funeral of members always tolled their age solemnly. In 1919 it was said to be "one of the few Revere bells in use today in this part of the country."
In 1955 the Fleming property, directly behind the church and cemetery and occupied for many years by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Barker until the death of Mr. Barker, was purchased by the church. The story of this church is told in detail by Miss Blanche Adaline Webb in her excellent book, A HISTORY OF IMMANUEL CHURCH OF BELLOWS FALLS, published in 1953. The present rector is Rev. Robert S. Kerr; senior warden, Donald Hubbard; junior warden, Charles Park; clerk of the vestry, Harold Wyman; treasurer, Miss M. Almeda Hanley.
THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST MOVEMENT IN BELLOWS FALLS
About 1894 a camp meeting of the Vermont State Seventh Day Adventists was held on the Barber Farm near Saxtons River, later to become Barber Park. The next year a group of 15 people met at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Willard Moultrop each Saturday on the Barber Farm for religious services al- though there was no organized church. Elder Daniel Wilcox officiated who was later assisted by Franklin Elliott. In 1912 a Book and Bible Tract Society operated in town. . The Bellows Falls Seventh Day Adventist Church was officially organized at the Community Hall in North Westminster on August 26,
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1933. Elder Vivian C. Townsend was the District Pastor and Franklin Elliott the first local Elder.
Since September 26, 1949, the church group has held their meetings each Saturday morning in the Woman's Club rooms. Previously they had met in the homes of the various members. Prayer meetings are held every two weeks alternately with the Dorcas Welfare Society which was organized in 1948. The present church membership is 24 with 40 members of the Sab- bath School. Each year the church, together with other Seventh Day Adventist Churches, holds a service in observance of the founding of the first Church in Washington, N. H. in 1844. However, the name of Seventh Day Adventist was not adopted for the denomination until October 1, 1860. The District pastor at present is L. J. Norris and the local Elder, W. L. Stacy. The following are charter members of the organization :
Mrs. Susan Barrett
Kenneth Moore
Mrs. Jessie Chickering
Gladys Moore
Mrs. Nellie Clogston
Everette Parry
Franklin Elliott
Mrs. Ruby Parry
Leonard Hutchins
Irving Reed
Mrs. Lizzie Elliott
Russell Parry
Mrs. Hattie Hutchins
Mrs. Marjorie Reed
Mrs. Mary Keyes
Mrs. Pauline Stacy
Mrs. Myrtle Lowell
Luella Sturtevant
Mrs. Agnes Matthews
Joseph Taylor
George Matthews
Mrs. V. C. Townsend
Mrs. Mae Matthews
Mrs. Eliza Wing
Frank Moore
Mrs. Lida Moore
FULL GOSPEL REVIVAL CENTER
A new church group first called The Assembly of God Tab- ernacle, recently organized, meets each Sunday morning in the Woman's Club rooms with the pastor, Charles C. Trombley of North Westminster. The new church building now being erected in North Westminster is expected to be occupied soon. Prayer meetings are held at the pastor's home and the Woman's Missionary Council. Street meetings are held in Bellows Falls to reach a public not affiliated with any church group. This group, like the Adventists, accomplishes much good among the needy.
ST. CHARLES CHURCH
Probably the priest at St. Charles who remained with his parish the longest was Father Edward Reynolds who was with the Bellows Falls Church from 1882 to 1913, a record not likely to be equalled. In the summer of 1910 Rev. Jeremiah O'Brien, recently ordained after his course in theology at Laval Univer- sity, at Quebec, Canada, came to St. Charles to assist Father
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Reynolds. He remained as curate until his appointment in November, 1914 to the pastorate of St. John's in Castleton, Vermont. During the regime of Father Reynolds the present cemetery on the Westminster Road was purchased and the erection of the Church and Convent started; in fact, all church property is the work of his administration. A well-loved figure for over 30 years, he was replaced by Father Shannon under whose hand the convent was completed and the thirty-year-old church renovated with gas lights replaced by electricity and a new furnace installed. In 1909 a new pipe organ had been installed at a cost of $4,500. One of the first organists was Miss Minnie O'Brien who was followed by Miss Azilda Dionne in December of 1909, a position which she held until she resigned in 1953. Her father, Joseph Dionne, also held a long and faith- ful record as choir director, taking up the work here in 1903, the year after he arrived in town and replacing Dr. Frank H. O'Connor. Mr. Dionne resigned in 1953 because of a heart attack and died in 1956 after 50 years of service. The present choir director is Thomas Reynolds and the organist John Keefe who is also fire chief of the village.
The Catholic rectory in Bellows Falls is today one of the finest in the diocese and St. Charles School, once the Old High School of Bellows Falls, modernized and renovated, opened in 1913 with 260 pupils. Its first Mother Superior was Sister Mary Catharine of the Mother-House in Rutland who came here with seven other sisters of St. Joseph. Father Shannon was with the church for 12 years when he left for the St. Francis de Sales Parish in Bennington. He was succeeded by Father John J. Cullion of St. Bridget's Parish in West Rutland, but after five months he resigned and returned to his Rutland Parish as the local duties proved beyond his strength. Father Thomas J. Henry of the same West Rutland Church replaced him from 1926 to 1936 when he was made permanent rector of the Ben- nington Church on the death of Father Shannon who had been raised to the dignity of Prelate. Father Henry was succeeded by Rev. Bernard McMahon during whose tenure of office the church and convent were entirely re-decorated and renovated and the sacristy enlarged. This work included a new organ in 1937 with more than 900 pipes.
The land behind the church was leveled at this time and paved as a playground for church children and a parking place for cars on Sunday. Later the sum of $1,177.76 was raised, mostly by solicitation, to enable the church to make an attractive playground area. At this time no other Bellows Falls School had playground equipment, but the idea spread rapidly. Ten pieces of equipment were installed including picnic tables, sand box and drinking fountain with all labor volunteered by local men. This playground is also open to the public and is much used by all children living in the north and east sections of the
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village. Father McMahon died suddenly in 1945 and the Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Burke replaced him who was made Dean with the title of Very Reverend and again in 1948 was honored by being made Domestic Prelate with the title of Rt. Rev. Monsignor by His Holiness Pope Pius XII. His assistants were Rev. C. L. McHugh, afterward pastor at Bristol, Vt., Rev. John Hackett now pastor at Forestdale, Vt. and Rev. Joseph T. Nugent, curate at the present time. In May, 1953, Monsignor Burke went to Bennington and was replaced by Father Patrick A. Barry, a Bellows Falls boy. On October 26, 1953, the Bishop of Burling- ton named Father Barry to be Dean of Windham and Windsor Counties. Among societies not otherwise mentioned in connec- tion with the church is the Holy Rosary Society instituted December 8, 1914 and the Senior and Junior Holy Name So- ciety in May, 1919. Following is a list of the priests and sisters who were natives of this parish:
Rt. Rev. E. F. Cray, St. Monica's church, Barre, (deceased) Rev. Patrick A. Barry, now in Bellows Falls
Rev. Edward J. Howard, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Johns- bury (deceased)
Rev. Lawrence R. Cain, St. Dominic's Church, Proctor (deceased)
Rev. Brendan Lawlor, O.C.D., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Rev. William J. McAuliffe, C.S.C., Notre Dame, Indiana
Rev. John Reynolds, O.C.S.C.O. (Trappist), Huntsville, Utah
Rev. Barry Fontaine, Chancellor, Burlington
Sister Mary Jerome, S.S.J. (Anna Barry)
Sister Ellen Theresa, S.S.J. (Ellen Barry)
Sister M. Concepta, S.S.J. (Mary Hayes), Hartford, Conn. (deceased)
Sister Anne Patrice, S.S.J. (Josephine Kelley), Brooklyn, New York
Mother M. Josephine, S.S.J. (Anna Howard)
Sister M. Marcella, S.S.J. (Agnes Sullivan) (deceased)
Sister Marie Joseph, S.S.J. (Mary Cain) (deceased)
Sister M. Justin, R.S.M., Burlington
JEWISH PEOPLE
About ten years ago there were sufficient Jewish families in town to hold religious meetings each Friday night. Social meetings were also held in the same rooms which were on the top floor above the Trust Company. There was a resident rabbi and Max Rosenstein was president of the group. The packing plant in North Walpole was then active where the rabbi could kill the kosher meat. After a few years the number of families diminished until it was no longer feasible to rent the rooms for meetings. There has never been a synagogue in
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Bellows Falls, members of this faith going to Claremont, N. H., Greenfield, Mass. or other places.
THE FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF BELLOWS FALLS
This church with the exception of the Immanuel Episcopal, was the oldest organized church in Bellows Falls and while today it is occupied by the Fall Mountain Grange to which it was sold in 1941, it is often referred to by old-timers still as "the Methodist Church." In the tower the old bell still rings as part of the fire alarm system. The church ceased to function as a church in May, 1934, caused, to a large extent, by the industrial depression in the country which sent many members out of town in search of work. It soon became too difficult, financially, to carry on any longer. In 1911 there were 156 members and in 1924 there were 226 but of these, 60 were non- resident.
The first parsonage was built on Atkinson St., in 1850 and later moved to Underhill Ave. The second one was built on At- kinson St., nearly half the cost being borne by Franklin P. Ball. This was sold in November, 1934 to Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred Leach who still occupy it. A new pipe organ was installed in 1909 which was sold when the church was turned over to the Grange. The church building was remodeled three times, in 1800 under Rev. L. L. Beeman; in 1900 under Rev. F. W. Lewis and again in 1910-1912 while Rev. W. R. Davenport, later district superintendent, was stationed here. The Vermont Conference met in Bellows Falls several times among them dur- ing the presidency of Bishop Charles W. Mead of the Denver District. Pastors serving the church from 1901 are: L. O. Sherburne, 1902-1906; V. F. Hendee, 1908-1909; W. R. Daven- port, 1910-1912; George W. Burke, 1913-1915; S. H. Smith, 1916-1919; F. A. Woodworth, 1920; E. H. Martin, 1921-1923; E. Peverley, 1924-1926; G. C. Westcott, 1926-1928; J. R. Dins- more, 1928-1934. Among the members prominant in com- mittee work in 1924 were C. M. Sweet, H. J. Searles, R. E. Pillsbury, W. A. MacDonald, W. H. Bodine, C. N. Shaw, E. L. Baker, Mrs. A. B. Coolidge, Mrs. C. F. Barnard, Mrs. W. H. Bodine, Mrs. C. W. Ladd, Mrs. W. J. Revett, Mrs. H. Wyman, J. P. Wakefield, D. B. Martin, Maurice Woodworth, Thoburn DeForge, Reginald Clarey, Dr. C. F. Meacham, Mrs. R. S. Sheldon, Mrs. R. E. Pillsbury.
THE UNIVERSALIST CHURCH OF BELLOWS FALLS
.A sketch by Dr. R. F. Johonnot, pastor of this church for 10 years, in the year book of 1908, gives a number of interesting details. It tells how the first Ladies' Aid was organized on March 10, 1879 and the Young People's Christian Union in 1890. : The first pipe organ was installed in 1883 and did sturdy
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duty for almost 40 years until 1921 when it was discovered to be in such poor condition that no one was allowed to use it but the regular organist, Mrs. Nettie Wheeler Lovell. It was sold that same year and a new one purchased in 1922 from the Austin Organ Co. in Hartford, Conn. at a cost of $10,000. It was first used on July 1 of that year and formally dedicated at a service on October 3, 1923 in which all the Protestant Churches participated. Mrs. Nettie Lovell was organist as she had been for many years, having played in this church at the age of ten years. Her father, George B. Wheeler was director of the choir for 24 years. At least once, in 1901, the choir was reinforced by the addition of Exner's Orchestra.
During the pastorship of Rev. Fenwick Leavitt, each year saw elaborate preparations for Easter Services and in 1907 the music was especially beautiful with a choir of 20 mixed voices and a boys' choir of 20 voices assisted by Mrs. Cora Shedd Hagar, soprano soloist and Walton G. Farr, violinist. This Church was always famous for its music, including the many musicals put on in the Opera House, utilizing local talent and directed by Mrs. Lovell and her father, Mr. Wheeler. Mrs. Lovell directed many choral groups in southern Vermont. During Mr. Leavitt's stay, 16 beautiful memorial windows were placed in the Church, from 1904-1908, the most magnificent being the chancel window of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, given by Mrs. Mary E. Coy in 1905, which is still the focal point of this lovely church. The first Fellowship supper was held on March 28, 1901 with more people than tables and in 1902 it was voted to use the cup as well as the bread at the Communion Service. J. A. Eaton was designated to ascertain the cost of and method for raising money for individual cups. In 1905 the idea of a parish house for young people and built with their aid, was strongly considered but this never developed. How- ever, the ladies of A. E. Tuttle's Sunday School class presented an "elegant" clock to the church and the hymnal board came into use that year. Many people were helped financially in time of need and at least once, twenty-one dollars a week was paid for a nurse. In 1906 there were 59 new members taken into the Church and in 1909 there was a count of 150 members.
Rev. Clarence Eaton was pastor in 1910 and his salary was $1,300. At this time it was decided to do away with the choir and instead, a Mr. Jackson and Miss Hart were hired for a dollar a week. Choirs of small churches seldom receive any remuneration and inflation struck when two more singers, evi- dently top-notch, were engaged at 3 dollars per Sunday. The Church was closed for the first time in 1913 while it was painted at a cost of $300 and for the first time the novel idea of sending church news to the local paper was started. The vestry of this church became a source of income when it was rented to the Woman's Club for their regular meetings in 1913 at 3 dollars
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a month. The rooms were also used again after the fire in the Town Hall building in 1927. During the era of the popular Chautauqua each summer, chairs from the vestry were provided, free of charge for the big tent. The summer of 1919 saw the first union meetings of all local Protestant Churches, which have become an annual feature with different pastors preaching while others are on vacation. In 1918 the pastor's salary was upped to $1,400 and it cost $165.42 to heat the church with wood and coal. Willis A. Brown acted as moderator and president of the trustees of the church longer than any other person, holding that position for 38 years.
On Sunday, November 24, 1918, was held the 40th anni- versary of the first regular meetings of the Universalist Society which resulted in the church. A. E. Tuttle was chairman of the committee for this occasion and the speaker engaged was Rev. S. H. McCollister, the first settled pastor who came to the church in 1879 and who was, at this time, almost 92 years old but a hale and hearty speaker. He died May 21, 1921. The anniversary of this celebration, October 27, was postponed because of the influenza epidemic rampant in town.
In the autumn of 1922 a parsonage was purchased at 6 Chase Park. During the pastorate of Dr. Leavitt, he formed a Sunday School class of girls which still hold an annual get- together. In 1954 they celebrated their 50th year and included besides three members in California, Mrs. Josephine Osgood, Mrs. Ethel McClarence and Mrs. Florence Simonds of Saxtons River, Miss Beatrice Porter of Landon, N. H., Mrs. Constance Barry, Mrs. Ethel Pierce, Mrs. Edna Taylor, Miss Lula Whit- comb and Mrs. Edyth Sanborn of Bellows Falls. But the star class was always the boys' class of Charles Underhill. The list of pastors since 1904 are Rev. Fenwick Leavitt, September 1904-June 1910 (who died here and whose son Fenwick was also a Universalist minister in Barre, Vt. recently); Rev. C. L. Eaton, October 1910-October 1913; Rev. V. A. Blagbrough, March 1914-September 1917; Rev. Rodney Johonnot, D.D., 1917-1927; Rev. Lester L. Lewis, 1927-1928; Rev. Herbert Livingstone, 1928.
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