The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier., Part 69

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Montpelier, Vt. : Vermont Watchman and State Journal Press
Number of Pages: 1064

USA > Vermont > Washington County > Montpelier > The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier. > Part 69

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CHURCH OF ST. AUGUSTINE, MONTPELIER, VT.

CATHOLIC HISTORY OF MONTPELIER. Continued from page 289.

Rev. Jeremiah O'Callaghan, a priest of the Diocese of Cork, Ireland, was sent by Bishop Fenwick, of Boston, to Burlington in the month of July, 1830. From this time till 1851, he must have occasionally visited the Catholics of Montpelier, but no records exist of his laboring amongst them. Father O'Callaghan died at Holyoke, Mass., in the year 1861. About the year 1850, Rev. H. Drolet, a Canadian priest, was sent to reside at Montpelier. He lived here till the fall of 1854, when he re- turned to Canada, where he died. He it was who bought the old Court House, which was used as a church until the erec- tion of the present edifice by Father Druon. After the departure of Father Drolet, the Montpelier Catholic congregation was at- tended by the Oblate Fathers from Bur- lington until November, 1856, when Very Rev. Z. Druon became pastor af the Cath- olic congregation, and officiated here as such until July 15, 1864, when he was re- placed by Rev. Joseph Duglue.

+ LOUIS, Bp. of Burlington.

ST. AUGUSTINE'S.

Rev. Z. Druon, while in charge of this parish, built in 1859 the present church, dedicated to St. Augustine, and purchased a church burying-ground. Father Duglue made some improvement on the church and house for the priest, and built a good school building on a lot adjoining the church, which commands a fine view of the village and State House grounds. This institution was given in charge to ladies from St. Joseph's, Barlington, who have a large and flourishing school here.

REV. Z. DRUON, V. G.

O'CALLAGHAN, Rev. JEREMIAH. A Crit- ical Review of Mr. J. K. Converse's Calvinistic Sermon ; also, of the Errone- ous proposition of Two Innovators, by the Rev. Jeremiah O'Callaghan, R. C. Priest, Burlington, Vt. Burlington : Printed for the Author, 1834. 16 mo. p. 58.

-Usury, Funds and Banks ; also, fore- stalling Traffic and Monopoly ; likewise Pew Rent and Grave Tax ; together with Burking and Dissecting ; as well as the Gallican Liberties, are all repugnant to the Divine and Ecclesiastical Laws and Destructive to Civil Society. To which is prefixed a Narrative of the Author's Controversy with Bishop Coppinger,

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and of hls sufferings for justice's sake, by the Rev. Jeremiah O'Callaghan, Roman Catholic Priest. Burlington : Printed for the Author, 1834. 8 vo. p. 380.

-The Creation and Offspring of the Prot- estant Church; also the Vagaries and Heresies of John Henry Hopkins, Prot- estant Bishop ; and of other False Teach- ers. To which is added a Treatise on the Holy Scriptures, Priesthood and Matrimony. By Jeremiah O'Callaghan, Roman Catholic Priest. Burlington : Printed for the Author, 1837. 12 mo. P. 328.

-Exposure of the Vermont Banking, by the Rev. Jeremiah O'Callaghan, Roman Catholic Priest. Burlington : Free Press Print. 8 vo. p. 32.

-Atheism of Brownson's Review-Unity and Trinity of God-Divinity and Hu- manity of Christ Jesus-Banks and Paper Money. Burlington, Vt., 1852. R. C. 8 vo. pp. 306, (2.)

-The Hedge round about the Vineyard, Dressed up. 1844. 12 mo. p. 360.

Father O'Callaghan labored at Burling- ton with much success from 1830 to 1852. -Gilman's Bibliography of Vt.

The books of Father O'Callaghan, that we have examined, have considerable pith. The attack on Brownson's Review was during his transformation, before he had come up to the Catholic standard. His biography (Brownson's) belongs to our next volume, or Windsor Co.

Between the visits of Reverend Father O'Callaghan and Father Drolet, was the missionary labors of Rev. John Daly for a time, his field reaching from Canada to Brattleboro. We have not learned more of him.

REV. H. DROLET,

the first resident priestat Montpelier, must have come here to reside, we think, as early as 1850, as we learn by a letter of Gen. Clarke, Secretary to the Senate, who was here at the time, that the old Court House that Father Drolet purchased, as the Bishop states, was used as a church in the fall of 1850, and we find Father Drolet, or the General for him-the General took charge of the matter-succeeding in " bor- rowing ground " of the Legislature for the society to build a vestry on in the rear of the old Court House, then used as a

church, (or to the left hand,) the site, we understand, of the present church.

From a letter of Gen. D. W. C. Clarke to his wife, Nov. 3, 1850 :

I attended mass at Montpelier, Friday morning, (All Saints,) stealing quietly away from my seat in the Senate Chamber for that purpose. The poor Catholics looked upon me with surprise as I knelt among them, and declined the offer of a " better place." I rather like, you know, to kneel right among the most humble, and God knows I belong there. Mass was cel- ebrated in the new church the Catholics are finishing off, (it was formerly the Court House,) within a dozen rods of the State House. The interior is wholly unfinished,

but it did seem to me, like

worshipping God " in His holy temple."

Acts of 1850, No. 87-Resolution grant- ing license to a religious society to occupy a piece of the land of the State near the State House :

Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives, That the Sergeant-at- Arms is authorized to permit the Religious Society who are fitting up and repairing the old Court House, on the east side of the public grounds, for the purpose of re- ligious worship, to occupy so much land belonging to the State as may be necessary for the erection of a vestry room in the rear of said building ; provided, however, this resolution may be revoked at any time, by joint resolution of the two houses of the Legislature.

The above resolution was adopted Nov. 13, 1850.

The General, and his friends in the Senate and in the House, having got the loan of the land, it eventuated soon after in the purchase of it.

Father Drolet was born in the city of Quebec, Canada, and died in the Parish of St. Jude, Diocese of St. Hyacinth, be- tween the years 1861 and 1863.

Rev. Father B. Maloney and Father Coopman, Oblates, attended Montpelier from Jan. 1856 to Nov. 1856.

REV. ZEPHYRINUS DRUON, V. G., was born Mar. 14, 1830, at Vendin le Vieil Pas de Calais, and ordained priest, July 3, 1853, at Beauvais, France. He studied for the priesthood in the Grand Seminary of Arras ; came to this country in August, 1850, with Bishop Rappe; continued his theological studies in Cleveland, O., and

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finished them at Paris in the Seminary of St. Sulpice ; went back to Cleveland ; was curate at the cathedral there 4 months ; came to Vermont, January, 1854; was the residing priest of Bennington, I year ; of East Rutland, 2 years ; of Montpelier, 8 or 9 years ; finally of St. Albans, 16 years to the present. He was very much honored and esteemed in Montpelier. He has been called, and undoubtedly is, the most schol- arly, piquant and solid preacher and writer of the Catholic clergy in the State. He received his appointment as Vicar General in 1864, or at the end of the year 1863.

REV. JOSEPH DUGLUE

was born Sept. 3, 1834, at Carentoir, Morbihan, France. He studied for the priesthood in the Grand Seminary of Vannes, came to this country in September, 1855, with Bishop de Goesbriand, and continued his theological studies in the Grand Seminary at St. Sulpice, at Balti- more, Maryland, and was ordained priest at Burlington, Feb. 4, 1857. He was first sent to Middlebury, then, in 1860, he was called to the cathedral. At the end of the year 1862, he was appointed to Fairfield, where he remained until July, 1864, when he was appointed to Montpelier. In 1877, he went to France, on account of ill health, and was absent one year. On his return, he was sent to Waterbury, where he was three months, when, in January, 1879, he was replaced at Montpelier, where he is now pastor, of whom we may say, to quote the words of a priest, Father Mclaughlin, of Brandon, in his silver jubilee discourse, "Father Duglue, the Priest at the Capital, if it would not be savoring of a joke, I should say is a capital Priest."

THE INTERIOR OF ST. AUGUSTINE'S is very plain for a Catholic church. The building is small, and the church will only seat about 950. There are two side aisles, but no centre aisle. The windows have only a partial coloring of red glass in the top. Between the windows, in simple black wood frames, the stations of the cross run along the walls, as in every Cath- olic chapel-the representative via doloro- sa-the path of dolor from Pilate's hall to

the Tomb in the Garden. The chancel, too, is poor in art-very poor-only the little side altars in the foreground at the right and left, of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph ; in the main chancel, a very plain wood altar, the figure of St. Augus- tine in the wall-niche over behind; two Sacred Heart pictures on the wall beside. The oldest church in christendom is plant- ed on the Capital Hill in almost as poor a state as the Cave at Bethlehem. The re- ligion of Rome has not been long intro- duced in this county. There are but three other Catholic churches in the whole county, yet. One might expect to find a .

handsome church at the Capital-a church more suitable to the place-an edifice sec- ond to none in the State in magnitude and decoration. Feeling particularly the want thereof on this honorable and beautiful hillside, still the poor congregation go in and out, a look very well content in their faces -a respectable throng every Sun- day and holiday. The motherly church adapts herself sweetly to all peoples and all conditions, in the grandeurs of the cathe- dral, in the poorest mission chapel, ever to the Catholic his true Alma Mater.

The Catholic cemetery of St. Augustine's, which is a little above Main street, in Clay Hill district, the land for which was bought of Thomas Reed and Charles Clark, Dec. 1857, was not deeded or inclosed and blessed by the Bishop until 1860. The first grave made therein was that of Ed- ward Cadieu, a young child of Theophile Cadieu. About an acre adjoining was bought of George Jacobs, Nov. 1879, and blessed by Rev. Joseph Duglue, Septem- ber 5, 1880.

ST. MICHAEL'S SCHOOL,

of which Father Druon speaks as com- manding a fine view upon the hillside, is situated a little to the east of the church of St. Augustine. Outwardly, the ample white building, with a cross on its roof, attracts the eye from the street ; within, it is pleasantly and comfortably furnished. Five ladies reside at the institution, and have a school of some over 170 pupils. It has been put down 200. Father Duglue

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thinks "it will average 170 daily attend- ance and some over." The Young Ladies Sodality of B. V. M. of this congregation is always presided over by one of the la- dies of St. Michael's, and is the best ap- pearing Sodality of Catholic young ladies that we know of in the State.

We learn since the above was in print that the old Court House was bought of J. Barnard Langdon in 1850; also by a letter of Father Drolet to Bishop Fitzpat- rick of Boston, work was first commenced on remodeling the old Court House into a Church, July, 1850.

Moreover that Father Duglue has had the honor to say mass at Barre, Sunday, Nov. 13, 1881, supposed to be the first Catholic service ever held at that place.

THE BAPTIST CHURCH OF MONTPELIER. FURNISHED BY THE PASTOR.

[The first part of the following Historical Sketch of this church was written by Col. H. D. Hopkins about the time of the dedication of their house of worship, and published in a Montpelier paper Feb. 6, 1873.]

"The church was organized in June, 1865, with 14 members, only five of whom were males. Hon. Joseph Rowell-since de- ceased-and Philip Hill, Esq., were chosen Deacons pro tem, and the Rev. Rufus Smith, who was agent for the denomination within the State, was chosen Clerk. Mr. Smith also supplied the pulpit of the con- gregation on the Sabbath-sometimes by occupying it himself, and sometimes by arrangement with other clergymen in the vicinity. The first Sunday services of this young church were in Village Hall.

October, 1865, a call was given to Rev. H. D. Hodge to become pastor, who declin- ed. February following a call was given to Rev. N. P. Foster, M. D., of Burlington, and he accepted, but did not enter upon the pastorate until October of the same year. Up to this time II persons were added to the church, four of whom entered by profes- sion of faith. Dr. Foster remained with the church till April, 1869, during which time, as would appear by the results, he labored faithfully and well for the growth of the church and the success of the Re- deemer's Kingdom. While he was pastor, 17 persons were added to the church. The

little organization of 1865 had in less than four years more than tripled its member- ship.

The second pastor was Rev. William Fitz, who began his labors in September, 1869, and closed them in November, 1871. He was a faithful minister, a pleasant, companionable man, an able preacher, and was highly esteemed outside the denomi- nation, as well as in. The church received 2I members during his pastorate of a little more than 2 years. The third and present pastor, the Rev. N. Newton Glazier, began his labors in January of last year, and the friends of the Society and congregation can wish them nothing better in the line of human ministries, we are sure, than that he may long remain with them. A young man, a growing and a good man, he seems specially fitted to lead on this people in their work in the world. 9 persons were added to the church in the first year of his minis- try. This. brings a partial history of this organization down to the present time, (Feb., 1873,) 58 members having been added to the 14 who originally united to form it. Two persons-one of them the Hon. Joseph Rowell, one of the founders of this church, and long an ardent friend and supporter of the denomination,-have died from among its members, and by re- movals it has suffered further depletion, so that its present number is 57. In July, 1869, the church elected as its deacons, E. E. Andrews and E. S. Hibbard. In August of 1865, a Sunday School in con- nection with the church was organized, over which Mr. Hibbard was chosen Su- perintendant, and he still holds the office, (Feb., 1873) laboring with true christian zeal to make it successful in its work.

We have stated that this people began worship in Village Hall. Remaining there a few months, they removed to Freeman Hall-the apartment now occupied by the Temple of Honor; and then on the 12th of November, they removed to the Court House. Here they remained till January of 1868, when they were ordered by the Assistant Judges of the County, against the remonstrance of nearly all the lawyers of the County, and many prominent citizens

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of Montpelier, to vacate the premises, and it was done. Though they had been la- boring to the ultimate erection of a place of worship for their use, and were slowly gathering subscriptions for the purpose, it was the action of the court, the sending of them adrift, houseless as they were, which perhaps gave them the nerve neces- sary for such an undertaking; and conse- quently they made ready, and on the 23d of March, ground was broken for the foun- dation of their new and beatiful church edi- fice. During the summer work upon it was pushed forward with all possible vigor, and in November they were enabled to enter the basement, though at first it lacked win- dows. It is worthy of mention that from June, 1865, to this time they worshipped in no less than 16 different rooms. It was therefore no wonder if on entering premi- ses they could call their own, though not the most inviting and comfortable, they felt to " thank God and take courage."

The New Church edifice stands at the corner of School and St. Paul streets, fronting on the former. It is of wood, gothic in style, and of good proportions. It was built from plans and specifications generously furnished to the society without expense by A. M. Burnham, Esq., archi- tect, and speaks well for his good taste as a builder. The size of the main building is 46 by 75 feet, the auditorium is 44 by 61 feet, 26 feet high, with sloping ceilings, and will seat comfortably 400 persons. The choir gallery, which is only slightly el- evated and standing in the front end of the building, is finished with heavy rail and balustrades of black walnut. The or- gan loft, and the recess for the pulpit-the latter in the opposite end of the building- are finished with triple gothic arches and scroll corbets for pendants. The chancel is 10 by 30 feet, and contains robing-room aud baptismal font. It is reached both by stairs leading from the vestry below, and by steps from the auditorium. The base- ment is 10 feet high, and divided in a most desirable manner into vestibule, class- room, kitchen for sociables, etc. The spire and bell tower are situated in the left hand front corner, and are heavily mount-

ed with gable and offset buttresses and bracketed clock-faces. The handsome spire rises to 140 feet, and on the right hand rises another tower of smaller proportions, finished with double cornice, with buttres- ses ending in turrets and finials. The en- trance to the church is by doors in the towers, the larger 7 by 13 feet. The ves- try is reached both by a side door from St. Paul street and by stairs leading down from the vestibule. The basement is fin- ished (externally) with rustic block-work, projecting ten inches from the main build- ing, which forms a pedestal for buttresses to rest upon between the windows of the main auditory. The windows of the audi- torium are pointed gothic, with heavy stools aud corbets, and are set with figured glass of extremely pretty pattern. The pews are similar to those of Bethany Church, (of which Col. Hopkins is a loved and honored member,) heavy black wal- nut frames, with black ash panels. The pul- pit, which is little more than a desk for the Bible, is of new design, and is constructed of black and French walnut. The chan- cel is supplied with three massive chairs, of a style well fitted for the purpose. The walls and ceilings are frescoed in modern Persian arches, laid in colors attractive and beautiful. The slips are cushioned, and a carpet of modern figure and colors covers the floor of the chancel, auditorium and singers' gallery. The cost of the church was about $17,000. It is an ornament to the town, and a credit to the enterprise and self-denial of those by whose labors and calculations it has been reared.

The dedication was on Jan. 29, 1873, at 2 o'clock, in the presence of a crowded and interested audience. First, anthem, " Blessed be the Lord God of Israel!" Invocation and reading of Scripture, by Rev. Wm. Fitz, the selection relating chiefly to God's House, its delights and uses ; prayer, by Rev. Mr. Morrow, of the Methodist church ; " All hail the power of Jesus' name," by choir and congregation ; sermon by Rev. Mr. Glazier, pastor ; text, "We preach Christ crucified ;" an able ef- fort, delivered with much earnestness. After the sermon, chant, "I will lift up

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mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help;" prayer of dedication, by Rev. Mr. Smith, of St. Albans, and the benediction. The services seemed to im- press all persons present as appropriate and interesting, and must have been especially so to the little company of believers whose earthly temple this house henceforth is to be."

Col. Hopkins, a few weeks later, in an- other article wrote : "The Baptist church is the only place in town where the build- ing and the organization occupying it bear the same name. It is characteristic of these people, we believe, that they fling their colors to the breeze. Coming to their beautiful church, you are made to feel that you are welcome. Their pastor, Rev. Mr. Glazier, will impress you as a man of char- acter, ability and earnestness. His pulpit efforts will not suffer in comparison with those of older and more notable men. The audience is at present small, but it is the confident expectation of the few that their numbers shall yearly increase. They are well united and commendably devoted to work."

Mr. Glazier closed his pastorate on the last day of June, 1878, exactly six years and six months from its beginning. Dur- ing his pastorate fifty-eight members were received into the church, two of them being baptised by Mr. Glazier on the first Sun- day after his pastorate closed. He is a man of most lovable and forbearing spirit. His public discourse is rich and spiritual, and Biblical in doctrine. His private con- versation is elevating and remarkably en- tertaining. His departure from his people was like the parting from the old home of a son or a brother. After a lapse of three years, his discourses still linger forcefully in the minds of the people to whom he ministered, and the influence of his sweet temper and godly life abides as a benedic- tion, not only upon his devoted parishion- ers, but also upon the pastor who succeeds him. He is now the pastor of the strong Baptist church in South Abington, Mass.

Rev. Henry A. Rogers, at present min- istering to the church, became its pastor Oct. 3, 1878, ordained by the church to

the Gospel ministry, Nov. 7, following. The efforts of the church during the first 3 years of his pastorate have been in the line of more perfect discipline and organiza- tion. Distinct departments of church work have been organized in the interest of foreign missions, home missions, the Ver- mont Baptist State Convention, music, education, parish gatherings, parish visit- ing, temperance and Sunday-schools.

The Sunday-schools have been a marked feature in the history of the work of the church during this period. The school in the church has been making a gradual gain in numbers, and, we think, in efficiency, under the superintendency of H. B. Wood- ward, H. J. Andrews and Ives Batchelder, successively, and now of Jas. H. Burpee. The services of the first three of these su- perintendents were lost to the church by their removal from the vicinity.

A mission school was organized, three miles distant, at Wrightsville, Nov. 27, 1878, S. S. Towner, superintendent. Upon his removal to Lynn, Mass., M. C. Whitney was appointed by the church as superin- tendent, Sept. 4, 1879. At the annual meeting of the school district in March, 1881, on motion of P. C. Wright, the dis- trict passed a vote that their school-house should not be used for the purpose of a Sunday-school. From this time, accord- ingly, the school was of necessity dis- continued.

A second mission "Sunday-school was organized in East Montpelier, distant five miles, in the school-house of district No. II, May 4, 1879, Samuel L. Lillie, su- perintendent. Sept. 4, 1879, he resigned, being about to go away, and George W. Sanders was appointed in his place, and is present superintendent.

A third mission school was begun at Montpelier Center, distant 3 miles, May 25, 1879, F. R. Spalding, superintendent. He also resigned Sept. 4, 1879, to go else- where, and Jno. W. Smith was elected by the church to the superintendency, which office he still fills.

It was voted at the district school meet- ing, Mar. 30, 1880, that the school-house in which the services had been held should '

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be closed against them. But a neighbor, Mr. West Ormsbee, who had not before attended the school, opened his commo- dious' hall, and the school immediately doubled in number.

. At a called meeting, July 20, 1881, of district No. 6, Montpelier, 2 miles from town, and immediately adjoining the Wrightsville district, by vote of the meet- ing, their house was put at the disposal of the Baptist pastor for Sunday-school ser- vice on Sunday afternoons. Accordingly, a school was organized on the following Sunday, July 24. Mr. E. K. Dexter was subsequently appointed to superintend it. None of these schools has omitted a single session, winter or summer, since they were organized. They are all supplied by the church with circulating libraries, and books from which to learn and sing sacred song.

There have been 33 added to the church during this time. The church has now 97 members, (Oct. 1881,) but only about one- half are resident members, that is, live within 4 or 5 miles of the church. But none of the non-resident members reside in the immediate vicinity of any other reg- ular Baptist church. The whole number of members belonging to the church since its beginning is 155.

HENRY A. ROGERS, Pastor.

ORGANISTS AND MUSICIANS. BY A. A. HADLEY, Organist.

Among the principal musicians who have been teachers and organists in Montpelier are :

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The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier., Part 69

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Montpelier, Vt. : Vermont Watchman and State Journal Press Number of Pages: 1064

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Montpelier, Vt. : Vermont Watchman and State Journal Press
Number of Pages: 1064