USA > Vermont > Windham County > Rockingham > The old Rockingham meeting house, erected 1787 and the first church in Rockingham, Vermont, 1773-1840 > Part 2
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The new Meeting House was probably first used by the town for their March meeting in 1792. It is said that the interior had not been finished, and that the pews consisted only of blocks of logs on the top of which rough boards were laid. The windows had probably not been glazed, nor had the outside been clapboarded. At this meeting, it was decided that the building should be used "for public worship and town meetings", and after some discussion, the Con- gregationalists and Baptists were given the right to hold services there, but it was refused to the Univer- salists.
*Bellows Falls Times, June 19, 1884.
+Letter from Joseph Willard, an aged man of Nashua, N. H., Bellows Falls Times, July 17, 1884.
#The Universalists were allowed to use the Meeting House by action of the town of May 2, 1796. The term "Congregationalists" is here used probably in reference to the first or town church.
22
The Old Rockingham Meeting House
In 1793, the town voted to sell the old meeting house, but what disposition was made of it is not known. Through the next eight years, attempts were made to complete the new Meeting House, largely without success. One entry in the town records inti- mates that up to 1796, a total of eighty-eight pounds ($440) had been expended on the building.
In 1799, the selectmen were petitioned to call a special town meeting to "agree upon some mode of fin- ishing the Meeting House". As a result of the move- ment started then, it is probable that the Meeting House was entirely completed by 1801, and the final accounts were audited in 1804. The records of the action of the town and its committees are given in detail in the Appendix (III : K).
This old Meeting House, whose erection by the early settlers of the town was such a labor of love-and yet a labor withal-has stood for over a century and a quarter on the hill overlooking the Williams River Val- ley, surrounded by its burying ground and its collection of houses built by early residents of Rockingham village. Both in architecture and construction, it is exceedingly typical of those who built it. Severe in lines, almost to austereness, hiding in its unseen parts countless massive timbers of great strength, it served both the town and church, and stood against the buffeting of the wind on the exposed hilltop for many years. Now its days of usefulness are largely passed, and it remains as an emblem of the past-its character, and what it stood for.
In plan, the only deviation from the pure rectangle are two small entry-ways on each end, containing stairs leading to the gallery. The main floor of the church contains twenty-four wall pews around its outer wall, raised slightly above the main floor, and two groups of six pews each in the centre, separated from each other and from the wall pews by "alleys". These are all of
23
The Meeting House
the high back, square, "pig-pen" style, with a seat running around three sides, and entered by a "door" from the "alley". Each pew will accommodate from ten to fifteen people, though some, of necessity, must turn their backs on the minister. Between these pews and the pulpit, are six long benches, and immediately in front of and below the pulpit is a narrow, enclosed pew, for the deacons, tithing men and other church officers. The pulpit, its broad rail nearly nine feet above the main church, is reached by a winding stair, and is sur- mounted by its old sounding board. A gallery, two- thirds the size of the first floor, contains twenty-four enclosed pews around its outer wall, in front of which are three rows of benches, all on a steeply sloping floor. The entire church will hold well towards a thousand people. Its forty-eight windows, each six feet by three feet and containing forty lights of glass, assured plenty of light. In construction, the building is typical of the early days when timbers of enormous size were every- where available, as is graphically shown by a picture of the attic on another page.
The key of the Meeting House was bid off at each March meeting to the lowest bidder. But with the honor of keeping the key, made great by the love of the people for the building for which they had labored so hard, went certain responsibilities: the keeper "shall lock and unlock said house every Sunday morning & evening if needed, and at all times when thereto request- ed by the authority of the Town also sweep said house four times in the year", and in event of failure to do this, he must forfeit fifty cents for not handling the lock, or a like amount for not wielding the broom. One year, the keeper had to "wash the house". The "Keepers of the Key", with the amounts which they received for their year's duties, follow:
/1-17
24
The Old Rockingham Meeting House
1803 James Marsh
$ 2.50
1804 Samuel W. Pulsipher
2.75
1805 Samuel W. Pulsipher
2.25
1806 Samuel W. Pulsipher
2.50
1807 Abraham Byington
3.00
1808
Caleb Winn
1.90
1809 David Pulsipher
2.50
1810
Samuel Taylor
2.75
18II
Abner Wheelock
3.50
1812 Samuel Taylor
2.75
1813
S. W. Pulsipher
3.00
1814
Frederick Reed
3.00
1815
John Hall
3.00
1818
H. E. Day
2.00
1821
Jonas Phillips
2.00
1823
Jonas Phillips
1.99
In 1807, a union meeting house was erected at Sax- tons River, and from this date, the original house at Rockingham is spoken of as the "North Meeting House".
In the record of the town meeting for March IO, 1816, occurs this brief but illuminating entry: "The weather being cold, Voted to adjourn the meeting to Levi Hoit Hall". The lack of stoves, or other heating apparatus, must have been severely felt by the small children forced to sit for several hours each Sabbath day listening to long sermons, whose import was way beyond them. The elders of course had the fire of the discourse, or the heat of the town meeting wrangle, to assist them in keeping warm. Even Minister Whiting had to confess that his health was not equal to preach- ing there through the winter of 1797-1798.
In accordance with the custom of the early days, the town located its first permanent burying ground, or cemetery, on the same lot as its Meeting House, on land presented to the town in 1782, by four citizens for the dual purpose .* For nearly one hundred years, it was the town's principal burying ground and inter-
*Page 18
n n
25
The Meeting House
ments are still made there by a number of the older families. In it are buried many of the prominent citi- zens of the early days, their resting places marked by old fashioned slate stones, often embellished by quaint ornamental designs and epitaphs. Many of these stones have attracted much attention in these later years from the oddness of their inscriptions, which often give a vivid insight into the personal life and habits of the person in whose honor they were erected. Possibly the two most interesting inscriptions in the burying-ground are the following:
"In Memory of Miss Eunice Pain who died June 10, 1805 in the sixteenth year of her age
Behold in me a mournful fate Two lovers were sincere And one is left without a mate The other slumbers here. Since you are left to mourn To you these words I say, Though we are separated here Must meet another day And reign with God above Upon the blissful shore And reunite our love Where friends shall part no more."
"In Memory of Mr. Josiah White* who Died September 1, 1806, in the 96th year of his age.
The descendants of Josiah White at his death. Children 15 Grand Children 160 Grate grand children 211. Children Deceased 2 Grand children Deceased 26 grate grand children Deceased 35."
*Josiah White, the same man whose pew marker is referred to on page 55 and shown in a picture on another page.
CHAPTER II
The Church Organization.
T HE organization of the First Church in Rocking- ham and the beginning of regular services dates from October 27, 1773, though the town had hired ministers to preach for them more or less regularly before that date. From then until 1809, under the guidance of Rev. Samuel Whiting, and supported en- tirely by the town's Minister Tax, the church was a power in the community. After a lapse of nine years, the church was reorganized in 1818 as the Congrega- tional Church of Christ in Rockingham, with Rev. Elijah Wollage as minister. This organization was abandoned in 1840, owing to the growth of other por- tions of the town at the expense of Rockingham village.
The first action by the town looking to hiring a settled town minister, or to the establishment of a town church, was taken at a town meeting held April 17, 1769, when the article "To see if the Town will hier a Minister to preach with them the Summer Ensuing" was "passed in ye Negative".
The records of the town meetings during the next few years show that at least occasional preaching ser- vices were held in the town during that time, though how regularly or at what place cannot be determined. The following extracts from the records of town meet- ings intimate that Rev. Andrew Gardner served the town as preacher from 1769 until about December 16, 1771; and Rev. Elisha Harding, from that date for at least part of the time until 1773; and that they were paid for their services by the town itself:
27
The Church Organization
(March, 1770) "that seventeen bushels of Indian corn be delivered to the Revd Andrew Gardner by the overseers out of the rent that Nathaniel Davis owes the Town" (for the Minister's lot).
(March 28, 1771) "Voted that Mr. Gardner have the use of ye Ministers Lot ye year Ensuing."
(September 7, 1771) "Voted that the town alou Oliver Lovell and Samll Taylers accompt for sup- porting ye Revd Mr. Andrew Gardner and his wife from ye first of July to this instant. and voted that Messirus Oliver Lovell and Samll Tayler be ye Commettee to support Mr. Gardner and his wife ye 3 months from the Date hereof".
(Decmber 16, 1771) "Allowed Oliver Lovell. Samuel Taylor. Stoell accompt.
for supporting Mr. Gardner and his wife".
(March 25, 1772) "that Moses Wright be a Lowed eight shillings bay money. for Going after Mr. Hardin when he preacht in Rockingham".
There is no evidence that there was any church organization at this time. Rev. Mr. Gardner and Rev. Mr. Harding will be discussed further in Chapter III.
The First Church in Rockingham was organized and the first settled minister, Rev. Samuel Whiting, ordained by a council of neighboring churches, convened at Rockingham, October 27, 1773.
From this date, the story of the church is very graphically portrayed in a manuscript record book in the handwriting of the various ministers of the First Church, containing entries covering practically every meeting of the church from its organization in 1773 to its dissolution in 1840. In addition, it contains the record of all baptisms and marriages performed by the ministers, admissions to the church, and an incomplete record of deaths. Many of these are of great value as part of the vital statistics of Rockingham, and have been transcribed upon the card records of the town. The book* is of home manufacture, bound
*See illustration.
141 01111
11.20.111
-
28
The Old Rockingham Meeting House
together with a strong rawhide cord at the back, and covered with a home-made sheepskin with a flap and string to tie. It has stood the test of the years sur- prisingly well, and nearly every word is perfectly legible. With other similar mementos of the old church, it was saved by one of the last deacons of the church, Joel Brown, and cared for through the years by the descend- ants of David Pulsipher, one of the original members of the First Church. It was recently presented to the Old Rockingham Meeting House Association* by Mrs. W. H. H. Putnam of Springfield. It is now preserved by the librarian of that Association, in the vault in the Town Clerk's office at Bellows Falls.
In 1902, Thomas Bellows Peck of Walpole, one of the original movers in this Association, copied almost entire the contents of this valuable old book, and had printed a limited edition of two hundred copies, thus making them readily available for a large number of people.
The first entry in this old manuscript book is the account, in the handwriting of Rev. Samuel Whiting, of the council called to organize the church and ordain him as its pastor. This is copied entire in the Appendix (III), as are also many other interesting extracts from the records of both the town and the First Church, which are too lengthy for these pages.
The original settlers of the town of Rockingham came largely from Massachusetts and Connecticut, where the religious preferences at that time were largely Congregational. Accordingly, it is natural that they should conduct the affairs of their church along lines closely similar to those of the Congregational Church. This similarity is made more striking by a careful study of the records of the First Church in Rockingham, in which it is evidenced especially by calling councils of
*Chapter V.
17 14 dept. 21 Che Darted OR appreciated a Chauch Meeting nost thenpay 2 " (bon if florent ' K'Consult with HI" Whiting , to the priety & Exprediary of his y
Mit andDoing to be pointment, but prefers no di. Nome Conference anyone this Difficult & ambasyou It wat. generally
"of the Gewin the It was ? that buff to make do mos further Trial, to die funky
27 prejudiced weight aut score alear away, mit of Religion , of Charity th for das portig dopo ODour & Morfling, more ten,
1794
Chi & Congregation in Hand/borough biquethis to attend Duration there A.s. (with Find & Chele Patient With A Edemezer onthe Flyat 1798.
Marchi a 198 the (like mot, being notified by a lille.
Just be each Member by the latter ..
"917 Whiting hauge, & the Mutig hay this Latter, introduced the
the following Habe drift of faith proposto/ Brethren
I have called you together without any request having tres and inde therefor: - it .
expected that I open the Meeting, by Dendone, & making donne statusminst of
Her of Religion and tters , which may
the properfor the the to attend to
The (ich in their down was gathered ' (rganine) the Day of "y " y Duration Detaber 27 1773. Computer of the offer sheet & dwars other Mal
had belonged to other (the & most of them hat of Recommendation; Two of Hate dewer denti of Chapter, the ations were
Nothing ham & Chatter for five year they: fine year, there was Jon Jonall Uk in derchingham & (hafter, A) . practived around in attending they (o.y.dav) themfalues as depravate the thin Reachingham however fo Gifter Mandare & they by /and Command & prommange gave us they were July Organised
of the first nine who sub/ In the by Heart Less the first gathering To have been received by Death, others have removed from Jours have do left es in principle as Communion, & there remain now more than 18 are Male, a comparable male mamburg are aged, IN the artist
# gliat Providence to remove from the het a home after cale athen there fore
with seth-
RECORD BOOK OF THE FIRST CHURCH IN ROCKINGHAM
29
The Church Organization
neighboring churches for the settlement or dismissal of pastors, and the democratic form of government throughout the entire church. Many of the large Congregational churches throughout New England were originally organized as town churches and were sup- ported in their early years by taxes levied on the inhabi- tants; only assuming the name "Congregational" and taking up a separate organization when the town sup- port was withdrawn by changes in the laws of the State. Accordingly, while the term Congregational is not used in the records of this church until 1818, it may be considered as an early church of that denomination from its first organization in 1773.
All available evidence indicates that this was the eighth Congregational church established in what is now the State of Vermont, and that only five more were established previous to the Revolution. The list of the thirteen with dates of establishment follows :*
Bennington 1762
Rockingham. I773
Newbury 1764
Thetford
1773
Westminster 1767
West Rutland. 1773
Windsor .
1768
Newfane.
1774
Norwich.
1770
Putney .1776
Brattleboro
I770
Marlboro
1776
Guilford
1770
Until 1778, Mr. Whiting's time was divided between the churches at Rockingham and Chester, but "as they had never practised much in attending at each others Communions they Considered themselves as Separate & Distinct Churches. The Chh in Rockingham how- ever soon called upon Chester members & they by sending us a Copy of their Covenant & proceedings gave us full satisfaction that they were duly Organized & regularly separated from us as a distinct Chh."
*History of Vermont, Natural, Civil, and Statistical, by Zadok Thompson, 1842.
30
The Old Rockingham Meeting House
The original membership of the church numbered eighteen, and included the following:
Samuel Whiting
Anne Larrabee
David Pulsipher
Mercy Evans
William Simonds Elias Olcott
Ebenezer Fuller
Peter Evans Junr.
Samuel Larrabee
Asher Evans
Peter Evans
Nathaniel Davis
Elizabeth Pulsipher
Sibbel Olcott
Simonds
Mercy Evans
Mercy Fuller
Mary Evans
An alphabetical list of all members of the church of which record has been found, is printed in Appendix I. This list is divided into two parts: Members between the original organization of the church in 1773, and the dismissal of Rev. Samuel Whiting in 1809, to which are added lists of Chester members during the first five years, and also of those subscribing to the Half Way Covenant; and members between the reorganization in 1818, and the final dissolution of the church in 1839. A few names will be found in both lists and they are so indicated.
The first deacons chosen June 12, 1774, were Peter Evans and Elias Olcott, and on May 6, 1782, Jacob Pease was chosen as a third deacon, because of the fact that Deacon Evans was becoming too aged and infirm to "provide for & serve at the Table". The names of later deacons have not been found, though all three of these men died within a few years.
The first law "regulating the support of the gospel" was passed by the General Assembly of Vermont at its session at Newbury, October 19, 1787. It provided that the town churches were to be erected and supported by direct tax upon the inhabitants of the different towns, the tax to be levied on the grand list and collected in the same manner as taxes for other purposes. This tax
31
The Church Organization
is usually spoken of as the "Minister Tax." The law added the following proviso:
"Be it further enacted by the authorities afore- said, That every person being of adult age, shall be considered as being of the opinion with the major part of the inhabitants of such town or parish where he, she, or they dwell, until he, she, or they shall bring a certificate, signed by some minister of the gospel, deacon or elder, or moderator of the church or congregation to which he, she or they, pretend to belong; which certificate shall make known the party to be of the religious sentiments of the signer thereof; and until such certificate shall be shown to the clerk of such town or parish, (who shall record the same) such party shall be subject to be rated, and pay all such charges with the major part, as by law shall be assessed on his, her or their poll or ratable estate. "
This law proved the source of much contention, and was repealed in 1807. In accordance with this law the church, minister, and Meeting House in Rockingham were supported until about 1810 by a tax levied by the town on such as had not filed with the town clerk certificates of dissension. Up to that date, there is no record of any officers or committees of the church for other than purely spiritual and disciplinary purposes. The records of the town clerk contain over two hundred and fifty certificates* of persons claiming exemption from the tax because of other religious beliefs between 1783 and 1809, when they cease because of the repeal of the law making them advantageous. The early certificates are largely that the subscriber is a member of, or supports some other, denomination; while the later ones are that he simply "disagrees". The fol- lowing are fair samples of the two types of certificates found on the records :
*Appendix II.
32
The Old Rockingham Meeting House
Dudley October the 27th 1788
This may certify to whom it may Concern that Elisher Sabin now Living in Rockingham is a mem- ber of a Baptist Church in Dudley in full fellowship and good Standing
Signed by order and in Behalf of the Church John Warren Church Clerk a true Coppey of the above Certificate and was Recorded the 10th Day of December 1788 Pr me Jonth Holten T clerk
Rockingham February 22d 1803-I the Sub- scriber do not agree in the Religious Opinion with a Majority of the Inhabitants of sd Rockingham Hezekiah Wood Clark Recorded by Jona Burt Town Clerk
A careful search of the records of both the town and the First Church fails to throw any definite light on the amount expended by the town in support of the Church, or the size of Mr. Whiting's salary. A letter written by Mr. Whiting to the Town of Rockingham, January 13, 1783,* indicates that it had been arranged by a committee previously and that it was to be paid to him annually. At Mr. Whiting's request, the town deeded absolutely to him and his heirs all the land allotted earlier by the proprietors to the Minister's Right.t This amounted to about three hundred and fifty acres, and probably formed no small part of his salary. In 1807, the tax lists show that Mr. Whiting owned four hundred ninety-two and one-half acres and was the fourth largest land owner in the town; while between 1796 and 1815, he deeded away five hundred and thirty acres of land for considerations totalling $6,664.
In 1802, the records show that the town owed Mr. Whiting $166.40 "arrearages", which was raised by an extra assessment, and he was paid in full soon after. In 1809, his salary was evidently again in arrears, and
*Appendix III : B.
+Chapter I, p. 16 and Appendix III: B.
33
The Church Organization
was paid. At this time, the sum of $200 was exempted from his grand list for the balance of his life, "since for a long time he had been subjected to pay taxes, a thing no other clergyman in the state had done", and "for a long time his salary had been reduced nearly one-half".
In the records of the March, 1807, town meeting occurs the following: "By Tax called Ministers Tax & Rate Bill made on the same. $129.82"; while in the records of a similar meeting in 1808, "Tax assessed on the persons who are not dissenters on the list of 1807, being six and one-half mills on the dollar, $67.38".
The Church Records show that the second settled minister, Rev. Elijah Wollage, in 1818, "accepted the call on a salary of $425.00 per annum".
From the time of its organization in 1773, with eighteen original members, the church grew steadily at the rate of four to eight new members each year, until about 1786. Aside from eleven Chester members, the names of seventy persons have been found who had joined up to this time, and four who had been dismissed. From this time on, the new memberships decrease steadily, and up to 181I, a total of only ninety-six names are found .*
In October, 1797, Mr. Whiting, evidently discour- aged at the lack of support given the "preaching", and also in poor health, wrote as follows to his congregation:+
"I would mention to the Congregation that it is twenty four years since my being a Minister here the 27th of October next, next Sabbath on which I expect to exchange will be the last Sabbath of the year & whereas my health is such that I cant preach in this meeting house during the Winter season, And as a very Considerable part of those who at- tend upon publick Worship are Women & Children
*Appendix 1, a complete list of all members of the church. ¡Records of First Church.
1
F
16.17
34
The Old Rockingham Meeting House
& such as live at a distance & cant conveniently attend, I think it is my Duty to relinquish my Salary & desist from all ministerial Services during the Winter season. I expect you will be Supply'd next Sabbath with preaching, and I would further add that I do not leave off preaching on account of any disinclination to the business or disaffection to the People, but on account of the peculiar Situation & Circumstances of the Town."
The following spring, the resumption of the services was discussed, and Mr. Whiting addressed a letter to his congregation in which he reviews very interestingly the history of the church and the causes for the present lack of support, ascribing it largely to the great drain upon the time and pocketbooks of the members of the congregation, incident to organizing the State and nation .*
Church services were resumed that spring, but troubles for the church and minister evidently increased steadily from this time on. In September, 1794, Mr. Whiting considered resigning from the ministry, but at the meeting of the church called in regard to it, "It was generally thought best to make some further Trial, to see if unhappy prejudice might not more wear away, & a Spirit of Religion, of Charity & for Supporting Gospel Order & Worship, more take place".
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