Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-05-01

WOTsHIW rF,TUUI
which was dedicated March s, 1887 Those streets
had not then been laid out, and 1t was in the midst
OF low meadow, very wet and muddy. The lot
was given by S, r. jackson, prominent member
of the congregation. Rev. James Foster, d. D.,
was pastor in 1887, Rev. Jonathan Horton in 1885
Financial embarrassments then harrassed the so.
ciety. Rev. Mr.. l.. Scudder pastor in 1889.
During the succeeding winter the Centuary chapel
on Exchange ST., was erected which subsequently
passed into hands of Zion's African Methodist
church, and was burned IN the great hre of 1854.
Jan. 8, lS4O, the church edihce was damaged by
fire. AT the close of his pastorate in 1871, Mr..
Scudder reported the number of Sabbath school
scholars So, with II teachers. June 30, 1S41, the
New England annual conference commenced its
first session in Worcester, Bishop Hedding presid-
ing. Rev. Minor Raymond was appointed pastor Of
this church, remaining two years. In February,
lS4S the class at Cherry Valley, which had been for
several years connected with this society, was
transferred to Leicester, where society had been
organized. The Second Advent excitement about
this time seriously threatened this church by d.
verting away many of the members.
Rev. G. K True, ID. D., succeeded Mr.. Raymond.
During his pastorate, in 1S43, the moving of the
house of worship to better locality was agitated,
and the conference recommended it; but while the
burnt down February 10Th The meetings were
then held in the town hall again. The Park street
lot, recommended by the conference, was
then purchased, and house built and
dedicated August l6, 1915. 1t contained
seyenty-two pews and cost Sl0746. But the
selection of the Park street lot not being satsfac-
tory to ALL being too far removed from the CEN
ter of population led to the formation of the Lau-
rel street society, which WOrShlpped first in the
vestry on Thomas street. Rev. Amos Binney was
pastor of the Park street society in 1874 and rs and
Rev. }. D. Binge in AZ and AS, Rev. Loranus Crow
ell, present presiding elder succeeding the latter.
1850. he gave the following statistics of the Sunday
school: Officers and teachers q, scholars 1872, vol
umes in the library 4S6. The succeeding pastors
were: Rev. 7. A. Nudge from 81 to 49, Rev. d. E.
Chaplin two years to 1856 Rev. DR.. Newhall two
years to 1851 Rev. Chester Field two years to 1852
Dadmun two years to 1863, Rev D. E. Chaplin again
from '63 to 65, Rev. j. H. Mansfield three years to
1S6S, and Rev. Z. N. Smith three years to 1871 In
June, 1852 the galleries were put in the church, and
also new organ.
The names Of Pitt Holmes, Eli Goulding, Leonard
Flagg, Thomas W. Butterfeld and Samuel d. Bar
ker appear on the first board of trustees of the so.
cetY in 1889, and Messrs Holmes, Flagg, Hiram
Walbridge, Simeon Farwell and Loren Wetherell,
stewards in '3S and 49, Nathaniel r. Parkhurst
John Warden, Charles d. Robbins, Joseph P. Hale
and VIM. Lucas were among the stewards as far
back as 1913 and 1874.
The New England conference held its 49th annual
conference in this church in April, 1S4S, and its
59th il. April, 1858.
The Laurel street society was organized July 20,
lS45 with sixty members; only one of the original
number now remains connected with 1t, viz: Mrs.
Catharlne ID. Sawtelle. Hon. l.. W. Pond, o leading
representative of Methodism In the city, was re-
ceYed Sept. 10, 1876 The following are among
those who left the old church to start this enter
prise: Joseph p. Hale, Frederick Eaton, John
kendrick, Silas and Paul Otis, Eli Gouldlng and
Simeon Farwell. In April, 1916, there were eighty
nine members The hrst stewards were S. Farwei,
j. ?. Hall, and d. A. Snow The Sunday school, OF
which Mr.. Lucas was the first secretary and treas
urer, numbered sixty. The first pastor was
Rev. r. S. Rust, followed by Rev. George Dunbar
from, ~ to 49. In the, spring of AZ
was the first movement toward building a church,
which was built upon Laurel street. on a lot given
by A. NJ Merrifeld. 1t was dedicated February %,
lS49, sermon by Rev. Dr. DIN, of Wesleyan Uni
versiy. Rev. i. A. Griswold was pastor from
1S49 to 81, when there were 102 members. Rev. C.
L. Eastman succeeded him, followed by Rev. VIM.
NJ. Mann and Rev David Higgins: Rev, j. w. Lewis
vo in md
81, Rev. Ichabod Marcy in '5S and Rev. Samuel
Kelley two years to 1860, succeeded By Reys. j. c.
Rev. NJ. NJ. Parkhurst. During the latter's pastor
ate in 1854, the parsonage was purchased at a
cost of $1,000 Rev. s.. Kelley was again pastor
from '65 to '67, succeeded by Rev. Angelo Cannoll
who served two years till the appointment of the
present pastor, Rev. VIM. Penteeost inIlS69
The third Methodist society in Worcester was Or
ganized III April, 1860, by Rev Daniel Dorchester,
It's first pastor 1t consisted of about thirty mem
bers, who had been connected with Park street,
Laurel street and Cherry Valley societies OF this
of Rev. John Toulmin, who had belonged to the
Cherry Valley society for about dozen years, and
had done much to build up this society. Also of
Mr.. John Dean, first superintendent of the Sunday
school, which position he filled about ten years.
q. L. jerks and Loren Wetherell had Also among
others, done much in its behalf In 1862, Rev. VIM.
Gordon became pastor; in 1868, Rev. VIM. A. Bra
man, and Rev. VIM. Pentecost two years to 1866,
succeeded by Rev: p. w. Virgin from 1855 to 1868.
Rev. Benjamin +. Chase died during his pastorate,
March g. 1863, and Rev. Z. II. Hanaford was his
successor, during whose pastorate the present house
of worship built, last year, at cost of about
$4,000 Among those who had aided literally in
the enterprise particular mention made of Messrs.
John Dean Albert Curtis, the Messrs. Goes, Rev.
J. Toulmin, H. L. jerks, G. a. Hardy, Hon. Lucius
W. Pond, and others.
The movements connected with the recent organ
tzation of the Main street (now Grace) church. and
the building of Trinity church by the Park street
society, which Mr.. Dorchester detailed at length,
are fresh in the memory of our readers.
Mr. Dorchester summed up his admirable statisti-
cal review OF the origin and progress of Methodsm
Worcester with the following general statement
respecting the UNCONVENTIONAL gain during the last
ten years:
The period since 1860 has been one of great and
rapid growth of Methodsm in this city. In 1860
there were only 40I members and probationers con-
nected with all the societies here; in 1870 there
1926 being an increase of 72S or IT'S per cent
Then there were only 900 scholars in the Sunday
schools; in 1870 there 1885, an increase of 1885,
or 1913 per cent In 1860 the amount raised for be-
nevolent purposes was S4SS.91; in 1870 1t was
S2l3730 an increase of 376 per cent? all this not
withstanding an immense outlay for three new
churches.
During this ten years the Congregational churches
here had increased their membership eight per cent,
Baptiss thirtytwo per cent, and Episcopal 10 per
cent.
The morning service in the church was conducted
by Rev. Mr.. Mallalieu, who delivered an eloquent
discourse appropriate to the first opening OF the
church, taking his text from I'd ChrOn III.