Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-08-30
Father! Thy saving power,
This lesson of the hour
Grave on each soul;
Its joy, ON day to day,
Thy law alone to obey;
Be Thou its strength end stay,
Aud sweet control.

Then followed the free will offerings, or con-
tributions of money to the church, through the
children of the Sabbath school, by classes, after
which the list of contents of the box to be d.
posted in the col Ter stone was read by MIR. Pc
terSon, embracing the following among other
articles: Bible; Methodist hymn book; Book of
Methodist Discipline; History of the Town and
of this church; copy OF lions Herald of 1927
and 1871; Christian Advocate of 1929; Heather
Woman's Friend; Photographs OF the original
church, built in 1929, the late church, and of
the new one to be erected; photographs of the
present pastor and wife, and of prominent mem
bers of the church; names of the thirty-onc new
members received into communion Aug. 6,
1871; sundry newspapers of the day; and vari
GUS statistics connected with the history of the
church and of the town.
The box was was then deposited in its place, and
the corner stone formally laid by Mr.. Peterson,
accompanied with an appropriate prayer. After
the singing of the hymn, "On this stone, now
laid with prayer" &c. benedicton by Rev. c.
l.. McCurdy of Athol closed the exercises,
which were listened to by large congregation.
Mr., Mallaieu's address was an able and elC-
quent one. After q complimentary alluson to
those to whose untiring energy the church was
most indebted for the progress thus far toward
the new structure, he passed to a consideration
of the high position of New England, as being
in the van of the Union in its support of those
bulwarks of our liberties, churches and public
schools. These institutions were the fuits of
that evangelical christianity handed down to us
by our pilgrim ancestors. The open Bible
and the common school were the only basis
upon which our stat could safely rest. As an
illustration of the progress Of Methodsm, he
said 1900 churches of that denomination had been
built within the last year in the Unit States.
When the first -diicc of this society in Lcomin-
ster was built, Al years ago, one man, within
the sound of the speaker voice, gave one halr
of what he was worth toward its cOnSti action;
TO lay, that man and his two onS ha given
$1,000 each towards the new ST. lecture, happily
but Il smell portion ofwhat they are now worth.
Mr. Ma'lalieu clos | by Il hopeful allusion -
the prospect of the final diffusion OF cyangc!i,
cal christianity throughout the world.
The SIT Of the new church is on Main street.
nearly opposite the post office. Its style is to be
modei Il decorative Gothic. The size is 62} feet
front by 96l feet deep, with a rear addition 80
by 12l feet. The veStry, TO seat 500, is to be 60
feet square, with ladies and gcntemcn's parors,
infants class room and kitchen leading out of
it. The vcstibule is to be 10! by go feet, with
Two broa1 flights OF stairs lcadn% to sim i'rr
upper vestibule. The audience room and Gal
ley over the uppe. veStbule, wiz scat $50. The
audience room is co by 90 feet, 90 feet high at
the aisIcs, and the extreme height 40 feet, the
roof showing the principal timbcrs in cOnstruc-
ton. The choir galley, orgaH rom aud closet
are in the rear end, slightly above and Just
back of the speakers platform. The vcstry
stoi,J is 10 feet higher than the clear, making
the height of the ridge 70 feet. There are to be
two entrances in ,ont, one on the south side
through the tower, and another in the rea".
The outsidcof the church is to be of the best
common blick, With granite Trimmings. Inc
cOrnices, spire, ribs, &c., TO be of galyaniz /
iron and there is to be no exposed wood work in
the cxtel or, With eye to the most durability
in the whole structure. A brick tower is to rise
seventy-five feet, su. .nountd by spre reach
ing to the total height of 100 feet. The church
will cost about $50, 900.
The foundation was put in by Messrs. Houghton
& Cook Of Leominstcr, and the contract for a'l
the work above is taken by Cherries Fuller of
this city, the mason work being done by f. G.
Powers, also of this city. The architect is Mr..
A. P. Cutting of this city.
The Methodist church was first organizeI in
L ominster Dec. 27, 1921, four elderly ladies' now
living, Miss Sally Houghton and her three sisters,
beng among the first members. The first few
meetings were held in the kitchen of Oliver
Whitney, and afterwards for seven years in the
kitchen Of Nathan Stratton, several of Whose
descendants, of two generations, are now promi-
nent members of the church. The first two
pastors were Benjamin Hazeton aud Erastus
Otis. The FIRST meeting house was built March
Q, 1929, i'll the north part of the iowa, where
they worshipp1 till they purchased the old
Orthodox church on Main street, in 1899, which
they have Just rclinquished, having sold it to
thp French Catholics