Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-12-17
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Aiter ia'aeaiiou, Cd. d. J. s.asra
read CONDENSED history Of the church
which Is here PUBLISHED
IL a. CsagrtgaiioaaI CLureA rss S-,s,,.-
- 1lasf fsis - aitfailrl e. 49, - -,
r, hassf = a. LaFf IL 'iuif arl a. sss-I il.5r-f
Having besn apraiuioi b rsI.ori 70 ygu ai
tins time On the cli6oes occupied b ischursh
AM society from iis orgauiIltioa until nov. I
would say as an excuse Tor any irregularities
that may appear in this statement, that ersat
difficulties have arisen Ia is preparation frUm
the Tact that in the destruction Of What was
known as the - Masonic Building" By hr,, al
the records Of the society to 1859 and q the
church to 1850 were destroyed; and have had
to rely. for the early history, upon the memory
Of our older members, notably B.O. n. S. Id
wards, who, rs a child. was prcscn, At the or
gauintion e the church. and whose religious
interests have always been ii,utifed with us.
The church was organized, tdate not known
TO me- in school house near the centre Of the
town, and maintained its worship for several
yelrs in the same, using barn at times when
/ the weather would permit
The old Tovu-house, which stood near the
centre Of the town, vas built IN 1915, and from
that time forward MAS occupied for religious
worship by this and the Baptist societies alter
naicly, the MCthodis,s usually holding service
at p. ~. the same day.
At this time the Congregational was the
smallest society in town, and as near as can
learn, without pastor. As TO their wealth, the
town records show that foi several years before
and after this time, the taxes were paid in grain
At certain rates as voted by the town at il.
meetings Stll they felt the need Of place sci
apart for the worship Of God, and in connection
with the Baptist society, built the Union brick
church at the Corners. This house was one Of
the od-style, substantial, full-gallericd houses
with ample seating for all the church going PEG
pie in the town, tmueh greater proportionally
to the population then than now) It's cost wa
about three thousand dollars, and with prope
care would have been in good condition to-day
The church was dedicated in the fall or earl.
winter Of 1924, and wa; occupied for half of tn
time by this society until the erection Of tn
present house.
Rev. s. Robinson was settled as pastor owe
the church in 1885, at an annual salary Of tire
hundred dollars, paid almost any way and som
times not in any way, as tie peoples circum
stances admitted, and the church then felt tn
need of place of worship exclusively its own
where services might he held the whole Of tn
time, and began to take active measures toward
building house. 'H.
At this time not a single member Of the Con
gregational church resided in Morrisvie, Jon
lthan Cooke (row dcccascd) being the nearest
and 10 consequence the attention and efforts q
the church were directed to the Corners, whor
the interests Of its members centered, and III
lot of land upon which the Methodist church i
that village now stands was secured as a sit
for the projected edifce, but owing to the poy
erty of the people, AMI various other causes, 9
which we in our time have some knowledge, Oh
enterprise was postponed from time to time IN
til the land was given by its owner to tho Meth
olist society, and they began building upon it
This in turn started our people into life AM
after casting about and examining all I'll site
obtanablc at the Corners, which for yariou
reasons were one after another rejected. Som
of our brethren whose hearts were in the matter
were, rs it seemed then, accidentally, but as "
in the light of experience believe, Proyidcntial
ly, directed to this village, then without hous
of worship, and upon consultation the land up
on which this house stands was secured and up
on this spot the interests of CongregationalisI
: in Morristown have since centered.
, As might reasonably be expected much opp(
sition was manifested by portion of our men
f bership. but this was oyerbalanced by the as
sistance received from people Of all denomina
tons residing here who gave of their means an
influence to prospecting the work, and the hou'
was completed and dedicated in December, 1871
Its original size was Sc by 46 feet wit
A sttings for nearly two hundred, and the col
was one lnUuSiuu totl'tio'
From this time the church enjoyed good d.
gree of prosperity. After few years the nee
: was felt of charging and otherwise improvin
: tbc bouse. and in 1868 an addition Of six'ee
feet was made to the length, giving room Il
twenty additional slips new seats were also Pr
into the old part, the high gallery cut down il
\ to simply an orchestra large enough for cho
!. use, and new pulpit added at the same tim
h the whole costing about nine hundred dollars.
A bell was added in 1868, and the house
rnained substantially in the condition then &c
a until the summer of 1871, when the present
=, uairs we're commenced.
For years the pressing need OF more co
{ venient place for social meetings ana the sa'
e,inps of the church and the various socletl
1 Herewith connected, had been felt, anu as le'
h ago as when Rev Mr.. Bartlett was PASTOR o.
or more efforts we're made in that direcuon'
without avail: thu house, meanwhile, becomii
. more and more unfit for use, partly because
D ;mnerfect construction at the first, and part
fron the effects of time upon its roof and wall
Such was the condition of things in the wint
If 1870. All felt that something must be don
= hut how and how much was the question
G So far as l am able to ascertain' the iniu
practical step of the work now compie'eu' "
[. the result of the deliberations of the pastor al
two gentlemen, neither then nor now neino'
!, of the church, who remained after prayer mex
ing in January or February, 1871, to shiver oy
> the stove and consider what could be DONE l