Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-10-15
THE RATI'LEBORO UNITARIAN
CONGREGA TIONAL SOCIETY.
HISTORY OF THE soCIETY-THE NEW
CHURCH EDIFICE-THE DEDICATION ON
WEDNESDAY EVENING

HISTORY OF THE SOC1ETN-THE NEW
CHURCH EDIFICE-THE DEDICATION ON
WEDNESDAY EVENING.
The present week will be always memoir
able in the annals of the Unitarian Congre-
gational Society of this place, marking, as
it does, the dedication and formal opening
for public worship of their beautiful new
church editce. Reference TO the records
of this society shows that the original COM
pact, organizing the society under the above
name, was signed on the FIRST day Of April
1881. Steps were at once taken for the
building Of Injecting house," resulting |
in the erection of the building which stood,
until a year ago last spring, on the site Of |
the present new church, and which, until |
that time, was occupied as house Of wor-
ship by the society. The church was dedi- |
Gated February %, 1882, Rev. Dr.. Hosmer, |
then of Mortified, Mass, preaching the |
dedication sermon. The copy of the orig |
inal subscription paper for the building of
this church shows that $500 was subscrib.
ed, in sums varying from So to 5000. Five |
persons gave 500 each, and three gave 5000 |
each. In the early summer Of that year,
Rev. Addison Brown was ordained the
first pastor Of the society, an Office which
he held and faithfully filled for the space Of
thirteen and half years. Mr.. Brown was
C,lloved at various intervals Inv Rnve Il
Nc Intvre. NJ. T. Mott. DIR. Inpersoll. s. w.
Bnsh. T.. G. Williams i. Frotbinobam. and
some others.
Rev. VIM. 1. jenkins. the present pastor.
was settled on the first Sunday of June.
1871. Under his paStorate the society il
firmly uniiod and a cordial un,nir,iiv ex-
ists ,bro,,ho,,, tho rorish
TUE NE" CHURCH
Iu April, 1874, the necessary subscrip-
tons having been raised, and a building
committee appointed, preparations were
commenced for the erection Of n church to
take the place of the old one, which had
become unfit for The use required Of il.
Additional land was purchased. including
the Decker man estate, lying on the south
side of the church site, and the town, act
ing in cooperation with the society, hav-
ing opened new street through the prop
erty, running from Main stree; TO Oak
street, very eligible site for the new build
ing was obtained on a street corner. The
Oiu cuulcu was solu auu IeuioNeu, anu sooH
thereafter The work OF laying the fOunda-
lions for tho new one was commenced
Work upon the ediiice was vigorously pros
ecuted during the summer, and before
winter came the outside work was all COM
plete, excepting the tower above the bell
d eek, and the "pointinG" of the walls.
w ork upon the inside, including the pas-
tering, ceiling, flooring, &C., proceeded
during the winter, and as soon as the spring
oil 1870 opened the tower was completed
aud the stone work was pointed" The
grounds were also graded, aud handsome
and substantial stone wall, In the same
style as.the walls of the church, and sur
mounted by heavy granite coping, was
bulll on Two sides "i the church lot on the
line OF the contiguous streets. The orna-
m entail wood work, decorations, and in
side finish in general, has been gone on
with during The summer, and the whole
work has been completed inside OF the
time ntemp'aied by the society when the
building was commenced.
The plans for the church were from Z.
Boyden IL SON, the well-Anown architects
OF Worcester, Mass. The size Of the build
Ing is II feet in length by AZ in width. The
height OF the audience room on The walls
is IA feet height in the centre "a feet. Ex-
ternally the building is constructed of mica
slate laid in broken ASHER. The stone is
from the quarry on the mountain on the
east side Of the river opposite Brattleboro.
The trimmings are of light. colored granite
from Black Mountain quarry, coarse ham
mered and pointed faces. Internally the |
walls are plastered and the ceilings are