The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-06-22
The New England Meeting. House.

The New England Meeting. House.
Almost delightful article from the pen
of President Porter appears in the New
Highlander, its subject being the ''New
England Westinghouse" which the
author considers to be the symbol of
much that is characteristic of New En-
gland life, as it has been the rallying
point for nearly everything distinctive
in the New England communities. Out
of the church grew the town, or, rather
the town was evolved or developed
along with the church. The church
was the germ and the meeting house
the center of the self-governed COM
monwealth. The name meeting
house, is significant. The edifice was
used for religious and civic transac-
tons, and to the early New Highlander
both were equally solemn and sacred.
There was no warrant in scripture for
calling an edifice church.
President Porter gives an extremely
interesting account of the way in which
the original structures were built, and
of the gradual variations of the original
type as years went on. The erection of
the Old South Church in 1729-30 was
the most important advance in the
evolution of the New England meeting
house, and became the typical model of
all such places OF worship for nearly
century. Among the best of the edifices
of this type which survive are the sane
tuaries in Pennington and Westfield.
(The latter has just now lost many of
its quaint old features by '.restOra-
ton"
With the present century and its adj
vance in wealth and culture, the meet
ing-house began to assume form more
like that of London church architect
ure, and of this sort of work we have
admirable specimens in Park Street
Church, Boston; the Center and North
Churches in New Haven. and those in
Guilford, Springfield, and elsewhere.
The first steeple in Connecticut was
erected in GuilfOrd in 1925.
The interior of the meeting-houses
was bare and unattractive. Pews were
of slow growth. There were no means
of lighting them until singing schools
made it necessary to introduce candles
and rude chandeliers. Night meetings
in these sanctuaries were not approved.
There were no stoves for a long time,
and at first no foot stones. The New
England Westinghouse was not artifi-
cially warmed until from 1910 to 1920
President Porter remembers such scenes
as, he says, make us SILVER as we
think of them. Of cold winter morn
ing the breath of the worshipers not
unfrequently would seem like smoke
from an hundred furnaces, as it came
in contact with the frosty atmosphere"
These seventies were mitigated by the
free hospitality of the houses near the
Westinghouse. Enormous kitchen fires
were kept blazing, around which scores
of people gathered to thaw themselves
out and eat their luncheons. At sum-
mer moons the farmers would gather in
knots here and there, and THE women
would get together in groups, and they
had a very coy and gOssipy time of it.
In some families there ives Sabbath
day house erected near the sanctuary,
with ample tire-places for the comfort
of worshipers.
The Westinghouse usually was the
central building in the village, as being
the most important. 1t stood within or
fronting the green" Roads radiated
from it. 1t was not until later date
that the sanctuary was placed upon the
high hill, where it could be seen affair,
and so that several of these meeting
houses were within range of vision
guarding, like sentinels, the hill cOun-
try. President Porter gives q faithful
and charming description of the
spiritual churches that had their homes
in these plain meeting-hOuseS. They,
at first, had no written creed, though
their views of truth lacked neither de-
finiteness nor positiveness. Their pas
tors were settled for life. and when
Westinghouse was built and pastor was
settled, "a golden candlestick was set
up" in that place.
The Westinghouse must needs be
'.seated''-places assigned to each
member of the community. In New
Ravens first Westinghouse the sexes
wer. separated. and the seating was ac-
cording to rank and dignity. The doc
trine of equality in place, station and
honor in church and state was no part
of the Puritan creed. In the first gem
eratiOns attendance on worship was
enforced. There was then compulsory
public worship as now we have COM
pulsory education of children. Until
the year 1918, in Connecticut and till
some years later in Massachusetts. every
citizen was compelled to support some
religious organization by tax on his
estate. Thus was formed the excellent
habit of regular attendance at the sane
tuary on the Lords day. A graphic
picture is given of the gathering of a
country congregation from wide
spread township on pleasant Sunday
morning. What a variety of vehicles,
of horses, of dress, of pace, of demean-
or. Then the mornings, with various
gossip, with secret ''swappings, with
care of squealing horses, with stealthy
chances and fiirtations of young folks,
and no end of news exchange.
Passing by the description of thanks
giving and fast days, the writer touches
the decorum and dignity which in theory
was exacted in the Westinghouse, but
which was not always maintained.
There were occasional outbreaks of
lusty blood and the spirit of independ-
ence, which occasioned serious concern
and disturbance President Porter dis
cusses, with characteristic gentleness
the old theology, and quite disarms all
criticism as he sketches the one old
meeting house where five or six genera
tons have worshiped, in :peace and in
war; and asks what better have a half
dozen other places of worship done
which divide the zeal Of neighboring
communities. 1t is easy to see that
Al IL. e al. Il
Pennington Church where his gOdly
fat ka,. ohaI and u-hora ha alsn