Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-07-24
A CHURCH CENTENNIAL.
One Hundredth Anniversary of the Corn
wall Congregational Church.

One Hundredth Anniversary of the Corn
wall Congregational Church.
Wednesday was the centennial anniver-
sary of the organization of the First Con
gregational church of Cornwall, and the
occasion was celebrated in Il style that Will
long be remembered by those who were
fortunate enough to be present. Guests
who had been invited were present from
far and near, and one had even come from
the far-off territory of Dakota to attend.
The church was crowded long before the
exercises began, and many who wished to
get in were obliged to turn away.
At about 10 o'clock the eXer-
cises began with music by the church
choir, and then came the reading of
passages from Scripture and prayer. Mr.:
II. u. ID. Matthews made the address of
welcome, and did it handsomely.
Rev. NJ. C.. Stebbins, pastor of the
church, was the president of the day, and
he also delivered the historical address,
which was more properly the work OF a
longer resident of the town, but which
suffered nothing in this, respect at Mr..
Stebbins's hands The address was nicely
written and eloquently delivered.
From the address it was learned that
the following persons united to organize
the church on the 18th day of July, l1o :
Jariel Abernethy, stephen Tombling, j.
NJ. DOuPllS, JtIcIllldn
well Post Daniel Sampson, Mary Chip
man and Elizabeth Ives. These very soon
had considerable accessiOns to their ranks,
and from the first the church continued to
prosper. The ministers who have been
regularly installed over the church from
the organization down to the present
time as follows: Rev. Thomas Toman,
11S1-l190 ; Rev. Benjamin Wooster, 1871
1902 Rev. Jedediah Bushnell, lSO3-lS3G
Rev. Lamson Miner, 1S37-lS39 Rev.
Il. 81. - ~.
Magill, 1S44-lS52 Rev. Gurdon w. Noyes,
1S52-lS54 Rev. Joseph A. Bent, lS54-lS56
Rev. A. A. Baker 1S5s-lS66; Rev. Sea
grove w. Magill, Second pastorate), 1861
1878 Rev. j. e. Ioughton, 1Si9-lSS2; and
Rev. NJ. {. Stebbns, the present pastor
who was installed Sept. "A, 1854.
The past deacons of the church were
jeremiah Bingham, Hiand Hall, William
Samson, Ashel Bingham Horace James
Daniel Warner, Calvin j. Tilden, Eliphalet
Samson, Champion NJ Jones and :. X
Robbins The present deacOns are Charles
ID. Lane, elected in 1866 Joseph b. Ham
lin, elected in 1871 and Champion VI
James, elected in 1892.
The historical address was followed by
poem, which was delivered by Rev. Ly
man H. Blake Mr. Blake's production
was an excellent one and was finely de
liVered. 1t was highly compllmented OF
all sides. Dinner followed next after tn,
poem
And as to the dinner in the town hal
probably it was never equalled in Addison
county. The farmers and the farmers
wives of Cornwall had been preparing TO
the feast for many days, and there wa
such an abundance of it that when som
six or seven hundred persons had beer
fed there was enough left for at least a
many more. The dinner was served b.
the young men and maidens of Cornwall
in Il most satisfactory way.
In the afternoon the exercises com
menced with reading letters from Prot
Charles NJ. Mead of lnterlaken, Switzel
land, formerly of Andover Theologica
seminary, Rev. Truman NJ. Post of ST
Louis, Mo-, Rev. Harvey d. kitchel; fol
merly president of Middebury college
l now of East Liverpool Ohio, and other III
tives of the town. DR.. Mead's letter wa
full of entertaining "reminiscences and wa
listened to with the closest attention
Rev. Hiram bingham of Windhan
Ohio, followed with an address upo
"The. Ministry of Rev.Jede liah Bushnell,
who was the pastor of the church ft
thirty-three years. Mr.. Bingham was IL
son-in-law of Mr.. Bushnell and therefor
knew whereof he spoke, and his addre:
was an exceedingly interesting one.
The Value of Christian Institutions
Illustrated by the Cornwall church" W.
the theme of an address delivered by Re-
S. Leroy Blake of Fitchburg, Mass. ID
Blake's address was an able and scholarl
one and was filled with close reasoning an
deep thought.
This completed the set programm
Various gentlemen We're then called upo
for brief speeches, and the following re
ponded to the call Rev. Clinton Dougla
grandson of one of the organizers of II
church. Rev. Messrs. Hamlin and Hong
ton and Speare of Middebury, Rev. c.
Mcintyre of Pittsford, Rev. Mr.. Heath
Salisbury, Rev. Mr. Olmstead, of Bri
port and Rev. Mr.. r pbertson of Verge
mes. After the doXology had been SUI
and benediction was gwen, the audien
quietly dispersed at 80 O'Clock, and Cor
wallis greatest day had come to an end
During the day IA handsome Bible,
vised edition, in four volumes and sple
didly bound, was on exhibition in t
church. 1t is a gift to the church fro
Prof Charles NJ Mead, ID. ID. Pm. ID.
THE GUILOTINE IN VERMONT.