The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-07-05
CHESTNUT STREET METHODIST
CHURCH.

BY THE PASTOR, REV. J. W. BAsHFoRD, D. d.
And the Lord added to them day by day those
that were being Saved.-ActS IL At.
Lessee Lee. one of the founders and the first his
torian of American Methodism, offered himself to
the New England Conference in 1898 as "a mis-
sionary to Maine" He preached the first Metho-
dist sermon in Portland Sept. II, 1793 in the
house of Theophilus Boynton, now No. 169 New
bury street. Lee visited Portland four times, and
in 1874 a Methodist class OF six members was
formed. Rev. Joel Ketchum, Jesse Stoneman,
Nicholas Snethen-founder Of the Protestant
Methodist Church-John Finnegan Timothy Mer-
ritt editor of Zlon's Herald in 1881, assistant
editor of the Christian Advocate from 80 to 30,
and a champion in the anti-slayery contest Joshua
Soule, later a Bishop Of the Church, Asa Heath
and Reuben Hubbard, in succession followed Jesse
Lee upon the Portland circuit from 1884 to 1907.
Joshua Taylor, of heroic life and sainted memory
was Presiding Elder of Maine in 1897. The work
upon the circuit prospered so that 249 members
were reported in 1901. "And the Lord added to
them day by day those that were being saved,
The church in Portland proper grew very slowly,
the first class of six members increasing to only
eleven in ten years. struggle. In 1902 Portland
was included in the POLAND circuit, but was ''sel-
dom visited by the ministers" "ln 1904 Joshua
TAYLOR hearing that the old church on the corner
of Church and Middle streets, belonging to the
Episcopalians, was for sale, consulted Samuel
Homer and Daniel Lewis, the only male members
of the society," and with the help of the soelety's
good friend Major Enoch Ilsley, the house was
obtained Finding help from individuals Ill town
and from some friends in New York an
and Baltimore, the house was removed 70 federai
street opposite the head OF Chestnut street, ana
nut in order for meetings" joshua Taylor was
Sent as pastor in 1904, and during ms Two years
nastorafe siXty-three members were added 10 Ine
church. and he had "an audience 10 cfoWd Ine
honse.'; "And the Lord added to them day by day
hose that We're being savedp The first Board Of
Stewards was appointed in lSo6 AND ol
samuel sam !, .s m2Hff Emery and William true
- In 1908 the first Chestnut street lot lying be-
tween the present church aud Cumberland street
was bought of Joseph Titcomb for $3.50, and the
first Board of Trustees was formed consisting 81
William Waterbouse,. Thomas Delano, William
True Thomas Runels Samuel Homer, Lemuel
lIooding and Thomas Dodge.
Napoleon's ambition involved all Europe IN war,
and finally and indirectly drew the United states t,
into the conflict British Orders In Council; the
Embargo Act, and the war of 1872, crippled Fort
lands commerce and brought external and uneX-
pected difficulties upon the struggling church
Although the subscription for the second cnurcn
was started in 1906, the lot was not secured until
1908 and the first Chestnut street building was not
opened for worship until Feb II, 1911; the out
side of the church was not completed until 1872;
the church was not peWed until loi9 ana was not
were the occasion of still more serious dlfhculty
In 1911 the trustees built nineteen pews in the
gallery and sold them for $40 to help pay for the
Church Unfortunately the rest of the house was
seated with benches without backs, costing 81
each and the men and women who occupied the
benches were forced to sit upon opposite SIDES OF
fine house Still more unfortunately While all
other churches built and sold pews, the putting OF
news into the Methodist church was III VlolauOn
n a unanimous vote of the trustees passed IN
1903, was contrary to Methodist usage, ana was
denoineed by certain members as an act Of con-
TrOuhlp started in the
church was still further increased over the INTRO
d1,ction of instrumental music, and over the
adt1a sisf nrayer meeting The dissensonS re-
shifted in tie withdrawal OF elgnty-tWo Dlsl1peIs
in 1878 Leaving membership 4i 1lte bb nn
forty-tWo The seceding party pullt q eiluTch on
CONGRESS- street on ground now occupied by fluehG
block. but they soon disbanded- me Original 1Gd
members pewed the Mh4lG ta land. Of siS9ss9
The Portland circuit included ne lslahhds, tle
Cape and Cumberland Falmouth h:.d J., pe eno in-
The pastors from 1902 to 825 were Philip Mul-
ger Joseph Wicker Joshua Taylor DAVID Batc sL
elor Joel WINCH EpaPhra,s' hlnpy' lel Wells
Jacob Sanborn, Noah Bigelow, EllJah lieddl4g,
Charles Virgin, Solomon Sas, david hliplfn, 70
siah Scarritt and Phineas Crandall. VI llese
Joshua Taylor taught school in Portland. was a
Presidential electOr in "a, voting for John quincy
Adams and died in S61 in Portland. the Oldest OF
Ten thousand ministers then in the Methodist
Church. Epaphras Kibby became avery Po I ~
preacher and died in 1865, shouting Story 10
Rnter. D. d. was later Principal Of Wilbraham
Academy President of Augusta College, N.Y.
President OF Aegany OoHege: asticaI History
and died as missionary in Texas III 1888. EhJan
Hedding was later elected BISHOP aue WIS d not
many years the recognized leader OF the Methodlst
Church. The first colored members We're received
into the church in 1906; and in 1872 the churcn
licensed a colOred brother, Samuel SnoWdon, as =
preacher. Mrs. Jane Beal, who joined the cnurcn
in 1911, and is our Oldest living member says ne
was one of her faYorte preachers IN 1872 HdeI
Rev Ephraim WileY "The Great Revival broke
ont in Chestnut street church ana spread 10 inc
other churches of the city. Wiley was allowed TO
rens2ip three years by a special arrangement, anu
received 1862 members into full membership auI-
tae that period. Sand the LORD adueu 10 tnenl
dav by day those that were being saved; In the
receTft deaths of Patience Worcester, susan LeaV.
III and Lney Holmes, we have Just lost the last
members who were brought into the chuTcn curing
The Grea IS 1926 81 the first ST. parsonage was
hniIt at a cost OF $l,078.S3. BY l929 the mem
bersp had increased to 352 ana ilie en Gnu was
60 crn1ded that the room in which the prayer
80 ts had heen held was thrown into the ali-
dience ROOM and chapel was Dqlit az @naI Is
now No 964 Cumberland street. In 1879 StePhen
TOW H. and W n Norris were sent to the Portland
circuit and the Pleasant street cnuTcn was pulls,
at cost of about $4,000 ana tle oIisiiaI cnG f
tmne and mismanagement this building was lost to
MFethodism in 1884, and most OF tlle MeinDeTS re-
5u,1;ed to Chestnut street. In 1881 Inc md III
sWasieyan Journal was founded in Portland. Inc
return of Pleasant street members ana tle Grown
of fine original church, made IL necessary o1o AZ
9arge fine Chestnut street building. in lo5O Wy
oriSinal building was heightened ana VeSuy ppuo
smder it, Upon the conclusion OF Lhi5 WIZ ca ',Ie
N,,mherland street chapel was sold to tlie oMeuSn
Inraiane nd the LORD added to them gay ny
day those that were beng SaYeu; 50 hlde ny
IS3F the membership of the circuit had reached
81 and two pastors were constantly employed;
Services were again established III tne Ne9t i1i1
upon Braekett streetip 1888. IneSe services tea
10 the establishment of a Sunday Scnool III 1871,
and 10 fine building of the first Pine Stfcet chuIgh
ia 1916 In the meantime the work upon tlle
Islands had so increased tlat bney were Set oii 81
1.-The Caseo Mission with separate pdsIVVII; du
2I4 members in 1912. From tne SaSco 1 I1d
arose fhe church at Harpswell and Orrs lslahu
the church at Chebeague Island ana tle cRuie d.
Peaks Island. BY setting on the Caseo nlss t'
and nv the loss OF some members tQf0ugH tne
NiIlerite craze" our membership was reduced
from 700 in IS41 to 526 in lSA3. rev w. r L az,
rngtoli who is our Oldest living pastor, anu wiz
is with us today, was our pastor dufins thaG Pc
riod--1s42-3. $3.50, -. -.
The Methodist church in Cumberland was or,
gained ay Joshua Taylor, when ne was locdl
NVeaeher, i'll Chestnut street cllrcn ana fof hdiy
pyaa rs her members were enrolled upon our DOCKS
hefora that church set off from Chestnut streel
church coro ,7,,,,,..4,, 1,oir+,, loov, 4le Meth.
odist church at Bowery Beach, appears upon the
u,inutes as a Sc Hafate organization with 54 mem
Ipe6.as;+nnt street record "And the Lord added to
thaT dav nv day those that were being saved"
IN 40 religious work was begun In the eastern
Ut ~ ~ the CITY, which resulted in the establish
Pdiet " e tha C0neress street church in 1851. Dr.
Tini,aIef clark of Chestnut SIfeet gave tne lol
MN which the present building stands, ana Con
f1reee street NJ E. Church appears upon tle MIN
SteS 81 ;69 with SO members, ABOUT oo OF Whon
Wee "a transferred from Chestnut street church
This transfer of members to Cuef rdtu ltaa
brought down the membership OF Gh est t.
1852 were Stephen Lowell, W. I'll. Norris, j. Hor-
ton. g. F. Cox G. G. Morse, Chas. Baker, j. B.
Hustled Joseph Je4ne George MegPer Moses
Shaw Clias +. Allen, d. D., and VIM. Mcdonald
D. d. OF these George Weber was man Of