Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-06-13
THE OLD WOODSTOCK CHrRCH
Dedication Of the RemodeIed Edihce---
The BenutifuI Gift Of IIon. Frederick
Billings.

Dedication Of the RemodeIed Edihce---
The HenutIfuI Gift Of Hon. Frederick
billings.
The rededication of the remodeled Con
gregational church at Woodstock lat
est Of the many labors Of love done by Hon.
Frederick Billings for his native town
took place on Thursday afternoon of last
week The assemblage Of people was prob
ably the largest which Woodstock has ever
seen. Besides the 700 people who could
find seats, hundreds more stood patiently
in every available place during the services,
which lasted almost three hours. Mr.. S.
B. Whitney Of Boston, a native Of Wood
stock, had charge Of the musical part of
the service. Mr. Henry Swan Dana, the
well known historian and antiquarian, read
an account Of the formation and early his
tory of the church and described the vari
Gus buildings in which it had worshipped.
Rev. Mr. Brodie Of Salem presented the
KEYS of the remOdeed church in behalf of
Mr.. Billings, whose illness prevented his
presence. Mr.. G. f. Southbridge a son of
a former pastor, accepted the gift. The
sermon was by President Buckham Of Bur
lington Rev p. Mcmillan led the congre-
CATION in the prayer and act Of dedication.
greetings from the churches Resident
Woodstock pastors also took part in the
services.
The exterior of the church, after an ex
penditure of nearly $40, 900, still maintains
the main characteristics of the old white
meeting house, of 1907, beautified and re-
lieyed 10y a few simple architectural de-
vices, but not essentially changed. The in
terror is the outcome of long and careful
study by MIR. Billings and his architect,
with u view tO retaining as much as posi-
ble of the characteristic simplicity of New
England church architecture, and at the
same time bringing cOnsecrated art, in all
legitimate and helpful ways, TO the aid of
worship The effect as one enters is both
impressive and worshipful, at once cheerful
and solemn The finish is in oak and the
effect from the stained glass windows is re-
markably beautiful.
The Burlington Free Press, in its account
| of the dedication exercises, says The
great throng Of the people and the eager
interest manifested in the services, were
due in great part to the high esteem in
which the people of Woodstock hold Mr..
Billings and his family, and their desire to
make public expression of their love and
sympathy. The whole transaction on the
part of Mr.. Billings, eliminating in this
event, seems 10 lack no element needed to
make it supremely beautiful. The unabat-
ed love Of "A prosperous man for the home
of his bOyhood and the residence of his
aged parents his return from vast com
mercial enterprises and from the possibili
ties of a national career to the simple Joys
of a rural home his interest in all that
pertains to the welfare of his neighbOrs and
townsmen his attachment to the little
country church of which he has been 50
long a member, and, in an unofficial sense,
even a minister his planning of this edi-
fee, in its twofold character Of church and
chapel. with a struggle between his high
artistic conception Of what a church OF
God should be and his Difference to the sa
cred memories which attach themselves u
the old meeting house and in these recent
days though he has been hampered by sick
ness, and confronted more than once by
what seemed the knock Of death at his
door his clinging to life and hope in order
that he might carry out this cherished plan
and witness its consummaton all these
elements entering into the meaning and mo
tive of the building of the house of God,
reveal an act of piety which in all its parts
is rarely beautiful and complete. 1t vii
CRAFTY the many friends of Mr. Billings Il
know that for the last few days he has beeI
decidedly brighter and stronger, and tina
in the opinion of his attendants, his condi
ton is more hopeful than for some tint
mast