Sharp County record., 1891-03-05
OLD MEETING-HOUSES.
Peculiarlties of the Early New England
Churches.

Churches.
The first meeting-houses were often
hvwin the valleys, in the meadow
yands; for the dwelling-houses must be
clustered around them, since the colo
nists were ordered by law to build their
new homes within half mile of the
Westinghouse. Soon, however, the
houses became too closely crowded for
the most convenient uses of a farming
community; pasturage for the cattle had
to be obtained at too great distance
from the farmhouse; firewood had to be
obtained from too distant woods; near
ness to water also had to be considered
Thus the law became a dead letter, and
each new-coming settler built on outly-
ing and remote lands, since the Indians
were no longer so deeply to be dreaded
Then the meeting houses having usual
ly to accommodate a whole township of
scattered farms, were placed on remote
and often highly elevated locations;
sometimes at the very top of long,
steep hill-so long and so steep in some
cases, especially in one Connecticut par
ish, that church attendants could not
ride down on horseback from the pima
cled Westinghouse, but were forced to
scramble down, leading their horses,
and mount from a horse-block at the
foot of the hill. The second RoXbury
church was set on high hill, and the
story is fairly pathetic of the aged and
feeble John Eliot, the glory of New
England Puritanism, that once, as he
toiled patiently up the long ascent to
his dearly loved meeting, he said to the
person on whose supporting arm he
leaned lin the Puritan fashion of teach
ing lesson from any event and sur
rounding): "This is very like the way
to Heaven; t is uphill. The Lord by
His grace fetched us up"
The location on a hilltop was chosen
and favored for various reasons. The
Westinghouse was at first watch
house, from which to keep vigilant look
out for any possible approach of hostile
or sneaking Indians; it was also land
mark, whose high bell-turret, or steeple,
though pointing to Heaven, was like
wise guide on EARTH for, thus station
ed on high elevation, it could be seen
formiles around by travellers journeying
through the woods, or in the narrow,
tree-obscured bridle-paths which were
then almost the only roads, In seaside
towns, it could be a mark for sailors at
sea; such was the Truro Westinghouse.
Then, too, our Puritan ancestors loveda
slightly location" and we were willing
to climb uphill cheerfully, even through
bleak New England winters, for the
sake of having a Westinghouse which
showed off we'll, and was proper
source Of envy to the neighboring vii
lagos and the country around, The
studiously remote and painfully mac
cessible locations chosen for the site of
many fine roomy churches must
astonish any observing traveller
on the byroads Of New England, Too
often, alas! these churches are deserted,
falling down, unopened from year to
year, destitute alike of minister and
congregation. Sometimes, too, on high
hilltops, or on lonesome roads leading
through tall second growth of woods,
deserted and neglected old graveyards
the most lonely and forlorn of all sad
places-by their broken and fallen
headstones, which surround a half
filled-in and uncovered cellar, show that
once Westinghouse for New England
Christians had stood there. Tall grass
and tangle Of blackberry brambles
cover the forgotten graves, and perhaps
spire of orange tiger-lilies, shrub of
southernwood or of winter-killed and
dying box, may struggle feebly for life
under the shadow of the ''plumed ranks
of tall wild cherry" and prove that
once these lonely graves were cared for
and loved for the sake of those who lie
buried in this now waste spot, Notraces
remain of the oldmeeting-house save
the cellar and the narrow stone steps,
sadly leadingnowhere, which once were
pressed by the feet of the children of
the Pilgrims, but now are trodden only
by the curious and infrequent passer-by,
or the epitaph-seeling antiquary,-At-
lantic Monthly.