Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-02-18
Centennial CongI Church, Tunbridge'
VI, Feb. 5, 1892.
CHURCH EDIFIcEs.
BIZ Rer. James Rdnidge.

o set = ,.,hara reli0ions services should be
hoid They we're held in private dwell
mrs and In Elias Curtis hall in the'rouno I,
/ house, This house stood IN the yaru Vi
! the present village saw mill.
! AS early as March 3, 1I9l, the Town Wy ~
ed to appoint a commil1ee 70 c SUI Iahn
stake for the meeting house. Capt. Jonh
Putney. Elias Curtis, Abel Camp, Jr.,Jonh
Hutchins and James Tier were the com
| ujttee annointed. December OF the same
wear the town voted to build the meeting
house where the committee had stuck tne
stake. Voted to sell the Dew GROUND "
build the house. Voted likewise Una. ~ Z
house be so feet long and 40 feet wide VII D
balcony and two porches. Inc conn
fee was instructed to make draft OF tne
building. The following January, lfsz, the
/ town voted to accept the draft OF the com :
mittee. the house to be built in four years
from the first OF the November following;
four annual payments to be made, "ohe,
fourth part OF the sum to be PAID In marc
money previous to the purchase OF naais I
glass and paints; three fourths 10 oe paiu
| In neat cattle or grain equal TO wheat at
| four shillings per bushel. in four annual
payments as soon as work Is done, tne
work to be under the direction OF the
town from time to time"
April IL, 1892 "voted to let the meeting,
house as a Job to the lowest bidder.
i ~ OItQ ludl Lut LOW NC NJ VIZ - f~--~ -
raising said house the committee 10 pay
| for refreshments frum) out OF the notes
| for the meeting house, the remainder OF
the expense to be gratis by the town
| Abel Camp, j., was appointed master OF
vendue to sell the house TO the lowest bid
der. The town meeting was ad)ourheu
for half an hour in order that the house
might be sold; Is was SOLD 70 refer UIom
| for S99 pounds. "Voted that the town
clear the Westinghouse spot by making a
'B' the meeting house committee warn
| ing at the proper time and providing re
| freshments at the expense OF the town. A
subsequent entry is found in the town re-
cords W hich reads: ''Voted to let the clear
| ing of the meeting house ground TO the
lowest bidder with the privilege OF raising
/ crop of wheat the ensuing season. SAID
| lob struck of to Mr.. Amos Allen at four
/ bounds. ten shilings.n There was vaFi
ETY. OF opinion regarding the location Of
/ the house, some feeling and good deal oil
wrangling. Again and again the subject
came up IN town meeting. Again and
again the ''spot' was changed by vote OF
the town. Again and again the town volt
ed to build the Westinghouse where the
stakes had last been stuck.
FEB. 1894 a meeting was called ito see II
the town can consistently with good pol
icy agree on some spot to build the meet
ing house that shall be more agreeable to
the minds OF the people, The action OF
the town is not recorded. April 5, Voted
TO build the meeting house as near Elias
Curtis barn as may be convenient. SUISSE
auently and finally the town voted that II
be built upon Peter Crows land which he
sold to the town for four pounds.
The contractor for some reason could
not begin the work that year so the town
voted TO postpone the building OF the
meeting house one year.
May 8, 1874, Rev. ID. A. Williston, pastor
OF the church, sought to throw oil on the
troubled waters. He addressed letter to
the town which was read in town meeting.
He pointed out that the responsibility OF
the town, the prosperity and happiness OF
| the people depended exceedingly upon
their union. Unitedly building the meet
! ing house would have the tendency to ce-
ment the union, and placing the said
house as near the center OF .he town as
possible would contribute in no small de-
gree toward rendering the union perma-
nent. "a year age the prospects regard
| ing the meeting house were exceedingly
pleasant. Within few months q cloud
has gathered He called upon them to
dispense il and made proposition to the
town to the effect that il the town would
go on and unitedly build the house OF wor
ship at the place chosen by the town and
would build 1t the size agreed upon and
have it finished in four years after June 20
h. would pay on the day OF its completion
one hundred dollars to be appropriated
toward purchasing town library to be
used by every denomination. The town
voted to accept Mr.. Williston's offer and
appointed a committee TO return the thanks
OF the town for his generosity.
1t was voted that the house face the
east. Some difficulty was experienced in
collecting taxes to pay for the erection of
the meeting house. A large number pro-
tested against paying taxes for the build :
ing OF church editice for a denomination
with which theywere not in sympathy. The
town voted that the pew ground be sold
for enough to build the remaining part Of
the house. The sale OF pews realized 7S4
pounds, 10 shillings, the prices of pews
ranging from to . pounds. The names
OF the purchasers of pews and the amounts
paid are found in the town records.
June %, 1875, the town voted to sell the
raising OF the meeting house to the low
est bidder at his own cost and risk that
the town pay the same by a rate. sold
the same to John Moody for 30 pounds
lawful money.
In September 1895 il was voted that "the
selectmen levy tax on the taxable in
habtants of Tunbridge sufficient to pay
one-third part now for the building of
meeting house, exclusive of what the
notes for sale OF pews does not build.o
IL wills lkCNiSt NOltu tudt ''tut otltNt-
men provide place for public worship on
the sabbath gratis"
Work upon the house was begun in 1875
and completed in 1897. Ii was built upon
a lot ten rods square decided to the town
by Peter Grow. 1t was situated about a
mile north OF this village on the west side
of main road near the geographical center
of the town. On the east side Of the road,
exactly opposite the churc4. was a large
common which was used by the town as a
parade ground. The house was 80 feet
long parallel with the road, 45 feet wide
and about % feet high, with a common
square roof, but fat. There were two
porches II feet square, one on either end.
The structure was underpinned With two
tiers OF hewn stone rising IL inches above
the surface of the ground, with hewn
stone for each of three doorsteps and was
patterned after the Royalton house of wor-
ship. The timbers used were hewn; some
were IA inches square and some, the posts,
were of hard wood. Tue finish was of
pine. The clapboards were pine and the
nails used were hand made. The exterior
was painted white. There were u win
doxve each having 10 SQuarqs of glass -xQ